• At only 76 percent, Washington State’s high school graduation rate ranks 32nd nationwide. And you know where else Washington ranks 32nd? Total state K–12 spending. Hooray! Washington taxpayers are getting exactly what we pay for!
• The Seattle Human Rights Commission wants state legislators to take a hatchet to Tomahawks, Redskins, Indians, Totems, Braves, and other Native American mascots by banning their use at Washington’s public schools. The Oregon State Board of Education issued a similar ban last May.
• After raking in a kajillion dollars’ worth of political advertising revenue over the past few months, KING 5 promptly canceled Up Front with Robert Mak, Seattle’s last gasp of regular commercial public-affairs programming, citing declining ad revenue. So much for the public interest standard.
• The annual Slog vs. Kenny G Holiday Charity Challenge got off to a rousing anti-smooth-jazz start, with Slog readers out-raising Kenny G $1,295 to $0 during the first 24 hours alone! “Suck it Kenny G!” writes Slog commenter internet_jen. All proceeds feed the hungry through Northwest Harvest, and all contributors will be awarded the special comment tag “SWASHBUCKLING HERO” for the whole next year. Give today! Give at thestranger.com/give.
• Microsoft attorney and former US Department of Commerce deputy chief of staff Courtney Gregoire has been appointed to the board of trustees of Seattle Community Colleges, a conglomerate of state-funded post-secondary and vocational institutes. Ms. Gregoire has absolutely no relationship to the governor who appointed her, other than being her daughter.
• Looking to be the first on your block to get gay-married? Go to seattle.gov/wedding and RSVP for the December 9 gay-marriage-athon in the grand lobby of Seattle City Hall. But only if, you know, you’re gay, and you really, really want to get married. 