While members of Congress stood together to demand Rep. John Conyers resign following accusations of sexual harassment from former staffers – Congresswoman Pramilla Jayapal (D-Washington) said she struggled to call him out because of his history in the civil rights movement. (MyNorthwest)

Washington’s graduation rate has risen to 79.7%, a slight uptick from last year’s rate – yet our state still ranks in the bottom half of the nation as far as graduation rates overall. (The Seattle Times)

State health officials have heard from people supporting a third option on birth certificates during a public hearing that proposed the idea, in addition to female and male, of an option “X” for gender. (King5)

Democratic candidate Toby Whitney dropped out of the congressional race in the 8th District, which is currently held by Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn), who has decided not to run for re-election this coming year. (The Seattle Times)

Eight prison inmates from Washington Corrections Center have decorated the governor’s mansion after being invited to do so by First Lady Trudi Inslee. (MyNorthwest)

Deputy Chief Carmen Best will take over the Seattle Police Department as interim police chief on January 1. She is also planning to throw her hat in the ring for the nationwide search for a new chief that Mayor Jenny Durkan will be conducting to replace Chief Kathleen O’Toole. (The Seattle Times) 

Nooksack tribal chairman Bob Kelly plans to dis-enroll 300 people from the tribe, saying that, “at this time point we have no reason to believe that they are Native Americans and we will proceed with a second round of disenrollment hearings as soon as the election is certified by the election board later this week.” (The Seattle Times)

Tacoma families have sued an elementary school for placing their children in isolation booths, with their lawyer stating that the schools in question “acted together to deprive the five children of their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizure and force.” (MyNorthwest)

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