Legislative news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- State's higher ed prepares for up to $600 million in cuts -- Universities and community colleges across the state are being asked to prepare for a possible budget cut of some $600 million over the next two years — requiring them to consider slashing courses, laying off staff, reducing student numbers and raising tuition. Such a cut -- 20% of the state's total higher-education budget -- would have massive and far-reaching impacts that some say would reverberate for decades.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- State must keep tax hikes off budget-balancing menu (column by AWB's Dick Davis) -- After boosting spending by more than a third over the last four years, lawmakers must now hold the line. They promise us a vote on new taxes. Here's a better idea: Fold the menu, push away from the table, and live within your means.

►  At PrescriptionProject.org -- Federal court upholds New Hampshire data-mining law -- U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously upholds the state's law prohibiting the commercial use of prescriber data, including for pharmaceutical detailing.

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- State ferries: It is mass transit (editorial) -- The notion of a state agency using its money to create jobs is important; it might even save tax dollars to build locally... We think the ferry financing crisis must be addressed via a zero-based review of the entire system.

►  In today's Daily World -- Doug Sutherland finally concedes Lands race to Peter Goldmark 

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Holiday furloughs for some Idaho state employees -- Hundreds are ordered to take time off without pay to help balance the budget. Gov. Butch Otter praises the moves as “good management,” saying they may be shorted pay, “But they’ve got a job.”

Local news: 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- State jobless rate jumps to 6.3% in October -- It's up half a percentage point from September as the local economy sheds jobs in the wake of global financial woes.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- WaMu job losses in Seattle could total thousands -- As many as 3,000 of WaMu's 4,200 workers in Seattle could lose their jobs, according to executives.

►  At HorsesAss.org -- Michael Dunmire is a doofus -- In 2008, he contributed $285,000 to I-985 and another $100,000 to Tim Eyman’s personal compensation fund. In return he got an initiative that lost by a better than 60-40 margin, going down to defeat in all 39 counties.  And that’s on top of the $530,000 he paid Eyman in 2007. I mean, really… I-985 was perhaps the stupidest, most incoherent and ill conceived Eyman initiative yet (and that’s a pretty high bar), so doesn’t Dunmire deserve a little bit of the credit for personally financing this train wreck? Or do really rich people retain unquestioned credibility regardless of how incredibly stupid they act?

Auto Industry Bailout: 

►  Today from AP -- U.S. automakers warn of dire peril, but get little sympathy -- Millions of layoffs would follow the demise of the Big Three, they say, as damaging effects ripple would across an already- faltering economy. But the new rescue plan appeared stalled on Capitol Hill, opposed by the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress who don't want the Treasury Department's $700 billion bailout program to come up with the $25 billion in loans.

►  In the Everett Herald -- America needs a strong auto industry (op-ed by UAW President Ron Gettelfinger) -- The domestic auto industry simply cannot succeed in today's unstable economic environment without immediate help from the federal government. And the costs of failure are unacceptable.

National news: 

►  In today's S.F. Chronicle -- Employee Free Choice Act restores worker protections --  Under the current law, unions have about as good a chance of getting off the ground as Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose. Even if all employees in a workplace sign up for union representation, employers, backed by armies of corporate lawyers, can still force workers to suffer through labyrinthine NLRB-sanctioned elections, which can take years... We need to rebuild our economy from the bottom up, by restoring respect, dignity and fairness for working Americans. The Employee Free Choice Act would help do that. Which is why Obama should do more than sign it if it comes across his desk. He should use his mandate to make sure it gets there. Starting now.

►  In the National Journal -- EFCA comes to the fore -- Where it will fall on the incoming Congress' and president's agenda is unclear, considering the big-picture problems of the financial crisis.

►  In today's NY Times -- Democrats gain as Alaska Sen. Stevens loses race -- Mark Begich's win gives Democrats at least 58 seats in the Senate for the first years of the Obama administration.

►  At OMB Watch -- Bush's family-leave changes among first midnight rules -- It will be harder for employees to use paid leave when taking FMLA leave. Because FMLA leave is unpaid, workers often attempt to use paid leave, such as paid vacation time, to avoid disruptions in pay.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Obama to usher in major shift in trade policy -- His election has delivered a victory to "fair traders," mainly Democrats and their allies who contend that past administrations' free-trade policies were recipes for U.S. job loss and environmental degradation.

►  In today's Wall Street Journal -- Obama signals tougher regulations at federal agencies -- Obama is signaling by a combination of words and deeds that his administration will toughen regulations at federal agencies that oversee consumer products, environmental policy and workplace safety.