1) With two new city council members coming on board next year, the talk at city council chambers is all about committee chairmanships: Council members hope to lock down the committees they want (i.e., the juicy ones) before the newcomers show up and start making their own demands.

Nothing's certain yet, but Jean Godden seems to want to keep control of the budget committee (Nick Licata's also expressed an interest in that one); health and human services guy Tom Rasmussen may want transportation; land use chair Sally Clark seems interested in moving over to housing; and public safety chair Tim Burgess wants to stay put through the next police chief confirmation.

2) Speaking of juicy committees: Tonight's your chance to propose amendments to the city's comprehensive plan—the plan that covers land use decisions—at City Hall, 5:30 pm. Once-ubiquitous gadfly Chris Leman—banned from the Seattle Municipal Tower across the street from city hall after he allegedly assaulted a city planning department employee—is expected to present several proposals tonight.

3) Speaking of council newcomers: The latest fundraising numbers in the city council races are in, and they show that no one in any race has enough money to do the kind of "voter outreach"—campaign speak for flyers and commercials—it will take to make a big impression on voters in this off-year, late-summer, mail-only primary.

In the crowded field for Position 8, where only two of the six candidates have broken $50,000, this means appealing to interest groups like neighborhoods (David Miller) or enviros (Mike O'Brien) could be key—and that standing out (like Bobby Forch, the only black candidate in a field of white guys) could provide a big advantage.

4) Speaking of standing out: Republican KC Executive candidate Susan Hutchison continues to lead in a new SurveyUSA poll , with 39 percent of likely voters. Among the four Democrats in the race, Dow Constantine continues to lead with 12 percent of the vote (and 21 percent of people who identify as "liberal," a group that SurveyUSA says makes up 26 percent of the King County electorate.)

5) Over at the Stranger , Eli Sanders got his hands on some email correspondence that shows Sen. Maria Cantwell may be cooling it with all the bobbing and weaving—and finally planting her feet in the public option corner.