MONDAY, JUNE 5  ■  Forum on Saturday aims to stop White House spin on seniors -- Delegates to White House Conference on Aging and AFGE President John Gage will discuss  senior's priorities on Medicare, Social Security and more at "The Untold Story of the White House Conference on Aging" on Saturday, June 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Seattle's Labor Temple.
■  In Sunday's Spokesman-Review -- Fight for health -- Many find themselves and their families in the crosshairs of the federal government's fight to slow the spiraling costs of Medicaid.
■  In today's NY Times -- The Medicare drug benefit: A report card (editorial) -- It's scored some real successes after a staggeringly bad start, but seems to have left some beneficiaries worse off.

Local news:
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Playing by the rules brings trouble (must-read Paynter column) -- Workers at the Alan Ritchey Co.'s Auburn plant say they were getting hurt, harassed and humiliated trying to meet escalating, even impossible, production quotas. So, a year ago, they reached for protection from a union -- namely, Teamsters Local 117 -- as is their American right under the National Labor Relations Act. And that, they say, is when the trouble really ramped up.
■  In today's Everett Herald -- Boeing workers' payout will be set on June 30 -- If the share price remains close to its current level, each worker will get $5,000 or more.
■  In Sunday's Everett Herald -- Karl Marx would love living wage concept (McCusker column) 
■  In today's Oregonian -- Some Oregon DOT workers' drive to break from SEIU may be lost -- Judge recommends against effort to form an independent Oregon Workers Union for about 1,900.

Political news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Immigration issues give candidate a fighting chance -- Logic says Tomás Villanueva doesn't stand a chance of unseating GOP Sen. Jim Honeyford in the 15th District. But given the area's growing Hispanic population, others say he has a shot at an upset.
■  Today from AP -- Cantwell backers, critics trade chants at Democratic Party convention
■  In Sunday's Everett Herald -- Some in GOP chafing at immigration plank (Cornfield column) -- Meanwhile, Rep. Rick Larsen will soon appear on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report."
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Politics don't belong in bedroom (Connelly column) -- Right-wing conservative gay bashers deserve a bashing for seeking to hold power by dividing, demonizing and excluding.
■  In today's NY Times -- Divide and conquer the voters (editorial) -- It is depressing in the extreme to hear President Bush trying to pretend, at this moment in American history, that a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage is a critical priority.

National news:
■  In today's (Madison, Wis.) Capital Times -- McGovern wrong to blame unions for industry struggles (Sweeney letter in response to George McGovern op-ed) -- Unions strive to work hand in hand with business for the good of the workers and the community. Instead of blaming workers, McGovern should call on business to be an equal partner.
■  In today's Washington Post -- Congress should reject reward for hereditary elite (Mallaby column) -- It doesn't matter if you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. There is no possible excuse for doing what Congress is poised to do this week: Abolish the estate tax.
■  In the American Prospect -- Estate tax lunacy -- With the $3.5 million exemption, just 94 family- owned small businesses would have been required to pay any estate taxes in 2000... On the other hand, an estate tax repeal would save Dick Cheney's estate between $13 million and $61 million, Donald Rumsfeld's estate between $32 million and $101 million, and retired Exxon Mobil chairman Lee Raymond would pocket a cozy $164 million. As for the late Sam Walton's kids, whose company makes taxpayers foot the bill for the medical expenses of thousands of its employees, the cost for not taxing their estates would run into the multiple billions.

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