Local news:
▪  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Kaiser Aluminum making a fresh start -- As of today, it has new owners. New stock. A new balance sheet. A new relationship with the Steelworkers union. Most importantly, it has a new outlook after surviving the corporate equivalent of purgatory.
▪  In yesterday's Longview Daily News -- Union (AWPPW 153) asks Fibre workers to authorize strike
▪  In today's King County Journal -- Boeing continues area hiring streak -- The Boeing Co. added 755 jobs in the Puget Sound area last month, the most in a single month so far this year.
▪  In yesterday's Longview Daily News -- Give states more say in job-training programs (editorial) -- New rules greatly reduce the states' flexibility in determining how best to prepare welfare recipients for the work force... states don't need the federal micro-management.
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Seattle closure list cut back to 7 schools; but Manhas warns of 2nd round

Political news:
▪  In today's Seattle Times -- KeyArena initiative backers to submit petitions -- SEIU-backed measure to restrict the use of taxpayer money for an arena expansion appears headed for the fall ballot.
▪  At the Postman on Politics blog -- Darcy Burner breaks $1 million in race against Reichert
▪  In the Walla Walla U-B -- Initiative sponsor Eyman strayed too far from concerned citizen (editorial)

Health Care news:
▪  In today's Seattle P-I -- Health care made harder to get (Washington Citizen Action op-ed) -- We're not going to solve our health care crisis by scapegoating immigrants, documented or not.
▪  In today's Oregonian -- Oregon senators seek pilot projects for health-cost crisis safety nets -- They will propose a series of four state-level test projects co-designed by state governments and private insurers helping uninsured people get health coverage and people with insurance avoid financial ruin from a catastrophic illness. Oregon would be one of the test states.
▪  In today's Oregonian -- Let us be a laboratory for health-care reform (editorial)

Immigration news:
▪  In today's Washington Post -- Splits over immigration on display from coast to coast -- House and Senate Republicans struggle with one of the most divisive issues to confront the GOP in years.
▪  In today's NY Times -- Bad news on the border (editorial) -- Bush has long talked a good game on the need for comprehensive immigration reform and the foolishness of focusing only on border security. But as House Republicans convene the first of their fear-mongering "hearings" to delay action until after the election, Bush is now at the head of a conga line moving backward.

National news:
▪  Today at AFL-CIO Now -- Tax cuts for rich leave rest of us with bill -- For every $1 in Bush tax cuts you have received in the past six years, you were left holding a bill for $3.74 (your share of higher national debt), unless you’re part of the 1% who make more than $1.2 million a year.
▪  Today at AFL-CIO Now -- House Republicans make noise about raising minimum wage -- House Republican honchos may not have seen the light -- but it looks like they are feeling the heat of public opinion. They now say they are going to have to find some way to “deal with it.” 
▪  Today from AP -- Northwest flight attendants face key votes today -- They might switch unions today, in the middle of their showdown with the bankrupt airline's management.
▪  In today's SF Chronicle -- Appeals court decision favors farm labor on contract mediation