Legislative news: 

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- Union advocates rally support in Olympia -- More than 350 union members from different industries showed their support for labor at a conference organized by the Washington State Labor Council in Olympia on Thursday. Labor-friendly legislation was also highlighted, particularly the Worker Privacy Act, which would prevent employers from imposing religious or political views on workers -- such as telling them who to vote for in elections -- and would give workers the right to sue their employers over such actions. 

►  Today from AP -- Top WA legislator: Higher taxes on the table -- Higher taxes should be part of the solution to the state's $8 billion budget deficit, but officials must ensure the burden doesn't fall too heavily on the poor, says Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (D-Spokane). "We're going to look for ways that we can raise the necessary revenue to keep basic state services, in education and higher education, and health care and critical human services," she tells the Washington State Labor Council.

►  In today's Olympian -- WFSE to renegotiate contract -- A new deal likely means no pay raises. Gregoire did not include any raises for unionized workers in her December budget proposal. Since then, the projected shortfall has grown. "It's pretty clear there's not going to be pay raises in this budget, and that's tough for people who are counting on them," says Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown.

►  In today's Olympian -- Education cuts, revamp planned -- Lawmakers are cutting money for schools this year, but they also are moving toward redefining basic education. It could mean more class credits for students, higher state-funded ratios of teachers per student, a state commitment to pay for school librarians and nurses, and other changes in how schools are run.

►  In the Daily News -- Bill to save Naselle Youth Camp falls flat -- It's the area’s largest employer and the state’s last medium-security juvenile detention facility. Area residents fear its closure would devastate the local economy and staffers say it would harm the juvenile rehab system.

►  From AP -- Deal nears completion on payday lending rules -- The compromise would give more protection and choices to customers while avoiding a crippling effect on the industry.

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- Will deficit create a "Zombie Governor"? (Joel Connelly column) -- Gregoire is aiming cuts at programs cherished by her political base. She can talk about "tough decisions." But I dare anyone to spot any corporate or special interest tax break on the chopping block.  During the first few months of 2009, as Olympia grapples over how to close an $8 billion deficit, we may find out who is still politically alive for the 2012 election. 

Obama budget news: 

►  In today's Wash. Post -- In $3.6 trillion budget, Obama signals broad shift in priorities -- His plan would finance vast new investments in health care, education and energy independence by raising taxes on the oil and gas industry, hedge fund managers, corporations and nearly 3 million of the nation's top earners.

►  In today's NY Times -- A bold plan sweeps away Reagan ideals (news analysis) -- The Obama budget -- a bold, even radical departure from recent history -- would sharply raise taxes on the rich, beyond where Bill Clinton had raised them. It would reduce taxes for everyone else, to a lower point than they were under either Mr. Clinton or George W. Bush. And it would lay the groundwork for sweeping changes in health care and education, among other areas.

►  In today's NY Times -- Progress on health care (editorial) -- Obama's plan to overhaul the nation’s costly health care system smartly leaves room for Congress to fill in the details.

►  In today's NY Times -- Some honesty about taxes -- finally (editorial) -- No one who really believes in fiscal responsibility could object to the proposed tax increases.

►  In today's Wash. Post -- Pay raise parity emerges as issue for federal workers -- Federal employee unions were not pleased with Obama's proposed budget. It calls for civilian workers to get a 2% raise while military personnel would see a 2.9% bump. It's not the paltry increase that's so upsetting to the unions, it's the dismissal of the principle of parity. 

Local news:  

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- 3 Boeing engineers believed dead in Amsterdam jet crash -- It appears the three were among those killed in the Turkish Airlines crash in Amsterdam, as they returned from a business trip to Ankara, Turkey. A fourth employee was critically injured.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- "Global crisis" for Boeing, Airbus -- Air traffic declined again in January, giving airlines little incentive to order or to take delivery of new Boeing or Airbus jets.

►  In today's Olympian -- Thurston County lays off 16 employees -- The budget-strapped county lays off 16 people from its Development Services department -- including clerical staff, planners, associate planners and building inspectors -- in an effort to save $1.6 million this year.

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Bellingham slashes budget again as revenue slides -- The budget has been slashed for a fourth time since the last quarter of 2008, but no layoffs are happening.

►  In today's News Tribune -- Immigration reform can't exclude raids (editorial) -- A work-site raid at a Bellingham plant this week could be a boon to the cause of immigration reform.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Web video of workers starts L&I probe -- A YouTube video is playing a key role in state and federal cases against the concrete contractor of a $1 billion urban village that's going up along Tacoma's Commencement Bay. In the video made by the Carpenters union, three Spanish-speaking workers tell of being given ID badges belonging to other Latino workers who'd been trained on how to protect themselves while working in contaminated soils.

National news: 

►  In today's NY Times -- Jobless angry at possibility of no benefits -- As governors in nine states, mostly in the South, consider rejecting millions of dollars in federal stimulus money for increased unemployment insurance, there is growing anger among the ranks of the jobless in those states that they could be left out of a significant government benefit.

►  At ABCNews.com -- Stonewalling in style: BofA execs, still flying private jet, won't list bonuses -- Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis (right) refuses to provide a list of bonus payments to the N.Y. Attorney General, after arriving in New York in his $50 million corporate jet.

►  In today's Wall St. Journal -- Layoffs deepen pool of applicants for trucking jobs -- Companies say they are seeing a tripling or quadrupling of inquiries from people who have historically snubbed driving a truck. They include people laid off from construction and auto-manufacturing jobs.

►  In today's Washington Post -- In auto talks, no cure-all for health care costs -- Health benefits for retired autoworkers may be the envy of most Americans. For $11 a month, they get medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage. But it may not last much longer. As GM, Chrysler, the UAW and the Obama administration plot the future of the U.S. auto industry, one of the most delicate issues they face is what to do about the benefits of some 800,000 retirees. 

►  From AP -- Union that struck Northwest gives up on Delta mechanics -- Northwest, which was heavily unionized, was acquired by Delta, whose only major union represents its pilots.

►  In today's LA Times -- California firm buys Chicago factory where laid-off workers staged sit-in -- The new CEO hopes to reopen the Republic Windows & Doors plant and rehire the workers.