More health care news:

►  In Sunday's Wash. Post -- States to shape health reform -- The debate over whether to let states opt out of any government-run plan overlooks a key facet of the health-care measures being assembled in Congress: When Washington is done, the shape of any new health-care system is likely to be finalized in Lansing and Boise and Baton Rouge. And Olympia.

►  In Sunday's Milwaukee J-S -- Health care tax could hit home -- Missing from the sweeping health reform bill unveiled last week by House Democrats was the Senate Finance Committee's proposal to tax high-cost insurance plans. It has been billed as a tax on "Cadillac" health plans. But make no mistake: It would affect a lot of people who drive Chevys.

►  In today's NY Times -- Obama's strategy appears to be paying off -- After months of work by five committees and weeks of back-room bargaining by Democratic leaders, Obama’s arms-length strategy on health care appears to be paying dividends, with the House and the Senate poised to take up legislation to insure nearly all Americans.

►  At NYTimes.com -- Employer mandate becomes sticky issue for reconciling bills -- Like the House bill, the Senate health committee’s bill requires employers, except for many small businesses, to offer coverage to their workers and pay a substantial share of the cost of their premiums, or face a financial penalty. But the Senate Finance Committee’s bill has no requirement on employers, though it does impose a penalty for those who do nothing.

►  In today's LA Times -- Business leaders' opposition to public option takes chutzpah (David Lazarus column) -- Eastman Kodak Co. has laid off 22,000 workers in the last five years. Verizon will have handed about 16,000 workers their hats by Dec. 31. Yet the chief executives of both companies are denouncing a government health insurance plan as being bad for America. Where do they expect all the people they've laid off -- and their families -- to get coverage?

►  In today's Wash. Post -- Hearts, minds and health care (E.J. Dionne column) -- Barring astoundingly self-defeating behavior by Democrats, Obama and his party will own the most sweeping reform of the American social safety net since the passage of Medicare in the 1960s and, arguably, Social Security in the 1930s. Both parties know this. That's why much of the rhetoric you'll hear in the coming weeks will not really be about whether to pass a bill. It will be designed to shape how the voters who will decide the 2010 elections come to view the new system.

Boeing news: 

►  In the Everett Herald -- Its mind made up, Boeing talks with Sen. Murray were for appearances -- Everett never had a chance. Sen. Patty Murray heard firsthand on Feb. 9 about South Carolina's favored status with Everett scrawled along the margin, its chances slim if not none. Top executives suggested Murray not waste her immense political capital trying to alter the course of events set in motion by Boeing CEO Jim McNerney. Yet at Murray's insistence, McNerney agreed to talks with the Machinists. Boeing deliberately set the bar high, asking for a 10-year no-strike agreement they didn't expect to get. After months of talks with little progress, the union did something on Oct. 21 that Boeing never expected. They offered a contract extension assuring no strikes through 2020. Workers had a few things they wanted in the way of wages, benefits and, probably most annoying to Boeing, a commitment for future work at the plant. These were negotiations on a long-term contract extension so a counteroffer from the aerospace company seemed in order. It didn't come. Boeing went silent. Days passed before Murray was back on the phone with McNerney, stressing how success was in sight. She felt confident the union would modify its stance if Boeing responded. McNerney made no promises. The next night, the eve of the decision, McNerney and Murray spoke again. This conversation differed from all their others. He told her a stable work force was not the only issue, though he didn't share what other issues concerned him. The conversation ended and with it all pretense of a second look at Everett. Says Murray's spokeswoman Alex Glass" “I think Boeing was surprised they got as close as they did and may not have wanted to get to the finish line."

►  In the Everett Herald -- Signs were clear Boeing isn't tied to location -- The focus of Boeing's executives is not on place but on the bottom line. That reality is sinking in for local lawmakers.

►  In the Everett Herald -- South Carolina fit Boeing's long-term plan to cut costs (Mike Benbow column) -- Boeing, and for that matter most major corporations, are looking for locations around the world that can make them a low-cost producer -- if not the lowest-cost producer -- of their product. Don't blame the Machinists or the politicians or even Boeing itself. As a region, it's up for us to decide how important our aerospace jobs are and what we're willing to do today to keep them here. If it's not enough, Boeing will continue on the plan and go elsewhere.

Local news:

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Tentative power deal with BPA looks good for Intalco -- A proposed new power deal between Alcoa and the BPA could keep the Alcoa Intalco Works smelter operating for at least another year and a half, preserving as many as 500 local jobs.

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Washington workers, supporters rally to save people with disabilities -- Members of the WFSE Local 573, the City Council of Medical Lake and community supporters are protesting the planned closure of Lakeland Village, a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities. Supporters say the state did not take into account the cost of relocating most of the patients to state-run group homes or privately supported living facilities.

►  In the (Longview) Daily News -- Workers' comp reform? Don't forget the workers (Dave Van Curen column) -- Contrary to the perception of some, a disabling injury is not a ticket to a life of opulent pleasure. The Daily News editorial (calling for unspecified reforms to lower employers' costs) expresses no concern for injured workers who may only be receiving partial wage replacement in tough economic times. Its stated concern is for the financial burden of employers. Please recommend something that keeps rates down but doesn’t take away from injured workers.

National news:

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Time to change the game for airline, railroad workers -- The deck is stacked against airline and railroad workers when it comes to union elections. That’s why airline CEOs are working so hard to defend current election procedures that count all workers who sit out elections as “no” votes. Americans are accustomed to elections where a simple majority of those voting decides the outcome. Not so for airline and railroad workers -- who must first ensure that turnout exceeds 50 percent. How can we justify imposing higher turnout standards on airline and railroad union elections than we do in elections for the highest office of our land? We can’t.

►  In today's Wall St. Journal -- Union-vote rule change rankles transport-agency head -- The chairwoman of the National Mediation Board has sharply criticized the federal agency's proposal to change a decades-old election rule that would make it easier for airline and railway employees to unionize, exposing a sharp rift at the agency's three-person board.

►  In today's NY Times -- Ford posts unexpected profit of $997 million -- It's the automaker's first profitable quarter in North America in more than four years. Meanwhile, the UAW is expected to announce that its members soundly rejected a deal to help Ford further cut its labor costs. The deal generally would have matched concessions that Chrysler and GM workers approved.