More health reform news:

►  In Business Week -- Small employers struggle to offer health insurance -- Due to skyrocketing premiums, only 43% of small businesses still offer coverage, compared with 96% of companies with at least 50 employees. In the past decade, the average premium for a single worker at a company with fewer than 50 employees went from $2,475 to $4,501, an 82% increase. Family premiums increased by 93% in that period, to $11,679. As costs rise, companies ask workers to contribute a greater portion of premiums.

►  In today's NY times -- 4 Senators' concerns reflect health-care challenge -- Sen. Rockefeller (D-W.V.) is upset that the Finance Committee bill hands a half-trillion dollars to insurance companies. Sen. Snowe (R-Maine) worries it would force people to buy insurance they cannot afford. Sen. Lincoln (D-Ark.) fears it's just too costly. And Sen. Wyden (D-Ore.) warns that it would lock workers into employer-selected plans. None have indicated how they'll vote on it.

►  At Politico -- House Democrats: Don't tax "Cadillac" plans -- More than half of the Democrats in the House have signed a letter denouncing a key element of the Senate Finance Committee’s health care legislation as labor unions draw a line in the sand on paying for reform.

►  In today's Wall St. Journal -- State-run health plans garner support -- Some centrist Senate Democrats are warming to the idea of a network of nonprofit health cooperatives, seeded with $6 billion of federal money and run by state governments, to compete with private insurers.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Reform gets conditional Republican support -- With a key Senate panel poised to vote on a broad bill, Obama and his top aides have reached out to current and retired Republican leaders, many of whom have all spoken favorably of health reform.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Don't use health reform as anti-immigrant vehicle (guest column) -- Some members of Congress are hijacking the debate to spread anti-immigrant venom. These guest columnists who work in health care across the state urge a system that lets all families pay their fair share to receive health-insurance coverage and have access to preventive care.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- 747-8 delay causes doubts about Boeing -- Boeing added $1 billion in escalating costs as it delayed another new airplane program, and industry analysts pinned much of the blame on poor management and a thinning of the ranks among the company's vaunted technical experts. Teal Group's Richard Aboulafia: "There were an awful lot of good people retired after 2000. That, coupled with the decision to outsource major chunks of engineering requirements to suppliers and partners, seems to have resulted in a severe talent shortage and a loss of tribal knowledge." Leeham Co.'s Scott Hamilton says the blame doesn't rest with Boeing's engineers and mechanics, who eventually have to fix all these problems, "It's a management problem." SPEEA's Stan Sorscher says Boeing has fallen badly short in managing both the 787 and 747 projects, which he attributes to a long-term hollowing out of the company's expertise through outsourcing that has shrunk the talent pool available in-house.

►  In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing's troubles reach to the top (Jon Talton column) -- The announcement of a record $1 billion charge for delays in the 747-8 should be a moment of clarity. One of the most famous names in American business is in trouble, its reputation for great engineering and on-time delivery badly wounded. And when all the debris of excuses and blame is cleared away, we stand at the door of Chairman and Chief Executive James McNerney and the Boeing board of directors. Boeing shareholders are rightfully angry. And after the union and suppliers and underlings have been sufficiently kicked around, the shareholders will turn that fury on the executive suite. And the board. 

►  From AP -- 747 delays costly to Boeing -- Late again. It's the second time in four months that the company has announced delays in delivering a new aircraft model.

►  Addition coverage from -- Bloomberg, Business Week, L.A. Times, and SeattlePI.com.

Local news: 

►  In today's Columbian -- Stimulus money = jobs -- On Tuesday, two local companies won a combined $3 million in federal stimulus money that will create as many as 580 jobs here.

►  At NewsTribiune.com -- Firefighters, other unions are top contributors to Tacoma candidates -- An analysis of state records shows unions representing city employees have given more than $100,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to Tacoma candidates since the 2003 elections. Five city employee unions are among the top 10 contributors to city candidates since 2003. 

►  In the (Aberdeen) Daily World -- Weyco says it’s close to some kind of deal with Bassett -- Weyerhaeuser is “close to an agreement” with businessman Richard Bassett, who once before had an exclusive agreement to put together a deal to buy the closed Cosmopolis Pulp Mill.

►  At HorsesAss.org -- The contentious mayor's race in America's Vancouver -- BIAW-backed mayoral candidate Tim Leavitt has missed “an outrageous” 16 elections over the past 10 years, according to a review by the Vancouver Firefighters Union. Meanwhile, the IBEW has put up a little web site in honor of Leavitt called “Stop Lying Tim Leavitt.” Nothing subtle about that.