National health care news: 

►  In today's NY Times -- Obama aides aim to simplify, scale back health bills -- The president plans to address a joint session of Congress next week in an effort to rally support for health insurance legislation as White House officials look for ways to simplify and scale back the Democratic bills, lower the cost and drop contentious but nonessential elements. White House officials insist that Obama has not given up on a government-run competitor to private insurers, although many Democrats say the proposal may eventually be jettisoned.

►  At Huffington Post -- Obama, GOP's Snowe reportedly working on reform compromise -- The details have yet to be worked out, but the general idea is to give the insurance industry a fixed time to show that it can stem rising costs. If the private carriers fail, the government-run plan would be created under a "trigger." The approach could be tailored so that the government plan is used only in areas of the country where one or two private insurers control the market and have failed to bring down costs.

►  In today's Wall St. Journal -- Democrats target high earners to help fund health plan -- Obama had originally proposed capping the value of itemized deductions at 28% of the total claimed for families making more than $250,000. If Senate Democrats decide to include his idea in a health bill, the cap could be more generous to taxpayers -- potentially as high as 35%, say Democratic aides.

►  In today's LA Times -- Private insurers accused of illegal actions -- The nation's two largest health insurers have been pressuring employees to lobby against healthcare reform in Congress in violation of a California law against coerced political activity, a consumer group alleges.

►  In today's LA Times -- State HMOs deny 1 in 5 claims, analysis shows -- A nurses group says California state data show that denial rates among the five largest insurers ranged up to 39.6% in the first half of 2009.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Drugmakers, consumer group unite on health care -- Sens. Cantwell and Murray are among senators from 11 states whose names have been invoked in a campaign launched by PhRMA and Families USA to rally lawmakers and voters alike to pass a comprehensive health-care bill this year. Families USA supports creating a public plan that would compete with private plans to drive down costs. Though it has not taken a formal position on a public plan, PhRMA favors expanding choices among private health insurers.

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Sacred Heart's profits climb -- Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center earned a profit of nearly $100 million in 2007 and 2008. The hospital kept 8 cents of every dollar collected for treating patients. That surpassed the hospital’s norm and came amid recession and increasing calls to control medical costs as part of health care reform.

►  In today's Olympian -- Inslee seeking help for state on Medicare -- An overlooked piece of the reform debate is a side agreement in the works to reduce wasteful medical spending and promote more equal Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals in Washington state.

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Group rallies in Richland for health care reform -- Nearly 40 residents show their support for national heath care reform by quietly holding signs, marching and telling stories about family and friends who have struggled with the current system.

►  In today's Bellingham Herald -- Whatcom County residents in national health care vigil -- About 75 residents had gathered in a candlelight vigil to support a public option in health care reform..

►  At Huffington Post -- Public option is popular, moral and inexpensive, therefore it must die (Bob Cesca column) -- The public health insurance option is not a far-left liberal proposal. A far-left liberal proposal would be a single-payer plan. The public option is actually a program supported by almost everyone, despite the misleading way it's currently being discussed by Republicans, town-hall wingnuts, cable news "smackdown" panelists and other members of the Washington establishment. A health insurance reform bill with a robust public option is both extraordinarily popular and fiscally responsible, while, on the other hand, a "centrist" bill that leaves it out is more expensive and more corrupt. The press and the far-right have managed to largely change the terms of the debate without regards to reality. Knowing this, we have a couple of months here to set the record straight and to achieve a robust, affordable, portable and reliable public health insurance plan. Considering the dishonesty and insanity of the opposition, it ought to be a winnable fight.

►  In today's NY Times -- Health care that works (Nicholas Kristof column) -- Here's a paradox. Health care reform may be defeated in part because so many Americans believe the government can’t do anything right and fear that a doctor will come to resemble an I.R.S. agent with a scalpel. Yet the part of America’s health care system that consumers like best is the government-run part. Fifty-six to 60% of people in government-run Medicare rate it a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. In contrast, only 40% of those enrolled in private insurance rank their plans that high.

Election news: 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- R-71 certified for ballot; foes to continue legal battle -- Secretary of State Sam Reed certifies Referendum 71 for November's ballot and King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector denies a request to block the certification. Her ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed last week by a group supporting a bill the Legislature passed that expanded the state's domestic-partnership law. R-71 requires voters to affirm or reject the law.

►  At SeattleTimes.com -- Poll finds support for same-sex domestic partnerships -- In 2006, about 59% of registered voters in Washington supported either same-sex marriage or domestic partnerships with the full rights of marriage. But by 2008, 66% said they supported same-sex marriage or full domestic partnerships. Just 32.6 percent were in support of lesser rights.

►  In The Stranger -- I-1033: Tim Eyman's latest attempt to f--- over the state -- In 1992, Colorado became the only state to cap revenue (as I-1033 proposes). Data collected there shows a state in a tailspin. Higher-education funding dropped 21% in four years. The number of children without health insurance doubled and immunization programs for children were suspended -- until voters put the law on hold for five years to let the state recover from its effects.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Ruling on Kent teacher strike delayed until today -- Saying she needed more time, a King County Superior Court Judge postponed until today her decision on whether to force striking Kent School District teachers back to the classroom. In a move that shocked teachers, the school district filed for an injunction asking the court to call the strike illegal and send teachers back to work. The strike began Aug. 27, delaying Monday's scheduled opening of school.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Teachers, district reach deal in Lake Stevens -- A tentative deal was reached Wednesday afternoon, in time to avoid a strike in the 7,500-student district. The teachers last week had decided to strike if they didn’t have a contract by the first day of school, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Everett teachers approve contract -- They overwhelmingly approve a one-year deal raising salaries 2%. The school board is expected to approve the contract Tuesday, with schools opening for the district’s more than 18,000 students on Wednesday.

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Educators, Toppenish School District quarrel over contract -- The district and Toppenish Education Association are tentatively set to meet again on Sept. 21. In the meantime, the terms of the previous contract -- which expired Aug. 31 -- are being honored.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- King County unions balk at widespread furlough days for 2010 -- The unions notify County Executive Kurt Triplett that they oppose across-the-board unpaid furloughs for 2010 similar to those agreed to this year. Many of the county's unionized and non-union workers accepted 10 furlough days in 2009. The County Council was told that savings from the unpaid days off are expected to be $7 million. When first proposed last year the projected savings were $10.1 million. David Freiboth, executive secretary of the M.L. King County Labor Council, says the less-than-hoped for savings from the current furlough programs was one of the reasons the 15 unions are against a similar program for next year.  

►  In today's Columbian -- Clark County faces $4 million in cuts in 2010 -- The situation could endanger popular but optional programs commissioners have shielded from past cuts, including local animal cops, park maintenance, street deputies and the WSU Extension office.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Federal government needs massive hiring binge, study finds -- The U.S. government needs to hire more than 270,000 workers for "mission-critical" jobs over the next three years, a surge prompted by the large number of baby-boomer federal workers reaching retirement age, according to a new government-wide survey.

►  In today's NY Times -- Workers in America, cheated (editorial) -- An important new study has cast an appalling light on a place where workplace laws fail to protect workers, where wages and tips are routinely stolen, where having to work sick, injured or off the clock is the price of having a job. The place is the United States, all across the lower strata of the urban economy. The report upends the idea that the way to help American workers is to make illegal immigrants ever more exploitable. Only by protecting all workers will the country begin to rebuild a workplace matching its ideals of decency and fair play.

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Bailed-out CEOs pocket millions as they lay off thousands -- Executives of banks that were bailed out with taxpayer dollars have pulled down stock options that guarantee them mega-million-dollar windfalls for years to come. Worse, they’re using our taxpayer money to line their own pockets while laying off workers. Since Jan. 1, 2008, the top 20 financial industry recipients of bailout aid have together laid off more than 160,000 employees. In 2008, the 20 CEOs at these firms each averaged $13.8 million in compensation, for a collective total of over $250 million.

►  In today's NY Times -- A reluctance to retire means fewer job openings -- To the long list of reasons American companies aren’t hiring -- business losses, tight credit, consumer retrenchment -- add the fact that many of their older workers are unable, or afraid, to retire.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Obama would keep $85 billion in tax breaks for working poor -- He wants to add more than $85 billion to budget deficits over the next decade to extend two tax breaks for the working poor, a move critics blast as violating his pledge to pay for new policies.

►  From AP -- AT&T, West Coast unions reach agreement -- Roughly 23,000 CWA workers ratify a new 3-year contract that includes health care concessions and a 9% compounded wage increase. It covers wireline employees in California, Nevada and Hawaii.

Farmworker news: 

►  From AP -- U.S. seeks tighter rules on foreign farm workers -- The Labor Department is trying again to roll back Bush administration regulations that made it easier for farmers to hire temporary foreign farm workers. It is proposing new rules that would boost wages and increase safeguards for thousands of seasonal workers brought in to help farmers pick their crops. It would also require that growers make greater efforts to fill those jobs with American workers.

►  In today's Sacramento Bee -- Schwarzenegger vetoes farmworker bill -- The governor vetoes a bill that would have allowed California farmworkers the right to join a union if a majority signed representation cards instead of having to hold secret-ballot elections.