►  In today's Seattle Times -- Pierce Co. lawmakers oppose any plan to close McNeil Island prison -- A proposal to close McNeil Island Corrections Center, dispersing 1,250 inmates to other prisons and cutting more than 500 correctional staff jobs, has left Pierce County lawmakers scrambling to quash the plan. 

►  At TVW's Capitol Record -- Rep. Jeff Morris says last-minute deal in store on UI, workers' comp -- He says the business community will be interested to hear about last-minute proposals to offset sharp increases to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance rates. (So would we, and the rest of the general public.)

Boeing news:

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- 767 is Boeing's choice for Air Force tanker bid -- When it submits its bid for a $35 billion contract in May, Boeing has confirmed it will use its Everett-built 767 jet as the basis for the next generation of Air Force aerial refueling tankers. Sen. Patty Murray recently confirmed in a conversation with Boeing CEO Jim McNerney that the company does not plan to move tanker work from Everett to South Carolina, where it is opening an assembly line for its 787. Murray said she asked McNerney several times and got the same answer: Yes, the tanker will be built in Everett.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Rep. Dicks picked to chair powerful defense budget panel -- Rep. Norm Dicks finally gets the job he's always coveted: chairman of the House subcommittee that controls Pentagon spending. The panel controls half of the discretionary spending in the federal budget, some $708 billion for 2011. Unlike his predecessor, Dicks doesn't favor splitting the tanker contract between both Boeing and Northrup/Airbus. Now that he will wield the gavel, "I hope nobody is talking about a split buy," Dicks said.

Health care news:

►  In today's NY Times -- Obama takes health care deadline to Democrats -- Beginning a full-court press for his health care overhaul, the president met Thursday with insurance industry executives and House Democrats as party leaders on Capitol Hill struggled to figure out whether they could meet the president’s timetable for enacting legislation within a few weeks.

►  In today's NY Times -- House adopts $15 billion plan to spur job growth -- Democrats pushed through the measure on a mainly party-line vote of 217 to 201. They characterized the measure, which also funneled an extra $20 billion into road and bridge construction, as just the first step in a broad legislative push to bolster the economy and encourage hiring.

(Outgoing Democratic Rep. Brian Baird joined the state's Republican Reps. Reichert, Hastings and McMorris Rodgers in voting "no." A preview of the health reform vote? He voted against it once already.)

If you read only one thing today, make it this:

►  At SeattleTimes.com -- The big pile of corporate cash waiting to squash jobs and competition (Jon Talton column) -- America's largest corporations are sitting on more cash than ever; 382 non-financial firms in the S&P 500 have $932 billion in cash and short-term investments. That's an increase of 31% from a year ago. At one time, those reserves would have been reinvested in the corporations to improve productivity, enhance research and development and hire new workers. The result: real, organic growth. Not anymore. 

Instead, the wait is on for these companies to do acquisitions. Wall Street is constantly shopping firms for sale, encouraging mergers. Some make sense. Most don't, but the fees for the investment bankers and lawyers are huge, as well as for CEOs. The result: a continuing consolidation of industries, more concentration of corporate power, less competition, de facto monopolies and oligopolies, poor corporate governance and, of course, continuing lost jobs. Not only do the cash hoarders not hire, but their deals kill jobs at the acquired firms.

Combine this with a financial industry that focuses on trading and derivatives rather than helping to fund real, productive activities and you have sick and unsustainable capitalism.

Local news:

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Community Transit slashing bus service in Snohomish County -- The Community Transit board of directors voted 9-0 Thursday to suspend all Sunday and holiday service and eliminate or shorten many weekday routes to offset plummeting tax revenue. The board also approved fare increases of 25 cents on all noncommuter routes. Many riders strenuously objected over the past two months to the cuts. Particularly galling to some was the loss of all service on Sundays and holidays, with some riders saying Community Transit buses were the only way they could get to work or church.

►  In today's Yakima H-R -- Board fires Radio KDNA director -- After more than a year of internal conflict and public protests, Maria Fernandez, the controversial figure at the helm of Granger's beloved Spanish-language radio station, has been fired. Shortly after she was hired station staff complained that she unfairly fired some of their co-workers. They unionized and went on strike, demanding her resignation. Since then, most of those employees have quit or been fired.

►  At TheOlympian.com -- National GOP goes after Heck, Pridemore in 3rd --  The National Republican Campaign Committee is launching automated "robo" calls to attack the two.

►  In today's Tri-City Herald -- La Clinica plans to expand in Pasco -- Community Health Center La Clinica aims to build a 3-story medical office and double the size of its Pasco urgent care clinic.

National news:

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Jobless rate remains at 9.7%, long-term unemployment a crisis -- The ongoing agony for long-term (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) jobless workers continues, with 6.1 million workers in February, roughly the same level since December. Some four in 10 unemployed persons have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more.

►  In today's LA Times -- Obama looking to give new life to immigration reform -- In an effort to advance a bill through Congress before midterm elections, the president meets with two senators who have spent months trying to craft legislation.

►  At In These Times -- Unions plan political work despite strained relations with Obama -- Labor leaders know their frustration with lack of progress on labor's agenda primarily stems from Republican obstruction, right-wing demagoguery, and the anti-democratic rules of the Senate.

►  In today's NY Times -- Sen. Bunning's universe (Paul Krugman column) -- Democratic and Republican debates over unemployment benefits and health care show that the parties currently live in different universes, both intellectually and morally.