Legislative news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- House, Senate back different tax plans, and neither yielding -- The special session has come down to a game of chicken, in slow motion. Democratic leaders have agreed to about $800 million in taxes to help close a $2.8 billion budget shortfall. But they're still divided on the mix, in particular whether to include a general sales-tax increase. The Senate wants a three-tenths of a cent increase. The House wants none at all. Neither side seems ready to budge as the Legislature heads into its fourth day of a special session.

►  In today's Olympian -- Tax breaks for data centers OK'd -- Lawmakers approve a tax break for technology companies' computer servers, the first piece of Democrats' jobs agenda to go to Gov. Gregoire for her signature and one with the bipartisan support lacking for other job bills.

►  At TheOlympian.com -- Refinery workers in "coveralls" lobby lawmakers -- The "oil lobby" brought about 30 men in bright blue coveralls to the Capitol, warning lawmakers that refinery jobs are in the balance this session. Some were on their own time, others on the pay of Tesoro.

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Secretary of State Sam Reed has cancer -- Doctors expect him to make a full recovery from kidney cancer following surgery on Monday.

►  In today's Columbian -- Health care calls inundate Baird -- In the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Brian Baird’s eight staff members have fielded roughly 4,000 phone calls regarding health care reform over the past week. 

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Yea or nay? Baird, Smith votes in play -- Rep. Baird is one of several dozen House Democrats who are now publicly reconsidering. Baird had a lengthy meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday -- his first such audience with a president in his 12 years in office. Rep. Smith voted yes last year but is now wavering.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- As WTO readies Airbus ruling, Boeing-funded study calls for trade sanctions -- A final ruling is expected next Tuesday to confirm interim findings that European governments provided Airbus illegal subsidies as it rose to overtake Boeing as the world's dominant jetmaker. Wednesday, a Boeing-funded study released by an aerospace analyst began beating the drum in advance for aggressive U.S. action against Airbus.

►  In The Hill -- Unions flex muscles with bank protests -- Unions are flexing their muscle this month in scores of protests against the country’s largest banks, which are lobbying heavily to influence financial overhaul legislation. Unions will hold some 200 events aimed at Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. “It’s time to create good jobs now and the big Wall Street banks that destroyed jobs should pay to restore them,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. (See coverage of one such event in Seattle on Monday -- Chase Bank: Pay your fair share!)

►  In These Times -- Will Obama pursue promised new approach to trade, or continue Bush model? -- Fair trade advocates have reasons to worry. Obama already has backed off promises to re-negotiate parts of NAFTA and has urged Congress to approve Bush-negotiated trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, an egregious violator of worker rights. And when Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), asked U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk (a longtime supporter of NAFTA and similar trade deals) a series of questions about how TPP would protect worker rights and good jobs, “We did not get any clear answers or commitments from him on any of these,” he said.

►  From AP -- Black people must leave, N.J. Wal-Mart announcer says -- A Walmart store announcement ordering black people to leave brought chagrin and apologies Wednesday from leaders of the company, which has built a fragile trust among minority communities.