►  In the (Ellensburg) Daily Record -- CWU budget cuts affecting staff, hours, programs -- CWU's president announced that between 10 and 15 exempt and classified employees would be laid off, and hours reduced for 175 more. 

►  In the (Ellensburg) Daily Record -- CWU protesters to march Thursday -- An anticipated crowd of 100 will march to protest Arizona laws on immigration and a teaching ban on ethnic studies.

State government news:

►  In today's News Tribune -- Gregoire headed to D.C.? -- Gov. Chris Gregoire is on the short list to replace Solicitor General Elena Kagan, an Obama administration official has confirmed. Her resignation before Oct. 3 would trigger an election for the office, potentially speeding up decisions by politicians who are considering gubernatorial campaigns in 2012. Observers see Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and Democratic U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee as possible candidates in 2012, when Gregoire is not expected to run for a third term. If the vacancy opens after Oct. 3, however, there would be no special election for the job in 2011. Instead Owen would serve until the job comes up on the 2012 ballot.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- White House: Gregoire being considered for Solicitor General -- The question is, would she take the job if it's offered? So far, the governor isn't saying.

Local government news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Labor offers olive branch to King County -- Labor leaders pledge to work with officials to help the cash-strapped county "contain costs and improve efficiencies," but stop short of saying they'd accept more concessions in wages and benefits.

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- No sugarcoating "dismal" budget -- Spokane Mayor Mary Verner on Wednesday outlined a grim budget proposal for 2011 that would eliminate 18.5 police jobs and nine firefighter positions and make city services available just four days a week.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Facing big cuts, Seattle libraries look for creative solutions -- Last fall, budget cuts resulted in staff reductions, two-day closures at 15 branches and a planned week-long shutdown this summer. Now, the system is bracing for another round of cuts.

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Pension miscue could be costly -- A mistake by the state Department of Retirement Systems could cost Spokane County nearly $325,000 – if commissioners don’t pass the burden to employees. The mistake could shave hundreds of dollars a year from the pensions of employees who are within five years of retirement and aren’t represented by unions. (Yikes! Maybe you should organize a union!)

Election news:

►  At HA Seattle -- Dino Rossi's moral hazard -- If Rossi -- who frequently touts his business acumen and experience as one of his prime qualifications for higher office -- is so hands off his investments, so easily swindled by his associates and so frequently on the wrong end of a deal gone bad, can we taxpayers really afford to have Rossi run government like he runs his business? Or, is Rossi really much more involved with his business dealings than he lets on?

►  At NewsTribune.com -- Bottlers jump into tax repeal campaign -- The Washington Beverage Association has filed an initiative to end the taxes on bottled water, soda pop, candy and gum, and a second initiative to repeal those taxes plus the increase in the beer tax.

►  At TPM -- Dems try to protect Lincoln by delaying Wall St. reform -- One of the most far-reaching pieces of the Senate's Wall Street reform bill has powerful enemies: the White House, the FDIC chief, Paul Volcker, and number of key Democrats. All of them say that a controversial proposal to force financial firms to spin off their derivative-trading desks into separate entities goes too far. But they're stuck with it -- for now -- because it was authored by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), who designed it to guard her left flank against a formidable primary challenge, and has been boasting of it on populist grounds.

National news:

►  At Huffington Post -- Buffalo's message to Obama: "I need a freakin' job' -- President Obama flies to Buffalo today to trumpet his administration's success in job creation, and to call on Congress to support a $30 billion program to unfreeze credit for small business. So a group of unemployed Buffalo residents is sending Obama a simple message, loud and clear, with a billboard on Interstate 190 that says: "Dear Mr. President, I need a freakin' job. Period."

►  From Bloomberg -- Boeing says new Iran sanctions would hurt sales -- Boeing and Exxon Mobil are among companies lobbying to fend off tightened sanctions against Iran that business groups say may cost $25 billion in exports. This follows Obama's difficulty in getting members of the U.N. to agree to expanded financial penalties on Iran, which the U.S. estimates may be 3 to 5 years from having a nuclear bomb.

►  In today's NY Times -- With Obama, regulations are back in fashion -- Federal agencies have toughened or proposed new standards to protect Americans from tainted eggs, safeguard workers from crane accidents, prevent injuries from baby walkers and even protect polar bears from extinction. 

►  At San Mateo Co. Times -- Calif. teachers union pushes measure to rein in corporate tax breaks -- The California Teachers Association is pushing a ballot measure that would help fund schools by closing loopholes that it says have resulted in $2 billion in annual corporate tax breaks.

►  In today's LA Times -- Macy's rings up a profit of $23 million -- It credits its new merchandising structure for its swing to first-quarter earnings, compared with a loss of $88 million last year.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Buyouts, not bailouts, for teachers (Matt Miller column) -- The federal government should turn calamity into opportunity by putting a Harkin-sized pot of money on the table that districts can tap to offer buyouts to senior teachers. This is what a business would do to refresh its workforce and begin to pay down outsized pension obligations.