AMERICA’S POSTAL SERVICE

► In today’s NY Times — Postal Service holds back on closings — Giving Congress more time to pass legislation to overhaul the financially struggling agency, the service held back from the wholesale closings of mostly rural post offices that it had proposed last year. The Postal Service’s hope is that Congress, given more time, will come up with a plan to overhaul the agency. But Wednesday’s action signals that the Postal Service needs to move forward with staffing cuts.

► In the Wenatchee World — New plan could save NCW’s rural post offices — The new strategy could keep open the nation’s smallest post offices — including those in Chelan Falls, Ardenvoir, Loomis, Wauconda and Marlin — while dramatically reducing window hours and possibly trimming staffs.

► In today’s (Longview) Daily News — USPS spares some rural post offices slated for closure— The move apparently has saved post offices in Skamokawa, Oysterville and Ariel from closure.

BOEING

► In The Hill  — House approves Export-Import bank bill despite fire from right — The House on Wednesday passed a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, 330-93, despite strong resistance from conservative lawmakers. Not one Democrat opposed the bill, while 93 Republicans rejected it, including members of the GOP leadership team.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Washington’s entire congressional delegation voted “yes.” Right-wing Republicans, led by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint (of South Carolina!), have sought to kill this institution they deride as the “Federal Bank of Boeing.” For more information, see Bank bill key to aerospace jobs, senators warn.

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — Aerospace job fair set for May 16 in Everett — Job seekers who are interested in working in the aerospace industry will have the chance to talk with local employers who are hiring at a job fair May 16 at the Washington Aerospace Training and Research Center in Everett.

HEALTH CARE LAWSUIT

► In The Stranger — Speaking truth to McKenna: Meet one of the 90 women brave enough to fight back— Melissa  “Nikki” Mackey may look like a strong gust of wind could topple her, but she won’t be bending to the will of Washington State attorney general Rob McKenna. The 38-year-old cancer survivor is one of 90 women suing McKenna for breach of ethics and lying about the ramifications of his lawsuit against President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

► In The Stranger — Rob McKenna: Crappy lawyer or crappy liar? (by Goldy) — Whether this current lawsuit succeeds largely rests on the unsettled issue of whether the attorney general is subject to the rules of professional conduct that apply to all other lawyers in the state. But even if Washington courts end up ruling that our state attorney is allowed to lie to the people, that’s not much of a victory for a politician attempting to use the attorney general’s office as a springboard to higher office.

SAD NEWS

► At PubliCola — PubliCola 2009-2012: Look for us on crosscut.com — PubliCola is going out of business. Sort of.

THIS HAPPENED

► At Huffington Post — Man jumps in front of wife’s car to stop her from voting against Scott Walker — Chippewa Falls, Wis. police said Jeffrey Radle jumped in front of his wife’s car to keep her from voting against Gov. Scott Walker in the state’s Republican primary.

The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 9 a.m. These links are functional at the date of posting, but sometimes expire.