Wednesday, August 8, 2012

W.S.L.C. CONVENTION

► At AFL-CIO Now — Holt Baker tells Washington State union members: ‘We will change America’ — “Something is changing in America,” AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker told delegates to the Washington State Labor Council’s convention. Evidence of this change, she said, is the public’s growing demand that politicians focus on good jobs and end bad trade deals and the mounting awareness of the undue influence right-wing CEOs and front groups have on the political and legislative process.

► In the Seattle Times — If there were a health Olympics, the U.S. wouldn’t even medal (by Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, who spoke Tuesday at the WSLC Convention) — Sixty years ago, we would have been proud of the ranking of the United States in a Health Olympics event. But since the middle of the last century, our life-expectancy ranking has fallen almost every year. Science has granted the U.S. something akin to a silver bullet. Having the political will to support early life for all would produce the good health that we now lack, saving immense costs as we age in the form of fewer medical interventions.

ALSO at The Stand:

Day 1: “Together we are stronger”

Day 2: A call for an “independent labor movement”

ELECTION

► In today’s Seattle Times — Governor: Inslee tops McKenna, real race begins now — Democrat Jay Inslee led Republican Rob McKenna in Tuesday’s state primary election in a dry run that promises to be one of the nation’s most closely watched gubernatorial races.

► In today’s Seattle Times — Attorney General: Ferguson, Dunn move to general election — “I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who will read these result as anything less than a dream start for our campaign,” said Democratic candidate Bob Ferguson.

► In today’s (Everett) Herald — 1st CD: Koster, DelBene leading

► In today’s Kitsap Sun — 6th CD: Driscoll tops GOP rivals in race against Kilmer

► In today’s Olympian — 10th CD: Heck, Muri to face off

► In today’s Seattle Times — Legislature: GOP will struggle to take back state Senate

► In today’s Seattle Times — Supreme Court: Apparent win for Gonzalez

► In today’s Seattle Times — Statewide races: Drew vs. Wyman likely; Nickels out

► At vote.wa.gov — The latest primary election results for federal races, statewide races, legislative races, and judicial races.

LOCAL

► In today’s (Longview) Daily News — Crews begin clearing way for new LCC building— Construction workers have begun preparing the site for the long-awaited new science building at Lower Columbia College. The Legislature in April approved $38.5 million for the project, which is scheduled for completion in early 2014.

PREVIOUSLY at The Stand — Jobs Bonds ‘a great victory’ for workers, state

► In today’s Seattle Times — Boeing raises list prices, especially for 787 — Boeing updated its jet catalog Tuesday, raising list prices by 5.6% on almost all its airplanes, with a 6.9% increase reserved for its new 787 Dreamliners.

► In the (Aberdeen) Daily World — Harbor Paper takes over Hoquiam mill — Greater Grays Harbor Inc., the regional economic development group, announced the completion of the sale and said that the new owners “expect to take possession of the facility immediately and begin producing paper within 45 days.”

NATIONAL

► At AFL-CIO Now — End of extended jobless benefits hits more than 500,000 — This month marks the end of the federal extended unemployment insurance benefits program for 35 states with the nation’s highest jobless rates. More than half a million long-term jobless workers have lost their unemployment lifeline.

► From AP — U.S. employers post most job openings in 4 years — U.S. employers posted the most job openings in four years in June, a positive sign that hiring may pick up. The Labor Department says job openings rose to a seasonally adjusted 3.8 million in June, up from 3.7 million in May. That’s the most since July 2008. Layoffs fell.

► At KTNV.com — AT&T workers in 3 states launch short strike — A labor union representing AT&T workers (CWA) says more than 20,000 AT&T workers in California, Nevada and Connecticut have gone on strike to protest the company’s labor practices.

TODAY’S MUST-READ

► In today’s Baltimore Sun —Will 2012 be the year American democracy dies? (by Robert Reich) — It’s a perfect storm — the combination of three waves that are about to drown government as we know it: the greatest concentration of wealth in America in more than a century, unlimited political contributions courtesy of the U.S. Supreme Court, and complete secrecy about who’s contributing how much to whom. Separately, any one of these three would be bad enough. Put the three together, and our democracy is being sold down the drain.

The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 9 a.m.