NEWS ROUNDUP
IAM contract at AIM, Sawant wins, the new BBC…
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
AEROSPACE
SEE MORE coverage in today’s News Tribune and Seattle Times.
MINIMUM WAGE
► At TPM — U.S. Senate to vote on minimum wage hike; GOP filibuster expected — Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has set up a procedural vote in the Senate for Wednesday to advance a bill hiking the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, a central campaign issue for Democrats ahead of the 2014 congressional elections. Sixty votes are needed to break a filibuster, and Democrats are unlikely to get there because not a single Republican senator is on board.
► At HA Seattle — How common is wage and tip theft? Even U.S. Congressmen do it! — Rep. Michael G. Grimm (R), a second-term congressman from Staten Island, was indicted on federal fraud charges for underreporting the wages and payroll while running an Upper East Side restaurant, concealing the actual payroll in a separate set of computer records.
STATE GOVERNMENT
► In today’s Seattle Times — Insurance chief OKs ‘no surprises’ rule for health-plan networks — Despite criticism from both insurers and hospitals, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler adopted a new rule Monday that spells out what health insurers must do to make sure their networks of hospitals and doctors can provide covered benefits to patients. “In the end, it’s my responsibility to make sure we protect consumers, and I have the tools to do it,” Kreidler said.
LOCAL
► In today’s Spokesman-Review — Spokane offers up tax plan — Spokane voters likely will see two big tax measures on the November ballot, but city leaders say they will be part of a refinancing package to fix streets and renovate Riverfront Park and won’t cost them anything more than they’re already paying.
NATIONAL
► In today’s Washington Post — Trucking used to be a ticket to the middle class. Now it’s just another low-wage job. — It’s the skewed economics of the trucking trade that prompted port truckers to go on strike in Los Angeles on Monday as part of a union-backed campaign to regain some of the pay, benefits and respect they say they’ve lost after three decades of decline.
► In today’s Washington Post — Postal Service faces potential leadership void as executives near retirement — The U.S. Postal Service faces a leadership succession problem due to pending retirements among executives, but many of those in line to take their places aren’t far from retirement eligibility themselves, a report issued Monday said.
► In today’s NY Times — Justices appear willing to give fired public worker only half a victory — The Supreme Court will decide whether the First Amendment rights of a public employee were clearly established when he was fired after testifying in a corruption trial.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.