DAILY NEWS
“Freedom” vs. privacy, Trump’s guarantee, Garland’s tango…
Monday, May 9, 2016
STATE GOVERNMENT
► From the Seattle Times — Vote: Are Boeing’s tax breaks worth it?
► In today’s Seattle Times — When lawmakers can’t agree, Gov. Jay Inslee takes matters into his own hands — As Washington state lawmakers have deadlocked on bills dealing with gun safety and climate change, Gov. Jay Inslee has taken to using executive orders. He has written more than the state’s two previous governors did in their first terms.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Commuters, rejoice: Alaskan Way Viaduct reopens early — The Alaskan Way Viaduct reopened Sunday night, five days ahead of schedule as Bertha digs the tunnel that will replace the elevated roadway.
► In today’s Columbian — Stop stalling on I-5 bridge (editorial) — Lawmakers in both Washington and Oregon have been unwilling to embrace the need to talk about the bridge; leaders on both sides of the Columbia River have demonstrated that they prefer demagoguery to engagement. Meanwhile, the populace is suffering… Compromise is necessary.
CAMPAIGN 2016
► In the Spokesman-Review — Trump guarantees he’ll win Washington in November at Spokane rally — “I guarantee that we’re going to be back numerous times because we’re going to win the state of Washington,” Trump said. “I guarantee you.”
► In the Bellingham Herald — Hundreds rally against Trump, say he ‘doesn’t stand for equality’ — Hundreds of protesters gathered on Kok Road on Saturday, May 7, to protest Donald Trump’s appearance even as thousands waited for hours under a hot sun for a chance to see the Republican presidential candidate.
► From ABC (WISN) — Labor leader sees role of election ‘truth squads’ for unions (video) — AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler says organized labor will work to educate and activate working people on key issues in the 2016 election.
“FREE” TRADE
EDITOR’S NOTE — Click here to find out how to make sure the Oreos, Ritz and other Nabisco products you purchase are supporting good jobs in America.
► From Huffington Post — Failure of Korean trade deal voids TPP (by Leo W. Gerard) — Just like NAFTA, just like China’s entry into the WTO, free traders swore that the Korean deal would shower jobs and economic prosperity down on America. It didn’t happen. Actually, the exact opposite did. In all three cases, the schemes enticed corporations to close American factories and offshore work. That enriched CEOs and shareholders. But it impoverished millions of American workers and bankrupted communities.
► In today’s Washington Post — History lesson: More Republicans than Democrats supported NAFTA — Contrary to what Donald Trump says, Bill Clinton did not negotiate NAFTA, nor did he sign it. But he did put his political prestige on the line to get it approved by Congress… In both the House and the Senate, more Democrats voted against NAFTA than for it — a signal that the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party was strong even then.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
► In today’s Washington Post — A good prognosis for the Affordable Care Act as UnitedHealth says goodbye (editorial) — UnitedHealth’s selective exit from ACA marketplaces appears to reflect two positive features of the law. First, Obamacare was meant to spur competition among insurance companies, thus constraining premiums; in many markets, this dynamic appears to be at work, to the detriment of United. Second, the law has curtailed many of the ways that insurers used to contain their costs, such as refusing to cover certain people or certain treatments, or jacking up premiums for older customers.
NATIONAL
► From The Onion — Report: More companies offering paid maternity leave to mothers who complete 3 months of work ahead of time
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.