More health care reform news: 

►  In today's Wash. Post -- Wal-Mart endorses employer mandate -- After years of strenuous opposition, the nation's largest private employer, announces that it supports a controversial proposal requiring businesses to contribute to the cost of employee health insurance. Three years ago, Wal-Mart battled initiatives in several states (including Washington) that would have required large employers to provide health insurance or contribute toward coverage for workers. Yesterday, company executives said they decided to back a federal "employer mandate" if certain conditions are met: It must be part of a broad health-care reform bill, it should exempt some small firms, and it must be pegged to a moderately priced benefits package similar to the coverage Wal-Mart offers most of its workers.

►  In today's NY Times -- Wal-Mart says it backs a mandate on health insurance -- But it says -- in a letter co-signed by SEIU President Andy Stern -- that a new requirement that employers offer insurance must also offer a guarantee to business that health costs will in fact be contained.

►  Today from AP -- Reading Obama's mind on health care -- In the end, there’s only one person who really matters when it comes to getting a health care overhaul done this year -- President Barack Obama -- and he’s been maddeningly vague about what he can live with in a plan. 

►  In today's NY Times -- Insured, but bankrupted by health crises -- Some people counted as medically insured have coverage so meager that a medical crisis means financial calamity.

►  In today's Everett Herald -- Public option backers have bigger goal (Dick Davis column) -- As the public plan crowds out private competitors, it ineluctably leads to single-payer health care.

"...and doggone it, people like me!"

►  From AP -- Democrat Al Franken wins protracted Minn. Senate race -- His victory gives Democrats 60 Senate seats, the critical number needed to overcome Republican filibusters. When Franken is seated, which could come as early as next week, his party will have a majority not reached on either side of the aisle in some three decades.

►  From Time -- How Franken's vote could matter -- "Not only will I vote for the Employee Free Choice Act, I'll proudly co-sponsor it," Franken says on his website. A vote is expected later this year, and this is one where Franken could make the difference. It's also clear from his campaign statements that Franken will be a reliable Democratic vote on health-care reform.

►  In The Hill -- Another vote for EFCA -- “Franken’s victory certainly helps our chances of passing EFCA, but there is still plenty of work to be done,” says AFL-CIO Policy Director Thea Lee.

News from Olympia: 

►  In today's Olympian -- State budget year begins with 3,200 jobs on chopping block -- Gregoire’s budget office predicts that about 1,200 general government jobs will be eliminated by June 2011. The other 2,000 are in higher education. That’s in addition to local districts’ teacher cuts. Potentially, 400 of the state agency jobs are in the Olympia area. In many agencies, the process is slow and can take up to four months after lawmakers passed their budget in April. 

►  At West Seattle Blog -- Washington State Ferries' long-range plan: $3.3 billion short -- The WSF says the system is $3.3 billion short of what it needs for the next 22 years.

►  At TheOlympian.com -- Olympia press corps loses another voice -- Adam Wilson, The Olympian's statehouse reporter, leaves to become a speechwriter for Gov. Chris Gregoire.

►  In today's Oregonian -- Oregon Legislature: A year of governing dangerously (editorial) -- The Democrats' governing principle -- we'll dare you -- was most powerfully displayed on the income-tax votes. But this audacity also led to some remarkable achievements in a session that might otherwise have been entirely a destructive, hunkering-down exercise in budget slashing. (Like, say, Washington's.)

Local news: 

►  In today's News Tribune --Dreamliner's woes won't hurt new 747, Boeing says -- The company says its new 747-8 Intercontinental, a year late, is now running ahead of schedule and won’t be drained of resources again to fix the 787 that it delayed indefinitely last week.

►  In the Daily News -- Longview offers health-coverage incentive to spur city-staff retirements -- The city is offering employees a medical incentive to make retirement more appealing.

►  In the Daily World -- Shipyard lays off more in Hoquiam, Westport -- The Westport Shipyard laid off more employees last week, but wouldn’t say how many and declined to give any details.

National news: 

►  At AFL-CIO Now -- Postal unions slam Saturday mail cut plan -- Six days a week, 144 million U.S. homes and businesses count on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Now, in a cost-cutting move, the USPS wants to slash Saturday mail delivery and the nation’s two largest postal unions say it is a disastrous proposal.

►  In today's LA Times -- Unions hope to organize Inland Empire warehouse workers -- A labor coalition known as Change to Win is focusing on the vast warehouse and distribution hub in the region, which handles goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

►  In today's NY Times -- Roberts shifts court to right, with help from Kennedy -- Chief Justice John Roberts emerged as a canny strategist this term, laying the groundwork for bold changes that could take the court to the right even as the recent elections moved the nation to the left.

►  In today's NY Times -- Snapple deal to outsource may add jobs in America -- Indian outsourcing firms have been increasing their use of so-called onshoring, or putting jobs in a client’s home market, as political pressures build to increase jobs in countries hard hit by the slowdown.

►  In today's NY Times -- Retired from GM at 54, pensionless at 74 -- As its pension fund makes payouts to early "retirees," GM is not putting any new money in. The longer this goes on, the weaker the fund will be and the more uncertain its long-term viability.

►  In today's Wash. Post -- Best in class (editorial) -- There are basically two ways a teacher can earn a bigger paycheck: collect graduate credits or wait on seniority. It's a system indifferent to teacher effectiveness or student achievement. That's why Education Secretary Arne Duncan is right to want to encourage schools to reward teachers and principals who deliver.

►  In today's NY Times -- Firefighters and race (editorial) -- In ruling against New Haven, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to diversity in the American workplace.