Editor's Take: September 04, 2008
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Palin's Alaska; Costly Health Care
The Seattle Times says the costs for those with health insurance are going up. But in Montana, at least more workers are getting insurance, even if the number of "underinsured" is also on the rise. And the New York Times looks at the challenges Palin faced governing Alaska while Crosscut takes a look at previous Northwesterners on the presidential ticket.
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Study: Costs of Health Care Going Up
Seattle Times
09/04/2008
Get ready for another hike in copays and deductibles. A survey being released Thursday by the Mercer consulting firm found 59 percent of companies intend to keep down rising health care costs in 2009 by raising workers' deductibles, copays or out-of-pocket spending limits.
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Number of Montanans with Health Insurance Rises
Missoulian
09/04/2008
The percentage of Montanans without health insurance dropped in 2007, moving the state out of the bottom 10 of states with the fewest insured citizens, according to new U.S. Census figures. Yet while they hailed the change as good news, they also agreed that many Montanans with health insurance are paying more for less coverage or are "underinsured."
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Views: A New Social Contract for America
Christian Science Monitor
09/03/2008
Malaise has made a comeback. At the root of such pessimism is the failure of the nation's social contract - the policies and institutions that support Americans as they pursue their economic and personal goals - to keep pace with the dizzying changes of the past two decades.
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Fire Retardant Chemicals Found in Toddlers' Blood
USA Today
09/03/2008
A new study finds that young children have high levels of chemical fire retardants in their blood. Toddlers and preschoolers had levels of the chemicals that were on average three times higher than their mothers', according to a study of 20 families by the Environmental Working Group, which has campaigned against the chemicals for several years.
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With Gas Up, How to Get Down to School?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
09/04/2008
With the start of the school year Wednesday, Seattle and other Puget Sound-area students and educators were doing the math on gas prices. Citing unwelcome news at the pump, many said back-to-school meant switching up transportation modes.
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BC to Fund Job Programs for Youths
Vancouver Sun
09/03/2008
The federal government has announced $2.86 million in funding for two Vancouver projects designed to help young people find and keep good jobs. Both facilities will help young people prepare for, get and keep jobs by providing employment resources, counselling and workshops.
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Senators Push Bipartisan Drilling Bill
USA Today
09/04/2008
Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate will push a bipartisan energy proposal that would allow for some expansion of offshore drilling. The proposal also would lift a ban on drilling off the Gulf coast of Florida, invest $20 billion on developing petroleum-free motor vehicles and extend expiring tax credits for renewable energy.
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Views: Suburban Development Needs a Plan Too
Portland Tribune
09/04/2008
Do future residents of the Portland metro area want to be packed into an increasing number of high-rise condominiums and infill residential developments, or would they prefer a variety of housing and workplace choices? The Metro regional government is on its way toward answering that and other questions.
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Who's Who: NW Candidates on the Big Ticket
Crosscut
09/03/2008
Gov. Sarah Palin is the first Alaskan to appear on a national party's ticket, but the Pacific Northwest has been in this game since 1860, the election that brought Abraham Lincoln to the White House and the Civil War to the nation.
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The Unusual Challenges Palin Faced in Alaska
New York Times
09/04/2008
Like so many other distinctions about Alaska - the biggest, wildest, coldest state not even half a century removed from its territorial days - being governor here is just flat different. Many Americans in other states might not recognize the job she holds or the unusual challenges she has faced
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