A Senate chairman who will have a major role in writing health care legislation said Tuesday he hopes to convince President Barack Obama that taxing some employer-provided benefits will help control escalating costs.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., faces a hard sell. During his campaign for president, Obama ruled out taxing health benefits provided by employers. . . .

Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna's office is sounding the siren on marketing firms accused of using deceptive advertising and prize promotions to steer consumers to buy cars. The state announced two new lawsuits this week as part of an ongoing effort to enforce fair marketing practices.
"We've warned dealers and ad firms that they need to make sure their promotions comply with state laws," said Assistant Attorney General Mary Lobdell. "Now we've set up a roadblock to stop those businesses that continue to drive down the wrong side of the legal road." . . .

Dallas has an ugly history of racism - one that city leaders are not so eager to share with visiting tourists. Therefore, tourists find themselves unknowingly at Dallas' historical center of the South's most egregious brands of "justice."
Not far from the steps of the old Red Court House, hate groups lynched African-Americans without the due process of law. Among those lynched was an elderly man named Allen Brooks. On May 3, 1910, vigilantes administered justice, Texas style. Brooks, a 68-year-old Black man on trial for allegedly. . . .

Laid-off workers should consider having their unemployment benefits deposited directly into their bank accounts, say officials with the state's Employment Security Department. 
Direct deposit is secure and convenient, and Employment Security provides the service for free.
"Unemployed workers have enough on their minds . . .

On Wednesday, June 3, from 6 – 7 p.m., Evergreen Public Schools' Superintendent John Deeder and Chief Financial Officer Mike Merlino will host a live webcast to discuss the budget reductions facing the district.
Deeder and Merlino will do a presentation on the budget and will then open up the phone lines and email for questions which they will answer as they come in. . . .

Andre "Booboo" Horton, aged 3 ½, explores his artistic side at the YMCA/Rotary Children's Area at the 40th Annual University District Streetfair Saturday, May 16, in Seattle. . . .

In an event like no other, members of Portland's minority, immigrant and refugee communities got an exclusive audience with the Multnomah County Commission on Monday night. The budget forum, hosted by the Coalition of Communities of Color, was held at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, which provides services to all of Portland's diverse international communities. . . .

They are two voices working together to inspire change, from a small town in Oregon to Los Angeles County – both areas living with violence and gang warfare. It is exactly those types of problems that Break the Chain Apparel and Coolaid the Clown are fighting to address. Their partnership is unusual, but their message the same. . . .

As Oregon's unemployment rate appears stuck at 12 percent, a coalition of lawmakers is working to mandate more training and workforce development opportunities for women and people of color. Washington state's unemployment rate, announced Tuesday, is 9.1 percent, up from 4.9 percent in April of 2008, while the national rate is 8.9 percent. Oregon's unemployment rate was 5.9 percent in April of 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. . . .

What's happening for you in your city this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below . . . .