With baby boomers retiring from the ranks of the skilled trade workforce in Washington and across the country, a growing number of labor experts predict a shortage of trained industrial workers in fields such as welding, electrical, plumbing and construction management. To aid this need, Grainger, a local distributor of facilities maintenance supplies, recently awarded a Tools for Tomorrow scholarship to South Seattle Community College...

This summer, 15 delegates from Seattle will journey to the African nation of Burundi to participate in a cross-cultural program to promote cross-cultural understanding and build infrastructure.....

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – An NAACP presidential candidates' questionnaire reveals starkly different views between Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, giving voters more in depth perspectives on the candidates' racial and civil rights views as they go to the polls on Tuesday. Issues that disparately affect Black people such as affirmative action, voting rights for ex-felony offenders, voting rights for D.C. congressional representatives, racial profiling, police brutality, mandatory minimum sentences, and the death penalty are just a few of the issues that have barely – if ever – been publicly addressed by either candidate during the intense race....

Young affluent Blacks are more worried about wealth preservation than their older counterparts, according to "Wealth in Black America," Northern Trust's first annual survey of affluent Black households in the United States, including African-Americans and Blacks of other origins.....

CHICAGO (AP) _ It was the cradle of Jennifer Hudson's greatest triumphs. It's now the scene of her darkest hour.
The Oscar-winning actress and singer has often credited her rise to fame to her upbringing in the impoverished neighborhood on Chicago's South Side where she went to grade school and sang in church.
At that church, her sister pleaded for the safe return of her 7-year-old son, Julian, on Saturday, a day after the siblings' mother and brother were found shot to death at the family home in the Englewood neighborhood. On Monday, police found the body of a 7-year-old boy but are declining to say it is of Julian. It was found in an abandoned SUV.....

At a press conference this morning, Mayor-Elect Sam Adams announced "Commissioner Dan Saltzman will assume the responsibilities as the commissioner in charge of the Portland Police Bureau. I believe this in the best interest of the city."
Sam believes Commissioner Saltzman and Chief Rosie Sizer will be an effective team, bringing expertise and tremendous capability to the bureau.
Sam asserted that in some ways he will be a "non-traditional mayor," emphasizing his intention to focus his efforts on issues only a mayor can tackle. The critical issues of education, economic development, and responsible planning require his focus....

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

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

Rose Sanders joined hundreds of enthusiastic kids, parents and grandparents Sunday, Oct. 11, at Green Lake's Kids for Obama Parade.
Photo by Susan Fried

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery that impacts lives around the world – and in the Pacific Northwest....The U.S. government estimates are that there are now 600,00-800,000 people trafficked into this country to work against their will....