John Stucke reports on Washington state’s new health insurance exchange, which is designed to help upward of 50,000 small businesses attain health insurance for their employees. As with many things linked to the federal Affordable Care Act, the exchange is controversial, untested, and the financial risks unknown.

Columnist Bert Caldwell writes about the Lilac Bloomsday Association and race director Don Kardong. “The association’s business model is a marvel of economy,” Bert says.

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