Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper see soda sales fall 

The nation’s big three beverage makers continue to push back against attempts by public health officials to wean Americans off of unhealthy, sugary sodas, even as sales fall and the companies themselves raise prices on their products.

Chase CEO Jaime Dimon has `zero’ credit in D.C., analyst says 

Simon Johnson, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a former economist at the International Monetary Fund, talks about the outlook for JPMorgan Chase following the disclosure the company suffered a $2 billion trading loss.

Republicans launch new SuperPAC targeting young voters 

Kevin Bondelli of FutureMajority writes: I know that the initial reaction from many from the left is to laugh this effort off, but that would be a mistake. The right has already been trouncing the left for years when it comes to grooming their young talent, and if conservatives are serious about investing resources in youth outreach they could certainly do some damage. Democrats, liberals, and progressives need to realize that despite a pretty major head start, the Millennial generation can not be taken for granted. If we want to see large turnout with high Dem advantage from young voters, we need to invest in youth outreach. That funding and outreach can be the difference between election years like 2006/2008 and 2010.

New York Times: Cutbacks hurt Washington State’s response to whooping cough 

In Skagit County, which has been hit the hardest by the latest whooping cough outbreak, the local Public Health Department has half the staff it did in 2008. Preventive care programs, intended to keep people healthy, are mostly gone, the New York Times reports.

Maritime week: Navigating the future 

Jon Talton explains that our region’s ports are everybody’s business, because they are economic engines that power commerce.

Coal exports could block passenger-rail expansion 

The corporations involved with a proposed Bellingham-area coal export facility could get a nearly free ride on rail upgrades, Floyd McKay writes. Or the coal traffic might just kill hopes for a greener form of travel.

Notable tweets in response to Barack Obama's support for marriage equality 

ThinkProgress offers a compilation of tweets posted by activists, elected leaders and entertainers in response to President Obama’s announcement that he now personally supports marriage equality.

Auto rescue remarks haunt Romney in Michigan 

Every time native son Mitt Romney returns to Michigan in his bid to become the first Republican in twenty-four years to carry the state in a presidential race, he is likely to re-ignite debate over his opposition to the federal rescue of the Detroit-based auto industry, the Free Press reports.

Romney criticized for claiming credit for auto industry rescue 

Democrats are jumping all over Mitt Romney after he told a Cleveland television station that he deserved credit for the rebound of America’s auto industry.