…And the World:

We begin today in Turkey, where protests that started over an environmental issue have mushroomed into those questioning the rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  The first deaths have also been reported.  The protests have shone a light on the Near East nation, which has a functioning democracy, but whose ruling party has seemingly slid toward Islamic law and authoritarianism.  For a bit on the issue that started the protests, The New York Times has some perspective.  Not helping his case, according to The Guardian, Erdogan has placed the blame on social media.  The Turkish president for his part, defends the right to protest.

Left of center parties in Australia and the United Kingdom are at a crossroads.  Bleak polling suggests a rout of the Labor Party come September elections and the return of the Coalition to power, the name used for the bloc of conservative parties that run in Australia.  Meanwhile, in the UK, Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband and Shadow Treasury Secretary Ed Balls are trying to get ahead of their political liabilities on spending and welfare.

Trouble continues in South Africa’s mining industry where a union leader was shot and killed even though workers returned to work last month.

The Feds:

The Senior Senator from New Jersey, Democrat Frank Lautenberg, has died from viral pneumonia.  He was 89.  The New York Times, the Star-Leger of Newark, and NPR have remembrances of the man, who championed Amtrak and banned smoking on planes. He had already announced his intent to not run for reelection next year after Newark mayor Cory Booker began making plans to run on his own.  The decision to fill the seat falls to Republican Governor Chris Christie although the timeline for a special election for replacement is far from clear and the more latitude Christie has the tougher the decision gets.  Secretary of State John Kerry remembered Lautenberg and thanked the late senator for his spirited defense of Kerry as the swift boat attacks began.

The US Supreme Court ruled today that taking of DNA samples by swabbing the inside of a person’s mouth even if only after an arrest, is constitutional if done without a warrant.  Liberal justice Stephen Breyer joined with three of the court’s conservatives and swing justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the opinion for the 5-4 decision.  Notable the dissent lined up noted Conservative justice Antonin Scalia with liberals Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.

In a related judicial note, President Barack Obama has nominated a full slate of individuals to fill vacant seats on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.  This comes as the White House and Senate Democrats seek to break GOP obstruction on virtually all nominees that need Senate confirmation.

The State of Things:

The last day to register to vote for the Special US Senate Election is this Wednesday!

Massachusetts voters could get whiplash from the nonsense flying out of Team Gomez these days.  Republican nominee Gabriel Gomez faced fresh question about his “independence” from Washington Republicans after Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell penned a fundraising letter on Gomez’s behalf.  Then today, Gomez says that he does not care about McConnell’s help.  Then immediately thereafter, Politico reported that a huge expenditure in ads on Gomez’s behalf is being paid for, in all likelihood, by national Republicans!  Meanwhile, in substance, Markey went after Gomez on Social Security while campaigning with Caroline Kennedy.

David Bernstein at his new home at Boston Magazine breaks down the newest hysteria the Auditor Suazanne Bump has dropped on the commonwealth.  Read the whole thing, but the short version: Gov. Patrick is going to far by calling BS on the report, but Bump failed to apply much or any much needed context in her report.

Two worthwhile headlines out of Worcester.  The Telegram & Gazette reports that now former Lt. Governor Tim Murray has begun his job at the city’s regional Chamber of Commerce.  Meanwhile, Worcester Magazine says plans to bring a slot parlor in the Commonwealth’s Second City are dead.

City Slickers:

Tonight the Springfield City Council passed final step of the first of several expected reforms to the city’s residency ordinance.  The new rules will restrict the use of waivers from the residency ordinance.  Here is a primer written before tonight by The Republican’s Pete Goonan.

Paul Tuthill at Northeastern Public Radio reports on Pride Celebrations in Springfield.  Last Thursday, Mayor Sarno raised a rainbow flag at City Hall in honor of the city’s LGBT community.  June is when many Pride celebrations across the nation are held as that was the month of the 1969 Stonewall riots that touched off the gay rights movement.

Maureen Turner updates us on Housing issues in Springfield, including the efforts of No One Leaves, which has opposed foreclosures.

Twitter Chatter:

The relationship between Governor Christie and Senator Lautenberg was probably best described as chilly.  Lautenberg was, politically, probably the most visible anti-Christie in New Jersey.  Nevertheless, as Christie ponders the many political consequences of any decision he makes in filling Lautenberg’s seat, he gave tribute to the man who gave twenty-eight of the last thirty years of his life in service to the Garden State and the United States of America.  Today, Governor Christie receives this week’s tweet prize for his tribute that quoted from his remembrance of Lautenberg today.

The best way to describe Sen. Frank Lautenberg, in the way he would probably want to be described, is as a fighter. vimeo.com/67574998

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) June 3, 2013