…And the World:

Spain’s situation looks increasingly desperate.  Despite a bailout for its banks, the country looks about as poised as any to ask for a  bailout for its government as well. Today’s run on Spanish debt came as more semi-autonomous regions of the country sought help from the central government to meet obligations.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti fights to keep his country out of antsy creditors cross hairs.  He may have to conquer a greater challenge from within before he can succeed.  Taming Sicily’s wayward finances.

Pakistan faces Déjà vu as another Prime Minister is being pressed by that nation’s highest court to reopen corruption charges against the President, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The Feds:

President Barack Obama visited Aurora, Colo. after last week’s movie theatre shooting.  In comments before reporters at a Aurora area hospital, he expressed sadness and his commitment that the United States government will marshal all its forces toward this case.  The suspect, James Holmes, appeared in court today, still sporting his fluorescent hairdo and appearing dazed and distracted.  On Friday evening during a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises, Holmes is alleged to have shot and killed 12, while injuring dozens more.

Elsewhere in the campaign, NPR looks into how many politicians these days have shied away from gun politics.  ABC, for its part, finds that many records from the Salt Lake City Olympics may never be public.  Many wonder whether sponsors received contracts from the games in exchange for their “sponsorships.”  The secrecy also mirrors Romney’s refusal to discuss his tax returns and Bain (his central argument for election to the presidency) and even as governor when he destroyed state records as he left office.  In all cases, it seems, he has done it to keep political opponents (read: the public) from learning anything about him.  You know, like how he governed.

The Connecticut Senate race is heating up.  On August 14, Democrats and Republicans in the Nutmeg State will pick their nominees for United States Senate.  Congressman Chris Murphy of the 5th District and former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz are competing for the Democratic nod and has thus far provided more entertainment that the Republican race.  Wrestling executive Linda McMahon is expected to win the Republican nomination against hopelessly outmatched former Congressman Chris Shays.  Still he’s trying.  Meanwhile, Bysiewicz continues her withering attacks against Murphy, many burdened by errors like confusing Murphy with another Murphy from New York state.

Finally, the Associated Press looks at Sen. Orrin Hatch’s place as a key deal maker.  Hatch, who recently won a primary election, was a well-known friend of the late Senator Ted Kennedy and worked with him to pass several key pieces of legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Regardless of the November election, Hatch is expected to have a role in what a budget deal will look like.

The State of Things:

Scott Brown’s latest web ad twists the president’s words about “building that” totally out of shape and context to represent Obama saying something that he did not.  Put more simply, he lies!  Big surprise, Scott Brown emulating Mitt Romney’s intellectual dishonesty.  The share campaign strategists, but they’re completely different.  Honest!

The pile on in Holyoke continues.  State Representative Michael Kane resigned his seat for the Fifth Hampden District (which encompasses Holyoke alone) in June, but he remains on the ballot.  Nobody bothered to file by May 1st for the Republican nominations, as an Independent, or as a Democrat except for Aaron Vega, a current City Councilor.  Vega has the support of Mayor Alex Morse.  Consequently, Vegas is expected to win the Democratic nomination.  However, after Kane’s resignation, a Republican, City Councilor Linda Vacon, is mounting a write-in campaign for her party’s nomination and two others will run as independents on the November ballot.  Miguel Vazquez is the latest to join the fray.

City Slickers:

City and State officials were joined by US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to announce the final piece of funding for Union Station in Springfield.  The project, despite decades of false starts, is expected to actually cross into reality this November when the station’s baggage building will be torn down.  The main station will be renovated while a new bus terminal will be built on the site of the baggage building.

Springfield gets some ink in the Boston Globe as the city faces multiple offers for building a casino.  Mayor Domenic Sarno and Economic Development Director Kevin Kennedy discuss the various proposals that are before the city or could be before it.  However, the piece does not end flatteringly for Sarno and the Globe Mark Arsenault bathes his story’s close in apparent irony.

Twitter Chatter:

Do you remember Jeff Perry?  We do.  Perry ran for Congress as a Republican in the 10th Congressional District which covers much of the South Shore and all of the Cape (the reconfigured ninth district largely mirrors the old 10th).  He lost to Bill Keating after a campaign that unearthed an incident while Perry was a police sergeant in Wareham.  A subordinate officer strip searched and sexually assaulted a teenage girl while, according to the victim, Perry did nothing.  We award this week’s tweet prize to none other than Jeff Perry who states simply that we must reelect Senator Scott Brown.  This is the same Scott Brown that continued to support Perry even after victim Lisa Allen broke her silence on the 1991 assault.  Perry’s tweet today links to the same Scott Brown web ad that deceitfully reworks President Obama and Elizabeth Warren’s words.  Perry, however, must share this week’s Tweet Prize with Progress Mass, which responds by asking if Perry will campaign with Brown? (We cannot display the tweet due to technical difficulties)  Were that to happen, Brown would invite, once again, charges of indifference toward women (that he is not related to).  For reminding us why we know you and why you still matter, Jeff Perry, you win this week’s tweet prize.  For reminding us, indirectly and artfully, why his head popping up from the proverbial political dustbin is bad news for Brown, we also award this week’s prize to Progress Mass.