TUESDAY, JUNE 6  ■  Defund NSPS: Tell Congress to stop Bush's union-busting -- You can support Rep. Jay Inslee's effort in Congress to block the Bush administration's illegal attempts strip away union and civil service protections from 750,000 civilian workers at the Department of Defense. Tell Congress to stop wasting money by attacking federal employees!

Priorities of Government news:
■  In today's News Tribune -- Budget cuts mean layoffs at Fort Lewis -- Federal workers face layoffs as the Army struggles to cover a $530 million budget shortfall for day-to-day operations.
■  Meanwhile, in today's NY Times -- The estate tax, back on the agenda (editorial) -- Still giddy over the passage of a $70 billion income tax cut for affluent Americans, Senate Republicans now hope to gut the federal estate tax. There is no moral justification for this gift to the super-rich.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Estate tax: True cost of repeal (editorial) -- Question: How will the country replace over one decade the trillion dollars in revenues lost by repeal? By cutting services for struggling families in health care, education, job training, child care and more.
■   In today's Seattle P-I -- Wealthy should pay their fair share (op-ed) -- In deciding whether to repeal the federal estate tax, Senators must choose between the interests and welfare of 99.7% of Americans who don't pay a single penny of it, or a tiny group of the superwealthy.

Nation Gets a Wedgie:
■  In today's Wash. Post -- Debate begins on gay marriage -- Even constitutional amendment backers  acknowledge it has virtually no chance of being approved by the current Congress. 
■  In today's Seattle Times -- The Decider's dubious distraction (column) -- Bush's decision to whip up a phony crisis over same-sex marriage is such a transparent ploy, even conservatives are scratching their heads, wondering if this is the best Karl Rove could come up with.

State (and the Press) Get a Wedgie:
■  At the Postman on Politics blog -- Eyman dupes press, wastes taxpayer money -- The Secretary of State's office brought in two temporary workers to process his anti-gay rights petitions, but it was just another publicity stunt.  Eyman says he deserves to waste a little public money.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Christian leaders tout tolerance -- Christian leaders opposed to Eyman's efforts remind the public that their beliefs are founded on tolerance and human rights for all.

Local news:
■  In today's Olympian -- Foster parents need support from state (editorial) -- Washington's incredible foster parents are unionizing. These remarkable men and women who nurture the state's most vulnerable children have had a bellyful of the state bureaucracy and its indifference toward them. The only thing surprising about the unionizing effort is that it didn't happen much sooner.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Boeing sells 10 more 787s ...but -- Most U.S. airlines putting off jet orders
■  In today's Everett Herald -- The 787 offers a lesson learned -- Linda Lanham (formerly of IAM 751) says her aerospace lobbying group's agenda for next year is likely to include transportation, taxes, workers' comp, education and work force training, health care costs and permitting.
■  In today's Kitsap Sun -- The Great NASCAR Divide: Kitsap track proponents, opponents debate
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- "Life raft" may help keep millworkers afloat -- Yakima Resources and the WCIW begin efforts to help 225 employees find new jobs after the plant's closure on Aug. 5.
■  In today's Tri-City Herald -- Boise Cascade faces hefty fine -- Oregon proposes $142,500 in fines for willful worker safety violations stemming from a fatal accident at BC's Umatilla chip mill.
■  In today's Seattle P-I -- Timber industry gets exemption from endangered-species law

Political news:
■  In today's Oregonian -- Oregon teachers' union shifts gears on ballot proposals -- It will withdraw support for a measure forcing corporations to disclose tax-related financial information, and concentrate on opposing two initiatives that would cut state revenues and limit spending.
■  Today from AP -- Voters in 8 states go to the polls -- The most-watched congressional contest -- the only one that will actually put someone in office -- is a special election in southern California to replace jailed former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Democrat Francine Busby has polled even with Republican Brian Bilbray in the conservative stronghold north of San Diego.

National news:
■  In today's NY Times -- FAA imposes pay cuts after impasse on controllers' contract -- In a move the agency says will save $1.9 billion over five years, new hires will earn 30% less.
■  In today's LA Times -- NLRB judge: Teamster fines for "sympathy strike" scabs were illegal