Tonight’s DVD selection: “Junebug.”

“What ‘Is’ Is: More fun with the Kansas teen-sex trial.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Max Rosenn laid to rest”: The Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania contains this news update, which notes that “U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was among those who attended, slipping in and out a side door.”

“Asbestos Bill Meets Test, Faces New One”: The Associated Press provides this report.

And this evening’s broadcast of the PBS program “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” contained a segment entitled “Senate Debates Compensation For Asbestos Victims” (transcript with link to audio).

Available online from law.com: Marcia Coyle reports that “High Court to Hear Challenge to Company Tax Breaks.”

In news from California, “No One’s Immune, Says Jail4Judges Group.”

And an article reports that “Judge Questions Viability of NYC’s Gun Litigation; Weinstein orders hearing on impact of federal act.”

“Choppy Details of Nominee’s Past Emerge”: At CalLaw.com’s “Legal Pad” blog, Justin Scheck has a post that begins, “Sandra Ikuta, the new Ninth Circuit nominee, is known more for her studious demeanor and knowledge of environmental regulatory law than her expertise in kung fu.”

“Campaign out to bring ‘In God We Trust’ to Lodi”: This article appeared yesterday in The Record of Stockton, California.

“Angels Win … the Lawsuit”: The Los Angeles Times provides a news update that begins, “It’s official: the name of the team will remain the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The 9-3 verdict this afternoon by Orange County jurors resolved the dispute over the lease between the Angels, the 2002 World Series champions, and Anaheim, the team’s municipal host and landlord.”

“Judicial Activism: Power Without Responsibility? – A Justice Breyer Podcast.” Sure, some U.S. Supreme Court Justices read blogs in more or less the same manner as you are doing right now, but perhaps Justice Stephen G. Breyer is the first member of that august group to go out and do his own podcast (with the assistance of some folks at the University of Chicago Law School). You can access the podcast via this post at “The Faculty Blog” of the University of Chicago Law School. I earlier linked here to press coverage of Justice Breyer’s appearance.

“Publication (or Not) of Appellate Rulings: An Evaluation of Guidelines.” Professor Stephen L. Wasby has this article in the current issue of the Seton Hall Circuit Review. Footnote three of the article cites a post published at “How Appealing” on June 22, 2004.

“Senators urge major changes to asbestos bill”: Reuters provides this report.

The Associated Press reports that “White House Has Concerns on Asbestos Bill.”

The New York Times reports today that “Large and Small Businesses Part Ways on Asbestos Bill.”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports today that “Senate asbestos vote nears; Settlement fund would affect Ohio companies, workers, lawsuits.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that “Senate to debate asbestos fund; Proposal could shake up Wisconsin suits.”

And The Pueblo Chieftain reports that “Lawmakers in fight over asbestos claims.”

Meanwhile, yesterday’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Morning Edition” contained segments entitled “Senate Weighs Creation of Asbestos Trust Fund” and “Asbestos Bill: Winners and Losers” (RealPlayer required).

On today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Day to Day“: The broadcast contained segments entitled “Enron Trial Update: Video Memories” and “Lured In by Enron’s Illusion of Financial Health” (RealPlayer required).

Can a person be convicted of the federal criminal offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm if the underlying state law felony offense did not itself, as a matter of state law, preclude the person from possessing a firearm? Circuit Judge Ed Carnes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued this interesting opinion today.

According to the opinion, the appellant “asserts that it is illogical to treat more harshly a person whose right to bear arms was never terminated than one whose rights, including the right to bear arms, were terminated but then later restored.”

“RIM outlines contingency for US BlackBerry users”: Financial Times provides this news update.

“Money Shift Possibly Known Outside Enron, Witness Says”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

The Washington Post reports today that “Enron Insider Spells Out Company Line.”

And in The Houston Chronicle, Mary Flood reports that “Video shows Skilling and Lay painting rosy picture.”

“Top judge ‘concerned’ about state court; Justice Kennedy says Hawaii’s high court should find time to hear oral arguments”: The Honolulu Star-Bulletin today contains an article that begins, “U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy told more than 100 attorneys and judges yesterday that he is ‘concerned’ about Hawaii’s highest court, saying it is overburdened.”

More information about Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s current visit to Hawaii can be accessed at this link.

“Angel Name Case Is in the Hands of the Jury; After 13 months of litigation, deliberations begin this morning with nine votes needed for a decision”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

And today in The Orange County Register, columnist Frank Mickadeit has an op-ed entitled “Deconstructing the Angels’ arguments; Why Anaheim should win, and probably will.”

“Nichols trial to proceed in Fulton County Courthouse, judge rules”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today contains an article that begins, “The death penalty trial of accused courthouse killer Brian Nichols will be held in the Fulton County Courthouse, a judge ruled Wednesday. Senior Judge Hilton Fuller left open the possibility that the trial could still be moved if too many potential jurors are bothered that the trial is in the same building where Nichols allegedly killed three people in March.”

In news from Kansas: The Topeka Capital-Journal today contains an article headlined “Senate seeks role in picking justices.”

And The Wichita Eagle today contains articles headlined “D.A. reads teen-sex law more broadly” and “Bill allows force to be met with force.”

“Why many disabled fight assisted suicide; Bill would let doctors prescribe lethal drugs to the terminally ill”: The Sacramento Bee contains this front page article today.

“Complaints Prompt Government Review of Immigration Courts”: This segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Morning Edition.”

“RIM unveils plan to keep BlackBerrys alive”: Reuters provides this report.

And The Associated Press reports that “BlackBerry Maker Develops Workaround.”

Today’s press release from Research In Motion is entitled “RIM Announces Workaround Contingency for BlackBerry Customers.”

“Judge Max Rosenn will be laid to rest today”: This article appears today in The Citizens’ Voice of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

And that newspaper today also contains an editorial entitled “Judge Max Rosenn, a giant of the law.”

“Asbestos justice”: The Los Angeles Times contains this editorial today.

“Fewer looking toward law school; Applications down 10% from last year”: This article appears today in The Boston Globe.

And The New York Times reports today that “Applications to Law Schools Are Declining.”

“O’Connor a role model for the ages”: Yesterday in The Chicago Tribune, columnist Mary Schmich had an op-ed that begins, “We need more wrinkled, jowly, white-haired women in power.”

“Specter wants special court to supervise surveillance; Currently, president reviews program every 45 days”: This article appears today in USA Today.

“Judge to Hear Challenge to Use of Lethal Injection; Foes say the practice may cause a very painful death, thus violating the U.S. Constitution”: Today in The Los Angeles Times, Henry Weinstein has an article that begins, “A federal judge in San Jose will take up an issue today that has the potential to block all executions in California: whether lethal injections used on death row inflict so much pain that they violate the Constitution.” My earlier coverage is here.

“3 convicted in deaths on 19 in sealed trailer; Prosecutors will now pursue a death sentence for truck’s driver”: Harvey Rice has this article today in The Houston Chronicle.

And The New York Times reports today that “3 More Convicted in Deaths of Immigrants in a Trailer.”

“Secret Court’s Judges Were Warned About NSA Spy Data; Program May Have Led Improperly to Warrants”: The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “Twice in the past four years, a top Justice Department lawyer warned the presiding judge of a secret surveillance court that information overheard in President Bush’s eavesdropping program may have been improperly used to obtain wiretap warrants in the court, according to two sources with knowledge of those events.”

“Bush picks Jackson lawyer; Michael Wallace nominated for seat on Court of Appeals”: This article appears today in The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi.