“Bush vetoes bill to ban waterboarding; He calls tough interrogation methods ‘valuable tools’ in fighting terrorists; Democrats likely do not have enough votes to override the president’s rare veto”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

And today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “McCain supports Bush veto of bill banning harsh interrogation tactics; Doesn’t want CIA limited to methods used by military.”

“Advocates Say Ruling Chills Reporters”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A judge is trying to bankrupt an ex-reporter with daily fines as much as $5,000 for refusing to disclose her sources for stories about the 2001 anthrax attacks, press advocates said Saturday. They also said the case involving Toni Locy shows why Congress should pass a federal shield law for reporters.”

“Judicial Nominations Process Debated Again; GOP Senators Criticize Democrats For Stalling on Bush Bench Nominations”: Lawrence Hurley will have this front page article Monday in The Daily Journal of California.

“Senators raise doubt over testimony of Nashville judicial nominee; CCA counsel quizzed in judicial confirmation”: Friday’s edition of The Tennessean contained an article that begins, “The accuracy of testimony by Gustavus ‘Gus” Puryear IV at his confirmation hearing to be a federal judge is being questioned by four Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Puryear is general counsel of Nashville-based private prison giant Corrections Corporation of America and was nominated by Republican President Bush. After the February hearing, he provided written answers to additional questions about the company’s handling of the death of an inmate at a company-run facility in Nashville, potential conflicts of interest he would face as a judge and his membership in the Belle Meade Country Club. The sometimes-pointed questions and Puryear’s responses again raise the stakes in his confirmation. Once thought to be routine, Puryear’s nomination is being fought by a coalition of civil rights, labor and other groups spearheaded by the Private Corrections Institute, which opposes prison privatization. Puryear’s responses were released Thursday.”

The article also provides links to PDF files consisting of the nominee’s responses to the written questions from various Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“China’s top court rejects 15 percent of death sentences”: Reuters provides this report.

BBC News reports that “China court rejects death rulings; China’s Supreme Court has rejected 15% of all death sentences handed down by lower courts in 2007.”

And Agence France-Presse provides an article headlined “China’s high court rejects 15 percent of death sentences in 2007: report.”

“Higher power: Okemos church case heads to top U.S. court.” This article appears today in The Lansing State Journal, along with an article headlined “Jackson church case also heading to top U.S. court.”

“Italian court lets women lie about adultery”: The Telegraph (UK) provides a report that begins, “In a victory for Italian adulterers, the country’s Supreme Court has ruled that it is acceptable for wives to lie in order to cover up an affair.”

“Justices decry outside campaign ads; Special interest groups’ commercials dominate on TV”: This article appears today in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.