“States ask US court to overturn health overhaul”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “More than two dozen states challenging the health care overhaul urged a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday to strike down the Obama administration’s landmark law, arguing it far exceeds the federal government’s powers.”

“Nuns’ votes tossed in state Supreme court recount; 18 Sauk County absentee ballots are missing witness signatures”: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a news update that begins, “The recount for the state Supreme Court race has come to this: Votes from nuns have been thrown out. The twist in the race between Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg came during the recount in Sauk County. There, ballots of Cistercian nuns from the Valley of Our Lady Monastery in Prairie du Sac were rejected.”

“Mass. judge will be state’s 1st openly gay justice”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “State appeals court judge Barbara Lenk was confirmed Wednesday to the Supreme Judicial Court, allowing her to become the first openly gay judge to join the court that in 2003 issued the landmark ruling that made Massachusetts the first state to permit same-sex marriage.”

“Failing Grades on Civics Exam Called a ‘Crisis'”: The New York Times has a news update that begins, “Fewer than half of American eighth graders knew the purpose of the Bill of Rights on the most recent national civics examination, and only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches, according to test results released on Wednesday.”

Two en banc rulings of note that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today: The Associated Press has an article headlined “Court overturns Ariz. Buddhist temple confession” reporting on this en banc Ninth Circuit ruling issued today.

And by means of a separate en banc ruling issued today, the Ninth Circuit has reinstated state law claims arising from a dispute over ownership of the idea behind the “Ghost Hunters” television series. My earlier coverage of this case can be accessed here.

“Obama Nominates Droney For Appeals Court; Follows failed appointment of Chatigny”: The Hartford Courant has a news update that begins, “President Obama on Wednesday nominated federal district court Judge Christopher F. Droney to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.”

“Key vote set in McConnell nomination”: In today’s edition of The Providence (R.I.) Journal, John E. Mulligan has an article that begins, “The Senate is about to ‘go to war,’ in the words of one conservative lobbyist, over John J. McConnell Jr.’s nomination to the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island.” More recently, Mulligan has news updates headlined “McConnell’s judicial confirmation seen as assured” and “GOP senator says McConnell lied to Senate panel.”

You can access at this link the U.S. Senate‘s official roll call vote tally on the cloture motion.

Update: The Associated Press reports that “GOP fails to bottle up RI lawyer’s nomination.”

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” David Ingram has a post titled “Trial Lawyer Judicial Nominee Overcomes Threatened Filibuster.”

“Appeals court tosses orders barring illegal gun sales by out-of-state dealers”: The New York Post has this news update reporting on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued today.

“Indiana opening new front in abortion battle; Gov. Mitch Daniels says he’ll sign a bill cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, which could help his presidential hopes and pose problems for the Obama administration”: David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has this article today.

And in related news, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports today that “Texas sonogram bill clears Senate, heads to House.”

“Newspaper articles damaged companies, businessman says; Thomas A. Joseph says Citizens’ Voice stories about grand jury probe libeled him”: This article appears today in The Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

And The Standard Speaker of Hazleton, Pennsylvania reports today that “Plaintiff recounts issues against newspaper.”

“California backs off on plan to resume executions this year; San Quentin State Prison’s new warden wants to recruit a new execution team, prompting the corrections department to say more time will be needed before a federal judge can review revised lethal injection procedures”: Carol J. Williams has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

“State Supreme Court will hear SWB Yankees vs. The Times-Tribune”: Today’s edition of The Times-Tribune of Scranton, Pennsylvania contains this article reporting on an order that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued yesterday.

“As Barriers to Lawyers Persist, Immigrant Advocates Ponder Solutions”: This article appears today in The New York Times. According to the article, “John Paul Stevens, the retired Supreme Court justice, who galvanized immigrant advocates with a decision last year that said lawyers must tell their clients about the deportation consequences of pleading guilty, delivered the keynote address.”

“NAACP wants Confederate flag removed at Caddo Courthouse; Issue will be subject of hearing before state Supreme Court on May 9”: The Shreveport Times contains this article today.

“Court Agrees To Expedite N.F.L.’s Appeal”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Eighth Circuit order appears at this link.

“Bin Laden Raid Revives Debate on Value of Torture”: The New York Times contains this article today.

Tom Lasseter of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Tip that led to bin Laden may have come from Guantanamo.”

And in today’s edition of The Wall Street Journal, law professor John Yoo has an op-ed entitled “From Guantanamo to Abbottabad: The bin Laden mission benefited greatly from Bush administration interrogation policies, but President Obama still prefers to kill, rather than capture, terrorists; This costs valuable intelligence.”

“Gay Calif. judge now the focus in same-sex marriage fight”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

And today’s edition of The New York Times contains an editorial entitled “Fit to Rule on Same-Sex Marriage.”