“America’s Capital Punishment Crisis: As governor, I oversaw the execution of 19 murderers; But now the death penalty is making me queasy.” Mark White has this essay online at Politico Magazine.

“Judicial Nominee’s Memos on Drones Stirring Bipartisan Concern in the Senate”: In Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times, Jeremy W. Peters will have an article that begins, “President Obama’s choice for a powerful appeals court appointment is in peril from both the left and the right, highlighting how the fraught politics of an election year are threatening the president’s agenda even among his allies on Capitol Hill.”

“Supreme Court to Hear T-Mobile Cell-Tower Case; Justices to Decide If Local Governments Must Give Detailed Written Reasons When Towers Denied”: Brent Kendall will have this article in Tuesday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal.

“When religion meets politics, U.S. justices sharpen their pencils”: Joan Biskupic of Reuters has this report.

“Let Us Pray: The Supreme Court gives its blessing for prayer at town meetings; Get ready for a lot more Jesus in your life.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Law students push to license dead Chinese attorney”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “In a decision still studied in law schools as a 19th century lesson in bigotry, the California Supreme Court in 1890 denied Hong Yeng Chang’s application to practice law solely because he was Chinese.”

“Tour operators challenge licensing in court”: Pete Yost of The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Skeptical judges on a federal appeals court on Monday questioned why the nation’s capital requires that tour guides be licensed by the local government.”

You can access at this link (14.7 MB mp3 audio file) the audio of today’s oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

“No En Banc Review or Rehearing in Carrera v. Bayer“: Bruce D. Greenberg has this post today at his blog, “New Jersey Appellate Law,” reporting on an order denying rehearing en banc, and the dissent therefrom, that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued last Friday. Immediately after the dissent appears the original three-judge panel’s explanation for its reason for denying panel rehearing.

“Standing to Sue Obama: Congress should challenge his refusal to enforce the law.” This editorial appears today in The Wall Street Journal.

“The Problems With the Death Penalty Are Already Crystal Clear: The president has commissioned yet another study of lethal injections; He’d be better off lobbying the Supreme Court and Congress to make changes.” Andrew Cohen has this essay online today at The Atlantic.

“In Justices’ Votes, Free Speech Often Means ‘Speech I Agree With'”: Adam Liptak will have this new installment of his “Sidebar” column in Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times.

“Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Major Second Amendment Case”: Damon Root has this post at Reason.com’s “Hit & Run” blog.

“Business racks up wins with Roberts court”: The Hill has this report today.

“Supreme Court Allows Prayers at Town Meetings”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this news update.

Robert Barnes of The Washington Post has a news update headlined “Supreme Court upholds legislative prayer at council meetings.”

And David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Supreme Court upholds Christian prayers at city council meetings.”

Update: At “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Opinion analysis: Prayers get a new blessing.”

And at the “School Law” blog of Education Week, Mark Walsh has a post titled “Supreme Court Upholds Prayers at Municipal Meetings.”

Access online today’s rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court in argued cases: The Court today issued rulings in two argued cases.

1. Justice Stephen G. Breyer delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court in Robers v. United States, No. 12-9012. Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a concurring opinion, in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined. You can access the oral argument via this link.

2. And Justice Anthony M. Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court in large measure in Town of Greece v. Galloway, No. 12-696. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas joined most but not all of the opinion of the Court. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. issued a concurring opinion, in which Justice Scalia joined. Justice Clarence Thomas issued an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Scalia joined in part. Justice Breyer issued a dissenting opinion. And Justice Elena Kagan issued a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor joined. You can access the oral argument via this link.

In early news coverage, Mark Sherman of The Associated Press reports that “High court ruling favors prayer at council meeting.”

Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “U.S. top court endorses prayers before town meetings.”

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “Legislative Prayer Backed in U.S. Supreme Court Ruling.”

Richard Wolf of USA Today reports that “Supreme Court upholds prayer at government meetings.”

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Tony Mauro has a post titled “Divided Supreme Court Blesses Town’s Opening Prayer.”

“Possible outcomes plentiful in appeal of Amendment 3 ruling”: Dennis Romboy of The Deseret News has this report.

Access online today’s Order List of the U.S. Supreme Court: The Court has posted the Order List at this link. The Court granted review in two new cases.

In addition, the Court issued a per curiam opinion, summarily vacating the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in Tolan v. Cotton, No. 13-551. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. issued an opinion, in which Justice Antonin Scalia joined, concurring in the judgment.

And Justice Alito issued a dissent, in which Justice Scalia joined, from the denial of certiorari in Beard v. Aguilar, No. 13-677.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “High court rejects appeal on gun rights in public“; “Court rejects challenge to city’s immigration law“; and “Court revives victim lawsuit in mistaken shooting.”

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “New Jersey Gun-Carrying Limit Left Intact by High Court“; “Undocumented-Immigrant Housing Ban Allowed by High Court“; and “Guantanamo Inmate Claiming to Be Medic Rejected by Court.”

And Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “U.S. Supreme Court declines new gun regulations challenge” and “Supreme Court declines to hear Nebraska immigration case.”

“Texas Is Permanently Shutting Abortion Clinics and the Supreme Court Can’t Do Anything About It; Regardless of what the judicial system does with Texas’s antiabortion law, its on-the-ground effects are unlikely to be reversed”: Sophie Novack of National Journal has this article today.

“Retired justice speaks up: Stinging dissent on political cash.” This editorial appears today in The Boston Globe.

“Harper comments ‘inappropriate’, says lawyer who mounted Nadon challenge; Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin ‘has not done anything wrong by raising the flag’: Rocco Galati.” The Canadian Press has this report.

“Ice-Cream Defense: Arguing before Justice Sotomayor.” Rebecca Mead has this item (subscription required for full access) in The Talk of the Town section of the May 12, 2014 issue of The New Yorker.

“Scalia’s Anti-Government Stress Disorder”: Kenneth Jost has this post at his blog, “Jost On Justice.”