“Judge Blocks New S.D. Abortion Law”: The Associated Press provides this report.

Decalogue blog: From Georgia, The Athens Banner-Herald today contains an article headlined “No decision yet on Barrow display; Ten Commandments suit” and an editorial entitled “Barrow should give up fight for commandments.”

The Gwinnett Daily Post reports today that “Barrow commission to hold meeting on Commandments.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Commissioners delay action on Commandments display.”

From Indiana, in The Indianapolis Star, columnist Ruth Holladay has an op-ed entitled “Commandments issue is a monumental mess.”

From Pennsylvania, The York Daily Record contains an article headlined “Is Hanover’s monument safe? A Supreme Court ruling seems to protect the Ten Commandments display.”

And in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jane Eisner has an op-ed entitled “The court’s delicate dance between church and state.”

From South Dakota, The Associated Press provides a report headlined “State’s attorney: Ten Commandments statue legal in Watertown.”

From Texas, in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, columnist Linda Campbell has an op-ed entitled “Supremely confusing: The Founders’ thought.”

Finally for now, from Wisconsin, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Friday will contain an editorial entitled “Thou shalt not split hairs.”

“Republican Lawmakers Fire Back at Judiciary”: Friday’s edition of The New York Times will contain an article that begins, “Stepping up their assault on the federal judiciary, Congressional Republicans announced efforts on Thursday directed at overturning two recent Supreme Court decisions, one that allowed government to claim private property for economic development and another that stripped Kentucky courthouses of the Ten Commandments.”

And Friday’s issue of The Washington Post will contain a front page article headlined “House Votes To Undercut 5-4 Ruling On Property; Federal Funds Tied To Eminent Domain.”

In news from Kansas: The Lawrence Journal-World today contains an article headlined “School finance plan OK’d on one condition; House makes funding contingent on amendment limiting court power” that begins, “Kansas schools would get more funding under a bill advanced Wednesday in the House, but only if the Legislature adopts a constitutional amendment prohibiting the Kansas Supreme Court from ordering lawmakers to increase school funding.”

And The Topeka Capital-Journal today contains articles headlined “Change in constitution key to ending deadlock; GOP needs House Democrats’ help to pass change“; “‘What if’ scenarios abundant for court“; and “Two-step, Kansas style; House OKs school bill, tied to limit on courts.”

“Time Inc. to Yield Files on Sources, Relenting to U.S.” Adam Liptak will have this article Friday in The New York Times.

Tomorrow’s issue of that newspaper will also contain a related article headlined “Top Editor at Time Inc. Made the Decision His Own.”

“Victims of ’86 Flood Finally Get Payday; After a 19-year battle, the state agrees to pay $428 million to 3,000 people who suffered losses when a Yuba River levee broke”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Judge orders federal takeover of state prison health care system”: Claire Cooper, legal affairs writer for The Sacramento Bee, has a news update that begins “A federal judge on Thursday placed himself in charge of California’s troubled prison health care system, saying he was driven to act by ‘stunning testimony’ that medical malpractice or negligence has been causing, on average, one death each week.”

The San Francisco Chronicle provides a news update headlined “Judge orders takeover of state’s prison health care system.”

And The Los Angeles Times provides a news update headlined “California Loses Control of Prison Healthcare.”

Available online from law.com: Jeff Chorney reports that “For 9th Circuit: Lots of Scrutiny and 9-0 Reversals by High Court.”

Marcia Coyle has an article headlined “Supreme Court’s Takings Hat Trick: In three cases, justices deny challenges.”

In other news, “2nd Circuit Rejects Infringement Claim Triggered by ‘Pop-Up’ Internet Ads.”

And an article reports that “California High Court Leaves Domestic Partners Ruling Intact.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s Holding in Kelo v. City of New London: An Interview that Reveals an Insider’s Perspective.” FindLaw commentator John W. Dean’s column, bearing tomorrow’s date, consists of an interview with Institute for Justice attorney Dana Berliner.

“Great Falls prayer battle garners support of town; Wynne says she’s getting silent treatment after court ruling”: This article appears today in The Herald of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Who would have predicted that a Wiccan whose lawsuit forced her town’s council to stop invoking Jesus Christ’s name in its invocations would receive the cold shoulder from other townfolk?

“Supremely Inconsistent: The Supreme Court can’t make up its mind about the moral capacities of kids.” David L. Tubbs has this essay today at National Review Online.

Even one more reason not to leave your infant seemingly unattended on a Manhattan street while you are dining inside an adjacent restaurant: As this ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued yesterday demonstrates, doing so could give rise to seemingly complex questions of appellate jurisdiction. CNN.com reported on the international incident at the heart of this litigation here and here.

“Time Inc. Decides to Hand Over Notes of Reporter Facing Prison”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times provides this news update.

“‘Time’ Will Yield Reporter’s Notes to Grand Jury”: This segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on this evening’s broadcast of NPR‘s “All Things Considered.”

“House lashes out at high court’s property ruling”: Thomas Ferraro of Reuters reports here that “The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives, a frequent critic of the federal judiciary, lashed out at the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday in voting to limit a recent ruling that curbed property rights. On a largely party-line vote of 231-189, the House approved legislation that would ban use of certain federal funds to upgrade private property seized under last week’s Supreme Court ruling.”

And Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press reports that “Congress Working on Property-Seizure Bills.”

In case you’re looking for evidence that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist retired yesterday: Yesterday was the first day this week that “The Supreme Court Nomination Blog” failed to report that Chief Justice Rehnquist hadn’t retired (cf. here and here). Proving that, sometimes, the dog that didn’t bark doesn’t even bother to show up.

“Breyer Restraint: The Court’s eminent domain and Ten Commandments decisions were practical and farsighted.” This editorial (pass-through link) will appear in the July 11, 2005 issue of The New Republic.

Are Halloween costumes eligible for copyright protection under federal law? The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit tackles that frightful question in this opinion issued today.

“Prosecutor to seek new trial against Richey”: LimaOhio.com provides this news update on a matter I mentioned here earlier today.

“A Heap of Precedents: Slippery slopes, stare decisis, and popular opinion.” Online at Reason today, Julian Sanchez has an essay that begins, “Last week, on the heels of the decision in Raich vs. Gonzales giving federal drug laws precedence over a California medical marijuana statute, the Supreme Court ruled in Kelo v. New London that a home owner has no rights that a city planner is bound to respect.”

“Groups Seek Backing of Judicial Nominees”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Conservative groups pressed Thursday for the confirmation of the only two of President Bush’s appellate court judicial nominees excluded from a Senate agreement on the filibuster.”

“Patent Lawyers Push Whyte for Circuit”: The Recorder of of San Francisco, California today contains an article that begins, “Members of the patent bar are lobbying to get U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte of San Jose appointed to the next opening on the Federal Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which has nationwide jurisdiction over patents, international trade and government contracts.”

“Time Inc. to comply with Plame inquiry; N.Y. Times says it is ‘deeply disappointed’ in decision”: MarketWatch provides this report.

Today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Day to Day” contained a segment entitled “Reporter’s Notes Surrendered in CIA Outing Case” (RealPlayer required).

And yesterday evening’s telecast of the PBS program “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” contained a segment entitled “Journalists and the Law” (transcript with links to audio and video).

“Rehnquist’s court, but liberals gain; The just-finished term yielded a string of rulings that set back conservatives”: Warren Richey will have this article in Friday’s edition of The Christian Science Monitor.

The July 2, 2005 issue of The Economist contains an article headlined “Rehnquist’s legacy: Amid rumours that the chief justice is to retire, conservatives and liberals are arming for a stupendous fight.”

The U.S. Department of State has issued a report headlined “U.S. Supreme Court Completes 2004-2005 Term; Justices rule on separation of church and state, death penalty, jail sentences.”

And yesterday, the American Enterprise Institute hosted its “Fifth Annual Supreme Court Review.” You can view the event online by clicking here (Windows Media format).

“Supreme Court Narrowly Protects Key Civil Rights and Liberties in 2004-2005 Term; Large number of 5-4 rulings underscores importance of future justices”: People For the American Way issued this press release today announcing the publication of its analysis of the Court’s non-criminal cases decided this Term.

“Graham denies interest in Supreme Court seat”: The Greenville News today contains an article that begins, “Whether President Bush nominates U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for the Supreme Court or not, the mention of his name as a possible candidate raises his profile in the selection of the next justice, experts said Wednesday.”

“Court sides with Seattle Times in JOA dispute”: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer provides a news update that begins, “Washington’s highest court this morning sided with The Seattle Times Co. in its dispute with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s owner, ruling that The Times can count financial losses incurred during a strike toward those needed to end the business agreement under which the papers have been published for the past two decades.”

And The Seattle Times offers a news update headlined “State Supreme Court rules for Seattle Times in JOA dispute.”

You can access today’s unanimous ruling of the Washington State Supreme Court at this link.

Two western appellate courts deal setbacks to judicially-ordered banishments of murderers: The Seattle Times reports today that “Court disallows banishing of murderer.” You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Court of Appeals Division II of the State of Washington at this link.

And from Montana, The Associated Press reports that “High court says murderer can’t be banished from county.” You can access Wednesday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Montana at this link.

“Ruling gives lift to appeal in Inland murder case; The U.S. Supreme Court has made it easier to sustain a racial-bias claim in the dismissal of a juror”: This article appears today in The Press-Enterprise of Riverside, California.

In news from Australia: Friday’s edition of The Age of Melbourne contains articles headlined “The frontyard abortion: The abortion of a 32-week-old foetus has provoked a bitter clash over the ethics of late-term termination and a patient’s claims on privacy; It’s far from finished” and “Senator rejects abortion fear.”

“In Rhode Island, Uncertainty About Medical Marijuana Law”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

“Web service price war seen despite ruling”: The Chicago Tribune today contains an article that begins, “Despite fears of a price hike for high-speed Internet service in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling this week siding with cable companies, experts say the opposite is more likely.”

“Goff’s bid for retrial stands; Court refuses to hear prosecutors’ appeal in case of man who impregnated stepdaughter with syringe”: This article appears today in The Akron Beacon Journal.

“Souter plan draws smirks, smiles in Weare”: The Manchester Union Leader today contains an article that begins, “Even as late as yesterday afternoon, residents here were scratching their heads over the commotion a one-page fax from thousands of miles away had caused Tuesday.”

“Judge: No right to hunt clay pigeons; A Nelson County judge rules that Constitution doesn’t extend to target shooting.” The Roanoke Times today contains an article that begins, “A Nelson County judge shot down the argument Wednesday that shooting at clay pigeons falls under Virginians’ constitutional right to hunt. In what is believed to be the nation’s first ruling in a right-to-hunt case, Circuit Judge Michael Gamble upheld the county board of supervisors’ denial of a conditional use permit for a shotgun sports center at Orion Estate, an exclusive hunting preserve.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling by a Virginia state trial court at this link.