Programming note: On the morning of Monday, July 13, 2009, many eyes will be on a group of U.S. Senators and a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Tonight, by contrast, I and my son will be watching as the Harrisburg Senators host the Reading Phillies in a AA Eastern League minor league baseball contest.

There may be fireworks at some point during the confirmation hearing that starts on Monday, but there will definitely be fireworks tonight, along with a baseball cap giveaway and a salute to Star Wars. Yohan Flande — honored recently by being selected to play in the Futures Game — is scheduled to pitch for the R-Phils. And Dmitri Young, on rehab assignment from the Washington Nationals, is scheduled to play for the Senators.

Additional posts will appear here sometime after the conclusion of tonight’s game.

Update: Final score — Reading Phillies 10, Harrisburg Senators 2. You can access online the box score; a recap of the game; and news coverage (here, here, here, and here).

“Court: D.C. Police Checkpoints Unconstitutional.” At “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Mike Scarcella has this post about a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued today.

“Appeals court expands lawmakers legal protection”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “An appeals court has ruled, in a case arising from the Abramoff scandal, that statements federal lawmakers make during congressional ethics investigations cannot be used against them in criminal probes.”

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Mike Scarcella has a post titled “D.C. Circuit Judge Calls for En Banc Court to Review Speech-or-Debate Protection.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit yesterday issued an order unsealing a decision that the court issued under seal on June 23, 2009.

“Honduras’ non-coup: Under the country’s Constitution, the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya was legal.” Miguel A. Estrada has this op-ed today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Mock exercises prepare Sotomayor for hearings”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press has this report.

“Poll: Nearly half support Sotomayor’s confirmation.” CNN.com has this report.

And ABCNews.com has an article headlined “Will Sotomayor’s Storied Heritage Help Her to the Bench? Sotomayor’s Brother on Supreme Court Nominee: ‘She Represents the Future.’”