Reading Phillies 8, Trenton Thunder 4: As MLB.com reports, “Pedro impressive in latest rehab start; Right-hander strikes out 11 over six innings for Reading.” And because I was among the “all-time record crowd of 9,953 at FirstEnergy Stadium” to watch the game, I’m posting about it here. Additional coverage of the game is available here and here.

You can access the box score at this link. Also of note, the “untouchable” Phillies prospect Domonic Brown hit his first home run at the AA level during the game.

Update: Additional coverage of the game is available here, here, here, and here.

“Sotomayor picks up more GOP support with confirmation near”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Court reinstates road ban in national forests”: The Associated Press has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.

And today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article headlined “National park checkpoints at entrances upheld” reporting on a ruling that the Ninth Circuit issued yesterday.

“Supreme Court Vacation: On the Road with the Thomases.” The public radio program “The Takeaway” today had this audio segment consisting of an interview with Virginia Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, about life on the road in their RV.

Thanks to Ben Sheffner of the “Copyrights & Campaigns” blog for the pointer.

Second Circuit issues opinion explaining that court’s basis for rejecting objections to the Chrysler bankruptcy asset-sale transaction: You can access today’s opinion explaining that court’s earlier ruling at this link.

Second Circuit upholds federal district court’s invocation of the “state-secrets privilege” as the basis for dismissing a lawsuit brought against the CIA by the wife and children of a covert-status former employee of the CIA: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link.

“History of animal-cruelty law at issue in Stevens poses incongruity”: Adam Ezra Schulman has this essay online at the First Amendment Center.

And online at FindLaw, Sherry F. Colb has an essay entitled “Lessons From an Animal Cruelty Case In the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“Senate begins floor debate on Sotomayor nomination; Though her confirmation as the Supreme Court’s first Latino justice looks assured, it won’t come without a barrage of criticisms; About 30 lawmakers are expected to voice their complaints”: James Oliphant and David G. Savage have this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

The Washington Post reports today that “GOP Senators Seem Unconcerned About Hispanic Backlash; 28 Say They Will Vote Against the First Latina Supreme Court Nominee.”

The Wall Street Journal contains articles headlined “Senate Begins Formal Debate Over Sotomayor” and “Sotomayor Vote Tests GOP; Candidates, Wooing Hispanics, Aim to Isolate Confirmation Stance From Broader Views.”

The Associated Press reports that “Republicans, Democrats at odds in Sotomayor debate.”

And Reuters reports that “Senate opens Sotomayor confirmation debate.”

“Nominations Roadblock: The Senate is keeping President Obama from placing his nominees in key administration positions.” The Washington Post today contains an editorial that begins, “It has been almost six months since President Obama nominated Indiana law professor Dawn E. Johnsen to head the Justice Department’s influential Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). Almost five months have passed since the Senate Judiciary Committee gave her a favorable vote and sent the nomination to the full Senate. Yet with just days left before the August recess, there has yet to be a floor vote. This is unconscionable.”

“Detainees Could Be Boon for Mich. Town; Residents Want Prison to Stay Open, Even if It Means Housing Terrorism Suspects”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

Yesterday’s edition of The Kansas City Star contained articles headlined “Kansans swiftly oppose moving Guantanamo detainees there, but Michigan may be more open to the idea” and “Leavenworth is well equipped to house Gitmo detainees.”

This past Monday evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Mich. Town May Welcome Guantanamo Detainees” (RealPlayer required).

And today in The Los Angeles Times, CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen has an op-ed entitled “The Gitmo NIMBYs: Politicians should cease the fear-mongering — prisons in the U.S. can easily handle any remaining Gitmo detainees.”

“Medical Papers by Ghostwriters Pushed Therapy”: The New York Times today contains an article that begins, “Newly unveiled court documents show that ghostwriters paid by a pharmaceutical company played a major role in producing 26 scientific papers backing the use of hormone replacement therapy in women, suggesting that the level of hidden industry influence on medical literature is broader than previously known.”