“CIA Values Show in Stand on Detainees”: The Los Angeles Times today contains an article that begins, “For an agency that ordinarily steers clear of major policy debates, the CIA played an unusually prominent role in the showdown between the White House and dissident Republicans over the treatment of detainees. To many outsiders, the CIA’s position was puzzling.”

The newspaper also contains an editorial entitled “Two-Tiered Torture Standards: By allowing the CIA leeway in interrogations, the Senate gave up too much in its compromise with Bush,” while Charles Kaiser has an op-ed entitled “Why Retired Military Brass Don’t Want Torture: Firsthand combat experiences compel old guard to attack Bush’s ‘alternative interrogation.’”

“Senate Panel Freezes Bill on Legal Protection for Reporters”: The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed consideration of a federal shield law for journalists after hearing strong new objections to the measure from the Justice Department.”

“A Fight To Define Equality”: Today in The Washington Post, columnist George F. Will has this op-ed about the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.

“Detainee Legislation Driven by Court Decision”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR‘s “Weekend Edition Sunday.”

“Specter Decries Detainee Bill Provision”: The Associated Press provides this report.

Philadelphia Phillies 10, Florida Marlins 7: My son and I had the pleasure today of seeing the Phillies win what was to have been the final regular season home game of 2006. Fan Appreciation Day started unfavorably, as the Marlins jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first inning, sending nine men to the plate as starting pitcher Jamie Moyer gave up two doubles, a triple, and two home runs.

In the bottom of the third inning, however, the Phillies answered with seven runs, only three earned, taking advantage of a costly error by Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The Phillies homered three times in that frame, and themselves batted around. When Abraham Nunez, who had led off the inning with a single, came to the plate for a second time, he was hit with a pitch by Marlins starting pitcher Scott Olsen, whom the home plate umpire promptly ejected.

Chase Utley homered twice and even beleaguered right fielder Pat Burrell got in on the hit parade, scoring twice and going two-for-four with a single and a home run. In attendance at today’s game was a group of fans with a banner that read “Burrell’s Squirrels,” and they appeared pleased with his effort.

Thanks to a Los Angeles Dodgers victory today, the Phillies continue to cling to just a half-game lead in the Wild Card standings. The Phillies have a home make-up game tomorrow against the Houston Astros, after which the Phillies will either have a full-game lead or have the same record as the Dodgers, who have a day off tomorrow.

You can access wraps of today’s game here and here, while the box score is at this link. According to the box score, the rain delay that came in the bottom of the seventh inning lasted one hour and thirty-five minutes.

“Abortion foes’ new rallying point; Conservatives take on contraception”: The Chicago Tribune contains this article today.

“Judges fumble asylum cases; Refugee was sent back to Sudan to face jail, beatings”: This lengthy article appears today in The Chicago Tribune.

“Half a Reform for Judges”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “During his confirmation hearings a year ago, Chief Justice John Roberts pledged to study the serious ethics problem posed by the well-attended ‘judicial education’ programs staged at luxury resorts and financed by private interests hoping to influence judicial decision-making. Chief Justice Roberts followed through, but his chosen antidote is far too timid.”

In today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times: David G. Savage has an op-ed entitled “Is the Chief Justice Really a Judicial Activist? John Roberts, who likened his role to a passive ‘umpire,’ may want to do more than just enforce the rules.”

Robert Weisberg has an op-ed entitled “A Quiet Bombshell in the Legal World; A single high court decision puts mandatory sentencing laws in limbo.”

And Joe Domanick has an op-ed entitled “Every Court Case Is a Person; Beneath paperwork and docket numbers lie tales of human morality and often tragedy.”

“Behind bars, sex charges the air: Whether it was forced or in exchange for perks, the acts between guards and inmates were never legal; And before anything got fixed, two people were dead and five arrested.” The St. Petersburg Times today contains an article that begins, “For the past 10 years, dozens of female inmates serving time at the minimum-security federal prison here have been sexually abused by the very people in charge of them: prison staff members.”