Three Fifth Circuit judges dissent from the denial of rehearing en banc in contraceptive mandate case: Circuit Judge Edith H. Jones issued the dissent, which issued yesterday but was posted online today. The order denying rehearing en banc states that 11 judges voted against rehearing and four voted in favor.

And in related news, Law360.com reports today that “DOJ Asks High Court To Resolve ACA Birth Control Split.”

“Appeals judge hits state on abortion admitting privileges law”: Patrick Marley of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has this news update.

You can access the audio of today’s oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit via this link (22.7 MB mp3 audio file).

“In RJR case, Supreme Court to decide if RICO reaches abroad”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this report today.

“Supreme Court to hear moose hunter’s hovercraft ban challenge”: Robin Bravender and Jeremy Jacobs of Greenwire have this report.

In the October 2015 issue of California Lawyer magazine: Law professor Erwin Chemerinsky has an article headlined “A Look at the Supreme Court’s Big 2015 Term: The nation’s high court embarks on another momentous term.”

And Pamela A. MacLean has an article headlined “Friedrichs v. CTA: Supreme Court Case Could Topple Protections for Teachers Union Fees; Nonunion teachers are challenging opt-out rules in a controversial case.”

“California Lawyer magazine folds”: JimRomenesko.com had this post yesterday.

“Texas, top state for executions, may go a year without a death penalty conviction”: Reuters has this report.

“Circuit Judge Timothy Tymkovich Becomes Chief Judge”: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued this news release today.

“U.S. Supreme Court to hear appeal of Phila. death row inmate”: Jeremy Roebuck of The Philadelphia Inquirer has a news update that begins, “The U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday it will take up the appeal of a Philadelphia death row inmate, who has argued that a former state judge who upheld his conviction should have stepped aside because of his role in prosecuting the case.”

“Supreme Court Adds Terrorism and Money-Laundering Cases to Docket”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this news update.

David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times reports that “High court to decide free-speech limits in political-retribution case.”

And Richard Wolf of USA Today reports that “Supreme Court to decide if Iran must pay for terrorist bombings.”

“A Halted Execution and the Future of the Death Penalty: Richard Glossip stands at the center of the Supreme Court’s dilemma.” Tom Randall of Bloomberg News has this report.

“Nominees announced for Utah Supreme Court vacancy”: The Deseret News has this report.

“A closer look at Frank Fina”: Today’s edition of The Philadelphia Daily News contains a cover story that begins, “On the list of things you can be certain of in life, death and taxes have company: Porngate. There will be more Porngate.”

“Oklahoma gets wrong execution drug, delays lethal injection”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Right On: John Roberts Is Playing the Long Game; Aghast at the decisions of the last Supreme Court term, conservatives caricatured John Roberts as a leftist; He most certainly is not.” Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek has this essay online today.

More proof that kids today have a poor work ethic compared to their elders: Metropolitan News-Enterprise reports that “Judges Pregerson Set to Take Senior Status This Winter.”

Access online today’s Order List of the U.S. Supreme Court: At this link. The Court granted review in 13 new cases.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Supreme Court to review European suit against R.J. Reynolds“; “High court to hear Iranian bank appeal over $1.75B judgment“; “High court to hear appeal of National Park Service authority“; and “Justices to review bias claim against top Pennsylvania judge.”

Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “U.S. top court to decide if EU countries can sue R.J. Reynolds over money-laundering“; “Supreme Court to hear Iran central bank appeal of $1.75 billion judgment“; “Supreme Court to examine judge’s role in Pennsylvania death penalty case“; and “Hovercraft-riding moose hunter’s case gets Supreme Court review.”

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “Reynolds Gets U.S. Supreme Court Review in Drug-Money Case.”

Brent Kendall of The Wall Street Journal reports that “Supreme Court to Review Terrorism-Related Judgments Against Iran; High court will consider the central bank of Iran’s appeal on frozen assets.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Court to rule on Congress’s power over courts.”

As part of promoting his new book, Justice Stephen G. Breyer has apparently decided that he will vote to grant certiorari this upcoming Term in every case involving interplay between United States and foreign law.

“Court May Decide Future of Class-Action Cases; Justices face several corporate suits whose outcome could further bear on key procedural issues”: Jess Bravin has this article today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Snyder picks UM law professor Larsen for Supreme Court”: The Detroit News has this report.

The Detroit Free Press reports that “Snyder appoints Joan Larsen to Supreme Court.”

And MLive.com reports that “Gov. Rick Snyder appoints U-M attorney Joan Larsen to Michigan Supreme Court.”

“A Chief Justice Without a Friend”: Linda Greenhouse has this essay online today at The New York Times.