“X-Mas-lovin’ Judge Doesn’t Cry Over Onion Gag”: At the “Legal Pad” blog of CalLaw.com, Justin Scheck has this report on Ninth Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt‘s reaction to The Onion’s article about him headlined “Activist Judge Cancels Christmas.”

Available online from law.com: In news from Georgia, “Law Professor Crosses Evolution Battle Lines; Conservative leader sides with ACLU.”

And in news from Florida, “When the Best Defense Is No Defense: Acquittal in terrorism trial described as ‘colossal embarrassment’ for Bush administration’s Justice Department.”

“Civil Rights Groups, AFL-CIO Oppose Alito”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press provides this report. The AP also reports that “Dorgan to wait on Alito decision.”

In other coverage, Thomas Ferraro of Reuters reports that “Labor, disabled oppose Alito.”

“Fracas over home seizures moves to states”: In Thursday’s edition of The Christian Science Monitor, Warren Richey will have an article that begins, “When the US Supreme Court ruled in June that private homes may be seized to make room for commercial development projects, the decision ignited a firestorm of criticism.”

“Mich. Affirmative Action Still in Limbo”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“Mexican Standoff: The complex–and imbalanced–legalities of cross-border justice.” Noah Leavitt has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Bills to protect unborn planned”: The Honolulu Advertiser contains this article today.

“Frist a little too eager for nuclear option”: This editorial appeared yesterday in The Portland (Me.) Press Herald. The editorial refers to “Bush’s first pick for the pending court vacancy, White House counsel Harriet Meyers [sic].”

“7 more judges sue to reinstate payraise”: The Philadelphia Inquirer provides a news update that begins, “Seven judges across the state joined two of their colleagues this week in asking the state Supreme Court to overturn the General Assembly’s repeal of payraises for the judiciary.”

“Obscene Profits: Porn provides windfall profits for Vivid Entertainment and the cable giants that sell its racy fare; Now the government is cracking down for the first time in 20 years.” This article appeared in the December 12, 2005 issue of Forbes Magazine.

“Witness Muddies ‘Fatal Vision’ Convictions”: The Associated Press provides this report. And today’s front page article from The Wall Street Journal on the subject can be accessed here (pass-through link).

“Lack of scientific evidence short-circuits video-game bans”: Online at the First Amendment Center, Douglas Lee has an essay that begins, “Even before a federal trial court judge struck down Illinois’ attempt to ban the sale of violent video games to minors, proponents of such bans knew they had a legal problem. Now, after that ruling, they know their bigger problem is one of science.” The ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois can be accessed here.

In news updates from The Detroit Free Press: A news update headlined “Fieger asks for special prosecutor” begins, “Lawyers for Geoffrey Fieger asked Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday to name a special prosecutor to oversee an investigation into whether Fieger broke the law when he secretly funded a campaign to unseat a state Supreme Court justice, saying state Attorney General Mike Cox is too personally wrapped up in the case.”

And a news update headlined “Crowd disrupts state board vote on rights ballot proposal” begins, “A loud and rowdy crowd of about 250 Detroit high school students disrupted a meeting of the State Board of Canvassers Wednesday, effectively shutting down the meeting as the board was attempting to vote on whether to put an anti-affirmative action proposal on the November 2006 ballot.”

“‘Sexual’ school clubs decried; Petitioners ask the School Board to ban Gay-Straight Alliances that meet in several high schools; It’s a thorny free-speech issue”: This article appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

Fuzzy image equals fuzzy logic? A less fuzzy, full color copy of the letter that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) sent yesterday to U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito, Jr. can be viewed at this link (large PDF file), courtesy of a member of the Court’s press corps.

“Out-of-touch liberalism: The plight of some elite law schools to keep military recruiters off campus has little to do with gay rights and even less to do with free speech.” This editorial appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

Via Will Baude at “Crescat Sententia,” I see that Law Professors Geof Stone and Richard Epstein have posted about the Solomon Amendment case at “The Faculty Blog” of the University of Chicago Law School.

And the current issue of Philadelphia Weekly contains an article headlined “A Farewell to Arms: A group at Penn’s law school sues to move military recruiters off campus.”

“‘Evolution is theory’ sticker on court docket; Cobb appeal may be major test case”: This article appeared Sunday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

And The Associated Press reports that “Federal Court to Weigh Evolution Disclaimer.” According to The AP, the Eleventh Circuit is scheduled to hear oral argument in the case tomorrow.

What is a tax return? A divided Seventh Circuit panel issued this ruling today. Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner wrote the majority opinion, while Circuit Judge Frank H. Easterbrook dissented.

“After Williams, a new dilemma for governor; Next: Gravely ill and blind man, 75, scheduled to die.” This article appears today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

The Sacramento Bee today contains an article headlined “Death penalty issue to linger; The next inmate set to die – a 75-year-old blind diabetic – asks the governor for clemency.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Death Penalty Moratorium on the Table; Five Democrats want a hiatus until 2009 while a state panel reviews the system; The plan, unrelated to Williams case, faces a fight.”

And The New York Times reports that “Execution Ignites New Fire in Death Penalty Debate.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Luna (deceased) in the news: The Centre (Pa.) Daily Times reports today that “Feds won’t intervene in Gricar case.”

“Companies, courts, markets await ruling; After two years of review, the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision in the Philip Morris cigarette marketing case is expected Thursday”: This article appears today in The Chicago Tribune.

And a report from Dow Jones Newswires is headlined “Nail-biting Time In ‘lights’ Tobacco Case.”

In the hope that barely legible is better than completely illegible: You can access at this link a barely legible copy of the letter that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) sent yesterday to U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito, Jr. Earlier today, I collected press coverage of the letter here.

“The ’66 Remap That Forged Samuel Alito”: This article (subscription required) appears today in Roll Call.

“Fatal Revision: The Plot Thickens In Famed Murder Case; Dr. MacDonald Pins Hope On U.S. Marshal’s Account Of What a Suspect Said.” This front page article (pass-through link) appears today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Whether Service: The liberal case for the Solomon Amendment.” T.A. Frank has this essay (free access) online today at The New Republic.

The Yakima Herald-Republic today contains an editorial entitled “Free speech must prevail for recruiters on campuses.”

And in this past Sunday’s issue of The Minneapolis Star Tribune, columnist Katherine Kersten had an op-ed entitled “Has U Law School taken up a cause of shaky merit?”

“Pro-Alito Buzz Cloaks a Draconian Agenda”: Seth Rosenthal, legal director of the Alliance for Justice, has this essay online at The Nation.

“Mystics of the Court: Stephen Breyer’s activism.” U.S. Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL) has this essay today at National Review Online.

“Redistricting Tom DeLay”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “The Supreme Court agreed this week to review Texas’ 2003 Congressional redistricting, which added five Republicans to the state’s delegation.”

“Calls Begin for Sami Al-Arian To Regain The Job He Held at South Florida U.” Josh Gerstein has this article today in The New York Sun.

“For Specter, Alito hearings pose internal struggle”: This article appears today in USA Today.

Michael McGough of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports today that “Specter ‘telegraphs’ blows; Letter to Alito pinpoints topics such as precedent.”

The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger reports that “Specter outlines questions for Alito.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that “Green Groups Mobilize Against Alito; Some of Supreme Court Nominee’s Judicial Rulings Trouble Environmentalists” (free access).

The Denver Post reports that “Salazar fires back at Focus on Alito judgeship; He says ads placed by the Christian group’s political arm falsely characterize his stand on hiring quotas.”

The Rocky Mountain News reports that “Salazar hits back at Focus on Family ad.”

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that “Salazar plays down latest Focus on the Family attacks.”

The Forum of Fargo, North Dakota reports that “Dorgan to meet with court nominee today.”

And The Daily Princetonian today contains an article headlined “Eisgruber leads discussion on religious freedom” that begins, “Provost Christopher Eisgruber ’83 discussed hallucinogenic mushrooms, six-foot-tall plastic Santas and Samuel Alito ’72 in a talk about religious freedom in America in Whig Hall on Tuesday, sponsored by the Princeton American Civil Liberties Union.”

“Lawyer pushes probation for girl’s husband”: The Omaha World-Herald today contains an article that begins, “Matthew Koso doesn’t deserve to go to prison for impregnating the 14-year-old girl he later married, Koso’s lawyer said Tuesday.”

And The Lincoln Journal Star reports today that “Koso pleads guilty to child sex charge.”