“Quiet hero lets truth speak loudly”: Columnist Robyn Blumner had this Guantanamo-related op-ed yesterday in The St. Petersburg Times.

“Lawmakers to work on shutting down Guantanamo facility; Senate amendment would grant legal rights to detainees”: This article appears today in USA Today.

“Fight over Thou Shalts won’t wilt; Fargo council hands down its word, but foes vow to move biblical marker”: Today’s issue of USA Today contains an article that begins, “A Ten Commandments monument will remain on the lawn outside City Hall in Fargo, N.D., for now, but the City Commission’s recent vote to keep it there won’t end controversy over the marker.”

“Clarence Thomas Is Right”: At his “Think Again” blog, Stanley Fish has a post (TimesSelect subscription required) that begins, “On June 25th the Supreme Court held in Morse v. Frederick that it was alright to discipline a high school student because he and some of his friends had unfurled a banner reading ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ at a school-sponsored event.”

“Last Term’s Winner at the Supreme Court: Judicial Activism.” Adam Cohen has this “Editorial Observer” essay today in The New York Times.

“Fitzgerald May Testify on Prosecution of Libby Case, Leahy Says”: Bloomberg News provides this report.

And The Washington Times reports today that “Democrats call Libby ‘silenced.’”

“New View of Brown v. Board Unlikely To Sway One Judge”: Today in The New York Sun, Joseph Goldstein has an article that begins, “Before becoming one of the country’s legendary trial judges, Jack B. Weinstein played a supporting role in one of the 20th century’s defining court cases.”

“The Supreme Court’s ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ First Amendment Decision: How Its Betrayal of Free Speech Principles May Have Influenced A Recent Federal Appellate Decision.” Julie Hilden has this essay online today at FindLaw.

“State secrets privilege: Congress, make it qualified.” Sharon Bradford Franklin has this essay in today’s issue of The National Law Journal.

In today’s issue of Legal Times: Tony Mauro has an article headlined “At the High Court, Sometimes It’s Personal” that begins, “The timbre of Donald Verrilli Jr.’s voice changes when he argues a pro bono case to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

And in other news, “Conservatives Fear 4th Circuit Slipping Away; Inaction from the White House and gridlock on the Hill leave four slots sitting vacant.”

“Third Strike: A Supreme Court ruling on Guantanamo that the Bush administration can’t sidestep?” Benjamin Wittes has this essay online today at The New Republic.

“A Deal for the Public: If You Win, You Lose.” That’s the headline of tomorrow’s installment (TimesSelect temporary pass-through link) of Adam Liptak‘s “Sidebar” column in The New York Times. The article discusses the practice of some state attorneys general to hire outside lawyers on a contingent fee basis to pursue claims for damages.

“Justice Secures His Place as a Critic of Integration”: In Monday’s edition of The New York Times, Neil A. Lewis will have an article that begins, “When Justice Clarence Thomas provided a pivotal vote last month as the Supreme Court struck down school integration plans in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle, he suggested the concept of integration was inherently demeaning to black children because it implied they needed to mix with whites to achieve excellence.”

“Mysteries, Legal and Sartorial, at Padilla Trial”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

“Time to act on 4th Circuit slots”: The Briston (Va.) Herald Courier contains this editorial today.

“UVa professor completes Supreme Court trifecta”: The Daily Progress of Charlottesville, Virginia today contains an article that begins, “Some lawyers think Ken Elzinga has managed the antitrust equivalent of a hat trick.”

“On the Wrong Side of 5 to 4, Liberals Talk Tactics”: Linda Greenhouse has this article today in the Week in Review section of The New York Times.

“Taking a New Course in Class: Income, rather than race, could be the new path to diversity.” This article will appear in the July 16, 2007 issue of U.S. News & World Report.

“Friends in High Places: Inside Bush’s decision to give Scooter Libby a pass.” Michael Isikoff will have this article in the July 16, 2007 issue of Newsweek.

“The Power Broker: In an exclusive interview, Justice Kennedy discusses life, center stage.” Stuart Taylor Jr. and Evan Thomas will have this article in the July 16, 2007 issue of Newsweek.

“Guantanamo Hits the Courts Again”: Reynolds Holding will have this article in the July 16, 2007 issue of Time magazine.

“White House Will Deny New Request In Attorneys Probe; Bush to Defy Congress, Sources Say”: The Washington Post contains this article today.

“Justice and Gitmo: The high court’s decision to weigh habeas corpus for detainees is a step toward restoring trampled freedoms.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Judges OK warrantless monitoring of Web use; Privacy rules don’t apply to Internet messages, court says”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

“For Libby, Bush Seemed to Alter His Texas Policy”: Adam Liptak will have this article Sunday in The New York Times.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 2, Ottawa Lynx 1 (11 innings): My son and I traveled to Moosic, Pennsylvania earlier today to see this afternoon’s half of the day-night doubleheader between the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees and the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Lynx used three pitchers who had all previously appeared for the Phillies. Lynx starting pitcher Eude Brito threw six-plus innings of scoreless ball. Next, reliever Clay Condrey held the Yankees to just one run over four innings, although by giving up that run in the bottom of the eighth inning Condrey was charged with a blown save. Finally, reliever Yoel Hernandez foolishly tried to record an out at first on a well-placed bunt attempt for a base hit by the Yankees lead-off batter in the bottom of the 11th. Not only did the batter reach first base before the throw would have, but Hernandez made a wild throw that allowed the batter to go all the way to third base as the ball was retrieved from foul territory in right field. After intentionally walking the next two batter to load the bases with no outs, and with both the infield and the outfield playing in, the next batter for the Yankees dunked a single over the second baseman to secure the victory. You can access a wrap at this link.

Although the box score indicates that more than 8,000 attended the game, the actual attendance was closer to 800, as this afternoon’s game was a make-up from a cancellation earlier this season, and the SWB Yankees have many, many season ticket holders, but only a handful of them turned out for this afternoon’s game.

Thanks to Lynx center fielder Chris Roberson for kindly tossing my son the baseball as Roberson was heading to the dugout after having caught the final out in the bottom of the ninth inning on a fly ball to center field.

It may seem odd that the Phillies AAA affiliate is in Ottawa, so it’s worth noting that in 2008 the AAA affiliate of the Philies will be located much closer, in Allentown, as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs debut.

Today was the first AAA baseball game that my son and I have ever attended. I’m scheduled to attend my second AAA game later this month with a certain sentencing law blogger as the Columbus Clippers host the Pawtucket Red Sox.

“Makings of a major-league fuss; A parent turns up legal heat after being asked to leave a baseball game”: The St. Petersburg Times today contains an article that begins, “The signs at the New Tampa Little League field are clear: Please practice good sportsmanship at all times. League officials say one parent has missed the message, and they’ve asked him to leave the park more than once. But that parent also happens to be a lawyer for one of the largest law firms in Florida. Now he’s alleging that the New Tampa Little League defamed his character in front of parents, friends and clients, and he has hinted strongly at legal action.”

“Court supports Bush in wiretap suit; Because plaintiffs can’t prove they were targets of the secret program, they can’t sue, according to the federal appellate ruling”: Henry Weinstein has this article today in The Los Angeles Times. In addition, the newspaper has an editorial entitled “Hush-hush, sweet liberty: The NSA’s secret wiretap program, upheld by an appeals court, diminishes our democracy.”

The Detroit Free Press reports today that “Secret wiretaps by U.S. are OK’d; Appeals court panel overturns a ruling by judge in Detroit.”

And The Detroit News reports that “Court ruling stirs fear of secret spying; Detroit judge’s decision on domestic surveillance overturned; critics say it gives feds too much clout.”

“Who’s behind the integration decision? It’s the Pacific Legal Foundation, champion of right-wing causes for 35 years.” Law Professor Mark Tushnet has this op-ed today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Justices take potshots in opinions”: Bill Mears of CNN.com provides this report.

“Lawsuit Against Wiretaps Rejected; Case’s Plaintiffs Have No Standing, Appeals Court Rules”: This front page article will appear Saturday in The Washington Post.

And Saturday in The New York Times, Adam Liptak will report that “Challenge to Secret Wiretaps Is Dismissed.”

“No Fourth Amendment Protection in E-Mail Addresses, IP Addresses, Ninth Circuit Holds”: At “The Volokh Conspiracy,” Orin Kerr has this post about a ruling that a unanimous three-judge Ninth Circuit panel issued today.

Available online from law.com: An article reports that “Calif. Supreme Court to Hear Contentious Gay Rights Case.”

And the brand new installment of my “On Appeal” essay is headlined “Did a Federal Appeals Court Avoid Tackling the Real Issues Behind Football Fan’s Lawsuit? 11th Circuit rules that season ticket-holder can’t object to being searched upon entering stadium.”

“Mass. Bar Sued for Gay Marriage Question”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A man said he failed the Massachusetts bar exam because he refused to answer a question about gay marriage, and claims in a federal lawsuit the test violated his rights and targeted his religious beliefs.”

“Fieger fights back at legal woes; Lawyer sues federal government, Mich. Supreme Court judges”: This article appeared Monday in The Detroit News.