“POW status is key to future for Noriega”: Today in The Miami Herald, Jay Weaver has an article that begins, “Lawyers for former Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega, who is set to be released from prison, plan to challenge a new French extradition request in Miami today, arguing that it would violate his rights as a prisoner of war.”

“U.S. prison unlikely to be a ‘Cupcake’ walk for Black; Days of golf, take-out over as U.S. cracks down on corporate felons”: This article appears today in The Toronto Star.

ABA Journal revamps its web site: You can access the revamped web site at this link. And the blog “LawBeat” has nice things to say about the ABA Journal’s new online approach.

“The Republican (Not So) Short List”: Tom Goldstein has this post today at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Girl, 8, Back With Chinese Parents”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A Chinese couple regained legal custody of their 8-year-old daughter Monday after a seven-year fight to get her back from what was supposed to be temporary foster care.”

And today’s issue of The Commercial Appeal of Memphis contains an article headlined “Anna’s reunion with parents is today; Father hopes for ‘normal, carefree’ life for 8-year-old.”

“Antonin Scalia Supreme Court Justice Signed Baseball”: The eBay auction for this item is scheduled to conclude later today.

“Punt Return: Congress must decide the fate of enemy combatants at Guantanamo.” Benjamin Wittes has this essay online today at The New Republic.

Four judges serving on the Ninth Circuit gain a bit more free time: The Ninth Circuit’s experiment with fifteen-judge en banc panels does not appear to have been a rousing success, as effective July 1, 2007 that Court announced that it was returning to eleven-judge en banc panels.

Either the judges decided that the fifteen-judge en banc decisions simply weren’t sufficiently wacky to be worth perpetuating; or they didn’t like one another that much to be spending so much extra time together as a group; or the chief judge (the only member of the Ninth Circuit guaranteed a seat on every single en banc panel) recognized that having one vote out of fifteen simply wasn’t as wonderful as having one vote out of eleven.

But, on a more serious note, I’d like to hear via email ( [email protected]) from any readers who wish to address some or all of the following points: (1) has the Ninth Circuit given any official reason for why it has decided to eliminate fifteen-judge en banc panels and return to eleven-judge en banc panels; (2) what do you think brought about the change; and (3) what are your views on the change?

“May a Trial Court Force the Parties to Waive Appellate Review?” You can access at this link this week’s installment of my “On Appeal” column for law.com.

“Bill attempts to protect dead stars’ images; A state Senate bill would give control of dead celebrities’ likenesses to the heirs the stars had chosen; Opponents predict legal challenges”: The Los Angeles Times contains this article today.

“Islamic charity’s terror trial starts soon; Defendants will get their first chance to dispute charges that the group supported Hamas”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Dealing With Sins of the Forefathers: Md. Torn Over Statues of Justice in Dred Scott Case.” The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, “It is perhaps surprising that Dred Scott Madison II and J. Charles Taney should agree. After all, Madison’s great-great-grandfather was a slave who went to court to sue for his freedom. And Taney’s great-great-uncle was the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice who wrote the opinion refusing to release that slave and ruling that black men held no rights in the United States. Yet as activists urge Maryland officials to remove bronze images of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney from the State House in Annapolis and Frederick City Hall this year — the 150th anniversary of the Dred Scott decision — Taney and Madison have found a measure of agreement.”

And last Tuesday, The Baltimore Sun published an article headlined “Taney’s tainted legacy: Some in Frederick want to remove a bust from City Hall because of racist ‘Dred Scott’ decision.” And in yesterday’s newspaper, columnist C. Fraser Smith had an op-ed entitled “Words that will never die.”

“Pistachios at Guantanamo”: Columnist Jackson Diehl has this op-ed today in The Washington Post.

“Right Urges Showdown With Democrats Over Judicial Nominees”: The Washington Post contains this article today.

“Giving Evil the Eye: Juries Don’t Always Know Heinous Crimes When They See Them, But This Might Help.” This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“Pakistan’s Chief Justice Back at Work”: The Associated Press provides this report.

Happy birthday to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy: According to the “Today in History” feature from The Associated Press, he turns 71 today.

“The Southwick Stonewall”: The Wall Street Journal today contains an editorial (paid subscription required) that begins, “It isn’t easy to get Republican moderate Senator Arlen Specter into a fighting partisan mood. But Democrats are achieving this rare feat as they continue to block nearly every nomination by President Bush to the federal appeals courts.”

“Contempt and Congress: The Democrats’ attack on executive privilege shows blatant disregard for the Constitution.” Law Professor John Yoo has this op-ed (free access) today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Reversals”: In “The Talk of the Town” section of the July 30, 2007 issue of The New Yorker, Nicholas Lemann has an essay in which he writes, “Just before the end of the past term, the Court issued a decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, that signalled a complete departure from more than half a century of jurisprudence on race.”

Access online Seventh Circuit nominee John D. Tinder‘s interview with “Article III Groupie”: This past Tuesday, President Bush made four nominations to the U.S. Courts of Appeals, including the nomination of U.S. District Judge John D. Tinder for the Seventh Circuit.

In March 2005, the blog “Underneath Their Robes” posted a two-part interview with Judge Tinder. You can access the interview at the following links: part one; part two.

“Unlikely Adversary Arises to Criticize Detainee Hearings”: This article will appear Monday in The New York Times.

“Democrats’ abortion quandary; As ’08 election nears, party weighs a more nuanced line on issue that divides U.S.”: The Chicago Tribune contains this article today.

“Another U.S. attorney in a tight spot; As lawmakers move to hold administration figures in contempt, Jeffrey Taylor would be the prosecutor — pitted against his bosses”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

And The San Francisco Chronicle reports today that “Pelosi promises congressional contempt charge for Harriet Miers; Speaker reiterates impeachment is not on her agenda.”

“Subpoena Standoff: The battle over congressional testimony by White House aides drags on.” The Washington Post contains this editorial today.

“Cockfighting on Web Enters Legal Arena; Broadcaster’s Suit Challenges Anti-Cruelty Law”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

My earlier coverage appears at this link.

“Md. Judge Dismisses Sex-Abuse Charges; Clerk Is Unable To Find Suitable Translator In Time”: The Washington Post contains this article today.

“Power Without Limits”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “The Bush administration, which has been pushing presidential power to new extremes, is reportedly developing an even more dangerous new theory of executive privilege. It says that if Congress holds White House officials in contempt for withholding important evidence in the United States attorney scandal, the Justice Department simply will not pursue the charges. This stance tears at the fabric of the Constitution and upends the rule of law.”

And a related article headlined “A White House Warning on Contempt Charges” appeared in yesterday’s newspaper.

In Monday’s issue of The Christian Science Monitor: Tomorrow’s newspaper will contain articles headlined “Is democracy ‘reborn’ in Pakistan? The decision on Friday to reinstate Pakistan’s Supreme Court Chief Justice is a victory for democracy, but the euphoria around the decision may be premature” and “In bayou, whose water is it? A legal battle brews over whether fishermen are trespassing when they fish in the flooded bottomlands.”

“Baggy Pants Target of Ban in Louisiana Parish”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on yesterday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

On this date in 1937: Seventy years ago today, according to the popular “Today in History” feature from The Associated Press, “the Senate rejected President Franklin Roosevelt’s proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court.” And Wikipedia has an entry titled “Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937.”

“Court sides with Narragansetts in key ruling on land”: The Providence Journal on Saturday contained an article that begins, “An appeals court ruled yesterday that the federal government could take 31 acres into trust for the Narragansett Indian Tribe in a case at the crux of a struggle between the state and the tribe over control of tribal lands.”

And The Associated Press provides reports headlined “R.I. loses lawsuit casting doubt on Indian land trusts” and “R.I. to appeal suit over tribe’s land; Says lot should be subject to state law.”

You can access Friday’s 4-2 ruling by an en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit at this link.

“Alimony provides a same-sex union test; An Orange County man appeals an order to pay spousal support to his ex-wife, who is in a domestic partnership”: Maura Dolan has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

“High Court Reinstates Pakistan’s Chief Judge; Decision a Key Setback For Faltering Musharraf”: The Washington Post contains this front page article today.

The New York Times reports today that “Musharraf Loses Fight Over Suspension of Judge.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Pakistani court reinstates top judge; The unanimous ruling is a blow to Musharraf, whose grip has faltered amid a pro-democracy movement.”

And from National Public Radio, yesterday’s broadcast of “Morning Edition” contained an audio segment entitled “Pakistan High Court Rejects Judge’s Suspension.” Yesterday’s broadcast of “Day to Day” contained an audio segment entitled “Pakistan’s High Court Reverses Judge’s Suspension.” And yesterday evening’s broadcast of “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Pakistan’s High Court Rules Against President.” RealPlayer is required to launch these audio segments.

“Prosecutor Fitzgerald gets light grilling; He tapes a guest appearance on an NPR comic radio segment and gets his own scooter, a red two-wheeler”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

The New York Times today contains an article headlined “A Prosecutor Out of Character on the Air.”

Friday’s edition of The Chicago Tribune reported that “U.S. attorney allows himself to be quizzed.”

And yesterday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Quiz Show Draws U.S. Attorney” (RealPlayer required) featuring Nina Totenberg.