“Supreme downsizing: A growing group of scholars from both left and right say the nation’s highest court is out of control; Cut back its power, they argue, and the country will be better off.” Christopher Shea will have this essay in the “Ideas” section of Sunday’s edition of The Boston Globe.

“Nobody Knows the Lynchings He’s Seen”: Sunday in The New York Times, columnist Frank Rich will have an op-ed that begins. “What’s the difference between a low-tech lynching and a high-tech lynching? A high-tech lynching brings a tenured job on the Supreme Court and a $1.5 million book deal. A low-tech lynching, not so much.”

Justice Clarence Thomas will discuss his new book –“My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir” — on Sunday evening’s broadcast of C-SPAN’s “Q & A.” More details are available at this link.

“On Torture and American Values”: This editorial will appear Sunday in The New York Times.

“Law on Lies by Politicians Is Found Unconstitutional”: Sunday in The New York Times, Adam Liptak will have an article that begins, “Not that they need encouragement, but politicians were given the green light to lie about their opponents by the Washington Supreme Court the other day.”

My earlier coverage of the ruling appears at this link.

In news that could be appellate related but isn’t: The Associated Press reports that “Purpose of appendix believed found.”

A recent installment of my “On Appeal” column for law.com was headlined “The Appendix on Appeal: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

“Court bars new background checks for JPL workers; U.S. judges seek more time to study the regulation, which employees say would violate constitutional rights”: The Los Angeles Times today contains an article that begins, “The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday issued a temporary injunction blocking a federal government directive that would require new background checks for employees at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A group of 28 JPL scientists to stop the investigations, which they said amounted to a blank check for the federal government to look into such areas as their sexual orientation and consumer histories. The employees had been facing the potential loss of their jobs unless they met a Friday deadline to comply with the directive by filling out questionnaires and signing a waiver allowing the investigations. A U.S. District Court had upheld the background checks Wednesday.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Background Checks at NASA Lab Blocked.”

You can access yesterday’s order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.

“Let politicians lie: The Washington state Supreme Court wisely rules that politicians are allowed to tell tales about their opponents.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

My earlier coverage of the ruling appears at this link.

“Federal judge delays Watada trial; Lawyers call a 2nd court-martial double jeopardy”: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today contains an article that begins, “A federal judge in Tacoma has delayed the court-martial of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, a Fort Lewis Army officer who refused to deploy to Iraq. In a rare intervention of a civilian court in the military justice system, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle granted the emergency stay to stop the court-martial.”

And The Seattle Times reports today that “Federal judge tells military to halt Watada court-martial.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at this link.

“Guantanamo prosecutor quits amid dispute; Chief prosecutor Col. Morris Davis resigned in a dispute about administrative powers over war-crimes trials”: Carol Rosenberg has this article today in The Miami Herald.

The New York Times reports today that “War-Crimes Prosecutor Quits in Pentagon Clash.”

And The Los Angeles Times reports that “War court prosecutor quits post; Air Force Col. Morris Davis’ resignation comes amid discord on trials and pressure from the White House.”

“Bush Says Interrogation Methods Aren’t Torture”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

The Washington Post reports today that “Bush Defends Interrogations; Democrats Demand Documents Justifying Tactics’ Legality.”

And The Los Angeles Times reports that “Bush denies CIA torture of suspects; Interrogation methods are legal, he says amid controversy over Justice Department memos sanctioning disputed techniques such as simulated drowning.”

The Associated Press is reporting: Pete Yost reports that “Enron Investors Banking on High Court.”

And in other news, “Automakers to Appeal Emissions Ruling.”

“A Class-Action Scheme: The Supreme Court’s business case of the year.” The Wall Street Journal today contains an editorial that begins, “Next week the Supreme Court takes up what may be the business case of the year when it hears oral arguments in Stoneridge v. Scientific Atlanta.”

“Jailed fed prosecutor commits suicide; Florida man charged with arranging sex with child was on suicide watch after earlier attempt”: This article appears today in The Detroit News.

The Detroit Free Press reports today that “Sex case ends in a suicide; Federal prosecutor charged with trying to lure tot hangs self while in custody.”

The Pensacola News Journal reports that “Atchison hangs self in cell.”

And The New York Times reports that “U.S. Prosecutor Held in a Child Sex Sting Kills Himself.”