“Justice asks high court to OK labor board rulings”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “The Justice Department on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to let a federal labor board continue working even though three of its five seats are vacant.”

“Kaine does not anticipate stay for Beltway sniper”: The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a news update that begins, “Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said today that he has not yet received a petition seeking clemency for convicted Beltway sniper John Allen Muhammad and has seen no evidence that would suggest he should receive a stay of execution.”

And The Associated Press has a news update headlined “Va. gov: No reason to stop sniper execution.”

“Provocative docket raises hackles over animals, religion”: Online at the First Amendment Center, Tony Mauro has a news analysis that begins, “Fighting for the First Amendment often makes for odd bedfellows. In pending cases for the coming Supreme Court term, free-speech advocates find themselves on the side of corporations seeking to influence elections, creators of videos depicting animal cruelty and, oh, yes, bankruptcy lawyers. All in a day’s work.”

“The Supreme Court’s New Portrait”: Kate Phillips has this post at “The Caucus” blog of The New York Times.

“Cross Dispute Takes Attorney on an Unexpected Journey”: In yesterday’s edition of The Daily Journal of California, Lawrence Hurley had an article that begins, “When Los Angeles-based American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Peter J. Eliasberg first heard about a controversial cross erected on federal land, it didn’t seem like a case that would end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. They never do. But 10 years later, Eliasberg is frantically preparing for his first argument before the high court in an Establishment Clause case that is one of the highlights of the term that begins Oct. 5.”

“Appeals court upholds dismissal of vaccine suit”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court has ruled that members of the military can be required to be vaccinated against anthrax.”

You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit at this link.

“Cases to test time limits on lawsuits; Surgical sponges discovered years after surgery”: Yesterday in The Austin American-Statesman, Chuck Lindell had this article about two cases now pending before the Supreme Court of Texas.

Second Circuit issues opinion explaining why Debevoise & Plimpton LLP will be allowed to serve as counsel to Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. in defending a class action alleging that policyholders were misled and shortchanged in that company’s demutualization: You can access today’s opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link.

Earlier coverage from law.com appeared in articles headlined “$8 Billion Class Action Against MetLife Stalled as Members Press to Disqualify Debevoise” and “MetLife, Class Present Final Arguments to 2nd Circuit on Disqualification of Debevoise.”

“Young strippers from Cheetah win court case”: Bill Rankin has this article today in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Georgia at this link.

“Free speech vs. animals: The Supreme Court should rule that filmed depictions of animal cruelty are protected under the 1st Amendment.” Yesterday’s edition of The Los Angeles Times contained this editorial.

“Guantanamo Deadline May Be Missed”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

And today’s edition of The Washington Post contains an editorial entitled “The Meaning of Freedom: Why the Supreme Court should step in to decide the latest detention controversy” and an op-ed by Benjamin Wittes entitled “Obama’s Dick Cheney Moment.”

“The Old Secular Cross? High Court to Consider Issue of Church-State Separation.” Robert Barnes has this front page article today in The Washington Post. He also has a related article headlined “For Couple, Memorial Became a Mission.”

“The Art of the Steal: The Untold Story of the Barnes Foundation.” Today in The Wall Street Journal, Julia M. Klein has this article about that new documentary film.

Some recent earlier coverage of the film can be accessed here (from The Philadelphia Inquirer); here (from The New York Times); here (from The Los Angeles Times); and here (from Variety).

“Pocket Docket: Supreme Court’s New Season; Justices Face an Unusually Diverse Caseload; Some Legal Observers Expect the Conservative Bloc to Overrule Past Opinions.” Jess Bravin has this article today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Ex-Bush officials face lawsuits over their actions”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has a report that begins, “High-ranking government officials are usually protected from claims that they violated a person’s civil rights. In lawsuits stemming from law enforcement and intelligence efforts after the Sept. 11 attacks, three federal courts have left open the possibility that former Attorney General John Ashcroft and a lieutenant may be held personally liable.”