“Administration Proposes New Health Rules Addressing Religious Objections”: In Saturday’s edition of The New York Times, Michael D. Shear will have an article that begins, “The Obama administration on Friday proposed new regulations intended to address the religious objections that some nonprofit organizations and private companies have to providing contraceptive coverage for their employees.”

And The Los Angeles Times reports that “White House revises birth control rule to accommodate religious groups.”

How to comment on the proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure: If you wish to offer an on-the-record comment in response to the pending proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure — which include a proposal to reduce the maximum word count of a principal appellate brief from 14,000 words to 12,500 words — you can submit your comment to the advisory committee via this link.

As of this moment, the only comment received appears to be from Senior Second Circuit Judge Jon O. Newman.

Thus far, in response to my original post on this subject, I have received only off-the record responses. Those responses can be summarized as follows: (1) this change should be welcomed by the most experienced and talented appellate practitioners, because a shorter maximum word count will benefit them the most; and (2) judges are of the view that in far too many cases the appellate briefs being submitted are far too long, and this rule is meant to remedy that problem somewhat.

“BlackBerry Ltd did not infringe on Mformation Technologies patents, appeals court rules”: Financial Post has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued today.

“U.S. court revives suit over Sturm coffee pod ‘knockoffs'”: Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued today.

“As semester begins, Markel’s colleagues seek closure”: Doug Blackburn has this article today in The Tallahassee Democrat.

“Reading the Court’s signals on same-sex marriage”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Justice Ginsburg Laments ‘Real Racial Problem’ in U.S.; Discusses major rulings, law schools in sweeping Q&A”: Marcia Coyle has this article online today at The National Law Journal.