SCOTUSDaily interviews Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker: You can read the interview at this link.

“Samuel Alito: America faces ‘unprecedented challenges to our constitutional structure.'” Bradford Richardson of The Washington Times has this report.

Mark Sherman of The Associated Press reports that “Justice Alito rallies conservatives in tribute to Scalia.”

Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “Alito outlines possible conservative agenda for U.S. high court.”

Cristian Farias of The Huffington Post reports that “No Talk Of Donald Trump For Justice Alito At Big Conservative Lawyers’ Convention; The Federalist Society helped the president-elect compile a list of Supreme Court candidates.”

And in earlier coverage, Jennifer Harper of The Washington Times had an article headlined “The heavyweights: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Ted Cruz head for Federalist Society convention.”

“Short & Sweet? Judge Wood: Lower Word Limits Unnecessary.” Melissa Heelan Stanzione of Bloomberg BNA has this report, in which I am extensively quoted.

Programming note: Due to a meeting out-of-the-office this morning with trial counsel in one of the several new appeals on which I am working, additional posts will appear here this afternoon.

In the interim, appellate-related retweets are likely to appear on this blog’s Twitter feed.

“$45K witness-intimidation fine upheld against attorney Raynor”: Aswin Mannepalli has this article in today’s edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on a ruling that the Superior Court of Pennsylvania issued on Tuesday.

“Judge cites Porngate emails in granting appeal hearing to claw-hammer killer”: Jeremy Roebuck has this front page article in today’s edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Democrats’ new Senate leader open to filibustering Trump’s Supreme Court picks”: Seth McLaughlin of The Washington Times has this report.

S.A. Miller of The Washington Times reports that “Ted Cruz not on Donald Trump’s list for Supreme Court picks, insiders say.”

And at the “PowerPost” blog of The Washington Post, Mike DeBonis has an entry titled “Sen. Dianne Feinstein will lead Democrats as they take on Trump’s Supreme Court nominees.”

“Book talk addresses Supreme Court vacancy”: Hailey Fuchs of The Yale Daily News has this report.

“You Can’t Shun a Supreme Court Justice”: Law professor Stephen L. Carter has this essay online today at Bloomberg View.

“Scalia’s Final Vote: The Supreme Court vacancy loomed large in the election last week.” Law professor John O. McGinnis has this essay online at City Journal.

“GOP accuses Democrats of ‘fighting to steal’ Ohio Supreme Court election”: Randy Ludlow of The Columbus Dispatch has this report.

“Obama Can and Should Put Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court: The outgoing president has one final trump card — and he should play it.” David Dayen has this essay online at The New Republic.

“Two Questions for Donald Trump’s Supreme Court Nominees: Will they reconsider bad precedent? Or put the court’s ‘legitimacy’ first?” Law professor Randy Barnett has this essay online at The Wall Street Journal.

“Pro-gay marriage cake case to go before Supreme Court; The case of Christian bakers found to have breached equality laws by refusing to make a pro-gay marriage cake is set to go before the UK’s highest court”: The Belfast Telegraph has this report.

“John Roberts’s mission impossible for the Supreme Court: Chief Justice John Roberts has spoken of wanting to make the Supreme Court less political; That could be needed in the year ahead.” Henry Gass of The Christian Science Monitor has this report.

“Ex-Goldman director Gupta seeks reversal in insider trading case”: Nate Raymond of Reuters has a report that begins, “A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday signaled it was unlikely to overturn the 2012 insider trading conviction of Rajat Gupta, a former director of Goldman Sachs Group Inc and global managing director of McKinsey & Co.”

“Maggie Upshaw, ’16, Wins Bristow Fellowship”: Becky Beaupre Gillespie of the University of Chicago Law School has this report.

“Confirmed: Trump Will Pick From SCOTUS List.” Kimberly Robinson of Bloomberg BNA has this report.

“North Carolina’s War on Voters Is Heating Up: Conservatives are openly considering packing the state Supreme Court; Can anyone stop them?” Spencer Woodman has this article online at The New Republic.

“Expect the Expected From Trump’s Supreme Court Pick”: Law professor Noah Feldman has this essay online today at Bloomberg View.

“Third Circuit Says Territory Can’t Impair Union Contracts”: Lorraine Bailey of Courthouse News Service has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued yesterday.

Domestic relations exception to federal diversity jurisdiction requires dismissal of Irish v. Irish, First Circuit holds: You can access Monday’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit at this link.

Second Circuit to stream live video of historical re-enactment of the 1913 Wright v. Curtiss Aeroplane Patent Litigation this evening: The program is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. eastern time tonight, and you can view the live video via this link.

“Appeals court rules Lockett execution was not cruel and inhumane; Lengthy 2014 execution at McAlester involved an improperly inserted IV”: Robert Boczkiewicz has this article online at The Tulsa World.

The Associated Press reports that “Appeals court upholds dismissal of botched execution lawsuit.”

And online at Slate, Mark Joseph Stern has a post titled “Appeals Court Calls the Torture and Botched Execution of an Inmate an ‘Innocent Misadventure.’”

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

“Sotomayor in post-election appearance: ‘We can’t afford to despair.'” Ariane de Vogue of CNN.com has this report.

Sam Hananel of The Associated Press reports that “Sotomayor says nation ‘can’t afford to despair’ over Trump.”

At the “PowerPost” blog of The Washington Post, Robert Barnes has an entry titled “Sotomayor: Country can’t afford for president to fail, but people must continue to be heard.”

And in related news, MLive.com reports that “U-M to welcome Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor for bicentennial event.”

“The federal birth-control mandate in limbo”: Lyle Denniston has this post today at the “Constitution Daily” blog of the National Constitution Center.

Newest #SCOTUS thriller from Anthony Franze now available for pre-order on Amazon: The book is titled “The Outsider,” and its plot summary begins:

Things aren’t going well for Grayson Hernandez. Just graduated from a fourth-tier law school, he’s drowning in student debt. The only job he can find is as a messenger at the Supreme Court, where he’s forced to watch the best and the brightest from the outside — the elite group of lawyers who serve as the justices’ law clerks.

When Gray intervenes in a violent mugging, he finds himself in the good graces of the victim: the Chief Justice of the United States. Gray soon finds himself the newest — and unlikeliest — law clerk at the Supreme Court. It’s another world: highbrow debates over justice and the law in the inner sanctum of the nation’s highest court; upscale dinners with his new friends; attention from Lauren, the lead clerk whom he can’t stop thinking about.

You can learn more about the book and can pre-order it on Amazon via this link.

“Outside Groups Set Spending Record in Judicial Races; More than $19 million spent on campaigns for top court seats in 27 states”: Christie Thompson of The Marshall Project has this report.

“Internet Giants Warn of Mass User Terminations If Recent Appellate Ruling Left Untouched; A 2nd Circuit rehearing is demanded in the MP3Tunes case”: Eriq Gardner has this post at the “THR, Esq.” blog of The Hollywood Reporter.

“A turning point for transgender rights?” Lyle Denniston has this post today at the “Constitution Daily” blog of the National Constitution Center.

“State Supreme Court hears case of florist who refused gay couple”: Lynn Thompson of The Seattle Times has this report.

Kristin M. Kraemer of The Tri-City Herald of Kennewick, Washington reports that “State Supreme Court hears arguments in Arlene’s Flowers case.”

And Bradford Richardson of The Washington Times reports that “Christian florist, 71, takes appeal to Washington Supreme Court in gay marriage case.”

“UK’s Supreme Court faces Brexit limelight”: Andrew Hosken of BBC News has this report.

And Anushka Asthana and Rowena Mason of The Guardian (UK) report that “Supreme court judge hints at legal hitch that could seriously delay Brexit; Lady Hale raises possibility of PM having to replace 1972 act before triggering article 50, incurring wrath of anti-EU Tories.”

“Who Donald Trump should appoint to the Supreme Court”: Brett J. Talley has this essay today at CNN.com.

“Pa. Supreme Court’s jail conversation ruling negates rape case recordings”: Paula Reed Ward of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has this report.

“Supreme Court ruling to cost public-safety pension trust $220M in refunds to members; The divided court upheld a Maricopa County Superior Court ruling that found a 2011 pension-reform law unconstitutional’: Craig Harris has this front page article in today’s edition of The Arizona Republic.