In Bashman (and bash woman) news from Australia: Tanya Westthorp of the Gold Coast Bulletin reports that “10 thugs bash man, woman in horrifying attack.”

“Could Congress Simply Codify the DOJ Special Counsel Regulations?” Rick Pildes has this post at the “Lawfare” blog.

“Tammy Baldwin: Trump ignored nominating panel by appointing Gov. Scott Walker ally to 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.” Jason Stein and Patrick Marley of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have this report.

And Dave Boyer of The Washington Times reports that “Trump announces sixth round of conservative judicial nominees.”

Yesterday, the White House issued a news release titled “Eighteen Nominations Sent to the Senate Today.”

“The Legacy of Justice Scalia with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg”: The Aspen Institute has posted this video on YouTube.

“State board names highway span for Henry Frye, former N.C. Supreme Court chief justice”: Taft Wireback of The News & Record of Greensboro, North Carolina has this report.

“Do not allow Gov. Rick Scott to pack Supreme Court on his way out the door”: The Tampa Bay Times has published this editorial.

S’all is not good, man: Today, Circuit Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton issued an opinion on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that begins, “A sting operation blends fiction with non-fiction.”

The opinion goes on to explain that “[i]n this instance, Matthew King, a lawyer, agreed to commit a real crime (by laundering the supposed proceeds of non-existent drug sales) and offered to do so on the basis of a money-laundering technique observed on a fictional T.V. show (by imitating Saul Goodman, a lawyer character on Breaking Bad, who set up a sham corporation to launder drug proceeds).”

“Murder conviction in Blackwater case thrown out, other sentences overturned”: Spencer S. Hsu of The Washington Post has this report.

And Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “U.S. court tosses murder conviction of ex-Blackwater guard.”

You can access today’s 119-page ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit — consisting of a lengthy per curiam opinion followed by separate writings from each of the three judges on the panel — at this link.

“How Trump’s Attack on Affirmative Action Could Succeed: An aggressive Justice Department could make the case, or wait for the Supreme Court’s makeup to change.” Law professor Noah Feldman has this essay online at Bloomberg View.

And online at Slate, law professor Richard Thompson Ford has a jurisprudence essay titled “Doomed to Fail: Jeff Sessions’ reactionary attack on affirmative action won’t succeed.”

“Justice Souter, the First Amendment and the case of the synagogue standoff”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this post.

“Supreme Court to begin electronic filing in November”: Jessica Gresko of The Associated Press has this report.

Today, the Public Information Office of the U.S. Supreme Court issued a news release that begins, “The Supreme Court’s new electronic filing system will begin operation on November 13, 2017.”

“Supreme Court justice offers explanation for LGBTQ decision”: Sean Fine of The Toronto Globe & Mail has an article that begins, “Supreme Court Justice Richard Wagner says he did not purposely exclude LGBTQ advocacy groups from participating in a major case pitting equality rights against religious freedom.”

“The Clarence Thomas Takeover: The justice has spent his career pushing a fringy, right-wing ideology; Now, he has an army of acolytes who can make his vision a reality.” Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern have this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Finding Common Ground, Despite Ideological Divides”: Linda Greenhouse has this essay online at The New York Times.

“Judges send transgender bathroom case back to lower court”: The Associated Press has this report on an order that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued today.

“New York congregation owns oldest U.S. synagogue, court rules”: Chris Kenning of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued today.

And in earlier coverage, Katie Mulvaney of The Providence (R.I.) Journal previously reported that “Fight over control of Newport’s historic Touro Synagogue goes to next level.”

“High court juvenile lifer ban spurs wider review of cases”: Juliet Linderman of The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A U.S. Supreme Court decision triggering new sentences for inmates serving mandatory life without parole for crimes committed as juveniles has had a far greater effect: The ruling is prompting lawyers to apply its fundamental logic — that it’s cruel and unusual to lock teens up for life — to a larger population, those whose sentences include a parole provision but who stand little chance of getting out.”

“Racial Justice Demands Affirmative Action”: Sherrilyn A. Ifill has this essay online at The New York Times.

“Food writer Hollister Moore, 69, king of street food”: Allison Steele of The Philadelphia Inquirer has written this obituary. The subject of the obituary was the author of the web site “Holly Eats.”

“‘We can change the meaning’: Trademarks filed for n-word after Supreme Court decision.” Justin Wm. Moyer has this article in today’s edition of The Washington Post.

“Concealed Carry Could Be Headed for the Supreme Court; A recent appeals-court ruling on concealed handguns includes a cry for clarity”: Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek has this report.

“In landmark appraisal ruling, Delaware justices emphasize market’s wisdom”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this post.

“Supreme Court 2016 Statutory Term in Review: Textualist Pathologies in Advocate Health Care Network.” Asher Steinberg has this post at his blog, “The Narrowest Grounds.”

“U.S. teen texting manslaughter verdict could face legal challenge”: Scott Malone of Reuters has this report.

“What Justice Powell’s Papers on His Opinion in Marks Tell Us About the Marks Rule”: Asher Steinberg recently had this interesting post at his blog, “The Narrowest Grounds.”

“Justice Thomas, Criminal Justice, and Originalism’s Legitimacy”: Eleventh Circuit Judge William H. Pryor Jr. has this essay online at The Yale Law Journal Forum, part of a collection of essays posted today under the heading “Justice Thomas: Twenty-Five Years on the Supreme Court.”

“Justice Dept. to Take On Affirmative Action in College Admissions”: Charlie Savage has this front page article in today’s edition of The New York Times.

“This Lawyer Is Making It Less Profitable to Sue When Companies Merge: Meet Ted Frank, professional objector.” Caleb Hannan of Bloomberg Businessweek has this report.

Programming note: On Wednesday morning, I will be traveling to northeast Pennsylvania in connection with a new case on which I am working. As a result, additional posts will not appear here until late Wednesday afternoon or Wednesday evening.

As always while I am traveling, additional appellate-related retweets may appear on this blog’s Twitter feed.

“City calls for Pa. Supreme Court to deny appeal of soda tax case”: Alison Burdo of Philadelphia Business Journal has this report.

“With fifth judge confirmed, Trump outpaces Obama and Bush”: Alex Swoyer of The Washington Times has an article that begins, “President Trump may be facing a roadblock on the rest of his nominees but he’s outpacing his predecessors when it comes to getting federal judges confirmed after his fifth court pick was approved by the Senate on Tuesday.”

And Tim Ryan of Courthouse News Service reports that “Senate Overwhelmingly Approves New FBI Director, 11th Circuit Judge.”

The U.S. Senate has just confirmed Kevin C. Newsom to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit: By a vote of 66 to 31. I will post the official roll call vote tally when it becomes available online.

Update: You can access the official roll call vote tally at this link.