Legal Commentary

Take Your Seat, Sonia Sotomayor

Posted on September 08, 2009
The ceremony lasted only five minutes, but there was enough pomp and tradition to fill a day, as Sonia Sotomayor took her seat on the Supreme Court bench this afternoon for the first time. The courtroom was packed with some...

Justice Stevens Slows Hiring: Is Retirement Near?

Posted on September 02, 2009
Talk about ending the summer with a bang! The AP?s Mark Sherman confirms today that Justice Stevens has only hired one of his four law clerks for next year, which of course is setting off widespread speculation that the 89-year-old...

Kyl to Vote Against Sotomayor

Posted on July 22, 2009
Calling her Judiciary Committee testimony ?evasive, lacking in substance and, in several instances, incredibly misleading,? Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl said he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor?s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Liberals Lash Out Against Sotomayor Testimony

Posted on July 15, 2009
As Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings get underway for a second day of questioning, it appears Republicans aren?t the only ones who think Sotomayor has been less than candid in her testimony.

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Sotomayor on the Hot Seat

Posted on July 14, 2009
Starting what's going to be a grueling day, Sotomayor faced some tough questions from Sen. Jeff Sessions, who wasn't buying her explanation of her "wise Latina" comments as inspirational or that her insistence that "no racial or gender group would have an advantage in judging...

The Fight Over Miguel Estrada Continues

Posted on July 13, 2009
Both Republicans and Democrats continue to fight over Miguel Estrada, at the confirmation hearing for Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing is Underway

Posted on July 13, 2009
Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing is underway, and the Republicans are coming out swinging -- Sessions and Hatch hare raised questions about whether she will a fair and impartial justice, based on some of her comments and speeches.

LIVESTREAMING THE SOTOMAYOR HEARINGS

Posted on July 10, 2009
With Judge Sonia Sotomayor?s confirmation hearing starting Monday morning, ABCNews.com will be livestreaming the proceedings from the Senate Judiciary Committee, with a partnership with Facebook aiming to bring more people into the conversation. From the press release going out this...

Supreme Court Puts Chrysler?s Sale to Fiat on Hold

Posted on June 08, 2009
Justice Ginsburg?s ruling today, putting on hold the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat, does not mean that the deal is off. While the ruling may put the sale in temporary turmoil, Ginsburg's action is really the safe, prudent...

White House Contacted Sotomayor Before Souter Announced His Retirement

Posted on June 04, 2009
The Senate Judiciary Committee has released a completed questionnaire submitted by Supreme Court nomine Sonia Sotomayor. There's a lot to sift through, but here's one interesting bit: She reveals the White House contacted her about the "possibility of a future Supreme Court vacancy" four days before Justice David Souter announced he would resign.

Becoming Nominee Sotomayor

Posted on May 26, 2009
From the moment David Souter announced his retirement, his seat on the Supreme Court was Sonia Sotomayor's to lose. President Obama had been ?very interested? in her from the start, said one top adviser, and almost immediately, his political advisers--led...

Ruth Madoff: "I Have No Response to You"

Posted on May 20, 2009
Ruth Madoff isn?t talking ?- not even to apologize. When asked by ABC News if she had anything to say to the victims of her husband?s ponzi scheme, she replied, ?I have no response to you.? Victims of the scam...

Question of the Day: Does Michael Vick Deserve Another NFL Shot?

Posted on May 20, 2009
Former NFL super star Michael Vick is on his way home today. He was released from prison at dawn after serving 19 months for dogfighting. He'll now serve a couple months of home confinement. The case against Vick exploded back...

Not So Special Election

Posted on May 20, 2009
As expected, an angry electorate soundly defeated a slate of special election budget measures in California yesterday, a decision that left Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers nearly defenseless in dealing with California's $21.3 billion shortfall...

What Does Iran Want?

Posted on May 20, 2009
Now that the US has confirmed that Iran successfully launched a missile with a range of 1,200-1,900 miles, and a configuration that appears consistent with its Ashura model, the question on the minds of many Americans, and western policy makers,...

What America is Projecting on its American Idols

Posted on May 20, 2009
There was a telling moment last night at the end of American Idol's final showdown. As Ryan Seacrest announced the lines were open for all of us eager voters, Adam Lambert smiled and pointed at Kris Lambert who in return...

Ducklings Rescue - An Update

Posted on May 20, 2009
We received a large response from our viewers about the duckling story Neal Karlinsky reported on Monday's World News. To respond, we revisited the story on last night's broadcast and answered some of your questions that you left for us...

Guns Rule Congress

Posted on May 20, 2009
ABC's Tom Shine reports from Washington: Everyone loves credit cards. But Everyone hates the banks that issue them with all those fees and penalties. So when Senator Chris Dodd unveiled his tough credit card bill, which placed sweeping restrictions on...

'The Situation is Getting Severe'

Posted on May 20, 2009
Your quotes of today: "The situation is getting severe." -- Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, responding to news of a 15.2 percent plunge in his country's first-quarter GDP, the worst figure since Japan began keeping such records more than five...

Judge Wood Goes to Washington

Posted on May 20, 2009
Just two days after Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm?s sudden appearance in Washington set off a flurry of speculation about Supreme Court interviews, here?s something that actually could be significant: Federal Appears Court Judge Diane Wood, one of the leading contenders to replace David Souter, is in Washington today.

The World Newser is Changing!

Posted on May 19, 2009
A quick note to say the World Newser is changing a little. If you are a loyal reader of some of the other blogs on the site such as "Political Radar", "Money Beat", "World View", "Health Insider" and "Legalities", we...

New Credit Card Rules!!! Good, Right???

Posted on May 19, 2009
Well, it appears this could be good and bad (don't you hate that?) depending on what kind of customer you are. In the parlance of the card industry some customers are "revolvers" and others "deadbeats". The revolvers are the ones...

Hundreds of Soldiers Honor Two of their Own

Posted on May 19, 2009
Mike Boettcher reports from Afghanistan: 2:30 am Friday morning and our ride to the Bagram passenger terminal didn?t show up. With all of our equipment it was too far to walk and there wasn?t another soul out at that ungodly...

Summer Fighting Season Begins

Posted on May 19, 2009
Mike Boettcher reports from the frontlines of Afghanistan: Along the border between Nuristan and Konar provinces in eastern Afghanistan sits Camp Bostick. Just two miles from the Pakistan border, Bostick controls several smaller Combat Outposts that come under frequent attack...

Clem's Chronicles: Credit Card Reform/Fuel Standards

Posted on May 19, 2009
Clem Lane here. Tonight's editorial note follows- CREDIT CARDS-If you?re like most Americans, you?ve either had issues with your credit card provider or have a family member/friend who?s told you of their issues. The Senate feels your pain and today....

What Happens When Telemarketers Barrage A Reporter's Home

Posted on May 19, 2009
ABC's Lisa Stark reports: Like millions of Americans, my family has signed up for the Do-Not-Call list. Although that has certainly greatly reduced the number of unwanted phone calls, it didn?t stop the folks who so insistently wanted to sell...

Obama: Fortifying Bush's Policies on Terror

Posted on May 19, 2009
There's a must-read piece in The New Republic this week by Jack Goldsmith, the former head of the Office of Legal Counsel, outlining specific differences in the Bush and Obama approaches to the war on terror. In the article, Goldsmith...

The Pitfalls of Politics

Posted on May 18, 2009
President Obama, like Bill Clinton before him, has indicated he would like to tap a politician for the Supreme Court?someone like the iconic and influential Chief Justice Earl Warren, the former governor of California. But there are two big problems....

Clem's Chronicles: Fuel Standards/Netanyahu at the WH/Hubble

Posted on May 18, 2009
Howdy folks-here's tonight's editorial note: CLEAN AIR/NEW FUEL STANDARDS-The White House is going to announce new fuel standards tomorrow which will increase gas mileage numbers and reduce the pollution they emit. Thanks to Jon Karl, you don?t have to wait...

Swine Flu: The Latest Facts and Figures

Posted on May 18, 2009
With so much information swirling about swine flu, we've compiled all of our reporting in one place. Click here for all of the latest news about swine flu including the latest school closings, CDC resources, World Health Organization guidelines, etc.

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