Hatch: Sotomayor 'highly likely' to be confirmed, barring surprises

By Lisa Desjardins and Ted BarrettCNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The longest-serving Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee told CNN Radio on Thursday that, barring any surprises, Sonia Sotomayor is headed for a Supreme Court confirmation. Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic on the U.S. Supreme Court. "If there are no otherwise disqualifying matters here, it appears to me she will probably be confirmed," Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said. Hatch was acknowledging the current Senate political landscape. Sotomayor was nominated by a Democrat president, and Democrats could have 60 votes in the 100-member chamber if Minnesota's Al Franken is seated. They now hold 12 of the 19 seats on the Senate Judiciary Committee that will first consider Sotomayor's nomination. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, said Thursday he does not plan to vote to confirm Sotomayor, becoming the first Republican to explicitly state his opposition...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/28/scotus.hatch.sotomayor/index.html

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Obama selects Judge Sotomayor for U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama on Tuesday nominated federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday calls her nomination to the high court "the most humbling honor of my life." Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and third female U.S. Supreme Court justice if confirmed. Obama announced the nomination Tuesday morning in the East Room of the White House. "Thank you, Mr. President, for the most humbling honor of my life," Sotomayor said. "My heart is bursting with gratitude," she said. She gave special recognition to her mother, who was sitting in the audience. "I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences," Sotomayor said. Obama called Sotomayor "an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice." She "has worked at almost every level of our judicial system, providing her with a depth of experience and a breath of perspective that will be invaluable as a Supreme Court justice," he added.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/supreme.court/index.html

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The U.S. State Department wants to extend the same benefits to partners

Benefits proposed for same-sex partners of U.S. diplomats. "Historically, domestic partners of Foreign Service members have not been provided the same training, benefits, allowances and protections that other family members receive," the notice says. "These inequities are unfair and must end.".
http://bit.ly/hTWKU

Philadelphia, Mississippi, elects first black mayor

By Ed Lavandera, CNN Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, Mississippi (CNN) -- James Young still remembers the Ku Klux Klan tormenting his neighborhood. He can still see his father holding a gun on the living room couch ready to shoot anyone who threatened his family. Nothing about Young's childhood ever made him think he could be the mayor of Philadelphia, Mississippi, the town best known for the killings of three civil rights workers in 1964. That's the way it was for black kids growing up in this crucible of racial hostility -- big dreams were often squelched. Sitting on a sprawling Southern front porch this week, Young broke down in tears about what it means to be elected the town's first black mayor. "When you've been treated the way we've been treated," he told CNN, choking up and then pausing to wipe the tears from his face. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/22/mississippi.black.mayor/index.html

First Black Female Rabbi in U.S.

Stanton will become rabbi next month, making her the first black female rabbi in U.S. http://bit.ly/O3364

Female Potential Supreme Court Nominees Targeted in YouTube Attack Ads

By Debra Cassens Weiss
Some conservative groups aren’t waiting for President Obama to announce his choice to fill the seat of retiring Justice David H. Souter. They are taking aim at three potential Supreme Court nominees in attack ads posted on YouTube. The Judicial Confirmation Network has posted the videos on a website called Obama’s Frontrunners, the DC Dicta blog reports. In one video, .... Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals apparently believes "the content of your character is not as important as the color of your skin," according to the ad. The ad targets her vote rejecting a challenge by white firefighters who sued after a fire department threw out a promotions test that produced no minority candidates. Supreme Court practitioner Thomas Goldstein, who created SCOTUSblog, told the Tribune that the Internet and blogs have helped distribute information about the possible nominees. "The downside is that there is an equal leveling effect in which totally idiotic wing nuts can go off—that's true on both the far left and far right." http://www.abajournal.com/news/potential_supreme_court_nominees_targeted_in_youtube_attack_ads/

Adopted Children and Life Partner kept From a Dying Partner’s Bedside

By TARA PARKER-POPE
Published: May 18, 2009
When a loved one is in the hospital, you naturally want to be at the bedside. But what if the staff won’t allow it? That’s what Janice Langbehn, a social worker in Lacey, Wash., says she experienced when her partner of 18 years, Lisa Ponds, collapsed with an aneurysm during a Florida vacation and was taken to a Miami trauma center. She died there, at age 39, as Ms. Langbehn tried in vain to persuade hospital officials to let her visit, along with the couple’s adopted children. “I have this deep sense of failure for not being at Lisa’s bedside when she died,” Ms. Langbehn said. “How I get over that I don’t know, or if I ever do.”
The case, now the subject of a federal lawsuit in Florida, is being watched by gay rights groups, which say same-sex partners often report being excluded from a patient’s room because they aren’t “real” family members.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/health/19well.html?_r=1&hp

Just Released: Supreme Court Rules Against Female Workers

A Bad Decision in AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen Perpetuates Pregnancy Discrimination Against Women in the Workplace. Ignoring the realities of the workplace and the intent of Congress, the Supreme Court today ruled against female workers in the case of AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen, thereby authorizing the employer, as Justice Ginsburg stated in a strong dissent, to pay them “for the rest of their lives, lower pension benefits than colleagues who worked for AT&T no longer than they did.” The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) submitted an amicus brief in the case. “This decision is an all-too-timely reminder of the importance of having on the Supreme Court justices who understand the real world impact of the law and the need to give life to Congress’s intent to eradicate discrimination,” stated Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of NWLC. “Once again, as in the Ledbetter case, the Court simply did not understand the barriers women faced and continue to face in the workplace. By authorizing AT&T to treat women differently today based on maternity leaves they took in the 1970s, the Court is allowing the perpetuation of pregnancy discrimination in damaging and unjustifiable ways.”
http://www.womenstake.org/2009/05/just-released-supreme-court-rules-against-female-workers.html

Kuwait votes for first female MPs

Kuwait has elected its first female MPs following the oil-rich country's third general election in three years. US-educated Aseel al-Awadhi and Rola Dashti were among winners in the third district, official results declared. The 10 leading candidates from each of Kuwait's five electoral districts are elected to the 50-seat parliament. The emir dissolved the previous parliament in March because it wanted to question his nephew, the prime minister, about alleged corruption. There are no political parties in Kuwait; the prime minister appoints ministers most of whom are unelected. "It's a victory for Kuwaiti women and a victory for Kuwaiti democracy," Ms Awadhi told AFP news agency.
http://bit.ly/1945WA

After Pennsylvania Trial, Tensions Simmer Over Race

SHENANDOAH, Pa. — Ten days ago, shortly after two white teenagers were acquitted of the most serious charges in the beating death of Luís Ramírez, a Mexican immigrant, several white students at the local high school told Felix Bermejo that he would be the next person to get a beating, he says...The trial stemming from Mr. Ramírez’s death ended nearly two weeks ago, but tensions continue to boil in this small Pennsylvania coal town of 5,100 northwest of Philadelphia, where Mexicans and other Latinos have been settling in search of affordable housing and work in the mines or apple and peach farms. “It’s only gotten worse since the verdict,” said a white woman at a downtown store who asked that her name not be used because she was afraid of how her neighbors might react to her having talked to a reporter. “The whole thing has set us backwards, and if the trial had swung the other way, it would have just been the whites who were angry.” Closure in the matter is not likely to come soon. A federal investigation of the crime and the police’s handling of it is under way. The case has also become something of a cause célèbre for national Hispanic organizations, ... “This case is not just about what happened to Luís; it’s about what Latinos nationally are facing,” said John Amaya, a staff lawyer with Maldef, who added that Mr. Ramírez’s death was part of a larger trend of violence against Latinos. He pointed to federal crime statistics that show a 40 percent increase in attacks on Hispanics from 2003 to 2007.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/us/17penn.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

The Fragility of Gay Iowa

....It's a brand new day here in Iowa since April 3 when we became the nation's third state — and the Midwest's first — to permit same-sex marriage. But during the state's first three weeks of legalized gay marriage (the law went into effect April 27) some things haven't changed. One gay college student I know has gone back into the closet while searching for a teaching job. And public reaction has been mixed to the Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous decision to overturn a state law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, a decision hinged on basic fairness and constitutional equal protection.......
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1899032,00.html?xid=rss-nation-cnn

NH governor offers to sign same-sex marriage into law

(CNN) — New Hampshire Gov. Jon Lynch said Thursday that he will sign into law a bill allowing same-sex couples to wed — but only after the state legislature agrees to his terms. "This morning, I met with House and Senate leaders, and the sponsors of this legislation, and gave them language that will provide additional protections to religious institutions," he said in a statement. "This new language will provide the strongest and clearest protections for religious institutions and associations, and for the individuals working with such institutions. "…But following that tradition means we must act to protect both the liberty of same-sex couples and religious liberty. In their current form, I do not believe these bills accomplish those goals."
Lynch said if the state legislature passes the new language, he will sign the bill into law. Otherwise, he will veto the measure. "We can and must treat both same-sex couples and people of certain religious traditions with respect and dignity," he said. "I believe this proposed language will accomplish both of these goals and I urge the legislature to pass it. "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/14/nh-governor-offers-to-sign-same-sex-marriage-into-law/

Christian broadcasters warn of hate crimes bill's effect on religious freedom

The nation's largest group of Christian media professionals warns that the expanded Hate Crimes bill currently before the Senate presents a serious risk of violating free speech rights of religious communicators. The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act was introduced in the Senate last week just as the House passed its version in a 249-175 vote. It is expected to pass the Senate despite the protest from social conservative groups. The legislation is intended by its sponsors to protect homosexuals and transgendered people from violent hate crimes by expanding a list of federally protected groups to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability. Parshall said if the hate crimes legislation is made into law, Christian communicators could face prosecution for religious speech through already existing federal incitement and conspiracy laws.
http://www.churchexecutive.com/news.asp?N_ID=1874

Demonization of Mexican and other Latino immigrants is fueling hate crimes and violence against them

Demonization of Mexican and other Latino immigrants is fueling hate crimes and violence against them, and it's time for America's leaders and media to put a stop to it all. The swine-flu scapegoating of Mexicans over the past two weeks by some radio and television talk show hosts reflects the abandon with which many local officials, anti-immigrant groups and even an unthinking mainstream media create popular resentments, dehumanize immigrants and provide justification for the extremists among us to act violently. There are genuine issues to debate openly about legal and illegal immigration, but that doesn't justify language such as CNN's Lou Dobbs calling the virus the "Mexican flu," radio host Michael Savage saying "illegal aliens are the carriers" or radio host Jay Severin referring to Mexican immigrants as "criminaliens." Dobbs earlier propagated stories about illegal immigrants causing a major outbreak of leprosy that were false but that he never retracted....In the case of the swine flu, an epidemic never materialized, but the damage to Latinos' image remains and comes on top of the ugly anti-immigrant campaigns of recent years, wild exaggerations of immigrant crime and mass roundups of suspected illegal immigrants by local and federal authorities. At a time when the nation is overcoming its black-white divisions and an African American is in the White House, the FBI reports that hate crimes against Latinos grew 40 percent over four years, reaching 830 in 2007, the last year measured. Last year, at least three murders of dark-skinned Latinos were driven by what clearly was anti-immigrant, racial hatred. The House of Representatives last month passed legislation known as the Matthew Shepard Act, which would extend federal hate-crimes law to cover crimes motivated by race, religion or national origin, in addition to sexual orientation or disability. The Senate should pass it now to make a statement against Latino hate crimes.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/10/ED9J17HA7P.DTL

Iran to free U.S. journalist, father says

Iran will release imprisoned Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, her father said today. Saberi was convicted last month on espionage charges in a one-day trial that was closed to the public. She was sentenced to eight years in prison. She denies the charges.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/11/iran.us.journalist/index.html

Saudi judge: It's ok to slap spendthrift wives!

Saudi judge: It's OK to slap spendthrift wives. Husbands allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, Saudi judge says. Women in the audience immediately and loudly protested his speech. Newspaper reports judge was trying to explain increase in domestic violence.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/10/saudi.court.wife.slapping/index.html

The shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich -- A Hate Crime?

The suspect in the shooting of a Wesleyan University student will be arraigned Friday morning after surrendering to police without incident Thursday evening in neighboring Meriden, authorities said. Police have arrested Stephen Morgan in the shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich. Police told the community and university on Thursday that Morgan might have been targeting Wesleyan University and the town's Jewish residents. "Evidence uncovered overnight suggests that Mr. Morgan may be focused on the Wesleyan community campus as well as the Jewish community," said Baldoni, who did not elaborate. A statement from the university alleged that Morgan had written threats against "Wesleyan and/or its Jewish students" in his personal journals.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/08/connecticut.shooting.arrest/index.html

Maine legalizes same-sex marriage

CNN) -- Same-sex marriage became legal in Maine on Wednesday as Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill less than an hour after the state legislature approved it. Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Wednesday legalizing same-sex marriage. "I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage," said Baldacci, a Democrat. But he raised the possibility that the residents of the state would overturn the law, saying, "Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/maine.same.sex.marriage/index.html

D.C. council votes to recognize same-sex marriage

Washington D.C. City Council voted 12-1 Tuesday to recognize same-sex marriages from states that allow those unions.
http://bit.ly/INUGN

Fifty-eight percent of 18 to 34 years olds said same-sex marriages should be legal

CNN poll: Generations disagree on same-sex marriage..young ones more tolerate. Those 18 to 34 years old, 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal. That number drops to 42 percent among respondents aged 35 to 49, and to 41 percent for those aged 50 to 64. Only 24 percent of Americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages, according to the poll. http://bit.ly/9MfJ5

Family of Mexican man wants DOJ to intervene b/c of aquittal of hate crime

White teens acquitted of murder, aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation. Many advocacy groups say that the Verdict sends "extremely dangerous" precedent. Schuylkill County prosecutors alleged the beating was racially motivated but all white PA jury thought otherwise. Family of the dead man wants justice to be served and is asking for the U.S. DOJ to intervene and file federal charges against the white teens.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/05/03/beating.verdict.outrage.cnn

Obama likely to pick a woman for Souter seat

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/01/toobin.souter/index.html

"ONLY IN AMERICA" Teens acquitted of hate-crime murder

POTTSVILLE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Two Pennsylvania teens were acquitted of murder, aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation charges Friday in the beating death of a Mexican immigrant last summer. Luis Ramirez died of blunt force injuries after a confrontation with a group of Pennsylania teens. However, a Schuylkill County jury found Brandon Piekarsky and Derrick Donchak guilty of simple assault stemming from the death of Luis Ramirez, who died of blunt force injuries to the head after a fight with the defendants and their friends. Donchak, 19, was also found guilty of providing alcohol to the group of teens that encountered Ramirez the night of July 12 on a residential street in the rural mining town of Shenandoah. Prosecutors alleged the teens baited the undocumented Mexican immigrant into a fight with racial epithets, provoking an exchange of punches and kicks that ended with Ramirez convulsing in the street, foaming from the mouth. He died two days later in a hospital in Danville. Piekarsky, 17, had faced a charge of third-degree murder for allegedly delivering a fatal kick to Ramirez's head after he was knocked to the ground. He also was found not guilty of ethnic intimidation, aggravated assault and attempting to solicit a cover-up. An all-white jury of six men and six women heard from several prosecution witnesses, including a juvenile co-defendant and another teen who pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in the fight.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/01/pa.immigrant.beating/index.html