Another CIA Leak Probe: James Risen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times, has been subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury in Alexandria next week that is investigating information he obtained for a chapter in his 2006 book, State of War. David Kelley, the ex-U.S. attorney in Manhattan and a partner at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel in New York, represents Risen and tells the Times the subpoena seeks Risen's Central Intelligence Agency sources.
NFL vs. Churches: The National Football League's crackdown on churches to stop big-screen gatherings during the Super Bowl appears to be working. Several area churches have canceled this year's parties following a similar NFL campaign in 2007. The NFL says such showings violate copyright laws, which exempt sports bars. A group advocating religious freedom may sue over the matter or seek federal legislation.
Legal Farm Hands: U.S. farmers facing labor shortages are making more use of a federal guest worker program, which is steadily gaining acceptance. Known as the H-2A temporary visa program, farmers can apply to bring in foreign workers if they can demonstrate the supply of U.S. workers is lacking. An estimated 860,000 people work full time in farm fields nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. More than half of them may be here illegally.
Prosecutor Recusal: Joseph Russoniello, the newly-appointed U.S. Attorney in San Franscico who is overseeing the prosecution of Major League Baseball slugger Barry Bonds in the perjury case over steroid use, said on Thursday he may bow out. Russoniello, who replaced Scott Schools earlier this month, did not disclose potential conflicts on Thursday. But he was a lawyer in the California powerhouse firm of Cooley Godward Kronish that has represented white-collar defendants in Bay Area federal cases.
Myspace and Facebook Pages: A N.J. healh insurer that denied coverage to pay benefits for anorexia or bulimia will get access to the alleged sufferers' e-mails and postings on the popular social networking sites, a federal magistrate judge has ruled. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey claims the children's online writings could shed light on the causes of the disorders, which determine the insurer's responsibility for payment. New Jersey law requires coverage of mental illness only if it is biologically based.
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