Yoo Suit in Court: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit heard argument Monday over whether former Justice Department attorney John Yoo can be sued for authorizing the torture of an American citizen. The Recorder reports the appeals court appeared divided. Yoo's lawyer, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner Miguel Estrada, told the three-judge panel that Yoo should enjoy immunity. Jonathan Freiman of Yale Law School's Lowenstein International Human Rights Law Clinic said someone must be held accountable.
Charges Revived: Criminal charges were reinstated against plaintiffs' attorney Pierce O'Donnell after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled the section of the Federal Election Campaign Act on which he was charged applied to indirect, campaign contributions not just to contributions made under false names, The National Law Journal reports.
Shortcuts: House Democrats are examining how apparent shortcuts BP took to save time and drilling costs may have led to the oil rig explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico, The Washington Post reports. President Obama is expected to address the nation tonight from the White House.
Kagan the Aide: The New York Times today examines Elena Kagan's years in the Clinton White House as deputy to Bruce Reed, the White House domestic policy director who coined the phrase "end welfare as we know it."
Fee Awards: The U.S. Supreme Court said attorney fee awards under a federal fee-shifting statute can be offset to pay a client's debt to the federal government. The National Law Journal has the story here. The high court's ruling in Astrue v. Ratliff will have an impact on lawyers who represent clients seeking Social Security or veterans benefits and who earn fee awards under the Equal Access to Justice Act.
Coming to Get You: A 52-year-old California construction worker who was armed with a pistol and a 40-inch sword is under arrest in Pakistan following what he described was his solo mission to kill Osama bin Laden.
Free Wi-Fi with your Latte: Starbucks announced Monday it is planning to offer free Wi-Fi starting July 1 at its stores in the United States, a move designed to cut back against independent coffee shops and big chains such as McDonald's, The New York Times reports. The Wi-Fi connected is provided via AT&T. Starbucks is not disclosing the terms of its agreements with content providers.
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