Ogden had been a key member of the Obama transition team at the DOJ prior to his nomination as Deputy AG [JURIST report]. The nomination was controversial, as conservative groups took issue [JURIST report] with his support for abortion rights, including the amicus brief [text, PDF] he wrote for the American Psychological Association in Planned Parenthood Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey [opinion, PDF].

The Commission shall hold public hearings and shall request information including relevant documents from Federal, State, and local officials, nongovernmental organizations, private entities, scientific institutions, industry and workforce representatives, communities, and others affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, as necessary to carry out its mission…The heads of executive departments and agencies, to the extent permitted by law and consistent with their ongoing activities in response to the oil spill, shall provide the Commission such information and cooperation as it may require for purposes of carrying out its mission…In carrying out its mission, the Commission shall be informed by, and shall strive to avoid duplicating, the analyses and investigations undertaken by other governmental, nongovernmental, and independent entities.

Criminal and civil actions have been mounting against BP as evidence of the oil giant's lack of proper compliance with regulations has mounted. Earlier this week, DC-based consumer advocacy organization Food and Water Watch (FWW) [advocacy website] filed suit [JURIST report] in a US district court against the US Department of Interior (DOI) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) [official websites] for an injunction to halt drilling at the BP Atlantis Facility [corporate website], another BP Gulf of Mexico site. The Obama administration has asked DOI Secretary Kenneth Salazar [official profile] to conduct a "top-to-bottom" reform of the MMS [speech text] and ordered immediate inspections of all deep water operations in the Gulf. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a result of an oil well blowout that caused an explosion 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf. The amount of oil spilled into the Gulf is part of an ongoing debate but the resulting oil slick has covered at least 2,500 square miles. The White House is keeping a daily chronology of events [text].

This terrible crisis is no excuse for mistreating detained protesters or holding them in secret detention. Those who committed crimes should be properly charged, but all should be treated according to international human rights standards and due process of law...Secret detention sites and unaccountable officials are a recipe for human rights abuses. Those arrested should be promptly brought before a judge and charged with a criminal offense or released.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva [official profile; JURIST news archive] on Friday promised an independent investigation [JURIST report] into the recent clashes between security forces and the red shirts, many of whom support ousted [JURIST report] prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], removed from power in a 2006 military coup. Abhisit discussed plans for reconciliation aimed at helping the country heal after the nearly two month-long conflict in Bangkok, which has left more than 80 dead. He pledged that due process of law would play an important role in the reconciliation, and that all people would be encouraged to participate in the democratic process. During their protests, the red shirts demanded that Abhisit resign and called for new elections. A member of Abhisit's cabinet has said, however, that new elections will not be held [CBC report] until the situation in the country had stabilized. The Thai government implemented a curfew [JURIST report] in Bangkok and other areas of the country on Wednesday in response to violence that erupted when the leader of the red shirts announced an end to the protests. The curfew remains in effect as the government tries to maintain order.