Memorandum of Understanding on Judicial Nominations, US Senate, May 23, 2005 . Excerpt: Signatories will exercise their responsibilities under the Advice and Consent Clause of the United States Constitution in good faith. Nominees should only be filibustered under extraordinary circumstances, and each signatory must use his or her own discretion and judgment in determining whether [...]

The US Senate Tuesday prepared to confirm Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday following a bipartisan deal reached Monday night that avoided a showdown over judicial nominees and assured Owen the simple majority needed for a confirmation vote. Under the agreement, filibusters are to be used [...]

Spain's Interior Ministry Tuesday announced the arrests of three more suspects in connection with the 2004 Madrid train bombing , al-Qaeda's deadliest attack on Europe. The three Moroccan men, Mourad Bhar, 20, Abdelkhalak Chergui, 29, and Abdelhak Chergui, 32, are suspected of providing arms and financing for the attack which killed 191 people and wounded [...]

Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association, Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Scalia, May 23, 2005 . Read the full text of the opinion here . Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

Lingle v. Chevron USA, Supreme Court of the United States, Justice O'Connor, May 23, 2005 . Excerpt: For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the "substantially advances" formula announced in Agins is not a valid method of identifying regulatory takings for which the Fifth Amendment requires just compensation. Since Chevron argued only a "substantially advances" [...]

Medellin v. Dretke, Supreme Court of the United States, Per Curiam, May 23, 2005 . Excerpt: In light of the possibility that the Texas courts will provide Medellín with the review he seeks pursuant to the Avena judgment and the President's memorandum, and the potential for review in this Court once the Texas courts have [...]

Deck v. Missouri, Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Breyer, May 23, 2005 . Excerpt: Given the presence of similarly weighty considerations, we must conclude that courts cannot routinely place defendants in shackles or other physical restraints visible to the jury during the penalty phase of a capital proceeding. The constitutional requirement, however, is [...]

AP is reporting that Hummam Hammoudi, a Shiite Muslim cleric who is a senior aide in the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq , will likely be announced as head of the Iraqi constitution committee. The formal announcement is expected Tuesday during a meeting of the National Assembly . It is also expected [...]

President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met in the White House East Room Monday to discuss US military operations in Afghanistan . The leaders were able to agree on a joint declaration that US and coalition forces will continue to have "the freedom of action to conduct appropriate military operations". The measure fell short, [...]

AP is reporting that a bipartisan group of Senators has reached a deal to avert a showdown over judicial nominees. Sources state that under the agreement, Democrats would pledge not to filibuster any of Bush's future appeals court or Supreme Court nominees, except in "extraordinary circumstances."