The latest news on Supreme Court Nomination, Who Judge Sotomayor Is, California Same-Sex Marriage, California Budget, U.S.-Canada Border, North Korea, Darfur, Pakistan, French Military Base, Iran, Israel, and Select Op-eds.

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Quote of the day. "This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear. I strive never to forget the real-world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government." Judge Sonia Sotomayor, explaining her philosophy as she was nominated to the Supreme Court. (Washington Post)

Supreme Court nomination. Obama Chooses Hispanic Judge for Supreme Court Seat "President Obama announced Tuesday that he would nominate Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals judge in New York, to the Supreme Court, choosing a daughter of Puerto Rican parents who was raised in a Bronx public housing project to become the nation's first Hispanic justice." Sotomayor's record sets off few ideological alarm bells "In nominating Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, President Obama tapped a veteran jurist whose humble upbringing and moderate-to-liberal record is unlikely to trigger an ideological battle in the Senate." Supreme Court pick and GOP: President Barack Obama's pick of Sonia Sotomayor puts Republicans in a bind "But underneath the bombast that has become a predictable part of Washington's court fights, the nomination Tuesday of Sonia Sotomayor to the high court brought a surprising development: The Republican senators who will actually vote on her were not following the activists' script."

Who Judge Sotomayor is. Sotomayor's greatest impact could come from who she is "Sonia Sotomayor may be remembered as much for who she is as for what she does. While her liberal record on the appeals bench will generate a summer-long clash of ideologies in Washington and a high-decibel battle on cable TV and talk radio, her ideology isn't likely to shift the court much, if at all. But her identity as a Hispanic female of working-class parents will have an immediate impact." Sotomayor Has Said Gender and Ethnicity 'Make a Difference' in Judging "A few months shy of her 10th anniversary on the federal bench, Sonia Sotomayor flew to a law conference across the country from her native New York to give a speech that explored her ethnic identity and her role as a judge in strikingly personal terms." Sotomayor, a Trailblazer and a Dreamer "Her up-by-the-bootstraps tale, an only-in-America story that in many ways mirrors Mr. Obama's own, is one reason for her selection, and it is the animating characteristic of her approach to both life and the law."

California same-sex marriage. California high court upholds Prop. 8 "The California Supreme Court's decision Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8 and existing same-sex marriages left in place all rights for California's gays and lesbians except access to the label 'marriage,' but it provided little protection from future ballot measures that could cost gays and other minorities more rights." California High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban "The California Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, ratifying a decision made by voters last year. The ruling comes at a time when several state governments have moved in the opposite direction."

California budget. California's new budget proposal slashes welfare, releases inmates "In California's latest doom-and-gloom announcement, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Department of Finance on Tuesday proposed closing the state's main welfare program, releasing nonviolent prisoners one year early and shuttering up to 80 percent of state parks to shrink the state's $24.3 billion budget deficit."

U.S.-Canada border. Napolitano clarifies Sept. 11 remarks "It's the American myth that just won't die, and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano distanced herself from it before Wednesday's visit to Ottawa, reiterating that she does not believe the Sept. 11 attackers came from Canada."

North Korea. North Korea Disavows 1953 Armistice, Warns South Korea "North Korea announced Wednesday that it is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War, the latest and most profound diplomatic aftershock from the country's latest nuclear test two days earlier." N Korea 'not bound by armistice' "North Korea has declared an end to its half-century-old armistice with the South, saying that it sees Seoul's move to join a U.S.-led anti-proliferation initiative as a 'declaration of war.'"

Darfur. New Darfur crisis looms as Bashir digs in on aid "Delivering a blow to hopes that he would soon reverse the expulsion of humanitarian aid agencies from Darfur, the Sudanese President Omar al Bashir has renewed his attack on the charities, accusing them of seeking to bring about a regime change."

Pakistan. Dozens dead in powerful bomb blast in Lahore "At least 30 people are believed to have been killed and 250 injured when gunmen detonated a car bomb in the Pakistani city of Lahore today." Dozens feared dead in Lahore blast "Police said that more than 200 people were hurt in the attack on Wednesday, which destroyed the police station and damaged offices belonging to Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI)."

French military base. France Opens First Military Base in Persian Gulf Region "France inaugurated its first military base in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, underlining an ambition to help meet the strategic challenge from Iran and capture a share of the region's rich arms market for the French defense industry." France opens UAE military base "France has opened its first military base in the Gulf Arab region, with French officials saying the facility will strengthen efforts to battle piracy and defend trade."

Iran. Former diplomat: Iran won't stop nuclear work "Short of the tremendous cost and risk of war, what would it take to get Iran to stop producing the nuclear material that one day could be used to build weapons? The short answer, according to an emerging consensus among arms inspectors, diplomats and Iranian officials struggling with the issue of Iran's nuclear program, is nothing." Iran rejects nuclear dialogue "Iran's president has ruled out any talks with major powers over its nuclear program, saying the issue is 'closed.'"

Israel. PM: We're bound by agreements signed by previous governments "Israel is committed to agreements signed by previous governments and will strive towards peace, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, adding that Israel and the U.S. 'saw eye to eye' on the regional initiatives promoted by U.S. President Barack Obama."

Editorials. Sotomayor, a sound choice (Los Angeles Times) "In presenting U.S. Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his first nominee to the Supreme Court, President Obama rightly observed that few presidential decisions are more consequential than choosing a justice. Obama has discharged that responsibility admirably, without ignoring considerations of gender and ethnic diversity." A new-look justice (Chicago Tribune) "Sotomayor has to bring more than diversity to the court. As one of the people serving as the final arbiter of matters legal and constitutional, including some of the most vexing and divisive issues facing the country, she has to bring the qualities that make an excellent judge. The evidence so far suggests that she is up to the job." The President's Pick (Washington Post) "There is much to admire in the achievements of Sonia Sotomayor, the New York judge tapped by President Obama to fill a Supreme Court vacancy created by the impending retirement of Justice David H. Souter." The New Justice (New York Times) "The Senate should confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She has an impressive judicial record, a stellar academic background and a compelling life story. Judge Sotomayor would also be a trailblazing figure in the mold of Thurgood Marshall, becoming the first member of the nation's large and growing but still under-represented Hispanic population to serve on the court." Sotomayor breaks ground, brings 'life lessons' debate (USA Today) "Sotomayor's education and experience make her far more than a political twofer who allowed Obama to check the 'female' and 'Hispanic' boxes. But there's a limit to the application of empathy and heritage to the law, and her confirmation hearings will be an opportunity for her to spell out exactly where she believes that line falls."