Is Sonia Sotomayor judically superior to 'a white male'?

This isn't a jurisprudence that the Founders would recognize, but it is the creative view that has dominated the law schools since the 1970s and from which both the President and Judge Sotomayor emerged. In the President's now-famous word, JUDGING SHOULD BE SHAPED BY "EMPATHY" AS MUCH OR MORE THAN BY REASON. In this sense, Judge Sotomayor would be a thoroughly modern Justice, one for whom the law is a voyage of personal identity.

"Experience being tested by obstacles and barriers, by hardship and misfortune; experience insisting, persisting, and ultimately overcoming those barriers," Mr Obama said yesterday in introducing Ms Sotomayor. "It is experience that can give a person a common touch of compassion; an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live. And that is why it is a necessary ingredient in the kind of Justice we need on the Supreme Court."

In a speech published in the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal in 2002, Judge Sotomayor offered her own interpretation of this jurisprudence. "Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases," she declared. "I am... Not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, THERE CAN NEVER BE A UNIVERSAL DEFINITION OF WISE. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

JUDGE SOTOMAYOR'S BELIEF IS THAT A "LATINA WOMAN" IS BY DEFINITION A SUPERIOR JUDGE TO A "WHITE MALE" BECAUSE SHE HAS HAD MORE "RICHNESS" IN HER STRUGGLE. The danger inherent in this judicial view is that THE LAW ISN'T WHAT THE CONSTITUTION SAYS BUT WHATEVER THE JUDGE IN THE "RICHNESS" OF HER EXPERIENCE COMES TO BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE.

Israel, the possessor of the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, has long strived to portray Iran as a regime hell-bent on starting a nuclear war through the pursuit of its nuclear program. "It is my job as army chief to prepare all the options, and that is what we're doing," Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel's military Chief of Staff, said.

The Israeli general added that the army would take "every possible measure" when it has to deal with Iran. The remarks come amid doubts raised by Western experts that the Israeli Air Force does not possess the necessary power to bomb the Iranian program out of existence. In return, ISRAELI DEFENSE EXPERTS CLAIM THAT A NUCLEAR STRIKE MIGHT GET THE JOB DONE.

According to a report by the Sunday Times, Israeli air force squadrons have trained TO BLOW UP IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES USING LOW-YIELD NUCLEAR "BUNKER-BUSTERS."

When the economy slumps, so does tax revenue, and this recession has been no different, says Kerry Lynch, senior fellow at the AIER and author of the study. "It illustrates how severe the recession has been." For example, 6 MILLION PEOPLE LOST JOBS IN THE 12 MONTHS ENDED IN APRIL — and that means far fewer dollars from income taxes. INCOME TAX REVENUE DROPPED 44% FROM A YEAR AGO.

"THESE ARE STAGGERING NUMBERS," LYNCH SAYS. Big revenue losses mean that the US budget deficit may be larger than predicted this year and in future years. "It's one of the drivers of the ongoing expansion of the federal budget deficit," says John Lonski, chief economist for Moody's Investors Service. The Congressional Budget Office projects a $1.7 trillion budget deficit for fiscal year 2009.

Pakistani leaders stressing to US lawmakers that they are doing all they can to fight terrorism, and taking umbrage at any suggestions to the contrary. Pakistan also highlighted the need for international assistance, and noted that much of the promised aid had not been received, according to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

The Americans' visits were preceded by Islamabad forging closer ties with the Islamic Republic. THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRST SENATE DELEGATION ARRIVED, ZARDARI SAT DOWN WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD AND AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI IN TEHRAN, a summit that came after Pakistan and Iran inked an agreement on the exportation of Iranian gas to Pakistan.

The three leaders, who also met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, adopted the Tehran Declaration at the summit, which pledged further economic and development cooperation as well as joint efforts against terrorism. The Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project will see Iran selling 21.5 million cubic meters of gas to Pakistan on a daily basis.

Interfax quoted an unnamed security source as saying a stand-off triggered by Pyongyang's nuclear test on Monday could affect the security of Russia's far eastern regions, which border North Korea. "The need has emerged for an appropriate package of precautionary measures," the source said.

"We are not talking about stepping up military efforts but rather about measures in case a military conflict, PERHAPS WITH THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, flares up on the Korean Peninsula," he added. The official did not elaborate further. Itar-Tass news agency quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying the "war of nerves" over North Korea should not be allowed to grow into a military conflict, a reference to Pyongyang's decision to drop out of the armistice deal.

With tension in the region high, South Korea said it would join a US-led initiative to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction, something PYONGYANG HAS WARNED IT WOULD CONSIDER A DECLARATION OF WAR. The nuclear test raised concern about North Korea spreading its weapons to other countries and groups.

THE UNITED STATES HAS ACCUSED IT OF TRYING TRY TO SELL NUCLEAR KNOW-HOW TO SYRIA AND OTHERS. "Another risk is that THE NORTH KOREANS MIGHT PEDDLE SOME PLUTONIUM, OR PEDDLE SOME TECHNOLOGY TO TERRORIST GROUPS, That would also be very, very serious," Hans Blix, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC.

Obama assured South Korean President Lee Myung-bak of Washington's unequivocal commitment to defense on the divided peninsula, where some two million troops face off. Pyongyang said the United States was the aggressor, its usual justification for making nuclear arms. "Our army and people are fully ready for battle... against any reckless US attempt for a pre-emptive attack," said its KCNA news agency.

For China, an immediate concern is a possible breakdown of order inside the ostracized state, which could send a flood of North Korean refugees across its border. China is believed to want to bring North Korea back to the six-party talks, also involving South Korea, Japan, the United States and Russia, to make it give up a nuclear weapons program in return for aid and an end to its years as a pariah state.

Without changes, the federal government has said, THE DETROIT-BASED AUTOMAKER WILL HAVE TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION by next Monday. The company has been trying to overhaul its business so it can keep receiving federal money to stay afloat as it deals with soaring costs and slumping sales. On Friday, GM borrowed $4 billion more from the federal government on top of the $15.4 billion it has already received.

In exchange, the Obama administration has demanded moves that include reducing debt, cutting labor costs and shedding dealerships, brands and excess factories. This week, GM's efforts to cut labor costs continued with the Canadian Auto Workers union announcing its members approved wage reductions and other concessions on Monday.

Among other unresolved matters for the automaker:- The question of its European unit Opel: On Monday German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country hopes to loosen Opel's ties with General Motors before a possible bankruptcy filing. Merkel's government is looking at three bids and expects a decision on Opel's future midweek. It's still not clear what will happen with the Saturn, Hummer and Saab brands. GM has said it plans to phase those brands out or sell them.

In an attempt to restore the public's faith in MPs in the wake of the Daily Telegraph's investigation, the leader of the Conservatives has pledged to boost the role of parliament. In other reforms he called for serious considerations for fixed term parliaments and an end to the right of Downing Street - and Prime Ministers - to announce general election timings.

Other reforms include limiting the use of the Royal prerogative, giving MPs powers to choose the chairs and members of the Commons select committees that scrutinise the work of the various Government departments, as detailed in The Daily Telegraph on Monday.

In a speech at the Open University on Tuesday, Mr Cameron said: "I believe the central objective of the new politics we need should be a massive, sweeping, radical redistribution of power. From the state to citizens; from the Government to Parliament; from Whitehall to communities. FROM THE EU TO BRITAIN; from judges to the people; from bureaucracy to democracy."

"Through decentralisation, transparency and accountability we must take power away from the political elite and hand it to the man and woman in the street."

The Financial Post reported last Wednesday that "...the US dollar slid against most major currencies... hitting a five-month low of US $1.3775 against the euro..." The day after, Florida's BankUnited FSB was seized by Federal regulators in the largest US bank failure so far this year. THE SUDDEN DOLLAR DECLINE AND SEIZURE OF BANK UNITED IS A FLASHBACK TO THE US ECONOMIC TURMOIL OF LATE 2008, AND A BRUTAL REALITY CHECK FOR MANY WHO THOUGHT THE WORST WAS OVER.

Last week's dollar drop was apparently in response to a comment by the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Eric Rosengren, who warned America's economic recovery could be "slow." There is also a great deal of concern surrounding the US triple-A credit rating, which many speculate will be downgraded along with Britain's triple-A rating. Such a move would signal a decline in America's position as a reliable borrower on the international market.

Lee Hardman, a foreign-exchange strategist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd, certainly believes a downgrade will happen. In early May, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION INCREASED ITS FEDERAL DEFICIT FORECAST FOR 2009 TO $1.84 TRILLION. When the government has a large deficit it needs to borrow more money, which in turn increases both the risk of a credit score downgrade and the likelihood of runaway inflation.

Ashraf Laidi, chief market strategist at CMC Markets, recently cautioned that we are at the start of a "SERIOUS CASE OF DOLLAR DAMAGE," adding that his organization "LONG WARNED ABOUT THE DAY OF RECKONING FOR THE DOLLAR EMERGING AT THE NEXT ECONOMIC RECOVERY." Laidi's prediction may not be too far off. Russia has ditched the dollar in favor of the euro, Pravda reported last week. The Vedomosti newspaper confirmed this, reporting that, "THE DOLLAR HAS... LOST THE STATUS OF THE BASIC RESERVE CURRENCY FOR THE RUSSIAN CENTRAL BANK."

Last week, Israel's Air Force held a three-day drill to exercise possible missile and air strikes by regional countries - A CLEAR WARNING TO REGIONAL FOES SUCH AS SYRIA AND IRAN. Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Sunday's cabinet meeting tried to placate Israel's regional countries, saying "this is a routine drill, which was planned several months ago and is held every year in order to coordinate between civil and military systems."

Tel Aviv accuses Tehran of nuclear weapons development - a charge rejected by both Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, which has so far made over 14 snap inspections of the country's nuclear facilities. This is while Tel Aviv is widely regarded as the sixth-largest nuclear power in the world and the sole possessor of an atomic arsenal in the Middle East.

In the early 1970s, Israel had already developed missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to most countries in the region, including Iran and Russia. MOREOVER, ISRAEL REPORTEDLY HOUSES AT LEAST 100 BUNKER-BUSTING BOMBS, WHICH COME IN THE FORM OF LASER-GUIDED MINI-NUKES WITH THE ABILITY OF PENETRATING UNDERGROUND TARGETS. The right-leaning government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran's enrichment facilities out of existence.

But his current plan, HR 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 to demand an audit of the organization, is quickly gaining steam. As of today, the proposal had collected a bipartisan coalition of 179 members of Congress who have signed on as co-sponsors. Not that Paul's ultimate goals have changed significantly.

"To understand how unwise it is to have the Federal Reserve, one must first understand the magnitude of the privileges they have," he wrote in a new Straight Talk commentary. "THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE POWER TO CREATE MONEY, BY THE TRILLIONS, AND TO GIVE IT TO THEIR FRIENDS, UNDER ANY TERMS THEY WISH, WITH LITTLE OR NO MEANINGFUL OVERSIGHT OR ACCOUNTABILITY."

The bill calls for the comptroller general of the United States to audit the private Federal Reserve and report to Congress before the end of 2010. THE CONSTITUTION, PAUL SAID, GIVES CONGRESS, NOT THE PRIVATE FEDERAL RESERVE, "THE AUTHORITY TO COIN MONEY AND REGULATE THE VALUE OF THE CURRENCY."

"Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar," the Texas Republican said. "SINCE 1913 THE DOLLAR HAS LOST OVER 95 PERCENT OF ITS PURCHASING POWER, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? ONLY BIG-SPENDING POLITICIANS AND POLITICALLY FAVORED BANKERS BENEFIT FROM INFLATION," he said. Paul called oversight of the Fed "long overdue."

Jochen Sanio, BaFin's president, said the danger is a series of "BRUTAL" DOWNGRADES OF MORTGAGE SECURITIES BY THE RATING AGENCIES, which would eat into the depleted capital reserves of the banks and cause broader stress across the credit system. "We must make the banks immune against the changes in ratings," he said.

The markets will "kill" banks that try to go it alone without state protection, warning that banks have €200bn (£176bn) of bad debts on their books. "WE ARE PRETTY SURE THAT WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO OUR BANKS WILL FEEL THE FULL FORCE OF THE SHARPEST RECESSION EVER ON THEIR CREDIT PORTFOLIOS," he said, speaking after the release of BaFin's annual report last week.

An internal memo by the regulator's office suggested that likely write-offs may reach €816bn, twice the entire reserves of the country's financial institutions. This figure included a broader array of "problematic" assets. Hypo Real topped the secret list with €268bn in credit risk, followed by HSH Nordbank at €105bn, and Commerzbank at €101bn. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for a stress test for Europe's banks along the lines to the US Treasury's health screen, saying the region "urgently needs to weatherproof its institutions".

It could mean every taxpayer having to pay an extra £2,000 to plug the gap, according to the Conseravtives who said Labour's forecasts were based on "fantasy." Mr Darling's own forecast for growth to rebound strongly after this year were also thrown into grave doubt by the survey of 20 independent forecasts included in the Treasury survey.

The survey predicts over the next four years the total borrowing figures will be £679 billion. In the Budget Mr Darling said it would be £606 billion. That would mean the Treasury would need to find another £72.7 billion in borrowing. George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, said: "The Treasury's own document shows that Labour are GAMBLING BRITAIN'S ECONOMIC CREDIBILITY ON FANTASY FORECASTS FOR THE RECOVERY."

"While we all hope that this long recession will end later this year, Gordon Brown's claims that we will bounce back to boom time levels of growth has now been discredited by first the Bank of England and now the Government's own survey of independent forecasters."

"If the independent forecasters are right then the Government will have to borrow almost £73 billion more over the next four years than it forecast just a month ago. That's more than £2,000 in extra borrowing for every taxpayer in the country."

In a blow to the Government's 24-hour licensing law, separate figures show a fifth of all violence now occurs in or around pubs and clubs. The grim statistics leave grave questions over Labour's promise to make the streets safer and to tackle alcohol-fuelled disorder.

Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "It is indicative of how appalling habitual violence is on our streets that so many women are involved. The number of women, often teenage girls, resorting to violence is proof of a worrying binge-drinking ladette culture." Women and girls were responsible for 13 per cent of all violent attacks in 2007/08, according to the British Crime Survey, which was the equivalent of 281,320 assaults, robberies and muggings, compared with 11 per cent in the previous year.

A further 11 per cent of incidents - or 238,040 crimes - involved both male and female offenders, the figures from the Home Office show. Females were also either directly responsible for or involved in 21 per cent of all woundings, the equivalent of 98,070 offences, and 28 per cent of all assaults involving a minor injury. Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, said: "I think we really do now need to review the Government's new licensing regime. Far from creating the promised continental café culture, it just seems to have created a problem of binge drinking and violence outside pubs and clubs."

Out will go kebabs, greenhouse tomatoes and alcohol. Instead, diners will be encouraged to consume more potatoes and seasonal vegetables, as well as pork and chicken, which generate fewer carbon emissions. "CHANGING OUR LIFESTYLES, INCLUDING OUR DIETS, IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS IN CUTTING CARBON EMISSIONS," said David Kennedy, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change. Kennedy has stopped eating his favourite doner kebabs because they contain lamb.

A government-sponsored study into greenhouse gases found that producing 2.2lb of lamb released the equivalent of 37lb of carbon dioxide. The problem is because sheep burp so much methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Cows are only slightly better behaved. The production of 2.2lb of beef releases methane equivalent to 35lb of CO2. Tomatoes, most of which are grown in heated glasshouses, are the most "carbon-intensive" vegetable, each 2.2lb generating more than 20lb of CO2. Potatoes, in contrast, release only about 1lb of CO2 for each 2.2lb of food. The figures are similar for most other native fruit and vegetables.

"We are not saying that everyone should become vegetarian or give up drinking but moving towards less carbon intensive foods will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health," said Kennedy.