Time to get back to real life after the Oscars. I've got a big court hearing Weds. in a 20 defendant case I'll be prepping for until then, and going to see Bon Jovi tomorrow night. This should my final week of having no time to be online or read the news. Hopefully, BTD will be around, and I'm sure I'll check in from time to time.

If there's news your interested in talking about, here's a place to do it. This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

NYTimes live blog.

The US is scheduled to withdraw from a combat role in Iraq in 3 months.

Après moi le déluge. But it was always to be so. It was always just a question of when.

In sporting news, the Paris-Nice cycling race begins today. Podium Cafe is the place to discuss it.

This is an Open Thread.

Your turn.

This is an Open Thread.

A judge in Texas has ruled the state's death penalty is unconstitutional because of the risk innocent people will be texecuted. He believes it's already happened.

“Based on the moratorium (on the death penalty) in Illinois, the Innocence Project and more than 200 people being exonerated nationwide, it can only be concluded that innocent people have been executed,” state District Judge Kevin Fine said. “It's safe to assume we execute innocent people.”

Fine said trial level judges are gatekeepers of society's standard for decency and fairness. “Are you willing to have your brother, your father, your mother be the sacrificial lamb, to be the innocent person executed so that we can have a death penalty so that we can execute those who are deserving of the death penalty?” he said. “I don't think society's mindset is that way now.”

New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance announced he's starting a program to monitor convictions to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions.

The New York Times says Lindsay Graham and Republicans are hijacking our courts.

Is anyone excited about the Oscars Sunday? I'm looking forward to the Red Carpet.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Depending on what Bart Stupak gains in his hardball negotiations with the White House, I think it is better for the health bills to pass than not to pass. But it is not a big deal imo. If it fails, it's not a big loss on policy. I am not even sure it is a loss on the politics frankly.

In terms of progressive activists, it is clear that they have been completely rolled in this process and were given absolutely nothing. The good parts of the bill (Medicaid expansion, theoretically, the better regulations, though I have no confidence in the enforcement mechanisms) were not controversial and should not be seen as concessions to progressives. Indeed, I expect they would be passed separately if the Senate bill fails. In short, progressives got nothing in the political bargaining.

In my view, they should not lift a finger to get these bills passed. If progressives EVER want to wield even a smidgen of influence, they have to be prepared to sit on the sidelines if they do not get what they want. Let the winners in this bill do the work for getting it passed. It's their bill after all. Not progressives.

This is an Open Thread.

Open Thread.

Your turn.

This is an Open Thread.

I'm finally done with court for the week. I'm guessing there's been a lot of news today since our open threads are full. Here's another one while I get caught up. All topics welcome.

More of the same.

Open thread.

I have court this afternoon and I understand Jeralyn does as well.

Another one of those days here at TalkLeft. This is an Open Thread.

I'm done with court for the day, but have to be back again at 8:00 am. I'm hoping to be done by tomorrow afternoon, but ultimately, that's not up to me. BTD is traveling to a court appearance he has somewhere tomorrow.

Since I haven't been online today, I have nothing to report. I'm heading out to dinner, so here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Another day, another court. Another evening, another flight. And tomorrow, another day in a different court. I've never had three court hearings in 3 different jurisdictions on 3 consecutive days before. Suffice it to say, I hope I never have to do this again.

This is an Open Thread.