The truth about “Judge” Judy’s make-believe court

In this April 18, 2007 file photo, Judge Judy Sheindlin is shown at a party held by CNN celebrating Larry King’s fifty years of broadcasting in New York. After serving as a judge for more than 20 years in California’s court system, Joseph A. Wapner embarked on a career in the entertainment industry and what turned out to be a 12-year stint as the presiding “judge” on “The People’s Court.”

White House dismisses Udall plan to confirm Gorsuch, Garland to SCOTUS together

The White House is dismissing an idea from Sen. Tom Udall that would place both Judge Neil Gorsuch and Judge Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court at the same time, according to a White House spokesperson. The Democrat from New Mexico presented the plan Monday morning to Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, as well as to Gorsuch’s team of White House aides and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who’s been attending Gorsuch’s meetings with senators.

New Yorker Writer, Bestselling Author Jeffrey Toobin to Keynote School of Law Scholarship Gala

WHAT : Jeffrey Toobin, staff writer at The New Yorker and senior legal analyst at CNN, will be the keynote speaker at the 13th Annual Texas Tech University School of Law Scholarship Gala EVENT : A senior analyst for CNN and staff writer for The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin will be the keynote speaker at the 13th Annual Texas Tech University School of Law Scholarship Gala. As an expert on the intersection of politics, media and the law, Toobin will provide a unique look into the inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court and its influence.

No separation of Church and Trump

In front of the illuminated pillars of the Supreme Court Building, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney and several other Christian activists are gathered together, waiting for President Donald Trump to announce his pick for U.S. Supreme Court justice – a seat left vacant for nearly a year after Republicans refused to acknowledge President Barack Obama’s nominee.

Steve Harvey in talks with ‘Scandal’ fixer to reverse the damage

Embattled entertainer Steve Harvey is working to mend his image following on-air joke demeaning Asian men and an ill-advised meeting with the highly divisive President. A source close to the situation tells Confidential that handlers for Harvey have been in contact with crisis control expert Judy Smith, the real-life fixer upon whom the TV show “Scandal” is based.

Reality show comparisons in Trump announcement inescapable

President Donald Trump’s past life as a television showman provided an irresistible comparison for the media covering his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump’s announcement from the White House on Tuesday had a prime-time slot with broadcast and cable news networks all on hand, genuine suspense over the choice and, finally, the big reveal when Gorsuch and his wife, Louise, emerged from a doorway at the host’s – make that the president’s – request.

The Liberal Media Didn’t Like Neil Gorsuch’s Mom Either

During a prime time address to the nation on Tuesday, Donald Trump announced that Judge Neil Gorsuch would be his pick to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. While we will have to wait and see if journalists slime Gorsuch as some kind of “extreme” conservative, history tells us they didn’t like his “very controversial” mom either.

Roe v. Wade: How Trump’s Appointment of a Supreme Court Justice Might Affect Abortion Rights

President Donald Trump plans to announce this evening his pick to fill the vacancy left on the Supreme Court by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February of last year. Trump, whose position on abortion rights has shifted over time, told CBS News’ 60 Minutes in November that he is “pro-life” and would appoint individuals who hold the same position to the nation’s highest court.

High court won’t hear ‘Sister Wives’ appeal 31 mins ago

The latest on the Supreme Court’s decision against hearing an appeal from the family on TV’s “Sister Wives” challenging Utah’s law banning polygamy. An attorney for a TV’s “Sister Wives” family says the U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear an appeal of Utah’s law banning polygamy won’t end the larger fight by plural and unconventional families for equal status.

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Sister Wives Polygamy Law Appeal

Robyn Brown, Meri Brown, Kody Brown, Christine Brown and Janelle Brown from ‘Sister Wives’ on April 14, 2012 in Las Vegas. The provision bars married people from living with a second purported “spiritual spouse” even if the man is legally married to just one woman – The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from the family on TV’s “Sister Wives” challenging Utah’s law banning polygamy.

Major loss for ‘Sister Wives’

In this file publicity photo provided by TLC, Kody Brown, center, poses with his wives, from left, Robyn, Christine, Meri and Janelle, in a promotional photo for the reality series, “Sister Wives,” which aired in March, 2011. The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from the family on TV’s “Sister Wives” challenging Utah’s law banning polygamy.

US Supreme Court could discuss ‘Sister Wives’ case

The U.S. Supreme Court could discuss a request Thursday from the polygamous family from TV’s “Sister Wives” to hear their case for legalizing polygamy. High court action on the family’s appeal could come as early as Monday following the conference Thursday at which the justices considered adding new cases to their calendar and rejected most pending appeals.

Obama: Here’s what surprised me most about being president

With one week left in office, President Barack Obama talked to CBS’s “60 Minutes” about his eight years in Washington. The interview, which aired on Sunday, gave a wide-ranging look at Obama’s biggest achievements and disappointments in office, and included lots of insights on what it meant to Obama to lead the US.

Homer Simpson Plots Revenge with Common, RZA and Snoop Dogg in 600th Episode of “The Simpsons”

The parents of Anissa Weier, one of two 12-year-old girls who allegedly stabbed another girl 19 times in an effort to impress fictional internet character &… – A cargo plane operated by ACT airlines crashed near the capital of Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, killing 33 people, authorities announced on Monday.The … OMAHA — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a legal challenge as to whether an appeals court in Cincinnati is the proper venue for a number of lawsuits filed on the waters… Champaign, Ill. – Hannah Whitish hit a career-high four three-pointers to finish with a career-high 16 points, but it was not enough to prevent Illinois from pulling away … – A big change could be coming to way we watch American sports.

Final goodbyes in 2016

Death claimed transcendent political figures in 2016, including Cuba’s revolutionary leader and Thailand’s longtime king, but also took away kings of pop music, from Prince and David Bowie to George Michael. Embracing Soviet-style communism, Fidel Castro, who died in November, overcame imprisonment and exile to become leader of Cuba and defy the power of the United States at every turn during his half-century rule.

Tony Norman: Death didn’t take a holiday in 2016

William Shakespeare got it exactly right four centuries ago when he had newly widowed Gertrude speak these words to her son, the grieving prince of Denmark in “Hamlet”: “Thou know’st ’tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity.” Act I, scene 2, line 72. These are words of wisdom, but not necessarily consolation, in an era when the deaths of people most of us have never met take on disproportionate meaning.

Executions and death sentences plummeted this year as capital punishment declined nationwide

A year that began with the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the death penalty in one of the most active capital punishment states ended with the country reaching modern lows in executions and death sentences, the most glaring signs yet about how the practice has dwindled in America today. Still, even as capital punishment has declined in both sentencing and practice, there were also signs this year of its persistence from lawmakers, judges and the public, reminders that the death penalty is far from fading away.

Today in History

On Dec. 18, 1916, during World War I, the 10-month Battle of Verdun ended with French troops succeeding in repulsing a major German offensive. In 1863, in a speech to the Prussian Parliament, Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck declared, “Politics is not an exact science.”