To the Point
Barack Obama and the Highest Court in the Land
President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court, a Hispanic woman with 17 years of experience on the federal bench. Supporters emphasize her legal credentials and her common touch. Opponents call her "an activist judge." We hear both sides. Also, North Korea followed up on yesterday's nuclear test with more saber-rattling today, and the California State Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8, the voters' ban on gay marriage.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenPresident Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court, a Hispanic woman with 17 years of experience on the federal bench. Supporters emphasize her legal credentials and her common touch. Opponents call her "an activist judge." We hear both sides. Also, North Korea has followed up on yesterday's nuclear test by firing two short-range missiles today. We hear about reaction at the United Nations and get some assessment of what North Korea's leaders might be thinking. On Reporter's Notebook, California's State Supreme Court has upheld a ban on gay marriage. At the same time, it's upheld gay and lesbian marriages performed before Proposition 8 was passed by the voters.
Banner image: Nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor, thanks US President Barack Obama (R) at the end of her address in the East Room of the White House. Photo: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images
