[JURIST] Recorded video and an official transcript of the State of the Union Address delivered Tuesday evening by President Bush are now available from the White House. A fact sheet summarizing key initiatives [White House fact sheet] set out in the President's Address is also available.

[JURIST] In his State of Union Address Tuesday, President Bush announced the creation of a Terrorist Threat Integration Center [White House fact sheet] that will "merge and analyze terrorist-related information collected domestically and abroad in order to form the most comprehensive possible threat picture." The Center will involve elements of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, and the Department of Defense. The Administration "will ensure that this program is carried out consistently with the rights of Americans." Read a fact sheet from the White House.

[JURIST] Late Tuesday afternoon the White House released advance excerpts [White House press release] from the prepared text of the State of the Union Address that President Bush is to deliver Tuesday evening.

[JURIST] The White House unveiled a special State of Union [White House website] version of its website Tuesday afternoon in advance of this evening's official address delivered pursuant to Article II, Section 3 [text] of the US Constitution. The site features a video preview by Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, background videos of Cabinet Secretaries and senior Administration officials discussing State of the Union issues, a slide show, and highlights of speech themes. Watch the webcast of the President's State of the Union Address on the White House website beginning Tuesday at 9 PM ET.

[JURIST] The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Tuesday a judge's dismissal of his law clerk, ruling that his termination did not violate the First Amendment. Read Sheppard v. Beerman [opinion text, PDF]. Link courtesy Howard Bashman [How Appealing blog].

[JURIST] President Bush offered a brief outline of Tuesday evening's scheduled State of the Union address in remarks prior to a Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning. Watch recorded video from the White House.

[JURIST] Monday's New York Police Department panel report on the NYPD's controversial investigation [ACLU press release] of the Central Park Jogger case is available online [report text, PDF] from the NYPD. A press release summarizes the panel's findings.

[JURIST] Although no cert grants were announced in Monday's regular Order List [PDF text], the US Supreme Court did grant cert Monday in Castro v. United States, raising the question of whether a lower court can recharacterize a motion as a habeas corpus application. Read the US Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling [text] in the case. The Castro cert Order was "buried" on page 2 of Monday's official Order [PDF text] announcing the adoption of new Rules of the Court. Courtesy SCOTUSBlog.

[JURIST] Watch recorded video (with English simultaneous translation) of Tuesday's press conference in Hong Kong announcing liberalization of the Chinese Special Administrative Region's proposed "anti-subversion" law, Basic Law Article 23. Video of remarks made earlier Tuesday by Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa [recorded video] is also available. Learn more about Basic Law Article 23 [Hong Kong government backgrounder].