[JURIST] The Department of Homeland Security [official website] officially came into existence Saturday, absorbing some twenty federal agencies that had formerly been run in other Government departments. Read the DHS press release. With the re-organization come websites for the new Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services [official website], the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement [official website], and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection [official website].

Also Saturday, more than 170 nations at the World Health Organization [official website] agreed to a draft tobacco treaty that would restrict tobacco advertising and labeling and take strong action on smuggling and second-hand smoke. The US has expressed reservations about the agreement and may not sign it. Read the WHO press release and learn more about the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control [FCTC Alliance website], which will be presented for formal adoption at the May meeting of the World Health Assembly.

UNMOVIC [official website] Chairman Dr. Hans Blix has filed a new written report with the UN Security Council on weapons inspections and Iraq's compliance with Security Council Resolution 1441. Read the full text of Dr. Blix's report as posted on the US State Department website.

New on law professors' weblogs Saturday: Lawrence Solum [Legal Theory blog] of Loyola Law School Los Angeles reports from the Spectrum Policy Conference at Stanford Law School. Jack Balkin of Yale Law School shares his thoughts on pledging allegiance [Balkinization post] and cloning and fair weather federalism [Balkinization post]. David Wagner [Ninomania post] of Regent University School of Law also reflects on yesterday's Ninth Circuit Pledge of Allegiance ruling.