The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday concerning state regulation of interstate wine sales. The controversy centers on the New York and Michigan state laws that allow direct in-state, but not out-of-state, shipments of wine. The Constitution implicitly prohibits states from passing laws that discriminate against businesses of another state. However, the 21st Amendment, which ended [...]

Shubha Ghosh, University at Buffalo Law School: "The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in the wine distributor case, Swedenborg. Here are two links to NPR coverage of the case from today and yesterday. At issue in the case is the reconciliation of the 21st Amendment which repealed Prohibition and relegated regulation of alcohol [...]

Anna Ryzhova, Kyiv, Ukraine: "Three events featured on Ukraine's political landscape yesterday, all of which went someway towards resolving the political impasse brought on by the scandalous Presidential election. First, the Parliament of Ukraine agreed to hold its extraordinary meeting on Dec 7th for solving the current political crisis. Second, although Victor Yanukovych, one of [...]

The Ukrainian parliament adjourned again Tuesday without passing a revised electoral reform package previously agreed to in principle by the leaders of the major political factions in the country's ongoing electoral dispute. The parliament had failed to adopt an earlier version of the reform package Saturday, but a second failure loomed large even before the [...]

Rick Hasen, Loyola Law School Los Angeles: "The Washington Post reports here that new Democratic minority leader Harry Reid has said he could support Justice Scalia as a potential replacement for Chief Justice Rehnquist (if and when the Chief retires) because Scalia is "one smart guy." (Reid opposes Justice Thomas for Chief on grounds he [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Kansas is not entitled to seek further damages from Colorado for diverting water from the Arkansas River into Colorado farm lands. The Court had ruled in 2001 that Colorado was liable for millions of dollars in damages and interest, but Kansas had sought to recover an additional $24 [...]

According to a Russian human rights lawyer, the Russian Constitutional Court has cleared the way for lower court reconsideration and possible exoneration of Admiral Alexander Kolchak, the "White Russian" leader of anti-Bolshevik forces in Siberia who was recognized by his supporters as the Supreme Ruler of Russia until he was captured by the Red Army [...]

Crusading New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced Tuesday that he will run for Governor of New York in 2006. Spitzer, a Democrat, has been New York attorney general since 1999 and appears to have his party's nomination within easy reach absent any competition from other prominent Democrats and with the support of former governor [...]

Hamid Karzai was officially sworn in Tuesday as President of Afghanistan in an invitation-only ceremony in Kabul. Karzai won the October 9 presidential election with 55.4% of the vote (certified results here). BBC News has more.

The leaseholder of the World Trade Center, destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, won a major legal victory Monday when a Manhattan jury agreed that the attack on the Twin Towers constituted two events for insurance purposes, not just one. If let stand, the verdict would allow Larry Silverstein to get twice as [...]