Alabama Killer Executed:  James Harvey Callahan, on Alabama's death row for almost 26 years, finally received his sentence yesterday for the kidnap, rape and murder of Jacksonville University student Rebecca Howell.  A story by AP writer Garry Mitchell reports that Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Howell's final appeal, as noted in this post yesterday.  Howell was one of five Alabama murderers are scheduled to be executed this year.  These executions were delayed by last year's Supreme Court review of legal challenges against lethal injection.

Obama AG Back's Shield Law:  President-Elect Obama's choice for Attorney General told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that he would support a federal law to prevent federal judges from punishing reporters who refuse to disclose their sources.  SF Chronicle writer Bob Egelko reports that Eric Holder plans to reverse Bush Administration policy which allows the government to withhold federal records from the public if there is any plausible reason to do so.  Holder told the committee that he plans restore the policy under Clinton's Attorney General Janet Reno which allowed the release of confidential government records.