In a Los Angeles Times article this morning, David Savage describes a recent case by the Supreme Court that has the potential of making it easier for children to get their hands on tobacco and other drugs.  The case revolves around individual states being able to require shippers such as UPS and FedEx to check identification upon delivery of controlled substances such as cigarettes and alcohol which can be purchased online.  While the Supreme Court justices indicated during oral arguments that they were in favor of lifting these state requirements, doing so would enable minors to bypass restrictions they would face if attempting to purchase these products at their neighborhood gas stations.  Lawyers attempting to keep restrictions in place stated that lifting these controls would affect “the delivery of a myriad of other dangerous products, including explosives, liquor, drugs, poisonous reptiles and wild animals…"

In Iraq, the AP reports that more than 6,000 Sunni residents have joined a security pact with U.S. forces, in what the U.S. calls the single-largest volunteer mobilization since the start of the conflict.

About 77,000 Iraqis nationwide, mostly Sunnis, have broken with the insurgents and joined U.S.-backed self-defense groups. The United States has credited the groups with a major role in the recent lull in violence in Iraq.