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Historic Supreme Court nominee heads to Senate hearings
We're getting acquainted with a U.S. Supreme Court choice with a background America hasn't seen before for that position. Sonia Sotomayor, a federal Appeals Court judge from New York, is nominated to become the first Hispanic justice on our highest court. Her parents immigrated from Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, and she grew up in a public housing apartment complex before graduating from two Ivy League universities -- Princeton and Yale.
President Obama picked Judge Sotomayor (pronounced so-toe-my-YORE) last week to fill a vacancy opened by Justice David Souter's voluntary retirement after nine years on the nine-member court. Her up-by-the-bootstraps background is an only-in-America story that's similar to Obama's own climb.
During televised hearings, Judge Sotomayor will discuss her background, judicial approach and views on interpreting the Constitution. Republicans are sure to ask about this hot-button comment in a 2001 speech, which some critics say shows bias: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
Front Page Talking Points is written by
Felix Grabowski and Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2013
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Your state's two senators can participate in the final confirmation vote on this nomination. Look for quotes or other coverage of their views. Discuss whether you think party status affects their positions.
Journalists try to include Hispanics and other minority group members in general coverage. After checking recent issues, share comments on whether this paper reflects local diversity through photos, quotes and topics. 
Americans want to see, as well as read about, Judge Sotomayor. Does this paper's website have videos of some stories, such as last week's presidential announcement? What benefits does print journalism have for this type of developing news, compared to TV networks?
President says: "She's faced down barriers, overcome the odds, lived out the American Dream that brought her parents here so long ago. And even as she has accomplished so much in her life, she has never forgotten where she began, never lost touch with the community that supported her." -- May 26 introduction of nominee at White House