The NY Times looks at the life of Eric Holder, whom President-elect Obama announced as his choice for U.S. Attorney General today. Holder grew up in Elmhurst, Queens, went to high school at Stuyvesant High School (where he was one of the few black students and where he co-captained the basketball team), studied at Columbia for undergrad and law school, and clerked at the NAACP before joining the Justice Department, "working his way up to deputy attorney general under Bill Clinton." Currently, he's in private practice in DC. The Times says the young Holder was a "neighborhood kid, a basketball addict" who also studied hard; he said, "I had this dual existence. I wanted to hang. I was still one of the guys. I tried to convince them that I was still cool.” And of any impending games of pickup basketball versus the President-elect, though Holder is 13 years older, he says, "I’m not sure he’s ready for my New York game.” more ›

Democrats Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Dianne Feinstein joined nine Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee and approved the nomination of Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey to go to the full Senate. The vote was 11-8, the eight opposing votes from the remaining Democrats on the committee. His confirmation is expected next week. Mukasey - and his supporters - has faced criticism after not declaring waterboarding illegal. Schumer has an op-ed in today's NY Times... more ›