Obama 'makes Supreme Court pick'

BBC NEWS:

US President Barack Obama intends to nominate Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the Supreme Court, officials say. Ms Sotomayor, 54, would be the first Hispanic to take the position. A New York appeal court judge, she would replace Justice David Souter, who announced his retirement from the top US court earlier this month. Reports said Mr Obama would announce his nominee later on Tuesday. Any presidential pick must be confirmed by the Senate. If approved, Ms Sotomayor would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the current Supreme Court. She had been widely tipped as a frontrunner in the race to succeed Mr Souter. White House officials told the Associated Press that Ms Sotomayor would bring more judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any other justice confirmed in the past 70 years. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the US, and has the authority to strike down any state or federal law it deems unconstitutional.