President Barack Obama will nominate Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, to the Supreme Court, numerous sources are reporting. What you need to know right now:
Judge Sotomayor, 54, who has served for more than a decade on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals based in New York City, would become the nation’s 111th justice, replacing David H. Souter, who is retiring after 19 years on the bench. Although Justice Souter was appointed by the first President George Bush, he became a mainstay of the liberal faction on the court and so his replacement by Judge Sotomayor likely would not shift the overall balance of power.
But her appointment would add a second woman to the nine-member court and give Hispanics their first seat.
President Obama is set to announce the nomination in a statement at 10:15 EST. More on this as it develops.
