Ginsburg is recovering from surgery for pancreatic cancer, her second major bout with cancer. She returned to the court on Monday.

A loud cheer went up in the House chamber when Ginsburg was seen entering.

Also in attendance were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas.

Three other justices — Antonin Scalia, David Souter and John Paul Stevens — were absent.

While technically not a State of the Union address, Obama's speech in essence serves as the more formal talk to Congress this year. Breyer has not missed one since 2001, while Roberts and Alito have been to every one since they joined the court in 2005 and 2006.

Justices typically have said little about why they do or don't attend the speech. One exception is Scalia, who hasn't gone in at least 10 years. He has said the speech has become increasingly partisan, a problem for a group that studiously refrains from applauding even remotely political statements.

The court will announce whether it has accepted any cases for review, dispose of hundreds of rejected appeals and hear arguments in cases at a session that should end around noon.

Ginsburg had surgery for pancreatic cancer on Feb. 5. She was released from the hospital eight days later and has said she intends to be in court Monday.

Party spokesman Todd Riffle said papers were filed late Wednesday asking the state Supreme Court to hear the case.

GOP leader Tom Wilson hopes to get the court to order the Democratic governor to release the e-mails he and his staff exchanged with Carla Katz.

Corzine dated Katz, the leader of the state's largest state worker union, before he became governor. Wilson argues that the public has the right to see the e-mails Corzine and his staff exchanged with Katz during the 2007 labor talks to ensure no backdoor negotiations took place.

"The public has the right to judge for themselves whether Corzine's conduct was appropriate," Wilson said in a statement Thursday. "To do so, they need to see the e-mails and look at Corzine's actions on this contract."

Corzine and Katz were involved in the negotiations, though neither were principal negotiators.

Corzine has said the two did not discuss the contract. Katz, in court papers, however, argued that the e-mails should remain private because they involve contract talks, which are exempt from Open Public Records Act requests.

An appellate court ruled unanimously last month that Corzine's e-mails could stay private. That decision overturned a trial court ruling ordering the e-mails released.

The Appeals Court said the governor's electronic correspondence was protected by executive privilege, a legal principle that allows members of the executive branch of government to keep certain communications confidential in order to govern effectively.

John Reich, director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, said that by doing so, thrifts "would be supporting the national imperative to combat the economic crisis." But cooperation with the request is voluntary.

The Obama administration plans to spend $50 billion to combat foreclosures of owner-occupied middle-class homes, but is divulging few details. An announcement of the administration's housing plans is expected in the coming weeks.

"We're urging them to do it, but we're not going to try to force anyone to comply," said William Ruberry, a spokesman for the thrift agency. "We thought it was reasonable -- because the details (of the government's plans) are expected to be imminent."

Thrifts differ from banks in that, by law, they must have at least 65 percent of their lending in mortgages and other consumer loans -- making them particularly vulnerable to the housing downturn.

Some of the largest thrifts have collapsed over the past year. The failure of Seattle-based Washington Mutual Inc. in September was the largest bank collapse in U.S. history. IndyMac Bank, a Pasadena, Calif.-based thrift, failed last July in a prelude to the broader financial crisis that erupted in September.

The institutions regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision range in size from small community banks to big institutions like ING Bank, part of Dutch financial giant ING Groep NV.

Thrifts are being closely examined by federal inspectors for signs of heavy exposure to declining markets, or troubled areas such as construction and real estate loans.

Twenty-five U.S. banks failed last year, far more than the previous five years combined, and nine banks have failed so far this year. It's expected that many more banks won't survive this year amid the pressures of tumbling home prices, rising mortgage foreclosures and tighter credit. Some may have to merge with other institutions.

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Franken's request for a certificate of election now, at least on an interim basis, so that Minnesota's empty seat can be filled without waiting the months it may take for the courts to resolve Coleman's separate lawsuit over the recount, which gave Franken a 225-vote advantage.

The justices took the case under advisement and didn't say when they might rule, but their many questions suggested they were skeptical of Franken's arguments.

GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Democratic Secretary of State Mark Ritchie have rejected Franken's demand for the certificate, which he would need under Senate rules to take the seat Coleman had to vacate early last month as the new Congress convened.

Franken lawyer Marc Elias told the court Thursday that citizens are being deprived of their right to have two senators as Congress decides critical questions. He suggested that Minnesota was obligated under the Constitution and federal statutes to have two senators in place when Congress convened early last month.

"These are two of the most flamboyant attorneys in town," DePaul University law professor Leonard Cavise says of the team of Sam Adam and his son, Samuel E. Adam.

Cavise predicts fireworks if Blagojevich goes to trial on federal corruption charges, including allegations that he tried to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

Federal prosecutors are expected to obtain an indictment by April. Blagojevich was arrested by FBI agents in December and was booted from office Thursday when a state Senate impeachment trial ended with a 59-0 vote against him.

Some are already questioning the Adams' legal strategy — including their decision to let Blagojevich go on a whirlwind New York media tour before his impeachment trial ended, fielding questions about the criminal case from Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Larry King and more.

Blagojevich also gave an impassioned closing argument to senators before they removed him from office, although he didn't testify under oath.

His unwillingness to stay quiet cost him the help of his former lead attorney, Edward M. Genson, who announced he was withdrawing from the case before the media blitz.

Lawyers say Blagojevich tipped his hand about a possible defense when he said in his Senate plea that he had no intent to commit any crime.