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The magical, side-effect-free weight loss pill has for years been one of the elusive goals of pharmaceutical research. Now it appears that one more contender will have to undergo scrutiny of its safety record.The FDA indicated Monday that it will investigate the possibility that the weight loss drug orlistat, sold as prescription Xenical and over the counter as alli (yes, lowercase “a,” which we’ll assume is some kind of savvy marketing tactic), is causing liver damage in some patients....

A recent Yelp lawsuit is a reminder to business owners that writing fake Yelp reviews to boost your reputation can come back to haunt you in court. Yelp has sued McMillan Law Group – a San Diego bankruptcy law firm that allegedly posted fake reviews – for breach of contract, unfair competition and false advertising. Though firm owner Julian McMillan is claiming Yelp filed the lawsuit out of spite, business owners should err on the side of caution and never post fake reviews on Yelp....

Noble Street Charter Network, a group of charter schools in Chicago, is under fire for a strict disciplinary code that includes fines. Students who receive four demerits in two weeks are given detention. Parents must pay the school $5. Twelve detentions require a behavior modification class worth $140. A group of parents organized as Parents United for Responsible Education is fighting back. They’ve obtained documents showing that parents have paid the network $387,000 in fines in just three years....

Are you worried about your child’s safety on the Internet? If so, you’re not alone. About 67% of parents are worried about their children’s safety on the Internet, according to a new FindLaw.com survey. Still, 20% of parents surveyed said they were “not very worried” and 14% said they were “not worried at all.” What are some of the most popular methods to control Internet usage and safeguard children? A number of parents choose to monitor their children’s web browsing....

Landlords have it good insofar as they collect rent from tenants on their property without putting in too much work on a day-to-day basis. But landlords should not get too relaxed; those who do nothing will find themselves facing negligence claims when someone is injured on a rental property. There are many ways for people to get hurt, and there is no way to ensure that no injuries will ever happen on a property....

You are concerned about security for your small business but don’t want to spend a fortune on a system. Is this something you can choose yourself and how will you know what will work for you? Well, yes. You can choose a security camera and set it up yourself but you have to choose the right one. Here are some tips from Small Business Trends on choosing and installing a system by yourself for your small business....

Do you know how to consolidate your student loans? Need some student loan consolidation advice? Consolidating loans can be a good way for students to handle mounting debt. It can result in one payment per month, or result in a lower interest rate. What are some tips on how to consolidate your student loans? Student Loan Consolidation Tip #1: Know what kind of loans you have. Do you have private loans?...

When your employees lose a loved one, they might ask for bereavement leave. Employers typically want to assist their employees as much as possible. Allowing them to take time off to bury and grieve their loved ones is something that they can offer. If you’re a small business owner, you might wonder if bereavement laws require you to give employees a certain number of days off. There is no federal law on point....

Dov Charney is a practical lesson in how not to handle employee relations. The American Apparel CEO has been battling sexual harassment accusations for at least seven years. Despite the company’s alleged descent into bankruptcy, this isn’t expected to end any time soon. Last week, a New York judge considered whether to dismiss a suit against Charney seeking $250 million. On the other side of the country, the same attorney filed another sexual harassment suit on behalf of four other former employees....

The AP, citing a law enforcement official, is reporting that the King of Pop’s death was ruled a homicide by the LA County Coroner. While no official ruling from the coroner’s office has been released, statements in a search warrant affidavit that Jackson died of lethal levels of propofol have eyes focused on Jackson doctor Conrad Murray. As the AP reports, the search warrant affidavit was recently unsealed. In it, the LA County Coroner states that a deadly level of the anesthetic propofol killed Michael Jackson....

Riding your bike in San Francisco can be dangerous. It can be dangerous in your city as well. Forgive the fear-mongering, but The New York Times did a piece on cyclist accidents in San Francisco, and found that 101 cyclists were “doored” in the last two years alone. (Dooring is what happens when a door is opened by a car in the path of a bicyclist, causing often serious accidents.)...

You’re not divorced yet, and maybe you’re still not sure whether you want a divorce at all. All you know is that you need a little breathing room, and you don’t want to be the one shacking up in a motel for the night or longer. You want your spouse out of the house, but how do you make it happen? As with many life issues, there are legal and non-legal remedies, and even the legal remedies can vary depending on where you live....

You don’t need your mechanic to be a good cook, your dentist to be a skilled juggler, or your butcher to be an inspiring poet. And you do not need your cosmetic surgeon to be a good dancer. In fact, all those in favor of making it illegal to dance while performing surgery, raise your hands. If you need more convincing, the wildly inappropriate videos of one Atlanta-based dermatologist might help, as will the lawsuits filed against the dancing doctor, with claims ranging from invasion of privacy to malpractice resulting in brain damage....

The latest news in the Toyota investigation? Alleged hidden documents and Toyota’s secret “Books of Knowledge.” Toyota Motor Corp has allegedly withheld internal company documents in past court cases –documents which if hidden, could have been extremely incriminating for the automotive giant. According to the Chairman of a U.S. House committee investigating the motor company, Toyota engaged in “systematic disregard for the law.” (For a look at the subpoena, see this post in FindLaw’s CourtSide....

For parents who have been the victims of domestic abuse, or whose children have been, it can seem imperative to get as far away as possible from their abuser. But your child still needs financial support and you should not let fear of an abuser prevent you from seeking child support. You can get help to handle this. Domestic violence does not exempt or create support obligations, although it may impact the application and process....

A couple in Colorado say they are the victims of discrimination via threats of eviction from their landlord. One of them fumes, “We want our freedom…We want exactly what the law gives you, and we don’t want to be harassed about it.” Well said! So, what insidious form discrimination do they face? It might be…well…thong and pasties discrimination? Robert and Catharine Pierce, 58 and 51-years old, respectively, say that their near nude gardening wearing such skimpy gear has got their neighbors and landlord all fed up at the sight....

In another in a series of eyebrow-raising 911 calls is a report out of Ohio about a father who just couldn’t take his son’s messy habits any longer. Apparently this dad’s 9-1-1 call was triggered after his son hurled a “plate of food across the kitchen table” and “balled his fist up at his dad when told to clean his room.” Another rebellious teen-gone-wrong? Nope, turns out the son in this case, who shares his dad’s name Andrew (but apparently not his standards of cleanliness) is 28 years old....

The FDA is being sued by several current and former employees for monitoring their private emails. Receiving and sending private emails on a work computer are things many employees may do. The employees allege the government agency illegally monitored their correspondence. They also claim the FDA’s actions had a negative effect on whistleblower activity. The former FDA workers say that the agency only started monitoring activities after some voiced their concern to Congress....

Congress has ended its three-year disagreement and reauthorized two small business programs designed to boost research and development. The Small Business Innovation Research program and the Small Business Technology Transfer program gave a combined $2.2 billion to small companies in 2011. That number will continue to climb, as the reauthorization includes changes to the amount of grant monies set aside for companies with fewer than 500 employees. Congress also increased the size of the grants themselves....

If you’re thinking about forming your own tax-exempt organization, you might be wondering what it takes. How does one start a non-profit organization? First things first, before you can start a non-profit, it’s important to recognize what qualifies as a non-profit in the first place. Non-profit organizations are generally those that are engaging in religious, charitable, scientific, educational or literary endeavor that will benefit society. Got that part down? Well, what’s next?...