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Fraternities are known for pranks, and MIT fraternities are no exception. However, when a MIT fraternity prank went wrong three years ago, two people were severely injured and sued the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity. The fraternity and one of its members, Bhaskar Mookerji, have finally settled the lawsuits for an unspecified six-figure amount. “No settlement can fully compensate individuals like Tom and Kate for all that they have been through, but they are pleased with this result,’’ the victims’ lawyer, John J....

New Hampshire became the 19th state to legalize medical marijuana on Tuesday, with a new law which allows those with chronic or terminal illnesses to have access to therapeutic pot. Gov. Maggie Hassan signed the medical marijuana bill into law, quelling conservative concerns by explaining that “this legislation ensures that we approach this policy in the in the right way with measures to prevent abuse,” reports The Huffington Post. As medicinal marijuana slowly edges toward legalization in many states, what does New Hampshire’s law offer its citizens?...

Dog owners in Palm Beach County, Florida are now subject to a new dog chaining law, which prohibits the tethering of dogs to a stationary object unless under direct supervision or at a show. A coup for animal rights activists, the new Palm Beach pet law also requires residents to provide their canine companions (and guard dogs) with ample backyard space, a roof during extreme weather conditions, and sufficient exercise....

Claiming desperately needed good news for both his party and his country, President Barack Obama signed the new small business assistance bill into law today. When the nation is still struggling with a 9.6% unemployment rate, assisting the small businesses who are said to supply most of the jobs in the American economy is a must. According to USAToday, small businesses were hit by a “one-two punch” in the recession, the President told the press on September 27....

Colorado officers and other law enforcement agencies around the country are undergoing new training on transgender issues and policies. The new training for police is the first of its kind and educates officers on to behave when questioning, searching or detaining transgender individuals, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports. Senate Bill 200, a controversial piece of legislation passed in 2008 that brought transgender individuals into recognition under Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Laws, was the impetus for the training....

The White House wants you, small business owner, to hop on to the Obama health care reform wagon. The Council of Economic Advisors, from the Executive Office of the President, recently released a report titled “Economic Effects of Health Care Reform on Small Businesses and Their Employees.” And in an Obama-esque, tech-forward move, Chair of the Council Dr. Christina Romer, has also initiated an online discussion on LinkedIn.com. There, she invites responses to the following question: “The White House wants to know: What are the most important issues for small businesses when it comes to health care?...

President Obama is set to sign a bill that requires stronger security precautions on cruise ships, including ensuring alleged crimes are reported. The Senate passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act on Wednesday. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-California, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, authored the bill, which applies to all ships that dock in U.S. ports. It passed the House 416-4 last year. The new law will require improved basic safety provisions on ships such as peepholes for doors and providing information on reporting crimes....

Ohio County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora arrested. And here is why this headline is both interesting and important to people in and out of Oh …the government has been investigating Jimmy Dimora for corruption since 2008. In addition to arresting Dimora, seven others including two judges have been arrested in connection to the federal corruption scheme. As one of three members of the Ohio County Board, Dimora was in charge of many of the contracts and hiring for various county jobs....

As we previously discussed, Ohio failed once before in its botched execution of death row inmate Romell Broom. Since Broom’s execution attempt on September 15, the state has become the first to adopt a new single-injection protocol. But Broom is fighting the Ohio’s second attempt to execute him. He was sentenced to die for raping and killing a 14-year-old girl 1984. The Associated Press reports that a federal judge has limited the Broom’s appeal....

Service businesses are increasingly discussing the elimination of a tipping system. Many servers think it is unfair. Many customers would prefer if businesses handled employee pay independently and left them out of it altogether. If you want to ban tipping in your business, will it cost you more than you can afford? Tipping Defined by the Department of Labor There are a few legal considerations that arise here, not least of which is navigating the thicket of laws regulating service businesses and ensuring you are in compliance with federal, state, and local requirements....

Activist and soccer ball dribbler Richard Swanson, whose goal of dribbling a ball from Seattle to Brazil inspired fans around the world, died Tuesday after being hit by a pickup truck. Swanson, 42, was struck while walking on Highway 101 along the Oregon coast. He started out from Seattle on May 1, with the goal of walking and dribbling all the way to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, the Associated Press reports....

No quiero Taco Bell. In a salmonella outbreak that has affected 155 people in 21 states, fast-food chain Taco Bell is now seeing the legal consequences of the salmonella outbreak that was first reported in May. Two different strains of Salmonella (Salmonella Hartford and Salmonella Baildon) caused patrons to experience fever, vomiting, and dehydration. The suit was filed in Kentucky against Taco Bell parent company Yum! Brand by local resident Jo Ann Smith....

Mandatory sabbaticals. Telecommuting from Southeast Asia. And now unlimited vacation time. Doesn’t anyone work in an office these days? Not only is the workplace becoming more flexible, but businesses are competing to offer their employees the best benefits. To that end, LinkedIn is now offering its employees unlimited vacation time. So how will the business function with everyone drinking Mai Tais on the beach? Well, there are some limits to the policy....

It seems that the House and the Senate are gridlocked when it comes to whether or not the government should extend the payroll tax cut holiday. Democrats had originally proposed extending the payroll tax cut to employers, which might have helped some business owners. For now, it seems that they’ve scratched that plan. But, Republicans are set to unveil their plan later this week. It’s unclear what they will propose....

Sometimes, circumstances may force you to modify your child support order. Your income may have dropped substantially, or something unexpected may have cropped up in your child’s expenses. Depending on the situation, you may want to decrease or increase the amount of child support you pay. When can you modify your child support? The short answer is you can modify your child support if there is a substantial change in your or your child’s circumstances....

If your business is falling hopelessly behind on paying its bills, filing for bankruptcy may be the best option for getting rid of your business’ debts. But which debts are discharged in a bankruptcy? And maybe more importantly, which debts aren’t? There are several different types of bankruptcy for both businesses and individuals, but they generally all work towards the same goal: discharging debt. When a debt is discharged through bankruptcy, the debtor is released from personal liability for the debt....

Social media has allowed people to connect with friends and family members across the world. You can now see updates to people lives with the click of a button. But, it’s important to remember that it’s not always only friends and family members that see what’s going on in your life. For example, if you call in sick to work but then end up posting pictures of yourself at a baseball game in the middle of the day, you risk having someone at work find out about it....

A dermatologist is suing Crunch Fitness over pole dancing injuries she sustained during one of their fitness pole dancing classes. According to the Gothamist, Sue Ann Wee has filed a lawsuit last week against the East Side Manhattan Crunch Fitness gym because she hurt her shoulders when she fell off the pole and hit the floor. The New York Daily News reports that the lawsuit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court....

Riffing off a meme popular on Twitter last week, one attorney tweeted: “The most successful clients I’ve met: 1. Want to know if they are being detained 2. Do not consent to this search 3. Would like to speak to an attorney.” That’s pretty good advice whether you’re innocent or not, and we thought it would be useful to expand on those three factors to demonstrate their importance to your criminal case....

Apple has surprised consumers a number of times. In most recent memory, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. However it seems that Apple is set to surprise its customers yet again, as according to AppleInsider, the electronics maker is about to launch a business support plan called Joint Venture. Joint Venture emphasizes enterprise set up, configuration, and support, PC Mag reports. The small business program offers the tagline: “Get Setup....