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Los Angeles became the largest city in the country to enact a plastic bag ban on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of 47 other municipalities in California. The LA plastic bag ban is expected to affect about 7,500 large and small grocery and convenience stories. Before the ban goes into effect, the city will conduct an environmental review and draft a final ordinance. Once enacted, large stores will have six months to comply and small ones will have a year....

There is no nationwide law that requires paid sick leave for private employers, but should there be? A new FindLaw.com survey finds nearly three out of four Americans support mandatory paid sick leave laws, and more and more local governments are approving mandatory sick leave policies. But is mandatory paid sick leave a good idea for business? Employers like to reward employees who really give an extra effort to make it into the office, but not if it means working unsafely....

The Sacramento Kings and NBA player Francisco Garcia have settled their product liability lawsuit against exercise ball manufacturer Ledraplastic. Three years ago, Garcia was balancing on an exercise ball and lifting weights at the same time. Garcia claims he had 90-pound weights in each hand when the ball suddenly burst. As a result, Garcia says that he fell forcibly to the ground and suffered serious injuries including a fractured forearm, reports The Sacramento Bee....

The Pennsylvania State Police are on a streak, reaching their eighth consecutive record-breaking year for DUI busts. The PA State Police credit better vigilance in their efforts to keep impaired drivers off the road, reducing the number of alcohol-related crashes, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. In addition, alcohol-related crash fatalities dropped to 141, a decline of 14 percent. State police officials say the expansion of a drug recognition expert program and another program called Operation Nighthawk, which trains police to spot DUI motorists, has been the main reason for their record year and the department’s overall success....

Lately the news from the Department of Transportation reads like science fiction, and last week was no exception. The DOT declared that it would count computers as drivers in cars driven by software systems, adding another delicious detail to the unfolding story of an auto-piloted USA. The announcement came just shortly after the DOT announced that, within six months, it will have model regulation for autonomous cars that it hopes states will adopt....

“Self-employment taxes” is a phrase to send chills down the spine of most people who own their own business. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sure, paying taxes as a self-employed person can be more complicated than as a company employee. For self-employed people, the government expects you to help them figure out how much tax you owe, unlike getting a check with the taxes already removed. The process sounds intimidating, but there are many resources available for self-employed people trying to sort out the tax code....

Technology enthusiasts across the world have been enjoying the current big thing: The Internet of Things. These things include smart lightbulbs, smart thermostats, smart refrigerators, smart water bottles, and of course, smartwatches. After the release of Apple’s update to their iconic smartwatch, there has been much discussion about whether these new wearables increase the risk of distracted driving. While one might think, at first blush, that a smartwatch would qualify as a “hands-free” device, it is in fact the exact opposite....

A recent study shows that the soda fountain may harbor some unwelcome additions in the form of fecal bacteria. CNN reports that almost half of the 90 drinks analyzed in the study tested positive for coliform bacteria, which means that there is a possible fecal contamination. The study was published in this month’s issue of International Journal of Food Microbiology. Some other bacteria that were found in the samples? E. coli and antibiotic resistant bacteria....

Small business owners can drive themselves crazy worrying about injuries – not only do you have to be concerned with customer injuries, but with employee injuries as well. Either one could cripple your business, logistically or financially. So how can you get a little piece of mind? Here are some of our best small business safety tips, from our archives: 1. Drug Testing at Work Isn’t Always Legal You might think a good way to keep employees and customers safe is to keep your employees sober....

Legally speaking, what is invasion of privacy? And what are your options if your privacy has been invaded? Privacy is a hot topic these days, but how do things play out in the legal arena? Your computer may have been hacked and your personal information sold. But what can you do about it? Whether or not criminal statutes cover the act, you may be entitled to file a suit alleging one of the following privacy torts....

When a business partner is stealing from the business, it may be incredibly difficult to detect. Business partners legally have access to business accounts, merchandise, and more. However, misappropriation of any business assets could be considered not just a violation of the partnership under civil law, but could also be criminal acts. Partners are considered fiduciaries for each other. If you suspect that your business partner is stealing, or misappropriating assets, deciding on the correct course of action is not easy....

By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Bridget Molitor, J.D. | Last updated May 22, 2020 Many couples (and their children) might wonder: Who gets ownership of the family pet after a divorce? How does a court determine who gets custody of the dog in divorce? The Issue: Pets Are Legally “Personal Property” Pets are generally treated as personal property when a couple divorces. This is hard for many people who see a pet as part of the family....

Small business layoffs have been real to many people for a while now, but apparently not real enough for the folks over at Fox. The network will air a reality show – “Someone’s Gotta Go” – portraying a series of small businesses in which employees will choose who gets paid more, who gets less, and of course who gets the axe. Perhaps not while in from of a tv camera, but many small business owners face the question: which employees must receive equal pay?...

Over the course of three tweets last month, President Donald Trump expressed his intent to ban transgender people from serving in the military. The White House made that intent official on Friday, issuing a Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security “prohibit[ing] openly transgender individuals from accession into the United States military and authoriz[ing] the discharge of such individuals. And it didn’t take long for the lawsuits to follow....

With a national voting age of 18, almost every college student can vote. But if you’re away at school for most of the year and living far from home, how and where are you supposed to vote? The “how” question is relatively simple: You cast your vote either in person, or by absentee ballot. But the question of “where” depends on several factors, including the laws of the state where you’re registered (or hoping to register)....

In an interesting about-face, Bird is now using the law to claim its rights were violated when the Beverly Hills City Council voted to ban the company’s e-scooters for six months and subsequently rounded up and impounded 1,000 of the devices. Citing the law is a new tactic for a company that has run a business model of asking for forgiveness rather than permission to drop its scooters around towns all over America....

As state and national lawmakers debate gun control, one city in Vermont is trying to take matters into its own hands with a proposed local ban on assault weapons. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, but the extent of that right has been a source of controversy. It is clear that governments have the right to limit where and when civilians can have guns, but they can’t ban firearms entirely....

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson is taking an immediate medical leave of absence to focus on “resolving” health issues after two car crashes in California, Reuters reports. Bryson, 68, was found unconscious behind the wheel after he allegedly crashed three times into two cars within a five-minute span in suburban Los Angeles on Saturday. A Commerce Department spokeswoman said Bryson suffered a seizure. It’s not clear how long Bryson’s medical leave will last....

A civil rights employment lawsuit filed by a former employee against the Sanitary Garbage Company, Inc. of Beatrice, Nebraska, resulted in a $1 jury verdict in favor of the employee. The lawsuit filed by Jonathan Curry alleged race discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. However, there was only one claim which the jury found convincing. That claim involved coworker racial harassment. Clearly, the jury did not find much harm had resulted as a result of the coworker harassment, as they only awarded the minimum amount allowable, a single dollar....

It will be 50 years before convicted murder and anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder will be eligible for parole as he faces a life sentence for killing Dr. George Tiller. A Kansas judge handed down 50 instead of 25 years to Roeder for the 2009 fatal shooting of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, the Associated News reports. Roeder, 52, also was sentenced to another year of prison on each of two counts of aggravated assault for threatening two church ushers as he fled....