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As temperatures drop and holiday cheer increases, some may find themselves trying for a baby. Though it’s fun to focus on tiny clothes and pretty nurseries, it’s also important to talk about the changing financial situation. If the mother-to-be works, pregnancy discrimination should be part of that discussion. Though the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 has been in force for quite some time, pregnancy discrimination is a persistent problem. The number of complaints filed with the EEOC have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching 6,119 in 2010....

Hundreds of people will participate in a rally in Kennett Missouri today for Heather Ellis, a young black woman accused of cutting in line at Walmart. The incident three years ago set off a racially charged dispute and now Ellis faces a trial that could send her to prison for 15 years. The Associated Press reports that witnesses told authorities that Ellis cut in front of waiting customers at the Walmart in Kennett on Jan....

Federal prosecutors have settled a number of criminal and civil claims related to April 2010’s Big Branch Mine explosion. Alpha Natural Resources, which bought mine operator Massey Energy in June, has agreed to a $210 million settlement. It is the biggest settlement ever reached in a U.S. mine disaster, the BBC reports. Approximately $165 million will go towards government fines and improving safety at the Big Branch Mine. The remaining $45 million will compensate the victims – 2 survivors and the families of 29 miners killed by the blast....

It may be March, but with wacky weather patterns plaguing most of the U.S., it looks like ski season isn’t going to end any time soon. This is why it’s important to brush up on your ski safety, and to know what your rights are if you get hurt. So, if you’re heading up to the slopes in the near future, keep in mind these tips for avoiding a ski accident....

Facebook and Lifeline, a national suicide prevention organization, are about to enter into a new partnership that may save lives. Facebook’s new suicide chat feature allows someone feeling suicidal to directly interface with counselors over the web. The way the feature works is relatively simple. Users who see their friends post suicidal comments can “report” the posting to Facebook. Facebook will vet the comment to see if it’s legitimate. If it is, it will send a user an email that will contain information about Lifeline’s services....

If you’re charged with a crime, chances are it’s a violation of a local ordinance or state statute. But every now and then, if a crime is committed on federal land, a criminal enterprise spans multiple states, or you’re involved in federal campaign shenanigans, you may be facing federal criminal charges. Those charges and investigations can vary from state and local prosecutions, so here are five questions (and answers) regarding criminal investigations under federal law....

What is a health insurance exchange? The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces, or Exchanges, are designed to provide an affordable alternative to buying coverage directly from individual health insurers. The exchanges will be open for business beginning October 1, allowing consumers to shop for health plans. So what do consumers need to know about these new Marketplaces? Here are a few common questions about Obamacare’s Health Insurance Exchanges and, more importantly, answers to those questions:...

As of August 29, 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration’s new regulations on privately operated drones as well as model aircrafts went into effect. The new regulations are actually good news for model airplane aviation hobbyists and businesses that want to utilize drones. Unfortunately, drone hobbyists will not be happy about the new regulations. Basically, prior to these new regulations, businesses were unable to utilize drones for commercial purposes because the framework to regulate their operation did not exist....

Do you need a will or a living trust? What’s the difference, anyway? Chances are you have some assets, whether they be big ones like houses in your name, or small ones like that $20 bill in your wallet. Either way, most of us would like to have control over our belongings and the ultimate say in who gets them (and perhaps even how they’re used) once we’re gone. Living trusts and wills are two very common documents that people will choose to draft when it comes to estate planning....

Justine Sacco, a former PR executive at a large media company, learned the hard way that a bad Twitter joke can lead to more repercussions than rotten tomatoes being flung at you. Dubbed “the tweet heard ‘round the world,” Sacco sent the following message to her followers before she boarded a flight for Cape Town last week: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” By the time she landed, the tweet had gone viral....

The split after a marriage is painful enough in itself, but there are some common divorce mistakes that can make matters even worse. While certain casualties of the split – such as the loss of one’s home, furniture, pets, or other divisible assets – are often unavoidable, disputes over other, more long-term legal issues can be dodged. So in order to prevent your divorce from being more painful than it needs to be, here are 10 common mistakes you’ll want to avoid:...

When you think of Halloween safety and dangers, you may think of protecting your children from child predators, murderers, and even actual monsters. But the reality is that most of the dangers related to Halloween are much more mundane and easily preventable by parents. Here are three tips for having a safe (and fun) Halloween, as reported by the Quad-City Times: You may not think of a child’s costume as being dangerous....

You are divorced and you swore you would never marry again. But then time passes and you fall in love and this new mate seems really great. Should you just cohabitate for the rest of your life so as to avoid another divorce? Or is there something you can do to ensure that you do not repeat past mistakes while still enjoying what is sweet about being together? Here are some legal tips for remarriage that may help you avoid trouble down the line....

Ever thought about adoption or how to adopt a child from outside the U.S.? Any individual or couple considering the adoption of a child has three major legal issues to consider–who is involved; open vs. closed adoptions; and how to get started with the adoption process. So where to start? Every state has its own laws regarding adoption, and different states’ rules are not uniform. But here’s a good base to start from:...

Jimmie Lee Scott is supposed to be buried at Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery, Alabama, but according to a lawsuit filed by her three daughters, their mother’s body is currently missing. The women have now sued Ross-Clayton Funeral Home, which oversaw their mother’s service and casket, as well as Forest Hills Memorial Park, a company contracted to finalize the burial. They’re seeking a total of $3 million, though they’d probably just like their mother’s body back....

Technology company startups are drawing regulatory scrutiny after Fidelity Investments reportedly downgraded some of its investments in so-called “unicorns.” With companies like Uber collecting billions of dollars before going public – and investors all hoping to bet on the next big thing – the Securities and Exchange Commission is getting curious about how the financiers decide what the companies are worth and why the disparity in values. The reason for this interest?...

While getting a school loan is fairly simple, paying off that loan is another matter entirely. And discharging the loan through bankruptcy? That’s rarer than a unicorn. Or so we thought. While the prevailing wisdom has been that you are stuck with federal student loans until you pay them off, some new cases might be indicating there are ways out for debtors that can’t afford their student loans. One such exit is the often overlooked “borrower defense” provision....

Can you include your iTunes or MP3 music library in your will? What about your eBooks and other digital purchases? The answers aren’t entirely clear, as digital estate planning is a new realm for virtually everyone. But it’s increasingly becoming an issue. The average American spends about $30 per month on eBooks and digital music purchases, according to a survey cited by MarketWatch. (Compare that to the self-proclaimed owner of the world’s largest iTunes collection: He touted 170,000 MP3s in his possession, and that was back in 2007....

Is smoking pot child neglect? A number of New York parents found with small stashes of marijuana have been investigated for child neglect despite no grounds for criminal prosecution. Penelope Harris, one of those parents, had her niece taken away for more than a year ago, even though she had only possessed 10 grams of marijuana–not enough for even misdemeanor charges under New York law. New York’s Administration for Children’s Services justifies investigating small-time marijuana users because marijuana use “can put children in danger of neglect or abuse,” reports The New York Times....

The Associated Press is used to making headlines, but not with its own name. But last week a bunch of other news organizations reported that the wire made news with a lawsuit filed against it by a longtime AP staff member alleging race, gender, and age discrimination. Ironically, Sonya Ross, the plaintiff, is a Race and Ethnicity Editor. Ross has been at the AP for three decades and she is a veteran reporter with impressive credentials....