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A public health emergency has been declared in Libby Montana, home to a mine formerly owned by chemical manufacturing giant W.R. Grace, and ground zero for hundreds of cases of death and illness tied to asbestos, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. According to the EPA, the declaration of an asbestos-related public health emergency – which covers the towns of Libby and neighboring Troy in northwest Montana – is based on the incidence of the lung disease asbestosis in the Libby area, at a rate “staggeringly higher than the national average” from 1979 to 1998....

If you’ve ever wondered how far you should go to protect your trademark, look no further than Ben & Jerry’s suit against the maker of a line of x-rated movies. The films are part of a pornographic series called ‘Ben & Cherry’s’ that uses titles reminiscent of some popular Ben & Jerry’s flavors. The lawsuit says that the DVD names and the series title will be confusing to consumers who are looking for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream....

Ever since the Fourteenth Amendment was passed in 1868, the U.S. Constitution has guaranteed the citizenship of any person born in the United States. But in the past few weeks, Republican presidential candidates have been calling for an end to birthright citizenship. How could a new president change the Constitution on citizenship? Or can states simply decide citizenship matters for themselves? The Feds Prior to the Fourteenth Amendment’s passage, and even for some time after, the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government....

As a country, our views on alcoholism and alcoholics have evolved over time: instead of treating big drinkers as characters to be revered or “town drunk” characters to be laughed at, we now understand alcoholism as a medical syndrome that can have catastrophic effects on those drinking and nearby. This more nuanced understanding can lead to more and better treatment options from medical professionals and social service providers, and more empathy from friends and loved ones, but what about from employers?...

Having your pet around can be a comfort but what if you need it for more than that? Seeing-eye dogs are a common and accepted form of service animal, but they aren’t the only one. The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes two categories of service animals. Service dogs, which are trained to help with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities, and assistance animals, which covers other animals trained to assist their owner....

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a taxpayer can challenge an IRS summons, only if the taxpayer can meet a minimum standard of proof. The Court’s unanimous decision in United States v. Clarke held that taxpayers can ultimately challenge IRS summonses (yes, that’s the plural of summons) as long as there are some specific facts that show they were issued in bad faith. Reports in the news about this case have been a bit misleading, so here’s what the High Court actually said about fighting an IRS summons:...

The Telegraph is reporting that the World Health Organization will be updating its definition of “infertile” to include single men and women with no medical issues who have been unable to find a suitable sexual partner or sufficient sexual relationships which could achieve conception. Previously, men and women had to demonstrate 12 months of unprotected sex without conception to classify as infertile. This may seem like a simple shift, and one that could even have the added benefit of giving gay men and women the same priority access to in vitro fertilization resources as heterosexual couples....

When you think of a worker’s compensation claim, you likely think of someone injured by machinery or a worker who may have been hurt in a fall. But what about a worker who was involved in a car accident? Although it might not fit the bill of the stereotypical workers’ comp injury, an injury caused by a car accident may in certain circumstances be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage. When will a car accident injury qualify for workers’ compensation benefits?...

Last weekend an Amtrak train derailed near Philadelphia, killing two people and injuring 35, according to ABC News. The injuries were not life threatening, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency announced immediately after the accident, but that’s not likely to be the end of the story for Amtrak. In fact, it seems very likely that the passengers who crashed right before reaching Philadelphia will sue for any damages arising from this train accident....

On Monday, June 21, the Senate and House came to a compromise over one hotly contested portion of the finance reform bill. Members of both houses announced yesterday an agreement to include, in the final version of the bill, limits on the fees that banks can charge merchants when their customers complete a debit card transaction. These inter-change fees or “swipe fees” are a major cost for the nation’s merchants, from Walmart, to the corner Mom & Pop grocery....

A report released by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is run by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, indicates that the recession appears to be having one positive effect that is quite unwelcome. That is, an increase in Internet crime. The following is a brief summary of the report’s key findings: In 2008, the IC3 website received a total of 275,284 submitted complaints, a 33% increase from 2007....

The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) announced on Friday that for the first time in eight years, the federal government has met its goal of 23 percent for small business contracting – which it displays in the form of a Small Business Procurement Scorecard. Like a report card for federal agencies, this scorecard gives a letter grade to each agency based on a goal for contracting with small businesses and the actual small business contracts awarded....

Staving a potentially-complex custody trial, set to begin next week, to award custody of Michael Jackson’s three children, parties have come to an amicable agreement awarding full, permanent custody to Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, with visitation provisions for his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe. The children, Prince Michael, age 12, Paris Michael age 11, and Prince Michael II aka “Blanket”, age 7, have spent much time with the nearly eighty-year-old Grandma Jackson. Mother of the older two children and ex-wife of Michael Jackson, Debbie Rowe, signed off her parental rights as part of the divorce settlement with the late pop icon in 2000, but recently voiced an interest in caring for the children....

Summertime grilling is one of life’s great joys. The sunshine, the charred aroma, the grill marks – everything tastes better off the grill. But as with anything fun, it can also be dangerous – often because you are too busy having fun to be careful. Whether you’re tailgating, or in the back yard, here are some tips to keep you safe while grilling out this summer: Don’t grill inside. Unless you’re working with one of those George Foreman indoor/outdoor grills, you need to be outside, preferably a safe distance from the house....

When you’ve been injured by a product, you may be wondering if you have a legal case that’s worth pursuing. Defective products can hurt consumers in a variety of ways, but victims often worry that something they did with the product will prevent them from recovering. Perhaps they voided the warranty by trying to repair it, or even used it in a non-traditional way. Consider the following general product liability principles to decide whether you have a good injury case:...

Every small business has to balance decisions about basic daily operations against obligations imposed by federal tax laws. “When you’re running a business, you don’t need to be a tax expert, too. But you do need some basics to stay tax compliant so your business can thrive,” said Faris Fink, IRS Commissioner for the Small Business and Self-Employed Division, in an IRS press release. “There are many tax credits and deductions currently available....

It makes sense. You run a business and you want your employees to show up, work hard, represent the company well, and stay safe. And that’s why many business owners have drug testing policies in place. After all, drug use can be accompanied by absenteeism, reduced productivity, and accidents. But laws and perspectives are changing, causing some employers to rethink their drug testing policies. Here are some factors to consider before you do....

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is in the hot seat again. This time the self-proclaimed “America’s Toughest Sheriff” may face a contempt sanction. A federal judge has found grounds to impose sanctions against the office of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for destruction of records in a lawsuit involving racial profiling. According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Murray Snow said the sheriff’s office was negligent for not holding onto the documents....

Repossessing a car isn’t a pleasant task, but knowing the correct legal steps can at least make it an efficient one. To repo your car the smart and law-abiding way, here’s a quick legal how-to: Some states may require that you give notice to the local police department that you will repossess (or have repossessed) your car. For example, New York requires such notice immediately following the repo by personal appearance at the local station house....

Michigan’s gay marriage ban was struck down Friday afternoon by a federal judge, who ruled that the prohibition on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Just 15 hours later, same-sex couples in Michigan began tying the knot. U.S. District Court Judge Bernard A. Friedman ruled that the Michigan Marriage Amendment – which denied recognition of gay marriages performed in- and out-of-state – violated the constitutional right to equal protection of the laws, reports The Associated Press....