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The New York Stock Exchange took a brief plunge Tuesday, when the @AP account was hacked in the latest “spear-phishing” attack. A malicious email masquerading as correspondence from a co-worker was all it took for Associated Press employees to click on a link that somehow gave hackers access to the AP’s sensitive account information, Slate reports. While major corporations struggle to stay ahead of hackers, there are a few ways consumers can protect themselves from spear-phishing....

Asthma is a rather common form of lung disease that results in difficulty breathing, pain, and other symptoms. Left untreated, it can result in death. Asthma attacks kill thousands every year. Fortunately, asthma sufferers are often able to alleviate symptoms by using inhalers and other medications. In limited circumstances, an asthma misdiagnosis, or failing to provide asthma medication, can lead to legal liability. Some examples of when a person may be able to sue for an asthma-related injury are listed here:...

It’s the time of year again – two weeks of hype, anticipation, and chatter about the upcoming Super Bowl, and this isn’t just some idle water cooler chat in the office. The big game can have a huge impact on your business, for better and for worse. So how can your small business take advantage of the Super Bowl without getting into legal trouble? By following these 3 tips: We all know about the famous halftime ads during the Super Bowl, but if you don’t have millions in your advertising budget, can you still ride the game’s coat tails to new customers?...

When you first start a business, you do whatever you can to survive and you find people who are flexible and can do as much as possible. But as your business grows, you need to consider how to improve processes and ensure that your expansion and actions are sustainable. Some startups are never lucky enough to have the problem of scalability. That’s because they don’t do enough to manage the internal culture and ultimately never reach their full potential....

Ansel Adams (1902-1984) is well known for his black and white photography, largely of landscapes of the American West including Yosemite National Park. He was also an environmentalist and co-developer of a Zone System, a method for determining the best exposure. Adams established The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust in 1976 to preserve and protect his artistic legacy and work. The trust has now filed suit in federal district court in San Francisco to prevent Rick Norsigian and PRS Media Partners from using Adams’ name, likeness and trademark....

California is set to begin a pilot program which requires drivers with DUI convictions, even first time offenders, to use new interlock devices. The experimental program will begin on July 1 and convicted drunken drivers will have to test their breath for alcohol with an interlock device before they can start their vehicles, the Contra Costa Times reports. The ignition locking device is installed on the dashboard and requires drivers to breath into a tube to start their vehicles and at random times....

A fake pot lawsuit may be brewing in Wyoming, where at least three individuals are thought to have ingested a bad batch of synthetic marijuana. State health officials believe a small outbreak of kidney failure is linked to the legal substance, which is also known as “spice” and “K2.” The three were hospitalized after coming down with severe stomach and back pains, as well as vomiting. Two others reported similar symptoms earlier in the week, but officials have yet to track them down....

Listen up, Ladies. Bra shopping may have just gotten a bit worse. When you pick out a bra, skin discoloration (aside from those pesky stretch marks) is the last thing on your mind. That might just have to change. A South Carolina woman has filed a products liability lawsuit against Hanes and Walmart alleging that her $10 bra caused $75,000 worth of skin discoloration. Cherrill Bennett, the woman behind the bra lawsuit, bought a black Hanes bra from Walmart three years ago, reports The Post and Courier....

Assault is a crime. And if you’ve been the victim of an assault, hopefully law enforcement officials were able to identify and prosecute the perpetrator. But a criminal conviction might not be enough to compensate you for an assault. If you’ve been injured in an assault, you may have medical bills and lost wages – who’s going to pay for that? Can you sue for damages sustained in an assault?...

Imagine that your car has just been recalled. The overwhelming question that you may be wondering is, can I file a recall lawsuit? What are my recall rights? A recall may fix the underlying problem with your vehicle or defective product. And, some recalls may even offer compensation in the form of a refund. But, what if you’ve been injured as a result of the defective product? You could file a lawsuit....

After the Badlands National Park went rogue on Twitter last week, posting facts related to climate change, much attention was drawn to the new president’s policies on government employee free speech. While the First Amendment protects free speech rights, those rights are not absolute. This week, the White House issued directives to several federal agencies that mandate supervisor approval before employees make public statements, particularly concerning political or scientific matters that the previous administration supported....

The partial government shutdown has affected everything from international diplomacy to consumer rights. It has also affected small businesses, and one company has now filed suit. Atlas Brew Works, a craft brewery based in Washington D.C., claims the shutdown has violated its First Amendment right to speak to consumers because its labels for seasonal brew kegs are stuck in the label approval process at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau....

Cyberbullying victims aren’t just an invention of an overzealous news media. They’re a reality. According to a new FindLaw.com survey, nearly 1 in 12 parents say their children have been targeted by cyberbullies. The survey also suggests ways that a lawyer may be able to help parents deal with the issue. Here are three ways enlisting an attorney can potentially assist a cyberbullying victim: Although most cyberbullying victims are children and teens, the effects of this harassment can unsettle entire families....

Since few facts regarding the San Marcos shootings have been released, it’s hard to predict any outcome. However, given the degree to which Texas law allows the use of deadly force to defend oneself, one’s home or place of business, one’s property and even the property of others, it’s hard to imagine the San Marcos shooter being charged with anything. States vary greatly regarding when force or deadly force is allowed in defense of self or property....

North Carolina now joins more than a dozen states that already ban texting while driving. Starting Dec.1, the state’s ban on sending text messages while driving goes into effect. North Carolina drivers who text behind the wheel could owe $100 in fines. Lately we’ve seen much coverage of the dangers of texting while driving and many states have instituted a ban against it. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the following new laws have been in effect since January:...

Lawyers who practice family law often become skilled in navigating family feuds. If your family is involved in serious disputes that have legal implications, it’s probably time to contact an attorney for help. Tough topics – like death or money – make people uncomfortable and emotional. Add to that deeply entrenched family dynamics and you have a recipe for disaster. Having an attorney handle a personal matter may seem, well, impersonal, but it’s actually a way to avoid having destructive exchanges that will be difficult for you and your family to recover from....

Square, Intuit GoPayment and Verifone’s PAYware Mobile. Square’s CEO is Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter. It features a free credit card swiper that plugs into your iPhone or Android phones headphone jack. The new app charges 2.75 percent for each swiped transaction and 3.5 percent for each keyed-in transaction. Intuit GoPayment is made for the iPhone and is a case with a built-in card reader. You can also download the GoPayment software on Blackberry, HTC and Palm smart phones....

April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day. Today and every day, we should inspire children to read, explore, and discover the world through books. What better place for children to immerse themselves into the world of literature and imagination than their school library? Ideally, a school library should promote the freedom to choose, explore, and express one’s opinions. Most of the time, school libraries are liberal in their book selection. However, books are challenged and banned all too often....

There are few topics more politically polarizing at the moment than charter schools. One side of the argument claims that bad teachers have too much job security and we need to run public schools more like private businesses. The other contends public schools are underfunded, teachers are underpaid, and the solution is not diverting public funds to schools lacking public oversight. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, there is little debate that the quality of charter schools varies greatly, and some have been used as schemes to pocket millions in government funds....

The annual report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that illegal drug use is at a ten year high. The report, which covers the transition year that President Obama took office, noted that 21.8 million Americans (age twelve and older) admitted to some type of illegal drug use in 2009, a nine percent increase from last year. According to MSNBC, the rise can be attributed to the, “sharp increase in marijuana use and a surge in ecstasy and methamphetamine use … and eroding attitudes about the perception of harm and the growing number of states approving medical marijuana....