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Under new rules, dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders (known as H-4 visa holders) will soon be able to apply for work permits. In a recent announcement, USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez said that DHS will extend eligibility for employment authorization to H-4 visa holders. H-4 visa holders previously could not work while they lived in the United States with their H-1B spouses. This reform, part of Obama’s executive action on immigration reform, will allow H-4 visa holders to develop financial independence and will widen the pool of highly skilled workers in the United States....

The IRS has issued a clarification regarding the new Form 1099-K and how to report 1099-K amounts on your business taxes. Business merchants who use third-party payment-processing companies for credit-card and e-commerce transactions should have received a Form 1099-K from each of those processing companies by Jan. 31. (This is only required for merchants with at least $20,000 in processed payments and at least 200 transactions last year.) So how should you report the amounts from Form 1099-K on your business tax return?...

Big-box retailer Target is facing at least 11 lawsuits for a data breach which occurred on the corporation’s servers from November 27 to December 15. While these lawsuits have been filed by shoppers from Massachusetts to Minnesota (Target’s home state), the suits share one thing in common: allegations that Target was too slow in alerting customers to the breach, reports Inside Counsel. But can Target and other retailers really be held liable for customer damages caused by data breaches?...

After long delays, the L.A. City Council has settled on its controversial medical marijuana ordinance, tentatively approving dispensaries to be at least 1,000 feet from places where children congregate, such as schools, parks and libraries. According to the Los Angeles Times, the council gave preliminary approval to the 1,000-foot buffer zones and will vote again in a week because the 11-3 tally fell short of the 12-0 result that an ordinance needs to pass on the first reading....

When you’re leaving a job, what can you take with you? You might know to leave the desk and the ugly office plant, but other items like documents and electronic data are a whole other matter. From e-mail messages to bathroom keys to the office supplies in your filing cabinet, there are a number of items you may need to account for. So what belongs to you, and what belongs to your employer?...

A Georgia mom arrested for letting her 10-year-old son get a tattoo claims she didn’t know it was illegal. But police have an inkling that’s not completely true. Chuntera Napier, of Acworth, Ga., faces charges of child cruelty and being a party to a crime in connection with her son’s tattoo. “I always thought that if a parent gave consent, then it’s fine,” Napier told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But when it comes to tattooing children, Georgia’s law states otherwise – and police say Napier probably knew it....

Compared to the rest of the world, Americans generally receive a pitifully low amount of paid vacation. Americans seem to want to live a life of work, based on our lack of paid vacation laws as well as the number of vacation time off the average American employee gets. This can come as a surprise for foreign employers - after all, Americans generally get only two to three weeks of paid vacation time off, whereas our European counterparts can get up to 6 weeks of paid vacation time a year....

The AP reported on a police chief in a small Texas town whose actions have now raised questions about how he got his job in the first place. Oakwood Police Chief Oly Ivy was arrested on Monday for allegedly using a taser on his wife (some reports have instead described her as his live-in girlfriend, but that is sort of beside the point). He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and got fired the same night....

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to extend for one more month the already extended benefits allotted to those who are out of work. However, if the Senate did not also act to approve the bill, the extensions would face a gap during the chamber’s spring recess. They did not, and about 400,000 Americans will see their benefits go on vacation as well. According to a report by NPR, the wrangling in the Senate took on familiar party outlines, with the Democrats seeking to pass the extension and the Republicans asking who will pay for the increase in government spending necessary to cover it....

The Salt Lake Comic Con is experiencing its first year, but the convention already generating some potential legal battles with its larger comic con brethren. In a letter sent last week, attorneys for the San Diego Comic-Con demanded the convention change its name, or face legal action, reports Salt Lake City’s KUTV-TV. What’s behind this comical name battle and what lessons can you learn about choosing a name for your business?...

A Pennsylvania man is suing the Penthouse Club near Philadelphia for injuries he says he suffered when a stripper slid down the stripper pole too hard onto his lap. Patrick Gallagher was celebrating his impending marriage with a bachelor’s party at the Penthouse Club when his friends got him the club’s “Bachelor’s Package.” As part of the package, the man was invited onstage and got some very personal attention from the dancers, reports the Philadelphia Daily News....

Today is April 20, or 4/20, which is no big deal right? Well, that might depend on your point of view, and maybe even your state of mind. If, as a New York Times story suggests, you are a “marijuana fan” then today just happens to be the unofficial day (and/or hour) of celebration for your product of choice (see one version of the history on the term). On the other hand, if you are in law enforcement, today is likely a day calling for greater vigilance and crackdowns to prevent any unwanted consequences or fallout from 420 “festivities” (which would apparently include “campus smoke-outs, concerts and cannabis festivals”)....

What is virtual visitation? In this modern day and age, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that there are forms of child visitation for divorced parents that occur via technology. Virtual visitation is a new trending form of visitation for parents. A parent can now “visit” his or her child through technology portals like Skype, Facetime, or Google video chat. Do courts embrace this kind of visitation? Is virtual visitation a part of a parent’s “regular” visitation rights?...

With the holidays upon us, party planning is in full swing. Like any other holiday season, a fair number of party hosts and partygoers will have to deal with holiday party injuries, throwing a wrench (hopefully not literally) into their night of merriment. During this holiday season, social hosts and homeowners should be extra careful about liability for holiday party injuries. Liable ‘Parties’ Social Hosts Many states have enacted laws holding party hosts liable for injuries guests may cause while intoxicated....

An employee at a Bumble Bee Foods factory in California was killed by being cooked to death. Jose Malena apparently fell into a “steamer machine” at the tuna processing plant in Santa Fe Springs. The machine is basically a giant oven. When paramedics arrived at the scene, the 62-year-old Malena was already dead, reports KTLA-TV. OSHA investigators are looking into the incident and so far it’s not clear how the employee ended up inside the device....

Cousin of M.C. Hammer, and presence on Hammer’s reality show Hammertime, Marvin Grant has been accused of raping a woman he met via Twitter. Getting to the bottom of Mr. Grant’s case will need investigation and, should he be charged, trial. Discussion of this as the first “Twitter rape case,” however, has been immediate. As we’ve explored in relation to many “Craigslist crimes” and “Facebook divorces,” social media tools have been tied to an ever increasing array of crimes and lawsuits....

From slick store floors to icy sidewalks, slip and fall accidents account for an enormous number of personal injury lawsuits. So many, in fact, that you probably know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who has considered filing a slip and fall claim. And with so many stories out there, separating the truth from so many tall tales can be a challenge. Have no fear – we’re here to help....

Six teens were killed in a crash in Ohio early Sunday, while two others in the SUV were able to escape. None of the teens had permission to use the vehicle, authorities said. The eight teens had squeezed into a Honda Passport that was made to seat five, CNN reports. The 19-year-old driver lost control on a two-lane road near Warren, Ohio, and the SUV flipped over into a pond. The driver and five others, ages 14 to 17, were killed....

There are countless reasons people choose to get plastic or cosmetic surgery. Sometimes it stems from vanity, sometimes it’s to cover up scars or conditions that make a person insecure or subject to ridicule, and sometimes it’s for conditions related to a person’s health. Whatever the reason for getting plastic surgery, it is no different than any other medical procedure in that there are risks involved. Below are some of the common ways plastic surgery can go wrong....

Arizona is back in the spotlight again after Gov. Jan Brewer signed a new law designed to restrict ethnic studies courses. Supporters of the Arizona house bill, say that the ethnic studies courses were dividing the students up by race and offering them differing versions of history. Latinos in particular, say supporters, were allegedly being taught a history that emphasized their oppression and that emphasized that capitalism is the enemy. Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction for Arizona, believes that the new law is a positive step for Arizona....