Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. The AP reports that chlamydia has hit a new record in 2008 with 1.2 million new cases of the disease. The sexually spread disease is often symptomless, but one of its devastating effects is that it renders women infertile. It was the most STD cases ever reported to date for the disease. Other STD cases have been on the rise too. Approximately 13,500 cases of syphilis have been reported in 2008....
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they aren’t actually after you. - Joseph Heller - Catch 22 The Electronic Frontier Foundation received documents as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit regarding government surveillance on social networks. It turns out that the government has been tracking people using social sites to investigate matters including immigration fraud. According to the documents, the government has used surveillance of social networks to investigate citizenship petitions....
While there have been a bevy of posts that discuss the dangers of distracted driving, we have all (us drivers at least) been guilty of it at some point in our lives. We all know that we should never drink and drive, but when it comes to distracted driving, we all seem to be more forgiving about it. The problem is that distracted driving can be just as dangerous, especially driving and texting....
Airline passengers may soon be able to use their cell phones to text or even make calls in-flight, if the FCC follows through with a new proposed rule. CNET reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to consider whether to allow the use of cell phones and other mobile broadband services “on airplanes above 10,000 feet.” Is the FCC making the right call with this proposal? That’s open to debate, and the general public will soon be able to sound off....
A former Rhode Island cop, Nicholas Gianquitti, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for second-degree murder, and the case may provide an exemplar on the limits of self-defense law. The tragic case arose, as is unfortunately, too often the case, out of something relatively trivial. In May of 2008, some kids at a neighbor’s place accidentally hit a tennis ball into Gianquitti’s car (he’d had his issues with neighborhood kids before)....
Google currently appears to be in damage control mode in order to defend itself against Federal Labor Department allegations of a gender pay gap. However, Google has brought all this on itself. For nearly three years, the tech giant has refused to comply with federal compliance investigators’ document requests. While the official labor department complaint indicates a preliminary finding of a gender pay gap, the primary issue comes from Google’s failure to turn over documents and information....
On March 26, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he supported the state senate approved Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and would sign it into law: “I think it’s a bill that puts a higher emphasis on religious freedom.” Less than a week later, Gov. Hutchinson rejected the bill after the Arkansas house passed it, and threatened the use of an executive order to change the bill if the legislature failed to do so....
If your small business is flourishing and you’re ready to expand into a franchise, congratulations are definitely in order! But so too are some legal considerations – especially when it comes to drafting a business franchise agreement. As you know, a franchise agreement is essential to spell out each party’s obligations and protect your legal and financial interests. Here’s how to draft a business franchise agreement – or at least, how to get a solid start:...
Let’s face it, prisons aren’t exactly sterile environments. And some states (e.g. California) are just regaining control of health care in correctional facilities after federal authorities had to take over because of allegations of substandard care. Therefore, getting sick in prison is a distinct possibility, especially if you have a previous condition like diabetes or heart disease. So if you get sick in prison, or if your condition worsens due to prison conditions, can you sue for damages?...
Do you have solar panels at your home? If be, be careful of possible damage to your solar panels caused by the environment. Also, you should be alert for damage to your home caused by defective solar panels. If your solar panels are damaged or defective, does your insurance cover your losses? Solar panels are usually expected to have a 25 year lifespan. However, many of these solar panels are suspected to be defective....
November is National Adoption Month. Parents of adopted children and prospective parents may be wondering what legal rights a non-biological parent has. These rights will often depend on relevant adoption laws, rights reserved by the biological parents, and whether previous parental rights have been terminated. If you’re thinking of adopting a child this month, or you’ve adopted or fostered a child in the past, here is an overview on the non-biological parental rights:...
President Obama has been quoted as saying he would like to put civility back into American political life. At this point in time, it might be like putting the genie back in the bottle, because the harshness evidenced during the healthcare debate has morphed into something even more ugly and dangerous. On April 5, it was reported that Charles Alan Wilson was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors for threatening to kill Washington Senator Patty Murray for her stance on healthcare....
As if the health care bill has not undergone enough challenges during the legislative process (as it should) it will face a new challenge if and when it is signed into law by President Obama. The Attorneys General from 12 states, all of them Republican (with the exception of Oklahoman Drew Edmonson) and at least one seeking office in the fall, will challenge the health care bill as unconstitutional. According to an article on the site Health Reform Watch, the challenges to the constitutionality of the universal mandate may be based on first, the theory that Congress is over-reaching its power under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution in requiring citizens to purchase a product and second, that the mandate violates the individual liberties of citizens as set out in the Bill of Rights....
Presents from the President at Christmas time are particularly touching. Federal workers love them because they come in the form of an executive order for time off. In fact, some federal workers petitioned for the very gift the President ended up giving them. Or close. He did fall short. President Obama announced that he was giving federal workers a half day on Christmas Eve, or December 24, according to Fortune....
The fate of California’s Proposition 8 lies in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, as oral arguments have just wrapped up. It’s the first of two same-sex marriage cases on the Court’s docket this week. Proposition 8, approved by California voters in 2008, amended the state’s constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. A federal district court, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, held Prop 8 was unconstitutional; supporters appealed to the U....
A Bronx school was hit with a lawsuit because a 12 year old was injured during a school dodgeball game while he was sitting on the sidelines. According to the New York Daily News, 12 year old Shane Reese of the Bronx was hit in the face with a soccer ball and suffered a mouth injury during a game of dodgeball at public school IS 219. The City of New York has offered Reese $20,000 in order to settle the lawsuit....
The SEC is settling a wrongful termination suit filed by an employee who was fired after he went public with allegations of favoritism and improper behavior at the Commission. The Government Accountability Project, who represented fired staffer Gary Aguirre, said the settlement would include a payment for back pay and attorney’s fees amounting to a total of $755,000. This may be the largest settlement of this kind. According to the Associated Press, Aguirre’s troubles with his former employers began when he was fired in 2005....
It’s not easy for a private citizen to sue a federal employee for a civil rights violation. If there’s no statute to allow the lawsuit, then historically you couldn’t bring your case. That’s where the so-called Bivens claim becomes important. Normally, when a person suffers a violation of their constitutional or civil rights, particularly in the context of police, prison, immigration enforcement, officer misconduct, there are usually legal remedies. However, when these types of constitutional violation stem from the actions of a federal agent, appointee, officer, or employee, victims often find that many of the typical remedies will not be available....
Experts advise against a harried approach to holiday hiring, however. There are some things you can do to ensure that you get the right people for the job and that means thinking ahead. Here is what a few human resources experts recommended on Monster to ensure effective hiring for the holiday season. Short Gig, Long View Just because seasonal work is short-term does not mean that you can stint on a hiring strategy....
The avalanche deaths of three expert skiers highlight the risks of “sidecountry skiing,” an increasingly popular trend, experts say. The skiers – Jim Jack, Chris Rudolph, and Johnny Brenan – were part of a group that purposely strayed outside the boundaries of the Stevens Pass Ski resort in Washington state, The Seattle Times reports. An avalanche swept down the steep slope on Sunday, and the three skiers were killed. But because the skiers knew the risks involved with skiing out-of-bounds, their relatives probably won’t be able to sue the resort for the avalanche deaths....
