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Watch out! Credit card surcharges are being added to some customers’ receipts. And in most states, they’re perfectly legal. That’s because as of Jan. 27, 2013, merchants are free to stick you with a surcharge when you pay by credit card, under the terms of a $7.2 billion settlement between credit card companies and merchants, reports ABC News. What does this mean? Nobody really knows. Just because merchants now have the ability to impose up to a 4 percent surcharge, it doesn’t mean that they will, according to Time....

The tech blogosphere is all atwitter (literally) about the silicon soap opera wherein one yet-to-be released, next-generation iPhone goes missing in a Redwood City bar and ends up for all the world to see on Gizmodo.com. All discussions about whether the lost iPhone was real (clearly, it was), whether it was purposefully left by some Machiavellian marketer (clearly, it wasn’t), or whether this was a one time oops by a young engineer out drinking for his b-day (clearly, that’s what it really was) have been done....

Immigration scams are reportedly on the rise since President Obama’s deferred action program went into effect last summer. The deferred action program allows certain undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States and even receive work authorization if they meet stringent eligibility requirements. However, scammers are apparently preying on vulnerable immigrants by offering “guaranteed” or “expedited” results for a hefty payment, and even requiring that some applicants pay money for a free government form....

Google has announced that it won’t make advertisers pay for ads that aren’t 100 percent viewable. This is great news for small businesses using the global search engine to get the word out. Only paying for those ads that potential customers can see means you’re getting more bang for your buck. But how do you know which ads are getting viewed, or are viewable? And what are the viewability criteria?...

A study by the Kaufman Foundation indicates that entrepreneurial activity increased in 2008, to the highest level since the group began tracking such statistics in 1996. The specifics as to what types of businesses were started, however, indicate that much of this is due to people not having enough work and needing income in the downturn. One question often asked by those considering a new business is: what kinds of permits or licenses do I need?...

The best time to get protection against a flood is before it happens. That means if you keep anything in a basement or live on the ground floor, it’s important to have flood insurance. Floods are the most common natural disaster and they can cause significant damage. Buying flood insurance is always a good idea but in some cases it’s also mandatory. It’s important to understand how and when to buy flood insurance so that you’re prepared before disaster strikes....

When you’re injured, whether by accident or intentionally, you may also want to sue for “pain and suffering.” But what exactly is “pain and suffering,” and how do you get a court to award damages for it? Not all injuries will lead to damages for pain and suffering. Simply being annoyed or inconvenienced by a minor injury, for example, usually won’t cut it. (As TV’s Judge Judy often says when dealing with litigants’ unfounded pain-and-suffering claims, “The only one suffering here is me!...

With more businesses needing to employ independent contractors versus full-time employees, the all important line between employee and contractor has been in the news again this tax season. One way to clarify matters and avoid misclassifying an employee: an independent contractor agreement. As discussed in this blog post, getting the contractor vs. employee distinction wrong can have dire consequences. The best way to get it right is to do so from the beginning....

Shoplifting and theft of products by staff – is a problem for any retail store. The bigger the store, the bigger the problem. And, usually, the more expensive the item, the more it is stolen or shoplifted. So, it’s only natural for retailers to take precautions. But what if the items being protected behind locked cases aren’t all that expensive? And what if a store is only putting products targeted to African American customers behind locked cases?...

A New York photojournalist arrested for videotaping police has settled his case against the police department for $200,000. The department also promises to train its officers on First Amendment rights. With the proliferation of cell-phone cameras and inexpensive digital video recorders has also come increased instances of both journalists and members of the public being arrested for recording the police. The U.S. Supreme Court tacitly affirmed the right of the public to record police activity in 2012 when it denied review of a lower-court case that struck down an Illinois law outlawing the practice....

Facebook can often be a powerful way to discover the truth. Whether it’s incriminating evidence in divorce proceedings or video of a grisly murder, Facebook profiles can be a well of inadvertently candid information. But how can you harness this potential fact-finding power for your legal case? There are a few simple steps you can take to use Facebook posts and messages as evidence: Its a good idea to preserve a copy of the post or image in question before the poster realizes the implications of what they posted and erases it....

As retailers are gearing up for the holiday shopping season, many employers are left wondering whether they can force their employees to work on the holidays. The Huffington Post reports that workers for retail giant Kmart have alleged the company will not let them take time off around the holidays, specifically from November 17 to 30 and December 15 to January 4. Can employers like Kmart really force employees to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas?...

Kentucky resident Ronald Dummitt, a former Navy veteran, was awarded a $32 million asbestos verdict after an eight-week trial in New York. Dummitt, now 68, served for 28 years in the Navy. He was exposed to asbestos from working on Navy ships. He served on seven different ships between 1960 and 1977, reports WSAZ-TV. Dummitt worked in the boiler and fire rooms on board the ships. His work also included repairing valves manufactured by Crane Co....

The U.S. food safety system would be modernized and upgraded – including better safeguards against foodborne illness cases like the recent nationwide salmonella outbreaks – under a new law being discussed this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. The proposed Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 would lay out the roles and responsibilities of every key player in the nation’s food supply chain, from growers to facility operators, health inspectors to lab analysis technicians....

A New York jail inmate was found dead in his cell in February, with officials citing malfunctioning equipment as to why he was “basically baked to death.” An autopsy performed on Jerome Murdough, 56, was inconclusive but initial findings indicated to officials that the mentally ill ex-Marine died of extreme dehydration or heat stroke, officials told The Associated Press. Murdough was in a cell that reportedly was overheated to at least 100 degrees....

The saga of Roman Polanski’s sex crime in 1977 and recent arrest took yet another turn this week. A former prosecutor, whose interview plays a large part in an influential documentary about the case, now says he made the whole thing up. The line between film and life was already blurred when a documentary film intervened to bolster legal arguments that the director of Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby got an unfair trial more than 30 years ago....

Many people probably read news stories or see TV shows where criminal suspects get off the hook based on some kind of “technicality”, where frustrated officers and prosecutors are left behind shaking their proverbial fists at the broken justice system. A recent appellate case out of California shows that there exists a flip-side to the coin, and that law enforcement’s hands might not be quite as tied down as people may think when it comes to trickery....

The trend of unmarried couples living together is leading to some unintended consequences, including issues regarding the extension of employee health benefits. Traditionally, companies that provided health benefits offered them only to the spouse and dependents of an employee. That meant boyfriends and girlfriends weren’t included, even if they were in a stable, long-term relationship. While that model is still the dominant one, some companies are now offering more. What began as an effort to help same-sex couples get benefits has had some important benefits for young opposite-sex couples too....

Should your registered agent be a third party? First of all, what is a registered agent? It is the individual who is designated to accept legal documents served against your company when you’re involved in a legal action. The registered agent for a small business can be an employee of the company – or a third party, which is sometimes preferred. Usually, a third party registered agent is the business’ lawyer or a separate service company....

Guest post by Jennifer K. Halford, Esq. When speaking at seminars for small business owners, I am often asked how a business owner can pay less in attorneys’ fees. I find that most business owners know the value a good attorney can bring to their business. An attorney can protect your business from risks and liabilities. An attorney can also create the policies and contracts that will help your business succeed....