Target shopper Michelle Hickman organized a “nurse in” at Target stores across the nation this week. She wanted to make a stand in support of a woman’s right to breastfeed. What many Americans may not realize is that breastfeeding laws often encourage and allow women to nurse in public. It’s a lesson that some Target employees in Houston hadn’t learned. Hickman was nursing her infant son in the store when she was stopped by store staff members....
In a case that’s troubling on so many levels, prosecutors in Uvalde, Texas have charged a 12-year-old boy with capital murder, the most serious felony on the law books. If convicted, he could serve 40 years in prison. Around 8 p.m. one weekday night, VanMeter, his girlfriend, Sammy Arellano, and two children were in their home. The couple heard someone trying to kick down the door. VanMeter went to survey the scene, while Arellano stayed in the bedroom....
If you’re going to appoint someone to handle your legal and financial affairs after you pass away (and you absolutely should), you want to pick someone who is capable and trustworthy. After all, this person may have access to your Facebook account when you die. And even if you’ve already chosen an executor, your work may not be over. Here are some common situations that can have you reconsidering your executor:...
Are you afraid to make a workers’ comp claim? Afraid your employer will fire you? Afraid another employer won’t hire you because of your workers’ comp claim? Don’t be. Your have rights and are usually protected by the law. Prohibited By State Law Workers’ compensation law varies from state to state. Most states have laws prohibiting firing or demoting an employee in retaliation for a workers’ comp claim. Some even specifically forbid refusing to hire a prospective employee because a workers’ comp claim....
Maybe your search for a new car hit a bump in the road (or another car). Or maybe a prospective buyer’s “trip around the block” in your car didn’t quite go as planned. Either way, you may be wondering who is responsible for car accidents that happen during a test drive. For the most part, these car accidents will be handled like any other – with insurance. But there may be a few quirks you should be familiar with....
Is America on a path toward slowly legalizing recreational marijuana? As reported earlier this month, supporters of a Colorado pot legalization measure were given until February 21 to collect the additional 3,000 signatures needed to earn the measure a place on the November ballot. Well, they’ve done it. Come this fall, Colorado voters will be asked to decide whether the state should legalize the drug for recreational purposes. Though they rejected a similar measure in 2006, attitudes towards marijuana have changed significantly in the last 6 years....
Saturday was the deadline for many workers who previously declined COBRA coverage to be notified of their second chance to take it. This is part of the new government subsidy of up to 65% of eligible participants’ premiums. Many businesses with less than 20 employees, however, wonder whether their employees have any access to the new benefits. Under federal law, COBRA continuation of health plan benefits are available to people who participated in a group health plan of an employer with 20 or more employees....
I just finished writing a post that challenged the assertion that the world is going straight to hell in a handbasket. It seems sadly ironic that moments later I’m writing about a college dean stabbed on campus in Missouri. Jackson County prosecutors have alleged that Casey Brezik, a student at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley, stabbed Al Dimmitt Jr., the campus dean of instruction. Brezik was wearing a bullet-proof vest and rushed Dimmitt, slashing his throat....
Some victims of the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting are unfortunately being victimized again. This time they’re being targeted by conspiracy theorists who’ve allegedly been harassing the victims for a variety of inane reasons. In fact, things have gotten so bad that some victims are concerned for their health and safety, according to prosecutors. So how bad was it? It’s claimed that conspiracy theorists have posted maps, addresses, and phone numbers of victims online....
In the midst of after-school traffic, a multi-car crash caused a car to flip over into a canal in Florida, leaving a father and his two sons trapped in their water-filled vehicle. Fortunately, all three came away from the accident without life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Though the crash involved multiple vehicles, one driver will likely be held solely liable for any injuries that resulted from the accident....
Prosecutors charged Bumble Bee Foods and two managers after a worker was cooked to death in an industrial oven along with six tons of tuna. Plant Operations Director Angel Rodriguez and former safety manager Saul Florez could face 3 years in prison and the Bumble Bee could pay $1.5 million in fines for violating workplace safety standards. But what about the family of the man who died, Jose Melena? Does workers’ compensation cover death in the workplace?...
Predicative policing is the latest law enforcement tactic which combines cutting-edge crime analysis and other information to forecast where crime may pop up next. This week Los Angeles is hosting the country’s first symposium on Predictive Policing. It is organized by the Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). For example, LAPD has topped 10,000 officers for the first time, crime is down and police are using less serious force....
California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed suit July 4 against federal lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their controlling agency, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, over their actions blocking the state’s program to fund homeowner environmental improvements paid for with a tax surcharge. The program, the Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE, has drawn $150 million in federal stimulus money in California and 22 other states. According to the New York Times, California’s PACE program allows homeowners to have the state or city pay for energy or water saving upgrades to their homes....
Any time a 4.1 GPA student claims teachers and school administrators ’threatened, punished and censored her, for expressing her opinions on religion, abortion, sex education, and drug education in an attempt to chill, deter and restrict (her) from freely expressing her opinions,’ you know it’s not a good situation. Cidney Fisk, a self-described atheist, claims she clashed with Delta High School staff on issues ranging from abortion and sex ed classes to football game attire, to the point that her grades were adjusted down and a counselor threatened to rescind letters of recommendation....
The AP today reported that the White House is expanding its mortgage aid program, adding some new options for homeowners to avoid a foreclosure. According to the story, the “new initiatives are expected to streamline the process of selling a home that is worth less than the mortgage, or transfer ownership of a home to the lender.” What that first option is actually referring to is what is commonly called a “short sale”, which can be one alternative to foreclosure (and/or bankruptcy) for homeowners who are unable to keep their home via mortgage modification or similar options....
An Iraq vet whose skull was fractured by a projectile shot by police during an Occupy Oakland protest has agreed to receive $4.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit with the city of Oakland. During the protest, 26-year-old Scott Olsen was hit in the head by a beanbag round fired by a police officer standing less than 30 feet away from him, The Associated Press reports. The large settlement amount stems from a variety of factors, including the nature and severity of Olsen’s injuries and the negligent training of the officers....
The image most associated with parental neglect is an undernourished child. The recent case of a South Carolina mother and son, however, brings to the forefront an issue more states will be grappling with: can a child’s obesity related health concerns result in a parent’s loss of custody? Medical neglect leading to loss of parental rights does not always have to involve religious parents who opt to refuse cancer treatment for their kids....
You hired a lawyer and were promised one rate. But when you get your legal bill in the mail, it’s much more than you expect. That’s what led to a recent case alleging overbilling by DLA Piper, the world’s largest law firm. Internal emails disclosed in the case revealed lawyers joking about “churning,” or running up, client bills. While you may feel that it’s easier just to pay the higher amount (after all, a lawyer charged you), you should know there are ways to dispute a legal bill – everything from attorney’s fees to miscellaneous costs like making photocopies....
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. That particular bit of wisdom is being proved true once again, as today we struggle as a country to balance inclusiveness with individual freedom, respect with the wish to speak our minds. These issues are front and center after a dust-up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, when a field trip to a local Muslim cultural center seemed to some parents to go too far....
Bicycle safety has always been important, but lately with the increased encouragement to use bikes as your main mode of transportation, it’s more important now than ever. But, before you start gearing up, here are 5 important safety tips to keep in mind. Be visible and stay alert. While this is of course important in general, it is even more pertinent for bicyclists. Bikers are not as obvious and mainstream on the road as cars are, so it is up to the biker to ensure that they are extra visible....
