Month: May 2019

Opinion analysis: The First Amendment, probable cause and questions left unanswered – SCOTUSblog

May 31, 2019

Opinion analysis: The First Amendment, probable cause and questions left unanswered – SCOTUSblog Roberts wrote the opinion for the court, joined in full by Justices Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan and Brett Kavanaugh, and by Justice Clarence Thomas in all but one part. Roberts began with the requirement that a plaintiff seeking to establish … More Opinion analysis: The First Amendment, probable cause and questions left unanswered – SCOTUSblog

The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier for Police to Arrest You for Filming Them

May 31, 2019

In Nieves v. Bartlett, a divided court ruled that individuals can’t sue police officers for retaliatory arrest if those officers had probable cause to arrest them for any crime, no matter how minor—and that’s true even if the real reason for the arrest was speech the officers didn’t like. In other words, if you are … More The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier for Police to Arrest You for Filming Them

Elder care homes rake in profits as workers earn a pittance

May 19, 2019

Human trafficking – in which workers, particularly Filipinos, are coerced, manipulated and exploited – also is not uncommon, according to prosecutors and attorneys. For example, several family members were charged last year with human trafficking and labor abuse in a case involving caregivers in San Mateo County, California, south of San Francisco. apnews.com/8e852a9b2fd9459e9e7ca2412c7bcf47

Speaker stuns Morehouse grads, to pay off $40M student debt

May 19, 2019

“On behalf of the eight generations of my family that have been in this country, we’re gonna put a little fuel in your bus,” the investor and philanthropist told graduates in his morning address. “This is my class, 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans.” The announcement immediately drew stunned looks … More Speaker stuns Morehouse grads, to pay off $40M student debt

Lawsuit Alleges Collusion, Inflated Commissions Among Realtors

May 19, 2019

In Moerhl v National Association Realtors (NAR), home sellers from across the nation are claiming that NAR’s compensation policies—which require all member brokers demand blanket, non-negotiable buyer-side commission fees when listing a home on a Multiple Listing Service—is a violation of antitrust law. Realogy Holdings, HomeServices of America, RE/MAX and Keller Williams are also named in … More Lawsuit Alleges Collusion, Inflated Commissions Among Realtors

Western Companies Get Tangled in China’s Muslim Clampdown

May 18, 2019

Adidas AG, Hennes & Mauritz AB, Kraft Heinz Co., Coca-Cola Co. and Gap Inc. are among those at the end of the long, often opaque supply chains that travel through China’s northwest region of Xinjiang. Residents there are routinely forced into training programs that feed workers to area factories, according to locals, official notices and … More Western Companies Get Tangled in China’s Muslim Clampdown

States bring price fixing suit against generic drug makers – The Seattle Times

May 11, 2019

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, said investigators obtained evidence implicating 20 firms. “We have hard evidence that shows the generic drug industry perpetrated a multibillion dollar fraud on the American people,” Tong said. “We have emails, text messages, telephone records and former company insiders that we believe will prove a multi-year conspiracy to … More States bring price fixing suit against generic drug makers – The Seattle Times

Teva, Other Drug Companies Accused in Sweeping U.S. Price-Fixing Scheme: Lawsuit | Top News | US News

May 11, 2019

The drugs included everything from tablets and capsules to creams and ointments to treat conditions including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cancer, epilepsy and more, they said. In some instances, the coordinated price increases were more than 1,000 percent, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also names 15 individuals as defendants who it said carried … More Teva, Other Drug Companies Accused in Sweeping U.S. Price-Fixing Scheme: Lawsuit | Top News | US News

Asbestos Industry Covered Up Danger for Decades, and Evades Responsibility Today | HuffPost

May 2, 2019

One of the most notorious industry memos, from 1966, shows just how callous executives were toward factory workers who were being exposed to asbestos. The director of purchases for the Bendix Corporation (now Honeywell) wrote in a memo to an official with the Canadian Johns Manville Co.: My answer to the problem is: if you … More Asbestos Industry Covered Up Danger for Decades, and Evades Responsibility Today | HuffPost