Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.
Another African American employee of the Fox News network has joined a recent racial discrimination lawsuit filed by two of her colleagues. Monica Douglas, who joins Tabrese Wright and Tichaona Brown, has filed similar complaints as her colleagues about the network’s former controller, Judith Slater, who has since been fired.
Mylan has been in the news a lot lately, and now that it’s facing a “new proposed class action lawsuit over the price of its EpiPen allergy treatment,” the company is bound to be in the news even more in coming months. The lawsuit was filed by three EpiPen purchasers on Monday in Tacoma, Washington federal court, claiming that “Mylan engaged in a scheme with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).” What are PBMs? They’re “companies that act as intermediaries between pharmacies, insurers and drug companies – to dominate the market and overcharge consumers.”
Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant chain based out of Louisville, Kentucky, has agreed to pay $12 million to settle an age discrimination lawsuit that was filed way back in 2011. The lawsuit itself was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claiming the chain “violated federal laws by refusing to hire people age 40 and older for front-of-the-house jobs like hosts, bartenders, and servers.”
Fox News is under fire amid allegations that the network “failed to address racial discrimination against two black women who work for the company.” Just last Tuesday, Tichaona Brown and Tabrese Wright sued the network, claiming they and “other dark-skinned employees suffered years-long racial animus from Judith Slater, a former senior vice president and company controller.”
After lengthy litigation, the dispute surrounding Trump University is finally over. On Friday, a federal judge finally approved a “$25 million settlement deal between President Trump and students” who paid for and attended real estate seminars at Trump University. Though the deal was originally agreed upon back in November, it had to undergo approval by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Fortunately for former students, the settlement calls for President Trump to “reimburse the students who say they were defrauded.”
Last week, lawmakers in West Virginia moved closer on a plan to “seize $24 million in recent drug lawsuit settlement funds” to put the money towards increasing beds in drug treatment facilities throughout the state. The measure, known as HB 2428, was passed in the House of Delegates with a unanimous vote, and will actually charge the Virginia Department of Health and Human Resource (DHHR) with the responsibility of using the money to “make extra treatment beds available by July 2018.”
A Florida woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a bizarre case involving botched cosmetic butt injections, tire sealant, rubber cement and superglue. Wondering how all of those things go together? Well, apparently Oneal Ron Morris, recently dubbed the “Toxic Tush Doctor,” actually used a mixture of tire sealant, rubber cement, and superglue during a cosmetic butt procedure that ultimately lead to the death of 31-year-old Shatarka Nuby. In fact, according to investigators, “a witness to the procedure claimed to have seen Morris superglue cotton balls to Nuby’s injection sites.”
Hepatitis A, sometimes a foodborne illness, is on the rise in the state of Michigan, prompting state officials to encourage people to get vaccinated. In recent months, reported cases have skyrocketed eight-fold. Just how many cases have there been? According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, between Aug. 1, 2016, and March 21, 2017, there have been a shocking 107 cases of lab-confirmed Hepatitis A in the state, though the spike in cases seems to be centered on areas around Detroit, including Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties.
Discrimination appears in many forms, and for many older Americans, ageism is a real thing, especially for those trying to find a job. More and more older Americans are having a hard time even getting a shot at an interview, prompting some to raise questions like “can a job applicant sue an employer for discriminating against older workers?” Well, one Atlanta man did. Richard Villarreal sued the R.J. Reynolds company when the company failed to give him a response to an application he submitted. However, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Villarreal, and now the Supreme Court is being asked to hear the case. Depending on how they rule, it could become “tougher for older workers to prove age discrimination” when turned down for jobs.
The weather is finally beginning to warm up, which means more and more people will be enjoying fun outdoor activities. However, if riding around on an ATV is your cup of tea, you might want to tune into a recent recall issued by Polaris Industries Inc.