More States Sue to fight EPA Clean Water Act Rule Changes

7/8/2015 Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced in a Tuesday press release that his office will be joining 26 other states who have filed four separate lawsuits since last month over rule changes regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement of the Clean Water Act. The legal fight is essentially a territorial battle over which


Inherently Dangerous Products?

Generally, we expect manufacturers to create products in a way that makes them safe to use. But there are some products consumers buy that will be dangerous no matter how they are created. Washington has adopted comment k to the Restatement (second) of Torts Section 402A, which precludes liability for certain “unavoidably unsafe products.” As


Is there Middle-Ground in the Sanctuary City Debate?

7/8/2015 The senseless killing of 32 year-old Kathryn Steinle, who was shot in the upper torso by a complete stranger, 45 year old undocumented immigrant Francisco Sanchez on July 1st on San-Francisco’s popular Pier 14, has re-inflamed the immigration debate. Sanchez, a seven-time felon, had been deported back to Mexico on five separate occasions, yet



South Carolina Senate Votes to Remove Confederate Flag

7/6/2015 In an amazing shift of perspective, South Carolina may finally be willing to abandon its most prominent symbol of Confederate heritage after a three-week public shaming by the majority of the Union. After a 150-year effort to keep alive the spirit of the rebellion that almost destroyed the United States of America, the South


White House Department Announces Changes on Biotech / GMO Regulation

7/6/2015 In a move that many consider to be long overdue, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy announced that three federal agencies will be coordinating to revamp the decades-old policy towards genetically modified agriculture (GMO) in order to restore public confidence. The current system, called the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of


NHTSA Announces in Safety Hearing that Fiat-Chrysler will be sanctioned for Recalls

7/5/2015 For the first time in nearly three years, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a public hearing on Thursday, July 2nd. In the hearing, the agency scrutinized Fiat-Chrysler’s handling of 23 recalls involving 11 million vehicles. Acting director of the agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), Jennifer Timian, began the hearing by


DOJ Investigates Major U.S. Airlines for Collusion, Antitrust Violations

7/5/2015 The Justice Department announced last week that it is undergoing a probe into whether or not several major airlines are colluding to control expansion, limiting routes and seating in order to keep ticket prices high. Although refusing to name specific airlines, Department of Justice Spokesperson Emily Pierce confirmed that the department was investigating “possible


Aetna to Buy Humana in Industry-Altering Deal

7/3/2015 Following last week’s landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, two leading health insurers will be combining to form the second largest company in the industry. Aetna, the third-largest insurer will acquire Humana, the country’s fourth largest health plan provider. Aetna will pay a cash and stock equivalent to


BP Agrees to $18.7 Billion Federal Penalty

7/3/2015 In a joint press conference, the attorneys general for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi announced that it has agreed to settle the penalty phase regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The spill occurred on April 20th, 2010, when the aforementioned oil rig caught fire, killing 11 people and sent over 3 million barrels of