Navajo to sue EPA over Gold King Spill

While the world was watching the standoff between the local authorities and water protectors at Standing Rock, the Navajo nation was preparing a lawsuit over the fouling of their water. The Gold King mine spill in August of 2015 turned the river a deep yellow and sent toxic pollutants like arsenic and lead coursing through


Mentally Ill Man Shot by Police Officer Settles for $50,000

At approximately 6:15 PM on June 12, 2014, Oklahoma police officer David Jehle shot Marquis Pegues in a laundromat after the two engaged in a physical confrontation, rendering the victim paraplegic. Pegues, who is schizophrenic, was in the middle of a psychotic break when he was shot. In response to the series of unfortunate events,


Wide, Closed Spaces Begging for Rebirth

The recent tragic fire that engulfed Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse / artist space / underground residence, killing at least 36 people, is sparking a conversation about why so many people were living there in the first place. One obvious answer is that young artists that are struggling to get by can’t afford the exorbitant rents


Prison Visits: Punishment, Profit, Hope

In any society, there are people who break the rules. What the people of that society choose to do about that not only says something about that society, it also determines how well that society is going to re-assimilate the rulebreakers. If the crime is egregious and the victims hurt beyond repair, there is a


Denver Man Sues Lab Techs Over Mistaken DNA Evidence

Shawnnon Hale was just 24-years-old on the December morning in 2014 when he received a phone call from Denver police at his grandmother’s house, where he lives, telling him he needed to come to the station for questioning. Hale agreed to be at the station by 10:00 AM, but because he was running late, police


Profit Over Patient: Doctors Asking For Cash Before Care

In what is becoming an all-too familiar scenario for countless people who either need to see their primary care physician or receive treatment in a hospital, whether for a scheduled procedure or an emergency condition, countless doctors and hospitals are now requiring payment for service before providing necessary care to patients. For the few who


Power of Presidents to Protect People

Ralph Nader recently said of the election of Trump: “This could be the most serious event in American political history.” (1) In this piece, we look at the power of Presidents to protect people. Ralph Nader is probably the most knowledgeable person on the subject of safety and his views have proven trustworthy. In his


Sandy Hook Appeal Will Be Heard By Ct. Supreme Court

An appeal brought by family members of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting will be heard directly by Connecticut’s Supreme Court, as first confirmed last week. The plaintiffs had previously filed a lawsuit against the gun manufacturer, distributor, and retailer used in the massacre, though the case was dismissed by a Bridgeport


NE Debt Collector Settles Class Action Suit for Six Figures

A class action lawsuit filed against Nebraska-based debt collector Credit Management Services has been settled out of court for $198,000. The suit was filed by Nichole and Jason Palmer and Laura Powers in 2011, and accused the debt collection agency of having violated federal law by claiming they could collect attorney’s fees and interest from


School District Settles Civil Molestation Suit With Victim

Three years ago, a young woman posted a video to YouTube wherein she exposed ex-physical education teacher Andrea Cardosa for having molested her while she was a student at Chemawa Middle School in the mid-90s. The video, which showed the then 28-year-old woman confronting Cardosa over the phone, quickly went viral, prompting another former student