Feb 1, 2016

The Problem With Looking to the Government to Fix Flint’s Water

Oil-black water flowed through the pipes of Crystal City, Texas, last week. That marks one more American city that cannot provide the most basic necessity of life. And as instances of government negligence like this proliferate, we continue to run to the government for help, instead of accountability.


Warner Music Pays $14 Million to End ‘Happy Birthday’ Copyright Lawsuit

Sing the song, blow out the candles, eat the cake and unwrap the gifts. According to a court filing on Monday, music publisher Warner/Chappell will pay $14 million to end a lawsuit challenging its hold on the English language’s most popular song, “Happy Birthday to You.” Additionally, the settlement stipulates a proposed final judgment and order that would declare the song to be in the public …


The LA Gas Leak Could Be Plugged as Soon as This Week [Updated]

Under the most optimistic scenario, the catastrophic gas leak at Porter Ranch might be plugged by the end of this week, according to a recent announcement by a California state official. However, other state officials and the SoCalGas company warn it could take until the end of the month. Ever since a natural gas storage well near the Los Angeles-area community of Porter Ranch ruptured on …


Apple Under Pressure as Lawyers Pledge Action Over ‘Error 53’ Codes

Apple has come under pressure to scrap its controversial policy of permanently disabling repaired iPhone 6s when software is upgraded, following a global consumer backlash and claims the company could be acting illegally. At least one firm of US lawyers said it hopes to bring a class action against the technology giant on behalf of victims whose £500 phones have been rendered worthless by an …


An Uber Labor Movement Born in a LaGuardia Parking Lot

Last Tuesday afternoon, at LaGuardia Airport’s Lot 7, fifty Uber drivers logged out of the app and staged a strike. Lot 7 is where drivers typically wait to pick up arriving passengers, and it was full of rows of black and gray sedans and S.U.V.s. The protesters stood at the entrance to the lot, holding hand-drawn signs that read, “Support us we have family too” and “Bring back rates to where …



4th Circuit Rejects Arbitration for Tribal Payday Loans

Borrowers suing a debt collector working for online tribal lender Western Sky Financial can proceed with their proposed class action, a federal appeals court ruled, reversing a lower court’s decision that the dispute must be arbitrated. Filed in 2014, the lawsuit sought damages from Delbert Services Corp, a Las Vegas-based company that collected overdue loans issued by Western Sky and a related …


Flint Water Victims Can’t Sue the Government. That’s Another Crime.

Michigan’s state and local officials poisoned Flint’s water with lead but innocent federal taxpayers are the ones having to foot the cleanup bill. President Obama has pledged to hand Flint $85 million in aid money. This sounds like a lot, but the fact of the matter is that it is far less than what Flint’s victims would have gotten if a corporation — rather than government — had been the culprit.


Flowers Foods Sued by Drivers Over Employee Status

The Wall Street JournalCANCEL Flowers Foods Inc.,FLO 2.80 % the bakery that owns Wonder Bread, Nature’s Own and Tastykake brands, is being sued in more than a dozen states by truck drivers who claim they were improperly classified as independent contractors. The lawsuits allege the company violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act by classifying drivers on its delivery routes as …


Jets Cheerleaders Awarded $325,000 in Settlement

The New York Jets have paid the team’s cheerleaders $325,000 after a class-action lawsuit was filed over low wages, with plaintiffs claiming they only made $150 per game and were compensated for neither practice time nor expenses, all of which averaged out to $1.50 per hour. What do you think?