The US House of Representatives approved legislation Friday that would allow US nationals to seek relief from foreign governments if that entity is believed to have had involvement with a terrorist attack taking place within the US that caused physical damage to that citizen’s person or property. The Act, titled the “Justice Against Sponsors of [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on Thursday dismissed a challenge to the constitutionality of the Mississippi state flag. In his opinion, Judge Carlton Reeves noted that the flag, which prominently features the Confederate battle emblem, was adopted in 1894 and survived a 2001 referendum to redesign it. [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Thursday restored gun ownership rights of two individuals convicted of minor crimes. One of these individuals was 41-year-old Daniel Binderup, who was convicted of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female employee at his bakery. Binderup was aware that the employee was a minor, [...]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) , a federal agency entrusted with consumer protection in the financial sector, announced on Thursday a $100 million fine against banking giant Wells Fargo for widespread illegal sales practices. CFPB is authorized by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to take action against those who violate [...]
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman took steps on Wednesday towards allowing late-term abortions in New York. Schneiderman claims that Supreme Court rulings allow late-term abortions in cases where the mother’s health is in jeopardy or the fetus suffers a fatal complication. He argues that the 1970 state law, which prohibits abortions past 24 weeks [...]
Environmentalists sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday regarding federal water quality standards. The environmentalists are seeking new standards “designed to protect marine life against the corrosive effects of carbon emissions absorbed into the ocean from the burning of fossil fuels.” The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity , which is [...]
Jean Ping, an opposition leader in Gabon, has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court in a move challenging the validity of the recent presidential vote. Ping, who was also running for president, lost in the election last week by a very small margin, which brought criticism from many and spurred his request that the [...]
Prosecutors on Thursday dropped corruption charges against the former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell. The US Supreme Court had vacated his conviction in June. Based on a “careful consideration” of the Supreme Court decision and “the principles of federal prosecution,” the US Department of Justice felt it was best to drop the charges. In 2014 McDonnell [...]
California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two bills that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030. The bills, SB 32, sponsored by Senator Fran Pavle, and AB 197, sponsored by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia, had been introduced in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The new regulations will assist California to meet [...]
Irish lawmakers voted Wednesday to appeal the ruling of the European Commission that would entitle the country to almost $15 billion of unpaid taxes from Apple . Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan T.D. released a statement last Friday explaining that talks between the Fine Gael party and the Independent Alliance determined that allowing the ruling [...]
