Leading Friday's corporations and securities law news, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that it will indefinitely extend filing deadlines for businesses in the areas affected by hurricane Katrina. In a press release, the SEC also said that it will work with banks and companies to ensure that SEC mandates do not interfere [...]

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer Friday opened an investigation into whether gasoline retailers in the state had participated in illegal profiteering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina . Lockyer said his office would subpoena records from refiners and station owners and set up an e-mail address, gaspricinghotline@doj.ca.gov, where people can submit information about pricing practices. [...]

A Connecticut state judge has refused to approve an arrest warrant for former governor John G. Rowland on ethics charges, and the chief state's attorney said the case was now closed. Christopher Morano said he submitted the warrant request this week, but an unidentified judge would not sign it. Rowland is currently serving a one-year [...]

Leading Friday's states brief, a federal judge will hear arguments next week in Missouri's attempt to prevent the closing of the Air National Guard in St. Louis, with the state arguing that the Pentagon must first consult with state governors before closing bases. Attorney General Jay Nixon has filed for a preliminary injunction to stop [...]

A federal bankruptcy judge on Friday approved a settlement agreement between US Airways and the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation over nearly $2.7 billion in claims stemming from the airline's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Under the approved deal, PBGC receives cash, guarantees and an ownership stake in the restructured airline to cover its claims after the airline [...]

The International Atomic Energy Agency released a report Friday that found Iran had resumed previously suspended nuclear activities, raising the possibility that the issue will be referred to the UN Security Council . The report by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei was critical of Iran's cooperation and transparency regarding its nuclear program and confirmed that [...]

Kenyan Transport Minister Chris Murungaru has asked the UK High Court to review a July UK government decision to ban him from entering the country. British authorities did not announce the reason for the ban, but it has been widely speculated that it was due to Murungaru's links to corruption . He was involved in [...]

A Maryland judge has set trial dates for John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo on charges from six Maryland deaths in the pair's 2002 DC-area sniper shooting spree. Muhammad is scheduled to stand trial May 1, 2006, and Malvo's trial will follow on Oct. 10, 2006. Both face six counts of first-degree murder in [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has withdrawn an order allowing a student to file a response to a rehearing petition by Kamehameha Schools in a lawsuit over the school's admissions policy. The court issued an order last week permitting a non-native Hawaiian to file papers in the school's appeal, but the [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union has announced that it will file a challenge to a recent ban on panhandling in downtown Atlanta. Gerald Weber, legal director for the ACLU of Georgia, said the group plans to sue the city as soon as it found a proper plaintiff for the challenge. The city has said it [...]