Jurors who threaten to derail trials by researching them on Google or posting comments about them on Twitter are often dismissed with nothing more than a tongue-lashing from a judge. But that may soon change in California. Legislation supported by ...
Read More »Judge: Building owner can charge rent based on gold prices
A downtown Columbus, Ohio office building is worth its weight in gold, according to a federal judge who upheld a nearly century-old lease that tied rent to the current price of the metal. Last month’s ruling means rent paid by ...
Read More »Uber settlement keeps drivers as contractors in 2 states
It will cost Uber up to $100 million and took some significant policy concessions, but the ride-hailing company is forging forward with its thriving business model by keeping its drivers independent contractors, for now. Uber settled major class-action lawsuits in ...
Read More »Trump Rally protests have lawmakers rethinking traffic laws
Protesters who blocked the roads before a March rally for Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump inspired state lawmakers to modify a bill Thursday increasing penalties for blocking access to political campaign events. Legislators tacked the amendment onto a measure ...
Read More »Missouri Senate, Planned Parenthood CEO reach subpoena deal
The Missouri Senate announced Thursday it is suspending contempt proceedings against a Planned Parenthood CEO after reaching an agreement to review some documents a legislative committee investigating the organization subpoenaed last year. The fetal tissue disposal policies of Planned Parenthood ...
Read More »Everyone’s talking about LGBT law — except state lawmakers
While the whole country is talking about the North Carolina law that limits protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, a new survey shows one group that largely refuses to discuss it: the lawmakers who passed it. Less than ...
Read More »Freeway views are hot: Homeowners cozy up to urban eyesores
Robert Leviton’s loudest neighbor is a 12-lane freeway. The busy stretch of highway that runs alongside his townhouse complex is visible from his north-facing windows. The drone of passing motorists is audible throughout. He can even hear a muffled version ...
Read More »Illinois judge dismisses murder charge in girl’s ’57 slaying
A judge formally dismissed a murder case Friday against a retired Washington state police officer who a prosecutor says was wrongly convicted in the 1957 killing of a 7-year-old Illinois girl, but he put off a decision on whether to ...
Read More »AP Exclusive: Color index for US border security is rejected
Five years ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dropped its color-coded terror threat index developed after the 9/11 attacks amid widespread confusion and ridicule. So what did it do when tasked by Secretary Jeh Johnson in 2014 with measuring ...
Read More »Judge: VW owners can pick buybacks, fixes in emissions deal
An agreement will give consumers who bought nearly 600,000 Volkswagen vehicles rigged to cheat on emissions tests the option of having the automaker buy back the cars or fix them, a judge said Thursday. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ...
Read More »Historic makeover: Harriet Tubman to be face on $20 bill
U.S. paper money is getting a historic makeover. Harriet Tubman, an African-American abolitionist born into slavery, will be the new face on the $20 bill. The leader of the Underground Railroad is replacing the portrait of Andrew Jackson, the nation’s ...
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