A federal judge rejected OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement of thousands of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic Thursday because of a provision that would protect members of the Sackler family from facing litigation of their own.
Read more at Courthouse News
A three judge panel of the Fifth Circuit upheld the federal bump stock ban.
Read more at Duke Center For Firearms Law
In today’s clogged court dockets, the emphasis is on speed and efficiency, critics of the system point out. That has generated what some call a “trial penalty,” in which the threat of a longer sentence is held over a defendant who wants to plead not guilty.
Read more at The Crime Report
These warrants are controversial because peoples' records can be accessed who had nothing to do with a crime.
Read more at WZZM13
There are rules to Bitcoin - make sure you know them if you are getting involved.
Read more at Fox17
Millions of Americans have gotten a scary, confusing letter from the Internal Revenue Service in 2021 saying they owe more taxes. Making matters worse, many of the letters are about stimulus payments meant to lessen the blow of the pandemic.
The explosion of IRS bills to taxpayers fall into a category known as “math-error” notices, and the IRS sent out more than 11 million of them from Jan. 1 to mid-August.
When the letters assess taxes due or reduce refunds, as millions do, they are treacherous for filers because the first notice is also the final notice--unlike with many IRS letters. What’s more, the law assumes recipients have conceded if they don’t respond within 60 days.
Read more at the Wall Street Journal
With today's FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, employers should be aware of the (current) OSHA reporting requirements if such vaccines are mandated by employers and negative reactions occur to the vaccine:
"If an employer requires its employees to be vaccinated, adverse reactions to the vaccines are considered “work-related” by OSHA. Employers who require COVID-19 vaccines must notify OSHA within 24 hours of an employee’s inpatient hospitalization (or within eight hours of an employee’s death) resulting from an adverse reaction.
For employers subject to OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements, if the adverse reaction meets other general recording criteria (e.g., days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, or medical treatment beyond first aid), the reaction must be recorded on the employer’s OSHA 300 log, even if it does not lead to hospitalization. For example, if an employee uses a sick day because of fever and chills following administration of the vaccine, the reaction must be recorded. On the other hand, if an employee merely requires over-the-counter medication to ease soreness at the injection site, the action need not be recorded.
Employers who merely recommend vaccination do not need to record adverse reactions or report hospitalizations due to those adverse reactions, even if the employer facilitates employees’ access to the vaccine."
Learn more at The National Law Review
During the pandemic, the Office of Civil Rights — the division of HHS that enforces HIPAA — announced it would give remote health care services a boost by suspending enforcement of certain rules and forgoing penalties.
Read more at Above The Law
A federal judge ruled the CDC overstepped its authority when it issued a nationwide eviction moratorium. What the ruling actually means still remains to be seen. Based on the move the Biden administration makes next in response and if a stay is granted.
One thing to remember: you cannot be forced from your home without an eviction notice.
Read more at WXYZ Detroit
