On December 7, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases involving Holocaust survivors and property that had been taken from them before and during World War II. Both cases reached the High Court, not for final adjudication, but to resolve the question of whether or not... Read More »
The leader of a terrorist militia group has been found guilty of hate crime charges after a Minnesota mosque bombing in 2017. Michael Hari, 49, is the founder of an alt-right militia group called "The White Rabbits." The FBI has deemed the militia organization a domestic terrorist group. According to... Read More »
A fitness studio owner in Wichita, Kansas, is suing the state for compensation over restrictions that led to his fitness studio shutting down and reopening with restrictions. The lawsuit, which was filed in Sedgwick County District Court, claims that Kansas unlawfully used the business' private property as a way to... Read More »
With so many states finding creative ways to keep their economies going during the pandemic, Florida is looking to have some temporary changes made during the pandemic turn into permanent ones. And in true Florida fashion, the state is starting with its alcoholic beverage laws. Florida’s newest senator, Jennifer Bradley... Read More »
The Trump administration outlined a plan for federal executive agencies to design, develop, and use “trustworthy Artificial Intelligence” to assist in accomplishing their missions. Executive Order 13960, signed on December 3, 2020, recognized that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has improved the “operations, processes, and procedures” of agencies and businesses already. This... Read More »
The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a final rule on December 4, 2020, that revises its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Previously, under NEPA, liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport license applications required an environmental review, but only sometimes. If the shipments were going to countries with... Read More »
The former adviser to President Trump and co-founder of Breitbart Steve Bannon is now fighting criminal fraud charges with a new attorney: Steve Costello, who also happens to represent Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney for the president. Bannon’s prior attorney, William Burck, withdrew from the criminal case on November 5... Read More »
In a unanimous vote of 8-0, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the United States in U.S. v Briggs. The decision means that the military will now be able to prosecute cases of sexual assaults committed between 1986 and 2006. The ruling overturns a loophole that applied a... Read More »
On December 8, the Associated General Contractors of America filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) regarding loan forgiveness for the Paycheck Protection Program loans. According to the complaint, the SBA is making it harder for businesses to seek forgiveness for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that... Read More »
The pathway to becoming a U.S. citizen will now be a little more difficult for new applicants than it was in the past. The citizenship test taken during the naturalization process is now lengthier, with more civics questions added. The new U.S. citizenship test is a two-part test consisting of... Read More »
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week in a unanimous vote that three Muslim men who were put on the no-fly list after they refused to act as informants can now officially sue federal agents for monetary damages. The case of Tanzin v. Tanvir began when three Muslim men, Muhammad... Read More »
Los Angeles-based musician Tahliah Barnett, who is known professionally as FKA Twigs, has filed a lawsuit against celebrity actor Shia LeBeouf for a “relentless” abusive relationship. Charges include sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress. Barnett is seeking a trial by jury. The actor, the star of “Transformers” and... Read More »
On December 7, 2020, the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract and Compliance Program (OFCCP) released a finalized rule that allows federal contractors to cite "religious freedom" as their reasoning behind not hiring certain applicants. The rule expands the definition of religious organizations to now include for-profit organizations, which... Read More »
In a staggering lawsuit brought against Facebook, the US Federal Trade Commission along with 46 states accused the tech company of being a monopoly with a "buy or bury" edict to disrupt competition. The only states and US territories not to participate in the lawsuit are Washington, D.C., Guam, Alabama,... Read More »
While the world remains focused on the coronavirus pandemic, the American Bar Association (ABA) is generously reminding everyone that another virus, HIV/AIDS, is still negatively impacting the lives of millions of people who still need legal help. On World AIDS Day, December 1, members of the ABA’s HIV/AIDS Impact Project... Read More »
