A secret court in Delaware that settles disputes between companies wants the U.S. Supreme Court to validate its work so it can continue to offer dispute resolution outside the view of the media and the public. Businesses at odds with one another could rent judges and courtrooms for $6,000 a day (plus a filing fee of $12,000) to arbitrate settlements and judgments The courtroom itself was closed off to the public, and the outcome of proceedings was disclosed to no one.   read more

The controversy over legalized discrimination against homosexuals is over in Arizona, but the debate is still alive in Washington D.C., where the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a similar case. The court will decide whether the owner of a photography business in New Mexico was within her constitutional right to refuse to take photos of a lesbian couple’s commitment ceremony.   read more

General Motors has recalled more than 1.6 million Chevy Cobalts due to faulty ignition switches, prompting the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration to launch an investigation. But this is not the first time that federal regulators learned about problems with the Cobalt, raising the question of why it took the NHTSA so long to act. Last decade, GM conducted another recall involving the Cobalt, which in total has caused 31 accidents and 13 deaths from the same problem.   read more

ERM, it turned out, utilized some staff members on the review who had previously worked for TransCanada, the Calgary-based builder of the pipeline, raising a possible conflict of interest. “ERM only disclosed its relationship with TransCanada after they were awarded the contract; even though conflicts of interest were supposed to be one of the criteria. This is not reassuring,” Friends of the Earth president Erich Pica said in a press release.   read more

After his arrest, Lee’s phone was confiscated and detectives read his messages without his permission. Among the messages were two from Shawn Hinton and Jonathan Roden. Detectives returned the messages, posing as Lee, and set up meetings to sell them drugs. Hinton and Roden were subsequently arrested and charged with attempted possession of heroin. Both were convicted.   read more

Garcia’s legal case, though, wasn’t about the video’s backlash. Instead, she argued that the overdubbing of her part represented a violation of her artistic copyright, even though she had no creative role in developing or editing the video. The first judge to hear her case rejected Garcia’s arguments. But after she petitioned the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the decision, a panel of judges voted 2-1 to overrule the lower court.   read more

SawStop’s technology sends a weak electric current through a saw blade. When the blade touches skin, a sensor detects the change in current and jams an aluminum wedge into the blade, stopping it in about three milliseconds, much quicker than a user can react. SawStops’ action contends industry companies conspired to boycott the technology and force Underwriters’ Laboratories to change its saw safety guard standards to the detriment of SawStop.   read more

The legal fight over these six states’ law is far from over. In addition to Texas appealing its case, officials in the other states have petitioned their rulings to other appellate courts (the Fourth, Sixth and Tenth circuits). The turnaround from outlawing gay marriage to allowing it has been dramatic within a short time. Only three years ago there were just five states that allowed same-sex marriage. Now, homosexual couples in 17 states can tie the knot.   read more

It took Asiana more than one day following the July 6 crash to publicize any phone number for families to use, leaving relatives with the only option of going through the company’s reservation line. Asiana also made it difficult to even locate the reservation line on its website. In addition, the airline took two days to contact the families of just 75% of the passengers. Some families didn’t hear from Asiana until five days after the accident.   read more

This week, a group of more than 40 organizations wrote to the FDA urging it to revoke Zohydro’s approval. Dr. Andrew Kolodny warned Zohydro “will kill people as soon as it’s released.” "You’re talking about a drug that’s somewhere in the neighborhood of five times more potent than what we’re dealing with now,” said Dr. Stephen Anderson. “I’m five times more concerned, solely based on potency.” Zohydro’s manufacturer, Zogenix, insists the drug will prove a benefit to society.   read more

The Netflix-Comcast agreement is precisely what net-neutrality advocates wanted to avoid, fearing it will create a new online environment in which those with the largest checkbooks will be allowed to buy more bandwidth access. The FCC adopted a series of regulations that sought to ensure net neutrality. But a federal court tossed out many of the FCC’s rules, opening the way for Netflix—described by industry analysts as a bandwidth hog—to negotiate special arrangements with Comcast and others.   read more

Insecticides used in household bug sprays have been found in two-thirds of individuals and homes tested by academic researchers. Pyrethroids, the main ingredient for household pest control products, appeared in the urine of more than 100 family members who participated in the study. High doses of the chemical can cause neurological effects, including dizziness and nausea. In farmworkers, it has been linked to nausea, as well as respiratory ailments and heart palpitations.   read more

A physician working at the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) hospital in Missouri claims she was fired for refusing to prescribe higher doses of addictive painkillers to patients. Dr. Basimah Khulusi said she lost her job after patients complained that she would not authorize more powerful amounts of opiates. “I had to do something about it. And I tried,” Khulusi said. “And then, you know, I was let go.” She said she was being replaced with a doctor specializing in pain medicine injections.   read more

Obesity among young children, which has been a major concern of health officials in recent years, has declined significantly, according to a new federal survey. The data showed the obesity rate for children 2 to 5 years old had fallen 43% over the past decade. Officials could not explain why more young children are carrying less weight now. Some point to a drop in soft drink consumption since 1999, while others credit an increase in breast-feeding by mothers.   read more

When is fracking not favored by the top executive of Exxon Mobil, the nation’s biggest producer of natural gas? When it’s near his luxury home. Exxon chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson has joined a lawsuit brought by other millionaires living in a tony Dallas suburb who object to the construction of a water tower needed for nearby fracking operations. Tillerson also showed up at a Bartonville Town Council meeting in November to protest the building of the 160-foot tower.   read more

Being a temporary worker in the U.S. can mean working at the same job indefinitely without ever becoming permanent, getting cheated out of wages, and facing a higher risk of injury. Compared with other developed nations, the U.S. provides few legal protections for temps. Congress has shown no interest over the past 40 years of adopting or even hearing proposals to better protect the temp workforce, even though their ranks have swelled to 2.7 million workers.   read more