The US Department of Labor promulgated a rule on Sunday that is likely to limit large franchise brands from employee overtime and wage suits. The rule is 29 CFR Part 791, which defines Joint Employer Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rule shifts the definition of “employer” for joint employment status from “multiple [...]
The US Supreme Court agreed to hear three new cases on Friday. These cases address protection of individuals using retirement and health plans from the private industry, a review of statutory interpretation regarding judicial review of Railroad Retirement Board decisions, and a determination of whether a government debt exception is legal under a law protecting [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a ruling on Friday that blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to discharge members of the Air Force due to their HIV positive status. The ruling, written by Judge James Wynn, highlights what he describes as the failure of the US government to take into consideration [...]
A California appellate court overturned a lower court decision on Friday, ruling that charter cities must comply with the state’s sanctuary laws. The city of Huntington Beach argued that because they are a charter city they are entitled to autonomy in regulating and enforcing laws deemed to be “municipal affairs” without state intrusion in accordance [...]
Texas Governor Abbot announced in a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Friday that Texas would refuse settling refugees in 2020. Texas has been the state with the most settled refugees since 2010, and the announcement marks a stark change from previous policy. The governor attributed his decision to over-strained resources: At this time, [...]
The Supreme Court of India on Friday issued an order to the central government and to the administration of the states of Jammu and Kashmir to begin an immediate review of restrictions on movement and landline, mobile phone, and internet access in those states. Internet access in Jammu and Kashmir has been blocked since August [...]
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reached a settlement with California Friday for the right to a criminal defense lawyer in all 58 counties. This settlement will allow California to expand and overhaul the public defense system by providing $14 million to this system in the state’s annual budget The original complaint was filed in [...]
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced additional sanctions on Iran Friday. Pompeo said the US government’s intent is to intensify its economic sanctions upon Iran after Iran’s recent attack on US troops in Iraq. He also explained that the US will continue to attack Iran’s sources of revenue until Iran stops its “terror plots and campaigns [...]
The US House of Representatives approved a bill Friday advocating for transparency regarding the dangers of many grease-resistant products. The bill requires “the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.” The polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, [...]
Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a lower court’s decision to remove a Netflix comedy that displayed Jesus Christ in a gay relationship. Minister Dias Toffoli stated that “the exercise of freedom of expression reaffirms and enhances other constitutional freedoms.” The film on Netflix is called, “The First Temptation of Christ,” and was produced by [...]
