Complaints of sexual abuse were mishandled by the US Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) for decades, according to a report from an internal sexual abuse task force team released Sunday. The full report reveals that individuals who reported sexual abuse by pastors and staff were “ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled 9-0 Monday in Morgan v. Sundance, Inc. against a fast-food franchise owner who sought arbitration only after beginning to litigate a claim filed by an employee. Petitioner Robyn Morgan worked at a Taco Bell franchise owned by Sundance. Morgan signed an agreement when she applied for the job to arbitrate any [...]

The US Supreme Court Monday ruled 6-3 in Shinn v. Ramirez that “a federal habeas court may not conduct an evidentiary hearing or otherwise consider evidence beyond the state-court record based on the ineffective assistance of state postconviction counsel.” In Shinn, two prisoners filed for federal habeas relief under 28 USC §2254. The Sixth Amendment [...]

More than 100 million individuals around the world have been driven from their homes due to the Ukraine war and other conflicts, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) revealed Sunday. The UNHCR cited new data regarding individuals forced to flee to escape “conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution” The Ukraine war has been a main propellant [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Friday announced that former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli’s sons were sentenced earlier that day in a New York City federal courthouse to 36 months of imprisonment. They will also pay a USD 250,000 fine each and close to USD 19 million in cumulative forfeiture, and forfeit various assets for their participation in [...]

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Friday announced its order in which Wells Fargo Advisors, the St. Louis-based broker-dealer, agreed to pay USD 7 million in order to settle anti-money laundering charges against it, along with a censure and a cease and desist order. The charges against Wells Fargo Advisors resulted from “failing to [...]

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin Friday unanimously ruled on the issue of individuals allowed to possess a license to carry a concealed weapon (CCW license) in the state, in effect broadening the eligibility. The case traces back to 1993 when petitioner-appellant Daniel Doubek received a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence after he broke into his estranged wife’s [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Thursday ruled in favor of Apple regarding a potential class action over allegedly defective MacBook Pro displays. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the District Court for the Northern District of California’s finding that “Apple had no duty to disclose the alleged defect” The lawsuit alleged that Apple’s [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Friday announced three new initiatives aimed to address rising hate crimes. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOJ reported a rise in hate crimes. Last year, the DOJ implemented the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to combat hate crimes and hate incidents in the US. On Friday, the DOJ [...]

The US House of Representatives Thursday passed the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act by a vote of 217 – 207. Representative Kim Schrier (D-WA) and Katie Porter (D-CA) introduced the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevent Act earlier this month to address increased prices of gasoline and home fuel prices. The bill would allow the [...]