The US House of Representatives voted to approve a joint resolution on Thursday to cease US Military aid with respect to the civil war between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis in Yemen. The resolution was approved by a vote of 247-175 and invokes Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution. If confirmed into law, it would direct [...]

The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, expanding gun control for those convicted of domestic abuse by closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” The resolution, HR 1585, passed by a vote of 263-158. The legislation expands law enforcement’s authority to prohibit “any perpetrator of any offense of domestic violence, [...]

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled Wednesday that a consent decree allowing Highmark members in-network access to UPMC facilities in Western Pennsylvania will end June 30. The ruling comes after UPMC filed a motion to dismiss in response to a petition filed in February by Pennsylvania Attorney General (OAG) Josh Shapiro. In the petition, Shapiro alleged that UPMC shirked its duties [...]

The US Department of Justice on Thursday announced a $122 million settlement from three pharmaceutical companies as part of their effort to combat health care fraud. While not admitting liability, Jazz, Lundbeck and Alexion agreed to pay to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by undercutting the co-pay model of Medicare and [...]

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill Wednesday to reduce the penalties for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The bill makes possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a petty misdemeanor instead of a criminal charge. However, possession of larger amounts could still result in a felony charge. The reduced penalty [...]

The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to condemn the “Trump Administration’s Legal Campaign to Take Away Americans’ Health Care.” The non-binding resolution, H Res 271, starts by outlining a legal battle that began on February 26, 2018 when “18 State attorneys general and 2 governors filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court [...]

The Arkansas legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would ensure the confidentiality of certain capital offense procedures including the drug ingredients used in the state’s lethal injection. After pharmaceutical companies faced backlash for their drug products ending up in lethal injection formulas, the Arkansas Department of Correction has been unable to obtain the ingredients from [...]

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam signed a marijuana legalization bill for the US territory Thursday. Although Guam approved medical marijuana in 2014 and allowed for home grown marijuana last year, the regulated industry has been off to a slow start. Known as the Guam Cannabis Industry Act of 2019, the new bill allows for adults [...]

A bipartisan group of US Senators introduced a bill Wednesday known as the DETER Act to prevent Russia from meddling in future US elections by threatening sanctions on their major industries. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Marco Rubio are reintroducing a bill that they previously raised last year, but failed to reach a vote. The [...]

Six female associates brought a $200 sex discrimination suit Wednesday on behalf of themselves and other female associates of Jones Day, an international law firm.  Plaintiffs allege the law firm engaged in sex discrimination, including pregnancy and maternity discrimination. The suit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs said that [...]