TTLA 2013 Annual Conference - Reinventing The Rules With Rick Freidman | June 12 - 14, Sheraton Downtown Hotel - Austin Register Now! The TTLA CLE Committee is proud to have Rick Friedman present Reinventing the Rules during the Annual Conference. You will want to reserve the date and book early as we expect that this will be the most heavily attended seminar in TTLA history and space will be limited. Click on the headline to learn more! | Drugmakers Settle Suit over Generic OxyContin | | Generic drug maker Actavis Inc. has agreed to settle a lawsuit with Purdue Pharma over the generic version of the painkiller OxyContin. Under the settlement, Purdue Pharma has agreed to allow Actavis to market a small number of bottles of the company's generic OxyContin in 2014. Staff Report, Reuters 04/26/2013 | Read Article: Reuters | Suit: Ford Fusion MPG Claims are Fraudulent | | A group of car owners in Pennsylvania have filed suit against Ford Motors, claiming the company's Fusion hybrid models don't meet fuel-efficiency claims. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs state the hybrids provide "significantly worse fuel economy than the advertised 47 miles per gallon." Tests done by Consumer Reports show the Fusion hybrid models got up to 21 percent less miles per gallon than Ford advertises. The suit is asking for damages of at least $5 million. Sophia Pearson, Houston Chronicle 04/26/2013 | Read Article: Houston Chronicle | Discrimination Suit Dismissed Against United | | A San Francisco judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against United Continental Airlines alleging discrimination against minority employees. Last year, 23 African-American employees sued the airline, claiming the company promotion system discriminated against black employees. The judge, however, ruled the plaintiffs "failed to present enough information to support the claims." Karen Gullo, Bloomberg 04/24/2013 | Read Article: Bloomberg | Heavy Use of Herbicide Roundup Linked to Health Dangers: Study | | Heavy use of the world's most popular herbicide, Roundup, could be linked to a range of health problems and diseases, including Parkinson's, infertility and cancers, according to a new study. The peer-reviewed report, published last week in the scientific journal Entropy, said evidence indicates that residues of "glyphosate," the chief ingredient in Roundup weed killer, which is sprayed over millions of acres of crops, has been found in food. Those residues enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease, according to the report. Carey Gillam, Reuters , Yahoo News 04/26/2013 | Read Article: Yahoo News | Five Years After Ike, Galveston Is Still Picking Up the Pieces | | Nowhere was Ike’s impact more evident than on Galveston Island, which had not seen such devastation since the hurricane of 1900. Eighty percent of its homes and almost all of its operating infrastructure were damaged by Ike’s high winds and devastating flooding. The city has about 48,000 residents today, compared with 57,000 before the storm. Five years later, Galveston still faces challenges. Houses stand vacant, the city remains locked in litigation with a state-run insurance agency over damage claims, and a fight with the state over rebuilding public housing is finally nearing resolution. AUDREY WHITE, Texas Tribune, The New York Times 04/26/2013 | Read Article: The New York Times | Countrywide Settles Junk Bond Investor Lawsuit | | Countrywide Financial Corporation has agreed to pay $500 million to settle an investor lawsuit over the sale of junk bonds in 2008. The suit, led by the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System, was filed in 2010 after securities sold by Countrywide were downgraded to junk bonds. Countrywide was one of the largest subprime lenders in the U.S. Staff Report, Chicago Tribune 04/17/2013 | Read Article: Chicago Tribune | | |