| Statewide Membership Drives, Aug 30th - #GrowTheFamily |
Statewide Membership Drives will be held in Austin, Dallas, Houston & San Antonio on August 30th, beginning at 9:00 am (lunch provided) and a Happy Hour at 4:00 pm. Click on the headline to register. Let's Fill Every Corner of Texas with TTLA Members!
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Texas Tribune Daily Brief
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| Nuclear Labs Endanger Public With Radioactive Mail |
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At least 25 times in the past five years, nuclear weapons contractors have improperly packaged or shipped plutonium capable of being used in a nuclear weapon, conventional explosives and highly toxic chemicals, according to government documents. While the materials were not ultimately lost, the documents reveal repeated instances in which hazardous substances vital to making nuclear bombs and their components were mislabeled before shipment. That means those transporting and receiving them were not warned of the safety risks and did not take required precautions to protect themselves or the public, the reports say.
Patrick Malone, Center for Public Integrity, USA Today 08/01/2017    |
| Read Article: USA Today |
| Couple Who Slammed Dallas Wedding Photographer Online, in Media Must Pay $1.08M |
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A Dallas wedding photographer was awarded $1.08 million Friday in a defamation suit against a local blogger and her husband who launched a social media campaign that destroyed her business. A Dallas County jury concluded that Neely Moldovan and her husband, Andrew, embarked on an extensive effort to slam Andrea Polito and her business, Andrea Polito Photography, according to a civil suit filed in March 2015.
CLAIRE Z. CARDONA, The Dallas Morning News 08/01/2017 |
| Read Article: The Dallas Morning News |
| Wife, Mother of Man Who Died After Struggle in Dallas County Jail Lobby File Federal Lawsuit |
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The wife and mother of an Arlington man who died after a struggle with deputies in the Dallas County jail lobby filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging excessive force by four deputies and lack of training by the Dallas County Sheriff's Office. A Dallas County grand jury declined to indict deputies involved in the August 2015 death of Joseph Hutcheson when it convened last year. The lawsuit filed by Nicole Hutcheson, the man's wife, and Ruth Boatner, his mother, alleges the four deputies used excessive force in subduing the 48-year-old man who had voluntarily entered the lobby for help.
Wire Services, The Dallas Morning News 08/01/2017 |
| Read Article: The Dallas Morning News |
| Judge Denies ExxonMobil Request to Reduce $20M Fine |
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A federal judge on Monday declined ExxonMobil's request to reconsider a $20 million fine he ordered the co to pay earlier this year for spewing millions of pounds of unauthorized air pollution from Houston-area industrial facilities. In April, U.S. District Judge David Hittner said the the company should pay $19.95 million for repeatedly busting air pollution limits at its sprawling Baytown complex. From 2005 to 2013, the company's refinery and chemical plants released 10 million pounds of pollution in excess of its state-issued air permits, according to the ruling. Hittner's decision came after the conservative-leaning 5th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated his earlier decision that sided with Exxon.
KIAH COLLIER, Texas Tribune 08/01/2017 |
| Read Article: Texas Tribune |
| Wells Fargo Customers File Lawsuit for Unwanted Insurance Policies |
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Wells Fargo customers have filed a lawsuit alleging that the bank forced them to pay for unnecessary auto insurance. The lawsuit has come one year after the bank has settled a lawsuit over another financial scandal. In the previous case, Wells Fargo employees opened potentially 2.1 million checking and credit card accounts without customers' permission over about half a decade. The new lawsuit alleges that the bank is guilty of stealing millions of dollars from "unsuspecting customers who were forced to pay for auto insurance they did not need or want."
Laura J. Keller and Margaret Cronin Fisk, Chicago Tribune 07/31/2017 |
| Read Article: Chicago Tribune |
| Lawsuit Accuses North Carolina Company of Causing Power Outage |
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A lawsuit has been filed against the company responsible for a massive power outage in Outer Banks, North Carolina. The lawsuit was filed by the Wallace and Graham law firm in Salisbury along with attorneys in North and South Carolina. The complaint accuses PCL Civil Constructors Inc. of causing the blackout during a peak vacation weekend. The company allegedly damaged two main power lines providing electricity to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, where many people go to vacation. The lawsuit was filed in Dare County Superior Court.
Abbie Bennett, News & Observer 07/31/2017 |
| Read Article: News & Observer |
| Court: Health Insurance Company Can be Sued for Data Breach |
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A three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a health insurance company's customers can sue the provider for a 2014 cyberattack in which their personal information was stolen. The court reversed a district court's decision dismissing the class action suit that seven customers brought against CareFirst, which serves 1 million customers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The customers attributed the breach to the company's carelessness and argued that they suffered an increased risk of identity theft as a result.
LYDIA WHEELER, The Hill 08/01/2017 |
| Read Article: The Hill |
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