Texas Tribune Daily Brief
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House to Vote on Bill Limiting Websites’ Immunity in Sex-Trafficking Cases |
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Top House Republicans have embraced far-reaching legislation aimed at making it easier for underage victims or prosecutors to hold websites and online services accountable for sex trafficking. The House on Tuesday is set to take up the proposed changes, which would give victims a stronger chance of winning civil lawsuits against websites by limiting the broad federal immunity online businesses now enjoy under a 1990s law. Trafficking suits against these businesses have usually been tossed out of court because of that immunity.
John D. McKinnon, Wall Street Journal - $$ Subscription Required02/27/2018 |
Read Article: Wall Street Journal - $$ Subscription Required($) |
Employers Can’t Discriminate Based on Sexual Orientation |
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Discriminating against someone on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited under federal civil rights law, a federal appeals court ruled Monday as it sided with a gay skydiving instructor who was fired from his job after discussing his sexuality with a client. The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit offers expanded protections for LGBT people and marks a significant loss for the US Justice Department, which had filed a brief arguing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not cover sexual orientation discrimination. But the state of the law is still murky, as federal circuits in other parts of the country have issued mixed opinions. The ruling from the 2nd Circuit, based in Manhattan, could be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Matt Zapotosky, The Washington Post02/27/2018 |
Read Article: The Washington Post |
Facebook Facing Lawsuit Alleging Photo Technology Violates Rights |
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Facebook Inc. will continue to face a lawsuit alleging that its photo scanning technology violates the rights of users. On Monday, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that Facebook must face claims that it violated the privacy of millions of users by gathering and storing biometric data without their consent. Tech giant Google is also defending itself against similar claims in federal court in Chicago.
Joel Rosenblatt, Bloomberg02/26/2018 |
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High Court Won't Review $28M RJ Reynolds Judgment |
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R.J. Reynolds is facing a possible boost to the punitive damages in a $28.1 million judgment in favor of a former Salem Kings cigarette smoker and laryngeal cancer survivor after the U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to review the Second Circuit’s findings in the tortuous product liability case. The high court refused certiorari in the case of Barbara Izzarelli, a 25-year smoker who won a trial against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in 2010 after arguing that her addiction to Salem Kings from ages 12 to 36.
Cara Salvatore, Law360 ($)02/27/2018 |
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That Freestanding ER is Probably Not In-Network, No Matter What the Website Says |
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A Texas law aimed at protecting patients from shocking medical bills after visits to free-standing emergency rooms may not be reducing consumer confusion as intended. The law, which went into effect in September, requires the ERs to say on their websites and at their facilities whether they are in-network or out-of-network for insurance carriers. But now — six months after the law took effect — a survey of dozens of free-standing emergency room websites finds that the required disclosures are confusing at best, and misleading at worst.
Sabriya Rice, The Dallas Morning News02/27/2018 |
Read Article: The Dallas Morning News |
Explosion Death Lawsuit Against Texas State Park Dropped |
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A wrongful death lawsuit over the death of a Texas state park employee who died in an explosion has been dropped. The complaint was filed by the family of the 21-year-old woman who worked at the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The lawsuit stated that the woman was killed when two containers holding fireworks for a musical exploded. On Wednesday, the woman's parents dropped their suit against the park supervisors and employees stating that there was no way to know who or what caused the explosion.
Kelsey Bradshaw, My San Antonio02/24/2018 |
Read Article: My San Antonio |
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