Texas Tribune Daily Brief
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| One Injured in Fire at Troubled Pasadena Plant |  | One person was injured in a fire that sent plumes of smoke into the air and first responders scrambling to a troubled Pasadena refinery Saturday morning. The fire briefly shut down the Houston Ship Channel and frightened neighbors of Pasadena Refinery System. The incident is the latest to endanger workers in the chemical industry. The Pasadena Refinery System site is technically operating illegally after a key federal operating permit lapsed in 2014. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the company $14,000 for a December 2011 explosion. Last year, the refinery had 11 lost-time injuries, according to the Pasadena Citizens Advisory Council. Most of the other 19 plants in the council's area had one or no injuries of that type.
Matt Dempsey and Mike Morris, Houston Chronicle 03/07/2016    | | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
| Appeals Court Upholds $3M Verdict in Chicago Whistleblower Case | | An appeals court has upheld a ruling that awarded a former employee of Chicago State University $3 million in a whistleblower case. The appellate court jury recently stated that the university initiated "a campaign designed to both economically harm ... and inflict psychological distress upon" the plaintiff. The lawsuit alleged that the plaintiff, a former university attorney and administrator, was targeted after he refused to withhold documents requested under the state's open records law. A Cook County jury ruled in 2014 that the plaintiff was unjustly fired after the incident.
Stacy St. Clair and Jodi S. Cohen, Chicago Tribune 03/02/2016 | | Read Article: Chicago Tribune |
| Flint Mother Files Lawsuit Against City, Others Over Lead Crisis | | A lawsuit was filed last Thursday in Genesee Circuit Court over the lead contamination water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The lawsuit was filed by a mother who previously alleged that her home was "ground zero" for the water contamination. The lawsuit accuses local officials and others of negligence and intentionally inflicting emotional distress. According to the complaint, the defendants, including several corporate entities, allowed the lead to remain in local water despite the concerns of residents. The plaintiff, a mother of four children, alleges that her children have been exposed to high levels of lead which has led to developmental and cognitive problems in her children.
Gary Ridley, MLive 03/03/2016 | | Read Article: MLive |
| Court: Man Left Quadriplegic by VA Malpractice Wins Appeal | | An Army veteran left quadriplegic by surgery at a veterans' hospital should not have a multimillion-dollar judgment reduced on the grounds he can be treated for free at veterans' facilities, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan returned the civil case brought by veteran Charles Malmberg to a federal judge in Syracuse for a recalculation of damages he will receive.
Associated Press, Yahoo News 03/07/2016 | | Read Article: Yahoo News |
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