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Monster Energy Co. v. Schechter

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that plaintiff's counsel was not liable for breaching a provision in a settlement agreement requiring him to keep the settlement confidential. Upon being sued by the other settling party for speaking with the online news media about this product liability case, the plaintiff's counsel filed a SLAPP motion. On appeal, the Fourth Appellate District held that the settlement agreement's language purporting to impose a confidentiality obligation on the attorney was unenforceable in this case.




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Abbey House Media, Inc. v. Simon & Schuster, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Affirming the district court's grant of summary judgment that although Apple and a group of major publishers committed an unlawful antitrust conspiracy there was no antitrust injury that resulted.




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Diesel eBooks, LLC v. Simon & Schuster, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Affirming the district court's grant of summary judgment that although Apple and a group of major publishers committed an unlawful antitrust conspiracy there was no antitrust injury that resulted.




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Plantier v. Ramona Municipal Water Dist.

(California Court of Appeal) - In a class action against a Water District challenging the method used by District to calculate wastewater service 'fees or charges' between about 2012 and 2014, the trial court's judgment in favor of defendant, holding that plaintiffs failed to exhaust their administrative remedies under article XIII D of the California Constitution, is reversed where: 1) plaintiffs' class action is not barred by their failure to exhaust the administrative remedies set forth in section 6 because plaintiffs' substantive challenge involving the method used by District to calculate its wastewater service fees or charges is outside the scope of the administrative remedies; and 2) under the facts of this case, those remedies are, in any event, inadequate.




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Diamond Sawblades Manufacturers Coalition v. US

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the Court of International Trade's decision affirming a Department of Commerce ruling in the administrative review of an earlier anti-dumping order, the court held that no error occurred in the determination that a Chinese saw blade manufacturer was seeking to sell their products at less than fair market value in the United States.




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Harmoni International Spice, Inc. v. Hume

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Revived a RICO lawsuit brought by importers of garlic who alleged that rival importers had conspired to harm their businesses. Reversed a dismissal in relevant part and remanded.




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Regan v. City of Hammond

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. A local ordinance requiring residential property owners to get a license or hired a licensed contractor to make repairs didn't violate the commerce clause. It didn't distinguish between in and out of state owners and imposed no burden on interstate commerce.




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USA v. Simon

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. Defendant, a prior felon, was pulled over for a traffic stop. A drug-sniffing dog alerted on Defendants car. A search of the vehicle did not find drugs but did find a gun. Defendant was charged with felon-in-possession. Defendant was sentenced to 15 years. Defendant appealed on grounds that search was improper and error by trial court. Appellate court found no reversible error.




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Common Cause Indiana v. Lawson

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. Injunctions against the state preventing it from implementing a plan to purge voter rolls based on third party information rather than directly contacting voters was affirmed because plaintiff organizations established standing and the decision was not an abuse of discretion.




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Collins v. Thurmond

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed in part. Reversed in part. Plaintiffs sued a number of defendants that included both local and state entities for causes of action alleging racial discrimination in disciplinary actions at a local high school. The appeals court affirmed the dismissal of most of Plaintiffs claims against state-level defendant because such claims cannot be brought against them. The appeals court did find that Plaintiffs have a cause of action under the equal protection clause of the California Constitution and they had standing to pursue the claims.




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Solomon v. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement

(United States Fourth Circuit) - An award of Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) benefits to a former NFL player displaying symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is affirmed where the board of the NFL Player Supplemental Disability Plan failed to follow a reasoned process or explain the basis of its determination to deny benefits.




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Anselmo v. Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed the dismissal of a suit filed by a student athlete volleyball player against a community college after she was injured during a tournament game when she dove into the sand and her knee struck a rock. The community college argued that it was protected by an immunity covering field trips and excursions, as set forth in section 55220 of title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. Rejecting this argument, the Fourth Appellate District held that this provision did not apply to an injury suffered by a member of a visiting team during an intercollegiate athletic event. The panel therefore reversed an order granting a demurrer and remanded.




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Webster v. Claremont Yoga

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed summary judgment against a yoga student's claim that her instructor caused her injury while adjusting her posture during a yoga class. According to the student, the instructor harmed her when he moved her leg, lower back, and neck. On appeal, the California Second Appellate District agreed with the yoga instructor that there was no triable issue as to causation, because the student had offered no evidence conflicting with that of the instructor's experts, who opined that the student's medical issues were unrelated to the yoga class.




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Citizens for Amending Proposition L v. City of Pomona

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that the City of Pomona violated the terms of a 1993 ballot initiative prohibiting the construction of additional billboards within city limits. A citizen group challenged the city council's decision to extend a pre-existing agreement with an outdoor advertising company when the arrangement expired in 2014. Affirmed the granting of a writ of mandate.




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International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 848 v. City of Monterey Park (First Transit, Inc.)

(California Court of Appeal) - Revived a labor union's claim that a municipality violated a law concerning contract bidding when it hired a new private company to operate its municipal bus system. Reversed a dismissal and remanded, in this case involving a statutory bidding preference tied to labor rights.




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U.S. ex rel. Lemon v. Nurses To Go, Inc.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Revived a lawsuit brought by several employees of a hospice care provider alleging that their employer had billed Medicare improperly. Reversed the dismissal of their claims under the False Claims Act.




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Contractors' State Licensing Board v. Superior Court (Black Diamond Electric, Inc.)

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that an electrical contractor could not proceed with its lawsuit challenging a state licensing board's disciplinary decision, because the contractor was required to exhaust its administrative remedies before filing suit. Granted the licensing board's petition for a writ of mandate.




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JMS Air Conditioning and Appliance, Inc. v. Santa Monica Community College District

(California Court of Appeal) - Upheld an administrative decision by the Santa Monica Community College District to allow a contractor to replace one subcontractor with another subcontractor on a construction project. Affirmed the denial of the plaintiff subcontractor's writ petition.




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U.S. ex rel. Lemon v. Nurses To Go, Inc.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Revived a lawsuit brought by several employees of a hospice care provider alleging that their employer had billed Medicare improperly. Reversed the dismissal of their claims under the False Claims Act.




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Loan Offer Scam - lend money @ 3%

Manje wants to lend you a lot of money... only at an interest rate of 3%. That is a bargains scam!




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Vermont Railway Inc. v. Town of Shelburne

(United States Second Circuit) - Held that a town could not enforce a hazardous substances ordinance against a railroad company that was building a road salt transloading facility. The ordinance was preempted by the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act. Affirmed a permanent injunction against the town.




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More Ozzy TV- Arctic Monkeys 'Four Out Of Five' Video, Muse Concert Film Preview, Cliff Burton Documentary, Sevendust, Free Volbeat Show and more

More Ozzy TV- Arctic Monkeys 'Four Out Of Five' Video, Muse Concert Film Preview, Cliff Burton Documentary, Sevendust, Free Volbeat Show and more




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Vannoy v. Fed. Reserve Bank of Richmond

(United States Fourth Circuit) - In an employment discrimination action, contending that defendant-employer interfered with and retaliated against plaintiff, a former employee, in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and failed to accommodate and discriminatorily discharged plaintiff in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the district court's grant of summary judgment to defendants is: 1) affirmed as to plaintiff's FMLA retaliation claim and ADA claims; but 2) vacated as to plaintiff's FMLA interference claim where genuine issues of material fact exist.




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Branom v. Diamond

(California Court of Appeal) - Dismissed appeal. Plaintiff and Defendant agreed to an expedited jury trial process pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 630.01. As part of the expedited process, the parties agree to waive the right to appeal. Plaintiff sought to appeal the amount of the damages award, but by executing the consent to expedited jury trial she voluntarily waived her right to appeal.




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Common Cause Indiana v. Lawson

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. Injunctions against the state preventing it from implementing a plan to purge voter rolls based on third party information rather than directly contacting voters was affirmed because plaintiff organizations established standing and the decision was not an abuse of discretion.




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Harmon v. Dallas County, Texas

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Held that a former deputy constable may not proceed with his whistleblower retaliation and equal-protection claims. Some were barred by res judicata and others by qualified immunity. Affirmed a dismissal.




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Rucho v Common Cause

(United States Supreme Court) - Vacated and remanded. Plaintiffs as voters in North Carolina and Maryland filed suit challenging congressional districting maps as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. The district court ruled in favor of plaintiffs. The US Supreme Court held that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions that are beyond the reach of the federal courts.




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1041 20th Street, LLC v. Santa Monica Rent Control Board

(California Court of Appeal) - Reversed. Plaintiff, a rental property owner, filed suit against Defendant, a rent control board, to prevent certain properties from being subject to rent control. The trial court agreed with Plaintiff, but the appeals court held that the rent board did not have the authority to exempt rental units from rent control under the Santa Monica City Charter.




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Regan v. City of Hammond

(United States Seventh Circuit) - Affirmed. A local ordinance requiring residential property owners to get a license or hired a licensed contractor to make repairs didn't violate the commerce clause. It didn't distinguish between in and out of state owners and imposed no burden on interstate commerce.




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Simmons v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

(United States Federal Circuit) - Affirming the denial of attorney fees and costs to a man who sued claiming that he developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome as the result of a flu vaccination because the Court of Federal Claims correctly concluded that there was no reasonable basis for the claim.




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Monsanto Company v. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirming the trial court's conclusion that Monsanto and others failed to state a claim in a suit where they averred that Proposition 65's reliance on the International Agency for Research on Cancer's determinations about which chemicals cause cancer improperly granted a foreign entity authority over domestic affairs.




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HomeAway.com, Inc. v. City of Santa Monica

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Upheld a beach town's ordinance imposing restrictions on companies, such as Airbnb Inc., that host online platforms for short-term vacation rentals. The internet companies claimed that the ordinance impermissibly infringed their First Amendment rights or was preempted by federal law. Disagreeing, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of their lawsuit seeking to enjoin the ordinance.




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The Ramona Flowers Release Captivating Single “Out Of Focus”

UK Band Unveils Music Video Ahead Of “Strangers” Album Release




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The Ramona Flowers Release New Album Strangers

UK Band Unveils Highly Anticipated Album And Partnership With Menswear Brand, By Robert James




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BigMoneyHatcha Releases New Album '1801'

The Music Artist Known As BigMoneyHatcha Has Released His Latest Album, “1801.”




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FilmOn.com Inc. v. DoubleVerify Inc.

(Supreme Court of California) - Interpreting the state's anti-SLAPP statute, the California Supreme Court addressed whether the commercial nature of a defendant's speech is relevant in determining whether that speech merits protection. Reversing, the high court concluded that the anti-SLAPP statute was inapplicable here to a dispute between two companies over what one said about the other's business practices.




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Plantier v. Ramona Municipal Water District

(Supreme Court of California) - Clarified the procedure for challenging a local governmental agency's decision to impose or increase property-related fees. The question in this case involving a wastewater service charge had to do with whether the plaintiff must first raise the issue when the agency holds a public hearing on the matter.




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Monster Energy Co. v. Schechter

(Supreme Court of California) - Reversed appeal court ruling. The parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement following a tort action. Plaintiff alleged that Defendant, counsel for the injured party in the tort action, breached the settlement agreement by making public statements. Defendant claimed he was not bound by the agreement, but only recommended his clients sign it. California Supreme Court made a factual finding that the Defendant intended to be bound by the settlement agreement.




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Limited Ferry Service To Resume On Monday

Starting Monday, May 11th, the ferry service “will resume under a reduced operating schedule with limited passenger capacity.” A...





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CFTC v. Monex Credit Co.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Reversed district court’s dismissal of Plaintiff’s enforcement action against Defendant for alleged fraud in precious metal sales. Defendant maintained that there was an exception in the Commodity Exchange Act for retail commodity sales. Held that the burden was on the Defendant to prove that the exception applied and the exception could be satisfied if the commodity sat in a third-party depository. However, that was not the case in this suit. Plaintiff was not barred from bringing suit and the action should not have been dismissed. Remanded for further proceedings.




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CoCo O’Connor Tops The Featured Acoustic Artists Of The Month

The Featured Acoustic Music Artists Of The Month Are: CoCo O’Connor, Rory Block And Joseph L Young




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Montreal Hip-Hop Collective Triple-R Release Debut Album “Red Rum Records” Featuring Tracks With Swollen Members, Doom Squad, Demrick, And More

Montreal Hip-hop Collective Triple-R Has Signed With Squash Comp And Released Their Debut Album “Red Rum Records”




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‘BELIEF: LIVES AND STORIES OF MONTANA’S SALISH WOMEN’ Coming To Off-Broadway In September

One-woman Show Featuring Salish Tribal Member Julie Cajune Draws From Life Experiences And True Stories Of Generations Of Native American Women




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Interview With Legendary Remixer Marc JB And Simon Bartholomew From The Brand New Heavies

They Tell International Life All About Their Passion For Disco, And Why They Are Producing A Disco Album For The Modern Generation




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Why I Celebrate Black History Month

Black history month is not just for black people. It's for all people.

Note: I use the term “Black History Month” rather than “African-American History Month” because a friend informed me that there are individuals who would not be considered African-American, but still very much are considered part of Black history, like Marcus Garvey and others. In general, I tend to use the terms "black" and "African-American" interchangeably, and I apologize in advance if anyone finds this offensive.

Every February is Black History Month. I have to admit that before a few years ago, I didn’t really celebrate it in any real way, besides some cursory acknowledgement. But now, I actively celebrate Black History Month, both in my personal life as well as in the life of the church. I don’t do so because it’s the right thing for an educated person to do, or in an attempt to pander to political correctness. Nor do I do this because I consider myself anything close to an expert on black history and culture. The reason I unapologetically celebrate Black History Month is because the past couple of years of my life have made me realize that, even as a Korean-American, it was only appropriate that I do so.

The first event that brought me to this realization was that whole “Make Me Asian” and "Make Me Indian" thing. Two years ago, there was an app on the Android market called “Make Me Asian”, which took photos from your phone or mobile device and digitally altered them. This seems benign enough, but the manner in which they altered them was that they made your skin tone yellow, your eyes slanted, slapped a fu-manchu mustache on your face, as well as a rice paddy hat on your head. Of if you wanted to pretend to be a Native ...

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State Budget Deficit / Yuba Sutter Mall Reopening / Monitoring Mental Anxiety / COVID-19 Children’s Book

We check in on the state budget deficit and the controversial reopening of the Yuba Sutter Mall. A trio of UC Davis Medical Center nurses on the value of nursing during the pandemic. How to monitor mental health and a new COVID-19 children’s book.




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PMC Monitors Make Waves At High Seas Studio In South Africa

The Private Facility Has Installed A Pair Of Result6 Compact Nearfield Monitors To Complement Its Existing Range Of Recording And Mixing Equipment.




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Montreal Hip-Hop Collective Triple-R Release Debut Album “Red Rum Records” Featuring Tracks With Swollen Members, Doom Squad, Demrick, And More

Montreal Hip-hop Collective Triple-R Has Signed With Squash Comp And Released Their Debut Album “Red Rum Records”




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Paul G. v. Monterey Peninsula U.S.D.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Affirmed. Affirmed the district court’s dismissal, for failure to exhaust remedies under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, of claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.