The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to…
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California's Proposed AB 1414 Would Deprive Lower-Income Tenants of Critical Internet Service

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.

There’s a good reason why one of Ronald Reagan’s most memorable adages remains so poignant today.

Namely, government officials’ ability to harm people whom their well-intentioned laws are meant to benefit remains a tragic and all-too-common pitfall of government activity.

A recent illustration of that tragic paradox exists in a California proposal known as AB 1414, which if enacted would prohibit landlords from making internet service subscriptions with specific service providers part of their rental packages.

Although any proposal that purports to increase tenant choice seems superficially positive in the abstract, the problem with AB 1414 is that it would only…[more]

July 23, 2025 • 01:03 PM

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Jester’s Courtroom
A Fall From Grace
Wednesday, February 15 2017

A Florida woman is suing a popular Mexican restaurant after she fell from its plastic life-size donkey statue while taking a photo.

Kimberly Bonn has filed a lawsuit in Leon County Circuit Court accusing El Jalisco restaurant in Tallahassee of negligence for "encouraging" patrons to climb on the back of the donkey statue to take a picture. According to the filing, Bonn is seeking $15,000 in damages to cover her costs after an alleged fall from the donkey fractured her spine. Bonn claims the restaurant should have provided safety equipment, such as a ladder or step and a saddle, for diners to use so they would not slide off the slippery, hard plastic surface of the sombrero-wearing donkey.

According to news reports, the restaurant chain has declined to comment, and worried fans have created a "For the Donkey" Facebook page.

Source:  usatoday.com

Bride Hopes Shop Will Say "Yes" to (Refunding) the Dress
Thursday, February 09 2017

The New York bridal salon made famous in the hit TLC TV show "Say Yes to the Dress" is being sued by a bride who claims the shop gave her the wrong size wedding gown.

Randi Siegel-Friedman alleges in her lawsuit that Kleinfeld Bridal owes her $12,000 for a custom dress that she says did not fit her. In fact, Siegel-Friedman claims in her lawsuit that the top and bottom of the gown were not only the wrong size, but the bottom also was not the fabric she selected. With the wedding rapidly approaching, Siegel-Friedman said she had to get a sample dress off the rack.

According to news reports, Kleinfeld Bridal has refused to refund the $12,000 for the original dress and declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Source: tmz.com

Real Lawsuits for the Real Housewives
Thursday, February 02 2017

The ongoing legal battle between Real Housewives of Miami reality star Joanna Krupa and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) reality star Brandi Glanville is getting much more personal.

According to news reports, the lawsuit stems from a 2013 episode of Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live when Brandi accused Joanna of having an affair with RHOBH star Yolanda Foster's ex-husband, Mohamed Hadid. During the interview with Cohen, and again in an interview with radio personality Howard Stern, Brandi allegedly announced that Hadid said Joanna's private parts "smelled." Joanna sued Glanville for defamation and wants $2 million in punitive damages, saying she suffered "emotional distress" and that her reputation has been damaged and the comment "hurt her ability to get work in the entertainment industry."

Now, a judge has ordered Joanna to hand over her gynecological records and financial records as part of the discovery phase of the lawsuit. Additionally, co-stars of the programs, Cohen, Hadid and others, are being pulled into the case, and Joanna has to turn in any communication she has had with them.

Source:  tmz.com

Got Milked?
Thursday, January 26 2017

Individual consumers in fifteen states and the District of Columbia may qualify for payment as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought against major U.S. dairy producers (including Land O'Lakes, the National Milk Producers Federation, Dairy Farmers of America and Agri-Mark) alleging the producers intentionally reduced milk supplies by sending dairy herds to slaughter to artificially inflate dairy prices.

Consumers who purchased milk products (milk, cream, half and half, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese or sour cream) for their own use from 2003 until now have until January 31st to file their claims, with the exact amount of each claim to be determined based on the total number of claims.

According to the settlement website, the number of claimants to date has exceeded predictions, so the expected payout is now lower than originally stated ($45-$70), with some media reports estimating consumers could receive as little as just a few cents or as much as $15.

News reports indicate that lawyers will receive $17.3 million of the $52 million settlement.

Sources: boughtmilk.com and Wisconsin State Journal

A Race to the Courthouse
Wednesday, January 18 2017

A Tennessee family is suing a mall management group and owner, alleging that they suffered injuries during a human stampede on what they claim to be the busiest shopping day of the year, December 26, 2016.

According to news reports and the plaintiffs' legal filing, Teriance, Carol and TeCara Copeland were shopping at Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when a group of individuals set off fireworks in the food court area, allegedly causing "panic and a human stampede" that resulted in injuries to the plaintiffs.

"The Defendants were under an obligation to provide adequate security to prevent the human stampede from occurring," the lawsuit states.

The Copelands are seeking $150,000 in damages and charge that the mall should have had procedures in place to prevent a stampede.

Source: wrcbtv.com



Notable Quote   
 
"Federal employee unions are bracing for battle after courts have lifted a series of injunctions that were stalling the Trump administration's plans to end collective bargaining rights at a number of agencies.Trump in March signed an executive order laying the groundwork for a sweeping rescission of a number of existing union contracts at government agencies. The administration argues 18 different…[more]
 
 
— Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill
 
Liberty Poll   

Do you believe that President Trump's ordered deployment of National Guard troops to enhance police efforts in Washington, D.C., will yield a significant, measurable reduction in that city's crime rates?