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Evolving scientific views of child abuse drive debate over Menendez brothers’ resentencing
An anticipated resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez has sparked debate about the state of scientific knowledge on the effects of child abuse 30 years ago, when the brothers were convicted of the shotgun slayings of their parents.
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Novo Nordisk: Water quality issues at Ozempic plant won't be resolved this year
A Novo Nordisk facility in Denmark where the popular obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are manufactured has been cited by the federal Food and Drug Administration for possible contamination issues – a development that has caught the attention of trial lawyers.
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Hundreds of school districts cleared to keep up 'nuisance' lawsuit vs. social media companies
A federal judge said the core theory of allegations is the impact of compulsive use of the products marketed by the companies that own and operate Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, among other social media platforms alleged in the lawsuits to be "addictive" and harmful to society, and schools in particular.
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CA law blocking religious schools from special ed funds violates religious freedom, appeals court says
U.S. Ninth Circuit Appeals Court said California can't show its discrimination vs religious schools is "neutral." Three devout Orthodox Jewish families can continue their suit against the state for allegedly forcing them to choose between their faith and obtaining educational services for their disabled children
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Ex-BART workers fired over Covid vax mandate should get $7.8M, jury says
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District should pay at least $1.1 million to six workers who were fired in 2022 after BART repeatedly refused to grant religious exemptions and accommodations to workers who said their faith prevented them from complying with BART's Covid shot mandate
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Phillips 66 to close Los Angeles oil refinery, raising concerns about state's gas supplies
Phillips 66 Co. will shutter its oil refinery near Los Angeles Harbor in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a company statement that has raised concerns about California’s ability to maintain its supply of cleaner-burning gas blends.
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Appeals panel: U.S. can't apply Asylum Transit Rule to illegal immigrants already at the border
A federal appeals court has blocked the Biden administration from forcing illegal immigrants who already were turned away from the border to first apply for "asylum" in Mexico before requesting the same from the U.S. A dissenting judge said the ruling "twists" U.S. asylum law to extend to people who haven't even arrived in the country
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Judge won't let Disney run to appeals court to win OK to fire actors over political speech
A Los Angeles federal judge said Disney can't go to an appeals court to seek to overturn her refusal to dismiss a lawsuit from former "Mandalorian" actor Gina Carano, accusing the company of violating her rights by firing her from the show over her conservative political views, which Disney said was "offensive"
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SCOTUS won't review CA court's decision, clearing path for state, city lawsuits vs Uber, Lyft
The Attorney General and city attorneys for L.A., San Diego and San Francisco have sued Uber and Lyft under the controversial AB5 labor law, seeking to extract a big payday from the companies, ostensibly on behalf of workers, over claims the companies misclassified drivers as independent contractors
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CA lawmakers exempt Capitol Annex project from state enviro review law, can't be sued
A state appeals court said California lawmakers didn't violate the state constitution by specifically and immediately exempting the $1.2B Capitol Annex project from the state's controversial California Environmental Quality Act, in an apparent move to thwart legal challenges seeking to halt the project
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Attorney General Bonta: 'We travel,' use jet fuel in wake of new ExxonMobil lawsuit
California Attorney General Rob Bonta flew to New York for an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last month to discuss his latest lawsuit challenging ExxonMobil’s recycling efforts but found himself on the defensive over his own contributions to climate change.
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New study points to danger of fabricated, AI-generated scientific papers on legislation, politics
Academic studies about health issues, the environment and computing are increasingly susceptible to artificial intelligence-driven fabrications, putting the quality of scientific research, such as that which underlies legal arguments, at risk, new research suggests.
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Google privacy settlement a $62M windfall for trial lawyers, left-wing groups: Court filings
Twenty GOP state attorneys general have filed a brief in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of a group of objectors, seeking to undo approval of a settlement that would steer most of $62 million from Google to trial lawyers and the ACLU and other groups to advance left-wing social and political causes
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Lawsuit challenges CA laws targeting online election parody videos the state considers 'deceptive misinfo'
The lawsuit was filed by online content creator "Mr. Reagan," who famously published a video mocking Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris using AI tech to make it seem she described herself as "the ultimate diversity hire" and which drew pointed direct attacks from Gov. Newsom
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Coalition of AGs working to stop California electric-truck mandate
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey recently joined a multistate comment letter asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to maintain a federal legal block on California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation.
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Judge: Parents have a right to transgender students' records, but teachers can't be forced to report student transitions
A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge delivered a partial win to both sides in the dispute between a Chino school district and California state officials over a school district policy requiring school staff to notify parents and provide student records if their children are 'social transitioning' gender
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Mackinac Center senior policy advisor: ‘Most of the drivers, they want the flexibility’
Vincent Vernuccio, a senior policy advisor at the Mackinac Center, said on a September 2 episode of the Lunch Hour podcast that the modifications made to California’s AB 5 show that gig workers like rideshare drivers want to be independent contractors due to the flexibility it provides.
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Appeals court: CA can ban guns in many 'sensitive places,' but not as many as lawmakers wanted
A federal appeals panel delivered a split decision on SB2, saying they believe Second Amendment lets California ban concealed carry in parks, restaurants, libraries, stadiums and amusement parks, but not necessarily public transit, churches or hospitals, by simply declaring public spaces 'sensitive'
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California violated 1st Amend by trying to force X to turn over info on content moderation: Appeals court
California lawmakers said AB587 only about "transparency," but also hinted the law's reporting requirements could be used to force X Corp. to comply with state desires to censor "hate speech" and other kinds of controversial posts the state may find objectionable
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'Under the radar' antisemitism: Santa Ana school district sued for allegedly creating anti-Jewish curriculum in secret
Jewish organizations have filed suit against an Orange County school district, accusing the Santa Ana Unified School District of allegedly allowing pro-Hamas leftwing activists to lead a secret committee to craft antisemitic and anti-Israel ethnic studies courses in violation of state law behind closed doors