A Supreme Court ruling due in a few weeks could wipe out health insurance for millions of people covered by President Barack Obama's health care law. But it's Republicans — not White House officials — who have been talking about damage control.
A likely reason: Twenty-six of the 34 states that would be most affected by the ruling have Republican governors, and 22 of the 24 GOP Senate seats up in 2016 are in those states.
Obama's law offers subsidized private insurance to people without access to it on the job. In the court case, opponents of the law argue that its literal wording allows the federal government to subsidize coverage only in states that set up their own health insurance markets.
Most states have not done so, because of the intense partisanship over "Obamacare" and in some cases because of technical problems. Instead, they rely on the federal HealthCare.gov website.
If the court invalidates the subsidies in those states, an estimated 8 million people could lose coverage. The results would be "ugly," said Sandy Praeger, a former Kansas insurance commissioner.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Swiss Bank UBS Pleading Guilty To Wire Fraud
Swiss bank UBS says it is pleading guilty to wire fraud and is paying $545 million to settle U.S. cases of market manipulation.
The bank said Wednesday that under the deal with U.S. authorities it will be granted conditional immunity from prosecution in a Department of Justice probe on the manipulation of foreign exchange rates. UBS AG said it was the first to report to the DOJ potential misconduct by banks in forex markets.
It will however pay a $342 million fine to the Federal Reserve.
It will separately pay a $203 million fine to the DOJ for manipulating a key market interest rate called the London Interbank Offered Rate.
The bank said "the conduct of a small number of employees was unacceptable and we have taken appropriate disciplinary actions."
Monday, May 18, 2015
High court won't hear appeal over Walker campaign probe
The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from a conservative group seeking to end an investigation into possible illegal coordination between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's 2012 recall campaign and independent groups.
The justices on Monday let stand an appeals court ruling that said Wisconsin Club for Growth and its director, Eric O'Keefe, must resolve their claims in state courts.
No one has been charged as a result of the investigation which has sought documents and testimony about possible violation of state campaign finance laws.
The investigation is on hold while a separate legal challenge is pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The club and O'Keefe argued that the investigation was a violation of their First Amendment rights and an attempt to criminalize political speech.
The justices on Monday let stand an appeals court ruling that said Wisconsin Club for Growth and its director, Eric O'Keefe, must resolve their claims in state courts.
No one has been charged as a result of the investigation which has sought documents and testimony about possible violation of state campaign finance laws.
The investigation is on hold while a separate legal challenge is pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The club and O'Keefe argued that the investigation was a violation of their First Amendment rights and an attempt to criminalize political speech.
Friday, April 17, 2015
New York Adoption Attorneys – Rosin Steinhagen Mendel
For over 35 years, the New York Adoption Attorneys of Rosin Steinhagen Mendel have served clients in New York City and the surrounding counties of Southern New York State and New Jersey in matters regarding adoption, foster care litigation, and family law. Rosin Steinhagen Mendel have represented clients in proceedings such as parental right termination, custody hearings, guardianship, and adoption.
The attorneys at Rosin Steinhagen Mendel have represented New York City Foster Care Agencies for over thirty years in all aspects regarding Family Law and New York State Administrative proceedings and provide representation for foster parents, persons seeking adoption, and parents in abuse and neglect proceedings. Their practice focuses on the areas of law listed below:
· Adoption
· Foster Care litigation
· General Family Law
· Kinship Guardianship
· Reproductive Law
In order to learn more about Rosin Steinhagen Mendel and their practice, please visit their website or contact them for more information regarding your case.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Charlotte Employment Attorney - Strianese Law
The Strianese, PLLC was founded by Chris Strianese, a Charlotte based attorney who focuses his practice on employment law including but not limited to sexual harassment, wage and hour, and discrimination within the work place. He primarily represents wronged employees who have been fired for unlawful reasons or are currently experiencing harassment or discrimination in the workplace. Mr. Strianese represents all wronged employees from high level executives to office workers.
Mr. Strianese has made it a point to provide individualized attention to each and every one of his clients in order to protect their rights and remain focused on the case. While most discrimination and harassment cases can be settled through negotiation, if litigation is necessary, Mr. Strianese will provide the experience, expertise, and strategic thinking necessary in order to best represent you and protect your rights. You will work directly with Mr. Strianese on your case and will be updated and walked through the whole process.
Mr. Strianese has handled all types of employment cases for Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms, and small businesses. He is well accustomed to the typical defenses raised by employers during litigation and can easily counter those defenses. If you are interested in discussing your case with Mr. Strianese, visit his website and fill out the contact form for more information.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Playwright David Adjmi wins New York infringement court case
A playwright who was accused of copyright infringement by lawyers
representing the TV show "Three's Company" over his parody of 1970s
sitcoms has won a victory in court.
Loretta A. Preska, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, ruled Tuesday that David Adjmi, whose play "3C" had a run at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre in 2012, is protected under the doctrine of fair use.
"The play is a highly transformative parody of the television series that, although it appropriates a substantial amount of 'Three's Company,' is a drastic departure from the original that poses little risk to the market for the original," the judge wrote, noting that copyright law "is designed to foster creativity."
Adjmi had the backing of many theater community heavyweights, including Jon Robin Baitz, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Kushner, John Guare and Terrence McNally.
The play is about two girls — one a tomboy, the other a sexy ditz — and a guy who spontaneously become roommates in a rundown Santa Monica apartment after a wild party.
They clash with a dislikable landlord who makes offensive, homophobic jokes. The playwright is exploring the idea of a culture avoiding difficult issues and problems by retreating into sex and drugs.
Loretta A. Preska, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, ruled Tuesday that David Adjmi, whose play "3C" had a run at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre in 2012, is protected under the doctrine of fair use.
"The play is a highly transformative parody of the television series that, although it appropriates a substantial amount of 'Three's Company,' is a drastic departure from the original that poses little risk to the market for the original," the judge wrote, noting that copyright law "is designed to foster creativity."
Adjmi had the backing of many theater community heavyweights, including Jon Robin Baitz, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Kushner, John Guare and Terrence McNally.
The play is about two girls — one a tomboy, the other a sexy ditz — and a guy who spontaneously become roommates in a rundown Santa Monica apartment after a wild party.
They clash with a dislikable landlord who makes offensive, homophobic jokes. The playwright is exploring the idea of a culture avoiding difficult issues and problems by retreating into sex and drugs.
5 arrested in protest inside Supreme Court
Protesters disrupted Supreme Court proceedings on Wednesday for the
second time this year with shouted criticism of the court's previous
rulings on campaign finance.
Supreme Court police swiftly removed five people from the courtroom after they rose, one after another, to interrupt the start of the court's session.
The advocacy group 99rise, which opposes the influence of money in elections, took responsibility for the protest, as it did for similar episodes in January and last year. The group said in a statement that six of its members took part Wednesday, though court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said only five people were arrested.
Arberg said all five have been charged under a law that prohibits making "a harangue or oration" or uttering "loud, threatening or abusive language" in the Supreme Court Building. They also were charged with conspiracy-related offenses and sent to a holding cell at Washington, D.C., police headquarters.
The first protester rose from his seat among spectators in the courtroom just after the justices took the bench at 10 a.m. "I rise to claim our democracy, one person, one vote," he said.
Chief Justice John Roberts initially joked that he didn't think the court's scheduled arguments in bankruptcy cases "would attract such attention." But Roberts turned serious as the protests continued and warned that anyone disrupting proceedings could be charged with criminal contempt.
In the two previous protests, at least one person from 99rise carried a camera and recorded the disruption in violation of the court's ban on cameras in the courtroom. The surreptitiously recorded video was later posted online.
The group said in a statement that the protest was tied to the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCutcheon v. FEC, in which the justices struck down the overall federal limit on individual campaign contributions. The anniversary is on Thursday, when the court will not be in session.
Supreme Court police swiftly removed five people from the courtroom after they rose, one after another, to interrupt the start of the court's session.
The advocacy group 99rise, which opposes the influence of money in elections, took responsibility for the protest, as it did for similar episodes in January and last year. The group said in a statement that six of its members took part Wednesday, though court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said only five people were arrested.
Arberg said all five have been charged under a law that prohibits making "a harangue or oration" or uttering "loud, threatening or abusive language" in the Supreme Court Building. They also were charged with conspiracy-related offenses and sent to a holding cell at Washington, D.C., police headquarters.
The first protester rose from his seat among spectators in the courtroom just after the justices took the bench at 10 a.m. "I rise to claim our democracy, one person, one vote," he said.
Chief Justice John Roberts initially joked that he didn't think the court's scheduled arguments in bankruptcy cases "would attract such attention." But Roberts turned serious as the protests continued and warned that anyone disrupting proceedings could be charged with criminal contempt.
In the two previous protests, at least one person from 99rise carried a camera and recorded the disruption in violation of the court's ban on cameras in the courtroom. The surreptitiously recorded video was later posted online.
The group said in a statement that the protest was tied to the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCutcheon v. FEC, in which the justices struck down the overall federal limit on individual campaign contributions. The anniversary is on Thursday, when the court will not be in session.
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