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Be careful if you plan on going to a California DMV office on a Friday. Like many state offices, DMV locations across the state will be closed on the first and third Friday of every month for a while. The forced furloughs are an attempt to save money as the state grapples with monumental budgetary problems. The LA Times reported today that over 200,000 employees of the state of California took their first “Furlough Friday....

Fires can cause a lot of damage from destroying nature and people’s homes to killing people. When an individual starts a fire intentionally, he or she may end up facing an arson charge, which is usually classified as a felony. But, even if the act of starting the fire doesn’t rise to the level of arson, engaging in conduct that causes a fire can have serious consequences. The Damage Caused by the Fire The fire started on Sunday of Labor Day weekend and quickly spread to the slopes of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area....

Bad parenting is not necessarily a crime. But when it crosses the line into child abuse, crummy parenting can get you arrested and even sent to prison. Child abuse is always cruel, but some parents find a way to take their cruelty to a higher, and more bizarre level. Who are this week’s notable bad parents? We present Hot-Sauce Dad and “Branding” Mom. Read ’em and weep. Alleged ‘Hot-Sauce Dad’ Police in Danvers, Massachusetts, responded to a local hotel on a tip from a man’s sister that he was abusing the children of a woman he was living with....

The newest lawsuit and allegations against Harvey Weinstein related to the gross sexual misconduct that has recently come to light seeks to hold more than just the one Weinstein liable. The class action lawsuit claims that Harvey Weinstein, his brother, several associates, and The Weinstein Company, all had a hand in enabling Weinstein’s misconduct. The claims filed against the group allege racketeering, otherwise known as conspiratorial conduct. Essentially, the gist of the claim is that everyone around Weinstein knew what he was doing, and even helped him cover his tracks when victims were not compliant....

Just because you’ve been initially charged with a crime, does not necessarily mean that the prosecutor will move forward and prosecute you for the crime. In fact, there are many situations where prosecutors will drop criminal charges. In a criminal case, the state is the plaintiff in the case and the suspect is the defendant. So whether the state decides to move forward with a case is largely up to prosecutorial discretion....

A 7-year-old arsonist? They do exist. Fire officials in Juneau, Alaska have identified a 7-year-old boy suspected of setting at least five fires during the past four months. The unnamed child admitted to the crimes, but failed to provide a motive. He apparently found a lighter and decided to set things on fire. It’s very possible he was just intrigued by the flames. The boy’s grandmother, who is also his legal guardian, was surprised at this turn of events....

Consumers beware: there still might be Listeria in your cantaloupe. Kansas food company Carol’s Cuts has issued another cantaloupe recall. Carol’s Cuts is recalling 594 pounds of sliced cantaloupe packaged in 5-pound trays. The cantaloupe is also used as an ingredient in 8-ounce mixed fruit medleys. The cantaloupe was sent out to institutional customers, including restaurants, in Nebraska, Omaha and Kansas. Contaminated fruit may have been used in salad bars or as fruit menu items....

Frozen Snickers are a wonderful treat. They, however, do not make wonderful pets. One Connecticut woman can attest to this. Heather Lombardi stowed her kitten, Snickers, in a Delta Airlines cargo hold when flying to Utah last month. The airline assured her that the hairless kitten would be fine–the cargo hold was climate-controlled. They, however, failed to tell her that the climate was only controlled during the flight–meaning not while the plane was on the ground....

Proving that it’s never a great idea to have a gun lesson after downing some hard lemonade, an allegedly intoxicated wife accidentally shot and killed her husband Friday while he was instructing her how to use firearms. Distraught wife Michele Wanko, 42, of Parkside, Pennsylvania, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and possessing an instrument of crime, reports Philadelphia’s WCAU-TV. If Wanko’s story is true, and shooting her husband was an accident, then why is she still being charged with these crimes?...

Congress has failed to extend the funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As a result, the FAA’s shutdown has affected some services: they’ve had to furlough employees and freeze some funding meant for airport construction. Part of the shutdown, however, means that it’s essentially an airline ticket tax holiday: the FAA won’t be collecting some of its airline ticket taxes. Except that most traveling consumers won’t be feeling the effects of any tax savings....

Edythe Schumacher fell victim to what is being called the Facebook ‘sister’ scam. Last month, Schumacher’s sister messaged her to apply for a government grant. If she donated $2,000, she could gain access to $500,000 in financial aid. Schumacher was told to contact Sgt. Chris Swecker, who claimed to be with the Federal Government Humanity and Empowerment Program. He had her wire the money to a Massachusetts charity. Swecker is a retired FBI agent who investigated computer crimes....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will take a closer look at health risks associated with Lasik laser-assisted vision correction procedures, an agency panel announced Friday. The FDA will conduct a study of the “quality of life” of patients after Lasik surgery, and the agency will assess how to give prospective Lasik patients stronger warnings about risks associated with the procedure. The Los Angeles Times reports that, of the 8 million Americans who have undergone Lasik surgery since its approval in 1998, a small number have suffered “serious side effects that have left their eyes painfully dry and their vision marred by ghostly shadows or starbursts of color....

This week, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker handed down a major decision in an illegal wiretap case dating back to 2006. Judge Walker found that the electronic surveillance of an Islamic charity and two of its American lawyers was illegal and the attorneys, Wendell Belew and Asim Ghafoor, have a right to pursue damages against the government. The government argued that the case should be dismissed because of the potential for exposing continuing intelligence work....

Three years ago, the Government Accountability Office asked the FDA to make substantial changes in the way it oversees drugs that have already been approved and are available for use by patients. In the wake of the troubles with the FDA approved drug Vioxx and its link to heart attacks and strokes, the FDA had been charged with setting up a new office and system to track drugs currently on the market....

Ferraris are fun, especially if you can drive them fast. But, usually speeding in a Ferrari will get you a ticket. Well, it seems that Gordon Ramsay has found a way to speed around LA in his Ferrari while also avoiding a speeding ticket. He recently admitted to covering his license plate in cling film to avoid getting a speeding ticket via speeding and red light cameras. Why Are Gordon Ramsay’s Actions a Problem?...

Honda is recalling 871,000 vehicles because there is a risk these vehicles could roll away on their own – even after the ignition key has been removed. The Japanese automaker says parts of the ignition interlock may become damaged and worn, thereby allowing a driver to remove the key even if the car has not been properly shifted to park, reports Reuters. As you can imagine, a car that is not properly parked could roll away on its own, especially if it’s on a slope or a driveway....

Owner of the hottest 900 phone number in the early nineties. Purveyor of the Thunder Mixer. He who knows best. When Hulk Hogan sues, he sues big. Nothing less should ever be expected from a man who proudly claims these three accomplishments. Or a man who proudly wears his Fu Manchu ‘stache way past its expiration date. In fact, that identifying mustache is such a big moneymaker, that it can be partially blamed for Hulk Hogan’s recent campaign in the courts....

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Ferguson, Missouri, claiming the city “engages in an ongoing pattern or practice of conduct, including discrimination, that deprives persons of rights, privileges and immunities secured and protected by the United States Constitution and federal law.” The lawsuit is the result of Ferguson trying to back out of an agreement between the city and the DOJ to implement suggested reforms to correct unconstitutional practices on the part of the city’s police force and municipal court system....

Lil Scrappy was arrested in Georgia for allegedly violating the terms of his probation. The 28-year-old rapper, known for his 2006 hit “Money in the Bank,” is a cast member on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” He was booked and taken to DeKalb County jail, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The probation violation reportedly stemmed from a 2008 marijuana conviction, for which Lil Scrappy was sentenced to five years’ probation. The terms of his probation required Scrappy to stay away from alcohol and illegal drugs....

The FBI played revealing tapes at a bond hearing in federal court for the Raleigh, North Carolina terror case involving seven suspects arrested in the state last week. FBI agents played a numbe of tapes with statements reportedly made by alleged ringleader Daniel Patrick Boyd, and testified about apprehending Boyd and his son Daniel last week. FBI Agent Michael Sutton said that when they were arrested, father Daniel Boyd had an FN-57 semiautomatic handgun in his possession, while son Dylan Body had a 9mm handgun on him at the time....