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A federal judge has ruled that the federal ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro ruled on Thursday in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act prevented states from being able to define marriage. As defining marriage has been a state right, a federal law to ban gay marriage cannot stand, Tauro ruled. Tauro found that the law forced the state of Massachusetts to discriminate against it’s own citizens....

The first American agent charged for a cross-border killing pled not guilty to second-degree murder last week. Border Patrol agent Lonny Swartz will face trial next month for the 2012 shooting of 16-year-old Mexican Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez. Swartz is accused of shooting into Mexico at Rodriguez and hitting him ten times, with eight shots to the back. He says he acted in self defense, responding to rock throwing by the boy, and is supported by Tucson Border Patrol colleagues....

In the first known fatality in a self-driving car, a Tesla driver was killed when his car’s Autopilot function failed to recognize a tractor-trailer turning onto the road in front of it, sending the vehicle underneath the trailer and into the back of the truck. Allegedly, the Model S could not distinguish between the big rig or the trailer and “brightly lit sky” behind it and never applied the brakes....

Authors and publishers filed a class action suit alleging copyright infringement. This week, the proposed Google Books settlement, which was set to end this lawsuit, was rejected by the presiding judge, putting the future of Google Books in question. Here’s what happened. The agreement between the parties dealt primarily with out-of-print books. It allowed Google to continue to scan these books without author approval. In-print books, however, would require explicit permission....

The results of a three-day human trafficking sting across the state of California resulted in the arrest of 474 individuals, as well as the rescue of 55 human trafficking victims, including 28 child victims. The sting, dubbed Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, has been done for three consecutive years, with this year marking the largest operation to date. Arrests were made for solicitation of prostitution, as well as pimping, and included both sex workers, pimps, and potential customers....

Almost 890,000 pounds of frozen “Lean Cuisine” chicken entrees are being recalled because they may contain small pieces of small plastic, manufacturer Nestle USA and federal health officials announced Tuesday. The recall applies to the following Lean Cuisine products, distributed to retailers nationwide: 9.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Pesto Chicken with Bow-Tie Pasta,” 10.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean,” and 12.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Tuscan.” The recall was announced Tuesday by manufacturer Nestle Prepared Foods Company in Springville, Utah....

Steve Lynn got the thrill of his life on Friday when, flying high above in a plane, he spotted burglars stealing items from his Jonesboro, Arkansas home. With a bit of quick thinking, he and his pilot friend were able to help officers with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office apprehend suspects Roosevelt Smith III and Joseph Peel, both of whom have been charged with burglary and theft. Talk about a plane ride....

A New York state appeals court ruled that a gun manufacturer and distributor could be liable for someone’s injuries despite the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The federal statute generally shields firearm manufacturers and sellers from liability for harm caused by criminal use of their products, reports Reuters. However, the appellate court unanimously reversed a 2011 ruling and said that shooting victim Daniel Williams could go ahead and sue gun manufacturer Beemiller and MKS Supply for his injuries....

The J.M. Smucker Co. issued a voluntary peanut butter recall Thursday, saying jars sold in 24 states and the District of Columbia may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recall only affects 16-ounce jars of Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Chunky, stamped “Best If Used By” August 3, 2012 and August 4, 2012. The jars are also marked with a barcode number of 5150001701, and a production code of 1307004 or 1308004, Smucker says....

As cities are reaching record high temperatures this year, so too are the number of hot car kid deaths. A recent study conducted by Kansas-based Kids and Cars reported that children dying in hot cars hit a new high in 2010 with a total of 48 deaths so far. MSNBC reports that criminal charges are filed in about half of the cases that involve hot car kid deaths. “Experts say leaving a child in a hot car is not always a sign of negligence, but is often the result of a distracted or sleep-deprived brain, or a sudden change in routine....

CPSC Chair Inez Tenebaum held a Town Hall meeting in New York recently to talk to parents and consumers about safe toys and new toy safety regulations. The CPSC has introduced new rules and guidelines for higher toy safety standards this year. In addition, there are steps parents and grandparents can take to ensure a happy and safe giving season. Starting this year new federal rules state: federal limits for lead in paint on children’s toys dropped to 90 parts per million, which is among the lowest in the world; toys for children 12 and younger must now be tested and certified that they meet the new lead in paint limits; children’s toys cannot be made or sold with more than 300 parts per million of total lead; children’s toys cannot be made or sold with more than 0....

A Walgreens lawsuit claims the nation’s largest drugstore chain violated federal racketeering laws by conspiring to charge customers for expensive drugs instead of generics. The suit, filed Jan. 11 in federal court in Chicago, accuses Walgreen Co. and drug maker Par Pharmaceutical Co. of raking in millions of dollars in the alleged scheme, Bloomberg reports. An employee union’s health-benefits fund filed the Walgreens suit, claiming Walgreens filled its members’ prescriptions with Par’s higher-priced drugs, when the prescriptions specifically called for generic drugs....

There’s a tendency to focus on the benefits of homeowners insurance without reference to its shortcomings. However, basic homeowners insurance doesn’t offer complete protection of your property, pets, family, and guests, leaving you open to quite a bit of liability. Though it differs from company to company and policy to policy, the following are a few of the things that are generally not included in homeowners insurance, possibly requiring you to purchase separate coverage....

The makers of Airborne, an herbal supplement that was marketed as useful in preventing and curing common colds, have settled a false advertising class action lawsuit for $23.3 million, and are offering to refund money to consumers who purchased the product. According to a Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Press Release on the settlement, the only clinical trial over Airborne’s effectiveness “was actually conducted without any doctors or scientists....

“What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” may be what Todd Bridges’ fans are asking after the former “Diff’rent Strokes” star announced he’s divorcing his wife Dori after 14 years. “Me and my wife our [sic] divorcing our lives are going different directions,” Bridges said via Twitter on Friday, according to gossip website TMZ. The tweet has since been deleted, but Bridges followed up with other tweets including, “May God help us get passed [sic] this situation” and “People grow apart and we did....

Allegations of domestic violence are taken seriously – and for good reason. According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, more than 1 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner every year. And while it doesn’t get as much attention, men can be domestic abuse victims too. At the other end of the victim spectrum are those who are wrongly accused of committing acts of domestic violence....

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld a $25 million settlement involving Trump University and thousands of disgruntled former students. The three-judge panel unanimously affirmed the district court’s approval of the class action lawsuit, turning away the long-shot appeal of a single objecting class member. You might remember the backstory here. Trump University advertised a series of free “investor workshops” to sell methods for becoming successful realtors....

How would you like to live in one of the most dangerous cities in America? You probably wouldn’t want to live in a crime-ridden neighborhood by choice. That’s why sometimes people might find themselves residing in what Forbes dubbed one of the least safe cities in the country. Does your city pop up on the list? The top 10 cities are: Detroit, Michigan Memphis, Tennessee Springfield, Illinois Flint, Michigan Anchorage, Alaska Lubbock, Texas Stockton, California Tallahassee, Florida Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada Rockford, Illinois Forbes utilized FBI’s uniform crime report to compile their list....

In two separate incidents over the Labor Day weekend, two men claim they were victims of hate crimes. In both cases, the men endured brutal anti-gay assaults. Twenty-three-year-old Jared Olson of Denver, Colorado will need reconstructive surgery as a result of the attack. Meanwhile, Jared Fox, who was visiting his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, is recovering from being beaten by a group of 20 men. Legally speaking, a hate crime involves force or the threat of force that is motivated by the victim’s:...

AT&T has agreed to a $105 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over claims that the carrier allegedly charged consumers for unauthorized third-party services and subscriptions through a process called “cramming.” The settlement is the largest to date in the FTC’s effort to combat the practice of mobile cramming. Earlier this year, the FTC filed a complaint against T-Mobile alleging that carrier was cramming users’ bills with unauthorized third-party charges as well....