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General Motors has announced six new recalls affecting about 7.6 million U.S. vehicles after reports of crashes, injuries, and deaths. Most of the vehicles are being recalled over the same ignition-switch problem linked to at least 13 deaths in some compact models made by GM, the Detroit Free Press reports. Other vehicles are being recalled to fix separate potential safety issues. The new GM recalls follow reports of seven crashes, eight injuries, and three fatalities, but a GM press release emphasizes “[t]here is no conclusive evidence that the defect condition caused those crashes....

The makers of Airborne have reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to pay a total of $30M into a settlement fund, as resolution of a class action lawsuit and related FTC charges of deceptive advertising and product labeling. Airborne Health Inc., manufacturer of the Airborne dietary supplement – which is marketed as a cold prevention remedy – will pay $6.5M to settle FTC charges that its advertising claims were unsubstantiated....

When you’re arrested at a protest, what are your rights? From answering questions to videotaping police, there are certain rights every protester has when he or she is being hauled away in handcuffs. Here are five constitutional rights every protester should know when it comes to getting arrested: For more guidance, especially if you feel your rights as a protester have been violated, you may want to speak to a civil rights attorney near you....

Barack Obama’s historic inauguration today as president of the United States was the scene of an unprecedented celebration by a crowd of more than 1 million. However, amidst all the jubilation, there have been some sobering reminders of the hazards involving large masses of people, as well as very cold weather conditions. According to an AP story, “between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., the fire department responded to more than 60 calls from people falling down or complaining of the cold....

At a meeting today the California Air Resources Board (ARB) unanimously approved banning the use of perchloroethylene (Perc), a potential carcinogen, from dry cleaning and water-repelling operations. This ban will be implemented in a phased approach and is to be completed by January 1, 2023. California is the first state to enact such a ban. For more information: News article on the ban (AP via MercuryNews.com) Text of the new measure (PDF) (also available in Korean) Information on the ban from the California Air Resources Board (PDF) Staff report: Initial statement of reasons (PDF) Staff presentation (PDF) You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help Civil Rights Block on Trump’s Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court...

Some auto dealers are looking to cash in on the Cash for Clunkers program by luring in customers whose clunkers don’t actually qualify. Before you step foot in a showroom, make sure the clunker you’d like to unload meets all the program’s criteria. New York’s Attorney General sent cease and desist letters to about 40 auto dealers across New York state for putting out advertisements which deceptively misportrayed the rebates available through the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS, aka Cash for Clunkers)....

Cyberspace represents a major challenge for national security, and a comprehensive and inclusive cybersecurity strategy from the Obama administration is needed in order to protect the country’s online infrastructure, according to recommendations from a committee of cybersecurity experts, released Monday. The Washington Post reports that Monday’s recommendations from the commission of computer security experts “follow a series of cyber security breaches at some of the nation’s most sensitive computer systems,” including intrusions at NASA and the departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, and Commerce within the last year....

A federal grand jury has indicted two Chinese nationals and the businesses they operate, as well as a U.S. firm and its CEO, for their roles in importing contaminated wheat gluten used in the manufacturing of pet food in the U.S. The contamination led to a nationwide recall of certain pet foods from companies like Menu Foods and Procter & Gamble, and is believed to have sickened thousands of animals, killing as many as 16....

Conrad Murray’s sentencing hearing is complete, and he will serve 4 years in the Los Angeles County Jail for the death of Michael Jackson. Judge Michael Pastor found Murray was not eligible for probation because “you can’t have probation when there isn’t an acknowledgment of rehabilitation and responsibility.” He was referring to Murray’s failure to express remorse for Jackson’s death and his apparent outrage at even having to stand trial, reports the Los Angeles Times....

Don’t mess with a visitation order and an angry mama. Darius McCrary, of Family Matters fame, recently took his son on a father-son Spring Break Trip and stayed too long. The son’s mother, Elizabeth Alanoly, filed an emergency motion with the court after McCrary didn’t return his son on time per the visitation order. When McCrary returned he was smacked with a bench warrant for his arrest. McCrary reportedly had to post a $15,000 bond to get the warrant cleared....

Who would have imagined the fallout from the Drake-Chris Brown nightclub brawl. First Tony Parker suffered a serious eye injury and is suing the company that runs the W.i.P. lounge. Now, the company that runs the club, Greenhouse, is suing New York City for shutting it down. Strangely, the two that seem to have escaped unscathed in this mess are Chris Brown and Drake. After the bottle-tossing brawl, the city stepped in and shut the club down, reports CBS....

Welcome to FindLaw’s DUI Law series. If you have been charged with a DUI, know someone who has, or just want to know about the law and how to protect your rights during a DUI stop, please come back each week for more information. Any car accident can be a frightening experience. And if you’ve been drinking and get into an accident, you might not just be fearing for your safety but for your freedom as well....

Not one year after the hazing death of a Florida A&M University (FAMU) marching band member, there’s another alleged hazing incident – this time involving a FAMU dance team. A parent tipped off the university about the alleged hazing involving the all-female Torque Dance Team, reports CNN. The hazing reportedly happened at an off-campus event over Labor Day weekend. It allegedly involved alcohol consumption and running up hills. It’s not clear if anyone was hurt....

The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is calling on manufacturers, retailers, researchers and consumer groups to help improve the use and safety of child car seats and the special anchors used to attach them to vehicles – especially in light of new evidence indicating parents are often unsure of the best way to install the life-saving devices. National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole R. Nason issued the challenge at the opening of a day-long summit with industry leaders and consumer advocates aimed at improving child car seat safety....

Short answer: it depends. Generally, secretly purchasing a gun on someone else’s behalf from a gun dealer, called a straw purchase, is illegal. If the end recipient is not disclosed to the gun dealer/seller, they cannot run the background check for the actual purchaser/owner. However, it is possible to legally purchase a gun for someone, or give a gun as a gift, but there are hoops to jump through. After all, it’s a gun, and guns are very dangerous....

Justin Bieber and Usher thought they were off the hook for a copyright lawsuit. Well, they’re back on the hook now. A copyright lawsuit against them for the song “Somebody to Love,” dismissed last year, was recently revived by a three judge panel of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. The First “Somebody to Love” Lawsuit In 2010, Justin Bieber released “Somebody to Love” on his My World 2....

Justin Bieber can’t seem to catch a break. From police investigating his involvement in an egging incident in Los Angeles to getting arrested for drunken driving in Miami, it’s like his legal troubles are part of some sad cross-country road trip set to “Party in the U.S.A.” Well, his legal troubles have officially gone global. Bieber’s latest legal trouble entails an arrest for assault in Canada. Here’s an update on his reckless road trip:...

The latest installment in the Star Wars franchise hits theaters in December and the answer is no, we couldn’t be any more excited. There’s something in the George Lucas’s universe for everyone* but many people feel like taking pieces of Star Wars without asking. And Lucas and his company Lucasfilm have been all too happy to sue over unauthorized use of images and names from the franchise. Here are a few of the most notorious Star Wars lawsuits:...

A Florida man was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after answering a teenage boy’s Craigslist ad seeking “adult companionship” and engaging in sexual activity with the teen. 50-year-old Brian Keith Dunn of Coral Springs pleaded guilty to coercing or enticing a minor into engaging in sexual activity, reports the Sun Sentinel. Dunn admitted to communicating with the 14-year-old by text and email, but maintained he never actually met the boy face-to-face....

An update to a previous blog posting on the Menu Foods cat and dog food recall – the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced today that scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory have identified Aminopterin as a toxin present in cat food samples from Menu Foods. Aminopterin, a derivative of folic acid, is used as rat poison in some countries, and can cause cancer and birth defects in humans and can cause kidney damage in dogs and cats....