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The Wikimedia Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the government agency’s mass data collection violated the Constitution. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In the complaint (embedded below), Wikimedia alleges that the NSA participated in “Upstream surveillance,” tapping into “the Internet backbone inside the United States” through which online, text-based communications flow. The lawsuit says the government conducting bulk searches of both international and domestic in-transit communications, looking for a large set of keywords....

There is little doubt that Judge Steven Merryday of the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, enjoyed himself on this case. After all, what’s not to like – a sunken ship, Spanish silver, stories of lost treasure, and two parties dueling in court over ownership. Must make a nice change from the eminent domain suits and the like that he usually finds on his docket. This story may sound like another (please, no) installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, but it is just business as usual for Odyssey Marine Exploration, who may now have to return 17 tons of treasure including silver coins and other artifacts to the Spanish government....

Alec Baldwin was arrested in New York City today after a parking spot disagreement turned physical. Baldwin was allegedly trying to back into a space near his Greenwich Village home when another man snuck into the spot from behind. According to reports, the actor then followed the man to the meter, punched him in the face, and sent him to the hospital. Baldwin was taken into police custody after the incident....

A 10-year-old boy shot and killed his neo-Nazi father Jeffrey Hall, but the dad’s white supremacist beliefs had nothing to do with the homicide, a prosecutor told a judge Tuesday. “He would have shot his father if he was a member of the Peace and Freedom Party. It doesn’t matter the political affiliation,” the prosecutor said as the boy’s trial got underway in Riverside, Calif., according to The Press-Enterprise. The boy, now 12, faces an allegation of murder as a juvenile....

Last week, California teachers across 13 districts breathed a collective sigh of relief as a court ruled that standardized test scores of students should not be factored into teacher evaluations. Judge Goode explained that legislative purposes behind the standardized tests are to evaluate students, schools, and even whole local education agencies, and that using the tests to evaluate individual teachers was not envisioned by the legislature. While the proponents for evaluating teachers based on standardized test results, a group called Students Matter, can still appeal this ruling, the ruling against them clearly explains that the law does not say what they want it to say....

The Nevada rancher involved in a 2014 standoff with federal rangers over cattle grazing has been indicted on 16 felony charges. Cliven Bundy, his sons Ryan and Ammon, and two other associates face federal conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, and obstruction of justice charges, among other offenses. The indictments stem from an armed-standoff with Bureau of Land Management agents over Bundy’s refusal to pay grazing fees to the BLM. The standoff gained national media attention and sparked support from militia members and states’ rights groups....

Tomi Lahren, a Fox News contributor, is in hot water, and it’s not for making controversial statements about politics. Instead, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is upset with Lahren after she said she kicks her dog. But, did she actually commit a crime by kicking her dog? The answer, as it always seems to be when it comes to the law, is maybe. How Did It Come About That Lahren Kicks Her Dog?...

The FDA released a warning last week to consumers and health care professionals about the dangers of electronic cigarettes (“e-cigarettes”). Electronic cigarettes sampled by the FDA were found to contain known toxins, including one commonly found in anti-freeze and other known carcinogens. First of all, what’s an electronic cigarette? They are marketed as reducing the pollution and carcinogens involved in smoking by involving no smoke. Instead, nicotine in a cartridge is made into a vapor which users inhale....

Thirty joints a day put a New Jersey doctor away. “I was smoking 30 joints a day and not getting much done a day,” Ex Dr. Edwin Bliss Struve told Superior Court Judge David Ironson of life before his arrest last year. The ex-doctor pleaded guilty to marijuana plant growing and will likely be placed in a mental health program after his sentencing. He will be supervised on probation in the office’s mental health department....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday that it has received six reports of life-threatening pancreas swelling in patients taking the diabetes medication Byetta, including two deaths. The agency is working with Byetta manufacturer Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to strengthen the drug’s warning label. Byetta is an injectable medicine used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, along with metformin and/or another type of antidiabetic medicine called sulfonylureas, according to an FDA Patient Information Sheet....

The New York Attorney General’s fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump’s now defunct investment “university” can proceed, according to a state appeals court. The suit, originally filed in 2013 and included below, alleges Trump University used “deceptive and unlawful practices” to fleece prospective students of some $40 million. The New York Supreme Court has already ruled that Trump University violated state law by operating an unlicensed educational institution. Now a jury will decide whether Trump and other school operators fraudulently induced residents to buy increasingly expensive seminars to be “the next DONALD TRUMP....

So how much will class action members get in the settlement? $0. That’s right. The settlement is actually designed to put $8.5 million into an independent pool that will be used to support education about privacy on the internet. Got a problem with that? You have until Jan. 10, 2011 to object to the settlement by contacting the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. They will undoubtedly be thrilled to hear from you....

A federal appeals court has recently upheld a student’s suspension for internet bullying. The 4th Circuit’s cyberbullying case, concerning a West Virginia student, ruled that the student’s First Amendment rights were not violated when school officials punished her for creating a website from home. The student in question, Kara Kowalski, had created a website called “S.A.S.H.” from her home computer in 2005. She said that the acronym stood for “Students Against Sluts Herpes,” and that it was about STD awareness, but classmates said the acronym really stood for “Students Against Shay’s Herpes....

“Seriously?” “Yeah, seriously – is your horn stuck?” “Is your brake stuck?” “Is your f*in’ horn stuck, smarta?” Probably not the ideal start for an exchange with a police officer, and it didn’t get any better from there for Scott Smith, a St. Louis computer programmer with the temerity to honk at an officer who sat too long at a green light. “I tell you what, you’re gonna either show me your driver’s license or you’re gonna wind up getting a ticket....

Whether you’re wondering what happened to the previous owners or what the next ones will do with the property, there’s always an intrigue with abandoned buildings. And the ones with spooky histories or interesting architecture always seem to invite the adventurous to have a look around inside. But is it legal to enter an abandoned building? It may look like no one will care, but there are quite a few laws covering this kind of urban exploration....

Jon Gosselin, formerly of “Jon & Kate Plus Eight,” wants temporary custody of his children. He also wants his ex-wife Kate Gosselin to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. In an interview with E! News, Jon claims that Kate is “instilling fear” to “control” their eight kids. Jon Gossein’s comments come just two weeks after Kate and the couple’s two oldest children appeared in a People magazine cover story. So what will Jon need to do to get a court-ordered change of custody for his kids and a psychiatric evaluation for Kate?...

Gwyneth Paltrow brought the term “conscious uncoupling” into the public eye with her divorce to Chris Martin. At the time, she said “I know it’s a dorky term, but it’s very worthwhile. I wanted to turn my divorce into a positive,” said Gwyneth. Yes, she’s right. It’s a dorky term. But maybe it’s a good idea. Evidently it’s good enough for Chris Pratt and Anna Faris who have decided to use the theory in their divorce, involving six-year-old son, Jack....

A Texas man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for shining a laser pointer at a police helicopter. Gabriel Soze Ruedas Jr., 25, was arrested in 2012 after the pilot of an Austin police helicopter was forced to delay his landing. A bright laser light reflecting in his cockpit forced him to avert his eyes, reports the Austin American-Statesman. Although they may seem harmless, laser pointer pranks against aircraft are increasingly resulting in serious criminal charges....

If your car stereo is too loud it could be labeled as a noisy nuisance and depending on where you live you could be stuck with a fine. That’s what happened to Tom Palumbo when he tried to crank the bass while driving in Florida. Florida law makes it a criminal offense to drive with a stereo so loud that a police officer can hear it from 25 feet or more away....

Rudy Giuliani made his name in New York City by being tough on crime. One can only wonder how he reacted to the news that his 20-year-old daughter was caught stealing cosmetics from Sephora. Rudy Giuliani’s daughter, Caroline Giuliani, a Harvard student, was arrested Wednesday after employees at the 86th Street Sephora allegedly saw her putting makeup products into her coat pocket. The police say she took five items valued at a total of about $100, which was allegedly captured on video....