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A Texas law barring same-sex marriage has been struck down and ruled unconstitutional. But Judge Orlando Garcia’s decision (attached below) doesn’t mean gay marriages can be held in the Lone Star State. In the latest ruling in the national fight for gay marriage, Judge Garcia placed a stay on the decision, anticipating an appeal by the state. While there is a preliminary injunction on the state’s ban, the stay means the ban will remain in effect for now....

Born Anthony Smith, rapper Tone Loc, arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence in Burbank, California over the weekend, is reportedly out on bail, having posted a bond of $50,000 three hours after being hauled into jail. Known mostly for his rise to fame in the 1980’s with hits like “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,” there is little information about exactly what occurred prior to Tone Loc’s arrest. Police have only indicated that there was a “physical altercation” with the mother of his child....

Payola. It is frequently used as an antiquated term to describe a time when managers and record labels paid DJs to play their music. This practice is also called “pay to play”. While payola is not done as openly as it once was, the practice is very much alive today, as a recent case against Univision demonstrates. On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department announced two separate settlements of payola charges with the Spanish language media company, Univision, the Associated Press reports....

Some would be honored to be forever immortalized in Barbie form. But Donna Douglas, the actress who played Elly May Clampett in CBS’ hit series The Beverly Hillbillies, is not one of them. In response to Mattel’s “Elly May Barbie,” Douglas is suing the company, alleging that it used her name and likeness without her permission. For the 9 years that The Beverly Hillbillies was on air, CNN reports that Donna Douglas was the only woman to ever play Elly May Clampett, meaning that the public closely identifies the character with her likeness....

Perhaps this is a case where the cure is as bad as the disease. The infant sleep positioners sometimes used by parents to keep babies sleeping on their backs can cause suffocation, according to the FDA. It has been reported that at least 12 children have suffocated in the past 13 years, leading the agency to say the sleep positioners are not safe. The New York Times reports that in addition to the reports of actual infant deaths, other dangerous situations have occurred where babies have been found in hazardous positions within or next to the sleep positioners....

Religious freedom accommodations, falsifying metadata, and email privacy. This week’s “The Good Wife” tried to cram too many issues into one episode. Here’s what you need to know from last night’s episode, entitled “Loser Edit”: Episode Recap (Spoiler Alert!): Alicia starts the episode out with a puff piece interview with journalist Petra Moritz. It seems the interview will promote “Saint Alicia.” But, Petra received the Alicia’s hacked emails (see episode 17), and her puff piece becomes a tawdry expose of Alicia’s affair with Will Gardner instead....

Heading off to college means trying new things, and that often includes alcohol. But irresponsible college drinking can get you arrested, and the consequences could haunt you for years. It’s not just college students under 21 who need to be concerned. Students over the legal drinking age can also be held liable for alcohol violations, by themselves and by others. Here are five ways college drinking can get you arrested:...

An Iowa woman has been arrested for trying to blackmail Amy Duggar as part of a nefarious plot to remove her and her family from the airways. Her goal was to get TLC to cancel the Duggars’ reality TV show, 19 Kids and Counting. Teresa Hunt, the woman in question, sent a letter to executives, demanding that they pay her $10,000 or cancel the show. If they refused, she would release details and “intimate photos” that purport to prove an affair between Amy and a 56-year-old male musician....

Chrysler and Nissan have announced recalls affecting some 1.3 million vehicles because of faulty ignition switches and failing secondary hood latches, respectively. Chrysler is re-recalling over 700,000 minivans and SUVs over a defective ignition switch. Separately, Nissan is expanding a prior 2014 recall to cover another 640,000 Altima sedans to fix a faulty secondary hood latch. Here’s what you need to know about these recalls: Chrysler Recall Chrysler’s recall covers all 2008-10 Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country, and 2009-10 Dodge Journey SUVs....

A DUI suspect allegedly inhaled balloons filled with nitrous oxide as he led LAPD officers on a slow-speed chase. No injuries were reported, despite the fact that nitrous oxide – better known as laughing gas – can cause serious side effects such as hallucinations and depth-perception problems. And while drugged driving arrests involving nitrous abuse are rare, they’re not unheard of either. For example, in Orange County, California, last fall, a 21-year-old man who inhaled nitrous while driving got a year in jail for a DUI crash that killed his 15-year-old passenger and injured two others....

Can a child commit murder? A 5-year-old girl from Kansas City, Missouri has reportedly told investigators that she purposefully drowned Jermane Johnson Jr., an 18-month old toddler. Johnson and the 5-year-old girl were cousins, reports MSNBC. The children were left in the care of a 16-year-old babysitter, who had fallen asleep when the incident occurred. The 5-year-old told investigators that she did not like Johnson because he cried too much. After the adults left the house with the children in the care of the 16-year-old, the 5-year-old dragged Johnson to the bathtub which hadn’t been drained....

Ever noticed those advertisements that surround your Gmail? Ever felt like they were just a little too related to what is in your Inbox? It has never been a secret, but many people are unaware that for six years, Gmail has been scanning incoming emails in order to populate relevant advertisements. But just because it’s being done openly doesn’t make it legal, says a Texas resident who has filed a lawsuit against Google....

The question of whether a website name can ever be considered protected speech was raised by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas, but it wasn’t answered. The issue started when Texas attorney, John Gibson, bought the domain texasworkerscomplaw.com for his firm. The state demanded that he give up the name which they claim violates state law on deceptive practices. Rather than submit, Gibson filed suit. His suit was dismissed by a federal court claiming that the law related to commercial speech which is not as heavily protected....

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is suing a Beverly Hills auction house to get some prized possessions back, claiming they’re holding his property “hostage.” According to the suit, Julien’s Auction House had initially been contracted in 2012 to sell 400 of Abdul-Jabbar’s treasures, but the deal fell through when he decided not to sell some of the pieces, reports TMZ. One of the items in contention was a poster for the movie “Game of Death” signed by Bruce Lee, who made the film with Abdul-Jabbar....

The latest twist in pop singer Kesha’s ongoing legal battle with producer Dr. Luke (aka Lukasz Gottwald) – stemming from the singer’s accusations that the prominent producer sexually and physically abused her – is a lawsuit filed by Dr. Luke claiming that Kesha’s lawsuit is an attempt to extort him and get out of her contract. In any civil lawsuit, the defendant must be notified by service of process, which lets the defendant know where and by whom he or she has been sued and the time limit in which the defendant must respond....

The Los Angeles Unified School District has agreed to pay nearly $140 million to settle sex abuse lawsuits linked to ex-elementary school teacher and convicted child molester Mark Berndt. Berndt, 63, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2013 after pleading no contest to 23 counts of lewd acts upon a child, Reuters reports. Berndt was arrested after an investigation by police uncovered evidence that he’d forced his students to play a “tasting game” in which they were fed cookies tainted with Berndt’s semen....

Luxury living gets a new refinement with the announcement that LAX is opening a special terminal for celebrities, VIPs, and anyone else with cash to spare. Tired of the throngs of fans who swarm them as they travel stars like Reese Witherspoon petitioned the Los Angeles airport for this private terminal, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. The airport approved the move to prevent injuries, ostensibly. The new private terminal will be managed by a security agency used by many stars....

Terry Thompson, owner of an exotic animal preserve in Zanesville, Ohio, opened the cages to his animals and set them free Wednesday. He then fatally shot himself. What transpired next was a frantic operation conducted by local authorities. At least 25 exotic animals were shot and killed. The animals killed include lions, wolves, bears and at least one tiger. Thompson owned the 46-acre preserve. He also had a troubled past....

When waiting at the luggage carousel, it’s everyone’s worst fear to realize that battered suitcase is your damaged baggage and you’ll have to spend time filing a claim. Even worse is when your bag doesn’t arrive at all. Filing a claim for missing or damaged luggage isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to a total nightmare if you’re prepared. It also helps to know your rights. Here’s hoping it doesn’t happen to you or your loved ones this holiday season....

According to the USDA, 2015 saw the highest number of meat recalls in the last decade. Katherine Scheidt told ECB Publishing, “there were 150 recalls in 2015, the highest number since 2005.” Indeed, it seems like food recalls and viral outbreaks at chain restaurants have been all over the news. So is our meat getting worse? Or are we just getting better about detecting bad meat? USDA Enforcement The U.S. Department of Agriculture established its Food Safety and Inspection Services in 1981....