We are exposed to a lot of weird and wild notions of health and beauty. With so many stars paid to proclaim the wonders of a slew of beauty products, diets, and cleanses, it’s hard to know when to detox, when to botox, and when to stop altogether. It’s one thing if your diet doesn’t work or your product doesn’t deliver as promised. But sometimes the damage is much worse and a wondrous idea turns into a consumer’s nightmare....
If a child is charged with vandalism, what punishments are possible? A lot of vandalism gets committed by minors, who end up in the juvenile justice system. Because vandalism is a property crime, there is property to repair. A question from FindLaw Answers wants to know who pays for the damage and what the consequences are for the minor who committed the crime. Every state is different of course, but generally, children are prosecuted in a state’s juvenile justice system....
Chris Tucker’s foreclosure is probably unsurprising to his fans: he owes upwards of $11 million to the IRS in back taxes. Why shouldn’t Rush Hour fans be surprised? The comedian has even worked his financial woes into his routine. “That’s the last time I let Wesley Snipes help me out with my taxes,” Tucker recently joked during an act. For those that haven’t heard, Snipes is in prison serving time for evading taxes....
The trustees of Elizabeth Taylor’s estate have filed a lawsuit against Christie’s due to a couple disputes over some high priced auction items. The late Taylor’s jewelry collection was acclaimed as legendary. The actress, businesswoman, and fragrance mogul, amassed a fortune in jewels throughout her life, a treasure trove that sold for over $150 million after her death. The primary issue involves a $9 million diamond that was rumored to have been owned by a Mughal emperor from the 1600s (but was not listed as such by Christie’s)....
Marriage and family therapists in Texas can breathe a sigh of relief now that the state’s supreme court has ruled in their favor. The Texas Therapist’s Board was sued by the Texas Medical Association in 2008 in order to prevent therapists from diagnosing patients. After nearly a decade, the case may now finally be over. Last week’s ruling overturned the lower trial and appeal courts’ decisions, which found that allowing therapists to diagnose patients allowed therapists to engage in the unauthorized practice of medicine....
Due to the risk of serious side effects, parents should not give cough and cold medications to children under the age of two unless specifically instructed to do so by a healthcare provider, according to a warning issued Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA has recevied reports of serious adverse events associated with use of cough and cold medications in children, and these incidents appear to be the result of parents giving too much of these medicines to their kids....
Peanut butter news was all Halloween-themed this week. From the gross or gourmet to the grave and dangerous, the sandwich spread made holiday-appropriate headlines. First, the serious stuff. Skippy peanut butter lovers in seven states should be on the alert. Hormel Foods announced it is recalling some Skippy that may contain metal shavings due to an equipment malfunction. Recall Details The recall involves 153 cases, or 1,871 pounds, of Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread....
Tough financial times often breed unhappy marriages. They also make it harder for couples to split. Should increased efforts to keep it together fail, there are ways to keep divorce costs down that can help parting couples in lean or green times. Though we don’t yet have full statistics for 2008, anecdotal evidence from across the country indicates that the financial crisis has changed the equation of many couples who would otherwise divorce....
Grave charges of abuse in the L.A. Archdiocese, the nation’s largest, have been settled out of court to the tune of $13 million. Wrapping up 17 civil suits for abuse, the Archdiocese – which boasts 5 million members in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties in California – stated that these were the last of its “pending priest molestation lawsuits,” reports the Los Angeles Times. Here’s what the settlement means for the Church, and for the alleged victims:...
Parents are very protective of their children, or so they like to believe. But every so often there is a discovery that something created to keep kids healthy and safe is harming them or making them sick. The latest culprit is the sippy cup. Mayborn USA this week announced a recall of millions of Tommee Tippee Sippy Cups because mold gets trapped in the sip valve and causes gastrointestinal and other issues for small children, according to the Daily Mail....
Actress Paz de la Huerta’s career is ruined! Or, so she claims. Do you remember the movie Nurse 3D? No? Well, you’re not alone. Paz de la Huerta claims her injury while filming the movie and the director’s horrible dub job wrecked her career. So, she’s suing for $55 million. Paz de la Huerta filmed Nurse 3D in Canada in 2011. In the movie, de la Huerta plays a crazy nurse on a mission to kill cheating men....
The Supreme Court’s prescription data decision in Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc. has invalidated Vermont’s prescription data-mining law in a 6-3 decision. The data-mining law, officially called Vermont’s Prescription Confidentiality Law, made it so that without the patient’s consent, doctors and other healthcare providers could not sell or give their information to pharmaceutical companies and other entities, according to the Court’s opinion. The data in question is prescription records that data collectors or data miners buy from pharmacists or other healthcare providers....
Outrage. That’s the only word to describe the recent pink slime controversy. Consumers are upset that pink slime is in their beef. They’re also upset that the process used to make pink slime involves ammonia. Putting aside the gross factor, should Americans really be concerned about ammonia in food? Or is the entire thing being blown out of proportion? Experts suggest the latter option. Ammonia has been part of the U....
Though it’s not all that uncommon to read about a Playboy Playmate arrested in a domestic dispute, barroom brawl, or for driving under the influence, Miss July 2010 Shanna Marie McLaughlin decided to go about getting arrested in her own unique way. Police picked her up on early Monday evening after a TSA agent at Orlando International Airport observed a loaded .45 caliber Colt revolver in her carry-on bag as it went through X-ray screening equipment....
What’s the deal with celery? The Texas Department of State Health Services told SanGar Produce & Processing Co. to shut down its food processing plant after a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in chopped celery caused five Listeria deaths. SanGar issued the recall Wednesday of their celery. According to the DSHS, the celery was cut fresh and put in sealed packages that were sent to schools, hospitals and restaurants. They do not believe the celery has been shipped to shops and stores....
While a far cry from a bat signal, the makers of a crime reduction app, called Citizen, are facing criticism for re-releasing their controversial smartphone app. The app promises to help create safer neighborhoods and cities, and keep people safe from crime, by notifying its users about crime happening in as close to real time as possible. Currently, the app only works for New York City, but is expected to roll out to additional cities....
The actor Randy Quaid and his wife are wanted fugitives on charges related to allegedly skipping out on a $10,000 luxury hotel bill. That sounds like a scene right out of a Hollywood movie – but unfortunately for actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evi, it’s reality. According to CNN, warrants have been issued for the their arrest after they failed to appear for a court hearing at a Santa Barbara courthouse on Monday....
Under the Fourth Amendment, law enforcement needs probable cause in order to conduct a legal search. In general, officers must first obtain a warrant before conducting a search. There are also certain facts and circumstances in which police can search without a warrant, although probable cause is still required. Generally, however, a person’s house can’t be searched without a warrant. The Minnesota Supreme Court has decided that driveways are also protected from warrantless searches under the Fourth Amendment....
Is sending nude photos a crime? Apparently it’s not in Texas under certain circumstances. A jilted lover sent nude photos of her ex to his wife and neighbors. It may have been her own special sort of revenge. The photos were of the married man smiling while exposing himself to the camera. The letters were addressed to a “Ms.” with a return address in Pasadena, Texas. The photos contained a vulgar writing on the back....
The New York Police Department seems to have invited a flood of negative tweets with its #MyNYPD hashtag, including photos of alleged police brutality. New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton took to rhyme in explaining that often police “actions are lawful, but they look awful,” Reuters reports. One of the more cringe-worthy images attached to #MyNYPD is an officer who appears to be ready to shoot a prone man’s dog....
