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Back in September, writer Meghan Herning posted a lengthy critique of Taylor Swift to the blog PopFront entitled “Swiftly to the alt-right: Taylor subtly gets the lower case kkk in formation.” In it, Herring describes how the alt-right has latched onto Swift’s songs in the past, and argues the lyrics and video for her latest single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” and the accompanying music video bear “uncanny and unsettling” similarities to Hitler’s rallies....

Bikram Choudhury, founder of his eponymous hot yoga empire, has been ordered to pay a former employee $7.4 million for retaliation, wrongful termination, and sexual harassment. Minakshi “Miki” Jafa-Bodden sued Choudhury, claiming she was fired for refusing to cover up an investigation into another woman’s rape allegation against the guru. The once ubiquitous Bikram yoga brand has been rocked by controversy in recent years. Numerous profiles have highlighted claims of harassment and abuse....

As Colorado closes out its fourth month with operating recreational pot stores, folks in neighboring states are beginning to get irritated. Some adjacent state lawmakers are vexed that the Rocky Mountain State’s weed is making its way across state lines, leaving neighboring states’ law-enforcement officers to deal with the pot problem. What do Colorado’s neighbors make of this legal situation? While Colorado stands to make substantial tax revenues from selling legalized pot to both tourists and residents, Nebraska only stands to lose tax dollars....

Bill Cosby is countersuing seven women who accused him of defamation, seeking damages “to the full extent of the law,” according to the Associated Press. The once-revered comedian, accused of sexual misconduct by about 50 women nationally, argued in his filing that the seven women he is suing are “engaged in a campaign to assassinate” his reputation and character. Cosby’s counterclaim was made in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts. In it, his lawyers recalled Cosby’s work as an entertainer and philanthropist, writing that he “prides himself in the legacy and reputation he has earned throughout his life....

Will someone go to jail over the BP oil spill? The Department of Justice seems to be putting the criminal investigation over the spill into high gear. A security zone has been created around the site of the Deepwater Horizon rig. The DOJ has set up office space near the courthouse in New Orleans. Lawyers are reviewing documents. Will charges follow? Many resources, as well as time and attention from those high up in the department are focused on criminal and civil charges that may now flow from the catastrophe that was the BP oil spill, reports NPR....

Recently, a federal judge decided that a person’s state driver’s license cannot be revoked because of failure to pay court fines. At first blush, it may seem surprising that a federal judge would rule on a state issue. But the issue here is Federal Civil Rights of Due Process and Equal Protection, not state vehicle statutes. Without getting into whether driving is a privilege or a right, the federal judge ruled that revoking a driver’s license merely because one cannot afford court fines for issues completely unassociated with driving is senseless and counter-productive, and basically criminalizes poverty....

The NTSB has ruled that drones, despite being in a regulatory gray area, are subject to the FAA’s rules. This is a reversal of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) judge’s ruling in March, which found that the FAA didn’t have any legitimate regulations which could touch drone pilots. But on Tuesday, that judge’s decision was appealed to the four-member board, which reversed the lower administrative decision and found that drones are indeed “aircraft” under the FAA’s regulations....

A former doctor in Kentucky has been charged with murder for killing one person and critically wounding another during a HOA shooting last week. Fifty-five-year-old Mahmoud Yousef Hindi allegedly sat in on a HOA meeting at a church for a short while before pulling out a gun and firing. Hindi allegedly killed a former HOA president and critically wounded another, reports The Associated Press. It’s not entirely clear what sparked the HOA shooting, but Hindi has had a long-lasting feud with the HOA over a fence he had on his property and some believe this may have sparked the deadly violence....

Max Wade, the California teen who stole celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s Lamborghini, has been sentenced to life in prison. Wade, now 19, was 17 years old when he stole Fieri’s yellow convertible from a San Francisco dealership in 2011. A year later in a drive-by shooting, he attempted to kill the boyfriend of a girl he liked. The case is raising questions about how such a young man received a life sentence, and what his future will look like....

The attorney-client privilege is important to any lawsuit. But in some cases, the attorney-client privilege can be destroyed, either by design or by accident. What is the attorney-client privilege? In general, it means confidential communication between a client and her lawyer cannot be used in court. The privilege generally covers legal advice and law-related discussions between a lawyer and a client, whether written or oral. So what doesn’t fit under the privilege, or can destroy the privilege altogether?...

A meat packing plant in Iowa has been charged with committing more than 9,000 state child labor law violations, some involving the workplace safety of employees under the age of 16, according to the Iowa Attorney General. A criminal complaint filed Tuesday against Agriprocessors Inc. of Postville, Iowa alleges that the kosher meat packing facility engaged in a number of unlawful employment practices involving 32 workers under the age of 18 – seven of whom were under 16....

The IRS urges taxpayers who need more time to complete their tax returns to e-file their extensions. E-filing an extension is convenient, safe and secure, and taxpayers receive confirmation to keep with their records. “If you haven’t finished your return, don’t panic,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “Just file an extension, either by e-file or by mail.” The agency expects to receive 9.6 million extensions during 2006. Taxpayers can get an automatic 6-month extension of time to file their tax returns by filing Form 4868 [PDF], Automatic Extension of Time to File....

Yes, the First Amendment protects our freedom of speech. But there are still things you can’t say. Obviously threatening to kill someone, especially the president, is a no-no, and as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously wrote, “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic.” So how are free speech rights balanced when it comes to interacting with police?...

Snooki arrested? Yes, this time it was just a Snook too far. Nicole Polizzi, better known as Snooki, one of the breakout stars of the MTV reality show The Jersey Shore, was arrested for disorderly conduct this afternoon, July 30. Oh, how the mighty have fallen … off their bikes at least. One report says Snooki could not even maintain her balance on a two-wheeler, which may have helped to catch the eye of the officers who did arrest her....

Five active duty members of the Nevada National Guard are listed as victims of today’s Carson City, Nevada IHOP shooting, which left a total of three dead and 7 wounded. Dressed in their uniforms and meeting for a 9 a.m. breakfast, local resident Eduardo Sencion entered the premises, shooting aimlessly, before leaving and shooting himself, the AP reports. He eventually died from the self-inflicted gunshot wound. At this point, little is known about the 32-year-old Sencion, who the Associated Press reports has no known affiliations with the military or anyone who was inside the IHOP....

Taking a DNA sample from a criminal suspect, after arrest or as part of an investigation, is pretty standard (and legal) stuff by now. But what about forcing someone who isn’t a suspect to submit to a DNA swab in order to be released from police custody? And forcing minors to consent without parental notice? As it turns out, state and city law can conflict on the matter, and the ACLU is suing San Diego to bring its city policy in line with state statutes....

Red-light camera tickets have been dealt a blow in Florida’s Supreme Court, after a ruling that some drivers may qualify for refunds for tickets issued before a 2010 state law. Florida’s High Court’s ruling focused on two cities in the Sunshine State where red-light programs were established from 2008 to 2010, Reuters reports. These cities’ programs for red-light tickets were struck down because they clashed with state law, entitling some residents to refunds....

Did you see this one coming? Sources say that in again out again, dry again, partying again, super-starlet Lindsay Lohan failed a drug test. According to the terms of her release from jail and rehab, Lindsay must undergo random drug tests and will be returned to jail if she fails to live up to the requirements set by the court. Do not pass go, do not collect a movie paycheck....

An Oregon teen has been found guilty in a hit-and-run that killed two young girls who were playing in a pile of leaves. Cinthya Garcia-Cisneros, 19, unknowingly ran over and killed two girls, ages 6 and 11, who were hidden beneath a leaf pile near the curb outside their home, reports The Associated Press. Garcia now faces immigration problems following her conviction. A hit-and-run occurs when a driver is involved in a car accident, but bolts before proper post-accident procedures are satisfied....

One inevitable outcome to manufacturing driverless cars is that there will nonetheless be lawsuits if and when those cars get into accidents. And if there’s no “driver” to sue, those lawsuits will be undoubtedly be aimed at the manufacturer. One driverless car manufacturer is trying to avoid liability for several accidents, essentially arguing “to err is human.” Tesla says that no manufacturer has been expected to build a perfectly accident-free automobile, especially in the face of human error, nor should it be expected to design a car, even a driverless one, that can overcome those human errors....