We’ve tried staying away from this subject because it seems so political. The Democrats are shreiking that the Republicans are about to “gut” Social Security and Medicare. The Republicans flatly deny that. Meanwhile both parties joined to pass a Social Security Fairness Act that increased benefits for some federal workers. The effect, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was to advance the time bomb of social security insolvency. Letter to the Honorable Chuck Grassley about the long-term effects of … Read the rest
Abbasi and another (Respondents) v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Appellant);Haastrup (Respondent) v King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Appellant) [2015] UKSC 15 (Link to UKSC).
The text below is copied from the UKSC press summary.
Justices: Lord Reed (President), Lord Hodge (Deputy President), Lord Briggs, Lord Sales and Lord Stephens
Background to the Appeal
This appeal concerns the basis on which injunctions, granted in connection with proceedings initiated to determine whether it is in a child’s … Read the rest
Law students were asked to set aside their casebooks to witness “justice in action” as Federal Circuit judges and attorneys recently gathered for oral arguments at three North Carolina law schools.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest
The Supreme Court on Tuesday was sympathetic to a group of Maryland parents who want to be able to opt their elementary-school-aged children out of instruction that includes LGBTQ+ themes. The parents argued that the local school board’s refusal to give them that choice violates their religious beliefs and therefore their constitutional right to freely exercise their religion. During nearly two-and-a-half hours of oral argument, a majority of the justices seemed to agree with them, with several justices questioning whether … Read the rest
The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”), on April 14, 2025, announced the initiation of an investigation into the imports of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients as well as semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the context of U.S. national security. This move could affect India’s USD 10 billion annual pharmaceutical exports to the U.S.
The BIS investigation would determine whether reliance on foreign pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”) and … Read the rest
A shortfall in this year’s congressional appropriations is significantly impacting the Judiciary’s ability to ensure security at courthouses at a time of rising threats to federal judges and impairing efforts to provide critical legal defense services to people who can’t afford to hire lawyers.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest
Since the start of the Trump Administration, the CDC and FDA have withheld from the public details about a Romaine Lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened 89 in 15 states with 36 hospitalized, 7 with kidney failure – hemolytic uremic syndrome – and 1 death.
(Bainbridge Island, WA – April 21, 2025) “It is disappointing, but with 20,000 employees at Health and Human Services (HHS) being fired, investigating, and reporting on outbreaks and alerting the public to the … Read the rest
A global matcha shortage is flooding U.S. markets with low-quality, potentially hazardous bargain products. Supply chain strains and paused tariffs are raising alarms about food safety.
Japan, the heart of authentic matcha production, is grappling with declining tea yields because of droughts, aging farmers and surging global demand, according to a Japan Times report. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported matcha production grew from 1,471 tons in 2010 to 4,176 tons in 2023. With more than half exported, … Read the rest