Disabled Navy veteran sues Small Business Administration over racially discriminatory contracting program

A disabled Navy veteran who owns a small business is suing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in federal court over a contracting program that excludes nonminorities from participating. Marty Hierholzer filed suit (pdf) recently in the U.S. District Court … Continue reading Disabled Navy veteran sues Small Business Administration over racially discriminatory contracting program

Supreme Court won’t stop $2 Million IRS penalty against grandmother whose family fled Nazis

The Supreme Court turned away an appeal on Jan. 23 over a $2.1 million penalty the IRS assessed against a grandmother whose family fled Nazi persecution, for failing to report a foreign bank account. The decision came as the U.S. … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t stop $2 Million IRS penalty against grandmother whose family fled Nazis

Deaf student neglected by Michigan schools should be able to sue under anti-discrimination law, SCOTUS hears

A public school system in Michigan wronged a deaf student by failing to properly educate him, and the student was justified in suing the system under two federal laws, the Supreme Court heard on Jan. 18. The hearing came as parents nationwide have become … Continue reading Deaf student neglected by Michigan schools should be able to sue under anti-discrimination law, SCOTUS hears

Supreme Court turns away appeal about states using COVID-19 relief funds for tax cuts

The Supreme Court refused on Jan. 17 to take up an appeal by Missouri challenging a ban on states using federal pandemic-relief funds to offset state revenue reductions, such as those attributed to tax cuts or other policy changes. The decision is … Continue reading Supreme Court turns away appeal about states using COVID-19 relief funds for tax cuts

Midwives sue Iowa over law allowing hospitals to veto new childbirth facilities

Two longtime midwives are suing Iowa over a state law that they say unconstitutionally discriminates against their profession, preventing them from opening a freestanding birth center that would compete against local hospitals. The midwives claim that the state’s certificate of need (CON) … Continue reading Midwives sue Iowa over law allowing hospitals to veto new childbirth facilities

Supreme Court will hear pharma fraud cases against SuperValu and Safeway

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a whistleblower-initiated case that pharmacy operators SuperValu and Safeway submitted false Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement claims for prescription drugs. The case is considered to be important because it could have an impact on the government’s ability to … Continue reading Supreme Court will hear pharma fraud cases against SuperValu and Safeway

Supreme Court agrees to hear claim of 94-year-old Minnesota homeowner that county unconstitutionally seized her home equity

The Supreme Court decided late on Jan. 13 to hear the appeal of a 94-year-old homeowner who is challenging the constitutionality of laws that allow local governments to take the full value of a home as payment for much smaller … Continue reading Supreme Court agrees to hear claim of 94-year-old Minnesota homeowner that county unconstitutionally seized her home equity

SCOTUS to hear case of Evangelical Christian who asked Post Office not to force him to work Sundays

The Supreme Court agreed late on Jan. 13 to take up the civil rights lawsuit of an evangelical Christian postal worker in Pennsylvania who quit the U.S. Postal Service after it refused to accommodate his wish not to work on the Sunday … Continue reading SCOTUS to hear case of Evangelical Christian who asked Post Office not to force him to work Sundays

Labor unions should be held liable for property destruction during strikes, Supreme Court told

A labor union’s allegedly deliberate destruction of company property as a pressure tactic in a labor dispute is not protected by federal labor law, a concrete company told the Supreme Court on Jan. 10. Labor activists say that endangering and … Continue reading Labor unions should be held liable for property destruction during strikes, Supreme Court told

SCOTUS directs Texas appeals court to reconsider 2011 murder conviction based on faulty DNA analysis

The Supreme Court ordered a Texas appeals court on Jan. 9 to reconsider the murder conviction of death row inmate Areli Escobar because the DNA evidence used to convict him was later discovered to be unreliable. Texas had admitted in court papers … Continue reading SCOTUS directs Texas appeals court to reconsider 2011 murder conviction based on faulty DNA analysis