Bill

Asheville Homeowner Battles Sky-High Water Bill Amid City’s Meter Malfunction Saga

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Asheville, N.C. — An Asheville resident, Robert Ahern, has been left astonished after receiving a water bill nearly 18 times higher than his typical monthly charge, prompting him to seek legal counsel. The unusually high bill exceeded $1,100, an amount Ahern described as comparable to a mortgage payment, leading to a significant dispute with the City’s Water Resources Department. Despite receiving a partial adjustment that reduced his bill to over $635, Ahern remains frustrated. “My usual water bill tops out at around 61 dollars. Now, to see a bill for $635 is just shocking,” he … Read more

U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Curb Corporate Bankruptcy Loopholes Amid Johnson & Johnson Controversy

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Washington, D.C. — A new bipartisan bill is gaining traction in Congress, aimed at addressing a controversial bankruptcy strategy that has been employed by major corporations like Johnson & Johnson. This legal maneuver, known as the “Texas Two-Step,” allows companies to create separate entities to absorb liabilities, particularly those stemming from mass tort litigation, essentially shielding the main corporation from significant financial consequences. The legislative push seeks to overhaul aspects of the U.S. bankruptcy code that currently permit such divisions, a tactic that critics argue undermines the rights of litigants by limiting their ability to … Read more

Controversial Israeli Bill Seeks to Fire Academics for ‘Supporting Terror,’ Sparking Claims of McCarthyism and Democracy Erosion

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JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel’s education minister and the national union of students have endorsed a draft law which critics, including leaders of the country’s top universities, are condemning as a restrictive measure on academic freedom and an echo of historic McCarthyist tactics. The proposed legislation, which has passed the first of four required readings by the Knesset, would empower a government-appointed committee to dismiss academic staff found to be expressing “support for terror.” Under the draft law, if universities failed to comply with dismissals ordered by this committee, they would face potential cuts in funding. … Read more

House Democrats, Led by Rep. Carbajal, Introduce Bill to Prevent Federal Abortion Ban Under Comstock Act

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Washington — In a straightforward legislative move, Representative Salud Carbajal, together with a coalition of nearly 100 Democratic colleagues from the House, has introduced a bill aimed at dismantling a long-standing but outdated federal law, potentially thwarting efforts to establish a federal ban on abortion. This legislation, known comprehensively as the Stop Comstock Act, redirects from using the 1873 Comstock Act as a basis for such restrictive measures. Originally, the Comstock laws sought to regulate morality by prohibiting the mailing of “obscene, lewd, or lascivious” materials, which during that era included contraception and abortion-related items. … Read more