Strikes

3M Strikes $6 Billion Settlement in Historic Mass Tort Case Over Earplug Safety Claims

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota-based manufacturing behemoth 3M has agreed to a landmark $6 billion settlement to resolve a mass tort litigation involving its combat earplugs, marking this as possibly the largest case of its kind to date. The company announced that the settlement funds, to be paid between 2023 and 2029, will consist of $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M common stock. Despite the agreement, 3M maintains that there has been no admission of liability, asserting that the products implicated in the lawsuit were safe and effective when used correctly. For … Read more

Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas Law Threatening Librarians with Criminal Charges Over Book Distribution

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In a landmark ruling, a federal judge has declared significant portions of an Arkansas law unconstitutional, due to provisions that could have led to criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for distributing materials deemed “harmful” to minors. This decision underscores a growing national debate over what constitutes acceptable content in libraries and who gets to make those decisions. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks emphasized that the now-overturned law effectively made librarians and booksellers “agents of censorship,” steering them away from providing a diverse range of books for fear of legal repercussion. This law, Judge Brooks … Read more

California’s Youth Protection Social Media Law Faces Partial Injunction, Judge Strikes Down Certain Provisions on First Amendment Concerns

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San Jose, Calif. – A federal judge in California has partially blocked a new state law intended to protect minors from potential harms on social media. This action comes after a lawsuit from NetChoice, a tech industry lobbying group, asserting that the law threatens free speech rights. The litigation centers around Senate Bill 976, known as the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, which was approved in September last year. It aims to restrict social media platforms from delivering addictive content to young users without parental consent. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila … Read more

Federal Judge Strikes Down Arkansas Law That Could Have Incarcerated Librarians Over Book Content

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Little Rock, Arkansas — A federal judge in Arkansas struck down a controversial state law that imposed criminal penalties on librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors. U.S. District Judge Jay Moody ruled the law unconstitutional, stating that it violated the First Amendment rights by being too vague and potentially leading to arbitrary enforcement. The law in question, which was signed by the state’s Governor earlier this year, faced immediate backlash from various groups and community members who feared its implications for freedom of speech and information. Critics argued that the law’s vague … Read more