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Wikimedia Foundation v. NSA/CSS

(United States Fourth Circuit) - In a complaint challenging Upstream surveillance, an electronic surveillance program operated by the National Security Agency pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), 50 U.S.C. section 1801 et seq., the district court's dismissal of the complaint on grounds that the allegations in the complaint were too speculative to establish Article III standing, under Clapper v. Amnesty International USA, 133 S. Ct. 1138 (2013), is: 1) vacated as to Wikimedia-plaintiff where Clapper's analysis of speculative injury does not control this case, since the central allegations here are not speculative, and plaintiff's allegations are sufficient to survive a facial challenge to standing; and 2) affirmed as to the other plaintiffs because the complaint does not contain enough well-pleaded facts entitled to the presumption of truth to establish their standing.




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State of California v. Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Affirmed that a federally recognized Indian tribe was prohibited from operating an internet bingo casino. The State of California and the United States brought this lawsuit contending that the tribe's online bingo game violated the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Agreeing with the governmental plaintiffs, the Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment against the tribe, holding that while the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act protects gaming activity conducted on Indian lands, it did not permit the tribe's internet bingo game that reached patrons located off Indian lands.




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HomeAway.com, Inc. v. City of Santa Monica

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Upheld a beach town's ordinance imposing restrictions on companies, such as Airbnb Inc., that host online platforms for short-term vacation rentals. The internet companies claimed that the ordinance impermissibly infringed their First Amendment rights or was preempted by federal law. Disagreeing, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of their lawsuit seeking to enjoin the ordinance.




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BWP Media USA Inc. v. Polyvore, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Revived a media company's claim that a popular website infringed its copyright in certain photographs of famous celebrities. The website, which enables users to create and share digital photo collages, has a clipper tool that lets users clip images from other websites. Reversed summary judgment in relevant part, in this case involving the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.




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Denmark Native Raised In Spain @ChrisWallem Drops Debut EP #Artesano

CW Is Also The Founder And DJ Of ‘Mo’ Money’ Events At Marbella’s Elite Olivia Valere Night Club Since 2015




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Finnish Five-Piece Planet Case Unveils New Single 'Same Old Blood'

Finnish Alt-rock Five-piece Planet Case Are Ready To Unveil Their Debut EP ‘Simple Thoughts’, Out On 24th May Via Up And Coming Finnish Label Soit Se Silti.




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Atlantic Screen Music Marks 10th Year Anniversary By Acquiring Redfive Creative, A Noted, UK-Based Music Supervision & Sync Company

ASM Completes Its 150th Film Score And Retains Jonathan Firstenberg As North American Rep




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Sali v. Corona Regional Medical Center

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In an amended opinion, reversed the denial of class certification in a wage-hour lawsuit brought by registered nurses against a hospital.




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Jimenez-Sanchez v. Dark Horse Express, Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that the trial court erred in denying class certification to truck drivers bringing wage and hour claims against their employer. Reversed and remanded for further proceedings, explaining that errors were made in analyzing whether predominantly common issues existed.




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Fresno County Employees' Retirement Association v. Isaacson/Weaver Family Trust

(United States Second Circuit) - Rejected an objecting class member's challenge to the amount of attorney fees awarded to a law firm that represented the class in a shareholder lawsuit. Raising what the court described as a novel issue, the objector contended that the lodestar fee must be unenhanced because the action was initiated under a statute with a fee‐shifting provision.




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Senne v. Kansas City Royals Baseball

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Affirmed in part, reversed in part. Minor league baseball players seeking class status in an action under the Fair Labor Standards Act appeal the denial of class certification in Arizona and Florida. The panel held certification is appropriate and consistent with “the great public policy” embodied by the FLSA.




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T-Mobile West LLC v. City and County of San Francisco

(Supreme Court of California) - Upheld a San Francisco ordinance that requires wireless phone service companies to obtain permits and conform with aesthetic guidelines when installing lines and equipment on utility poles. The companies sought a declaratory judgment that the ordinance is inconsistent with state law. However, the California Supreme Court was not persuaded by the companies' arguments.




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Melendez v. San Francisco Baseball Associates LLC

(Supreme Court of California) - Held that baseball stadium security guards did not need to submit their wage claims to arbitration. The issue involved whether the claims turned on the meaning of their collective-bargaining agreement. Answering no, the California Supreme Court held that the security guards could proceed in state court.



  • Labor & Employment Law

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People v. Sanchez

(Supreme Court of California) - On an automatic appeal, affirmed a man's capital murder conviction for killing a woman and her daughter.



  • Criminal Law & Procedure

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City and County of San Francisco v. Regents of the University of California

(Supreme Court of California) - Held that it is constitutional for San Francisco to impose a tax on drivers who park their cars in paid parking lots, even when the parking lot is operated by a state university.




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Satele v. Superior Court

(Supreme Court of California) - Vacate order and remand. The trial court denied Plaintiff access to ballistics evidence used at his trial to file a habeas corpus petition. The trial court believed that Penal Code section 1054.9 prohibited such a release of evidence. The Supreme court disagreed stating that section 1054.9 referred to physical evidence held by the prosecutor, not evidence held by the court.




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Union of Medical Marijuana Patients v. City of San Diego

(Supreme Court of California) - Reversed. The City of San Diego authorized medical marijuana dispensaries. It decided that the dispensaries did not constitute a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act, so an environmental review was not necessary. Plaintiff challenged the failure to conduct an environmental review. The appeals court agreed with the City’s assessment. The Supreme court ruled that an improper test was applied under Public Resources Code section 21065 to determine whether a review was necessary or not. The case was remanded for further proceedings.




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Ground-breaking Christian Radio Show Celebrates 37 Year Anniversary, Welcomes New Affiliates

“Joyful Sounds” Was First Broadcast In 1982. Founder Rob Green Also Hosts The “Gospel Country” Radio Show And Operates Christian Music Weekly Magazine.




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Universal Instruments Corp. v. Micro Systems Engineering, Inc.

(United States Second Circuit) - Held that a medical device manufacturer did not violate the intellectual property rights of a company it hired to help automate its quality testing process. The issue involved reuse of computer source code. Affirmed a JMOL.




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Orozco v. WPV San Jose, LLC

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that a restaurant offering gourmet hot dogs was entitled to prevail in its tort lawsuit against a shopping center for intentionally concealing a crucial fact, which was that another hot dog restaurant would be one of the other lessees. Affirmed in part and reversed in part after a trial.




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Archer and White Sales, Inc. v. Henry Schein, Inc.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Affirmed. On remand from the Supreme Court the panel determined that the parties to an arbitration clause did not clearly and unmistakably delegate the question of arbitrability to an arbitrator and that the district court had the power to make this determination.




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Sail Bermuda: 20% Off For Essential Workers

Essential workers are being given a 20 percent discount on a luxury catamaran charter as a ‘thank you’ by Sail Bermuda for their work during the...




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VE 75th Anniversary Observed At Warwick Camp

Earlier today [May 8], Governor John Rankin and the Minister of National Security Wayne Caines visited Warwick Camp to mark the 75th Anniversary of...




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Weather Forecast For Saturday May 9

Saturday, May 9 is expected to be windy with a few clouds from time to time, with the high to be near 23°C/73°F and the low to be near 17°C/62°F,...




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Updates: Covid-19 On Saturday, May 9th

[Updating] As the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to affect countries around the globe with over 230,000 deaths worldwide, and sadly the...




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Can California’s Air Remain Clean Post Pandemic? Yes, If The State Amps Up Its Climate Goals, Studies Say.

By Ezra David Romero

Air quality across California has visibly improved with fewer drivers on the road because of stay-at-home orders. But when the orders are lifted pollution will likely return to pre-pandemic levels.

Some scientists say we don’t have to go back to having such poor air quality in the state, but they recognize it will take a total mindset change for Californians. The number of miles driven in the state has dropped by around 75% since stay-at-home orders went into place and has resulted in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, said UC Davis Road Ecology Center director Fraser Shilling.

“We're learning new things about our driving behavior … can we both mitigate the harm from COVID-19 and also mitigate the harm that we cause by burning fuel and causing climate change?” Sterling questioned after analyzing data from Streelight.com. 

Nationally he reports there was a reduction of around 74 billion miles traveled in the U.S. from early March to mid-April. That resulted in a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 4% nationally for 2020 and by 13% from transportation in about eight weeks. 

If this continues, Shilling says, the reduction of miles traveled could drastically impact our climate goals for the better, including putting the nation on track to meet its annual greenhouse gas reduction goals under the Paris Climate Accord.

He says it’s an interesting position for the federal government to be in where the lack of driving allows the U.S. to meet the goals of the “Paris Climate Accord, and on the other hand, inadvertently exceed the goals ... It's a cool green lining.”

California has a 2050 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 1990 levels. Shilling says if traffic remained at stay-at-home levels for a year, the drop in miles traveled would allow the state to meet half of its climate target by 2050.  

The rest of the reductions would come from all sectors of the economy including transitions to bioenergy, offshore wind power, and increased energy storage. A 2019 study highlighted by Stanford University from the group Energy Futures Initiative says meeting the 2050 goals will be “extremely challenging.”

“It's painful to drive less and have less economic activity,” Shilling said. “But when we drive less, and when we work at home, we can start to meet these climate change goals. They're not so far out of the way, out of bounds that we can't achieve them.”

But Shilling says there are negative aspects, depending on how you look at it, including potentially $370 million less state fuel tax revenue.

“The upside for drivers — like I filled my tank a month and a half ago — is we're not spending as much on fuel,” Shilling said. “The less fuel that's sold, the less fuel tax revenue … that money is not available for transportation projects.”

Could California keep its cleaner air?

Researchers at UCLA are taking this idea further. A study came out this week saying that California has all the policies and technology to stop all human-caused emissions by 2050. 

“We think there is a room for California to achieve that goal ahead of the game,” said Yifang Zhu, one of the authors of the peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature Sustainability

The authors call for increased energy efficiency across all sectors and reducing emissions from energy creation as the core ways to reach the sped up goal. That would mean a “systematic change” in how Californians consume energy and “more stringent” policies.

“We're talking about 85% electrification rate in the residential and commercial sectors, which we’re not even close to [today],” Zhu said. 

Achieving carbon neutrality is part of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s mission to limit the rise in global temperature to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels by 2100. 

Zhu says, “nothing in our model in the roadmap is something unrealistic” even at a half a century ahead of the global goal. Doing so would mean fast tracking the state’s existing goals and their models show that by 2050 the savings from curbing emissions will exceed the cost by around $109 billion.

“We need to do more than what we're doing today,” Zhu said. “I want to highlight the cost is actually only 50% compared to the monetary benefits and also want to communicate the urgency for California agencies for stakeholders and policymakers to really act.”

Zhu says, even though the study started before the pandemic began, there’s a lesson to be learned from the COVID-19 crisis. 

“It is cheaper and safer to prevent people from catching and spreading this Coronavirus, then to treat huge numbers of severe cases,” Zhu said. “Similarly [with] climate change it is much better to cut down greenhouse gas emissions to prevent global temperature rise than to figure out how to deal with the potential future catastrophic consequences.”

The authors also note the state’s most disadvantage would benefit. According to the study, the state’s top 25% most polluted census tracts would get 35% of the health benefits of improved air quality. It could also, the study says, have a health effect of 14,000 fewer deaths from air pollution related illnesses every year, it could reduce asthma attacks in 1 million children and decrease cardiovascular hospital admissions by 4,500.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our state will not only slow down global climate change, but more importantly, will improve the air quality and protect people’s health in our local community,” said co-author Bin Zhao, a former UCLA researcher who is now an earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 




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With Buy-in From Rural Counties, Nevada Starts First Phase Of Reopening Saturday

By Bert Johnson

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced the state will begin lifting COVID-19 restrictions sooner than expected, starting this weekend. 

“We will enter Phase One on Saturday May 9, before the current stay at home directive would have expired on May 15,” he said Thursday. 

This stage of Nevada’s Roadmap to Recovery allows for nonessential businesses like barbershops, salons and retail outlets to open their doors. And restaurants will be able to offer dine-in service again, too. But Sisolak explained there also will be some new requirements to make that process as safe as possible.

“Retail businesses shall limit the number of customers in their facility at any given time to no more than 50% of the allowed occupancy based on applicable firecodes,” he said. 

Restaurants will also be required to space tables six feet apart and use reservations whenever possible to help ensure social distancing.

Those stricter limits on customer density will also apply to essential businesses, like grocery stores, which didn’t have them before. Employees who work with the public will also be required to wear masks now, although customers are merely encouraged to do so.

Notably, the state’s casinos will remain closed at this point in the process. Bars that don’t serve food, movie theaters and gyms are also banned from reopening for now. 

Phase One — and every step that follows in the plan — will last at least two weeks, so officials can evaluate their impact on Nevada's outbreak.

The recovery plan was developed with input from the Local Empowerment Advisory Panel, which includes county-level elected officials tasked with seeking feedback from local leaders around the state. According to Clark County Commission chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrck, who represents urban communities for the panel, they wanted to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions. 

“We made sure that all of the counties had a voice in any statewide standards that we crafted,” she said. “There are different things across our state that make us unique.”

To that end, county officials are able to keep stricter standards for reopening in their jurisdictions if they think it’s necessary — but they won’t be allowed to make restrictions looser than those defined by the state. 

According to J.J. Goicoechea, who serves as Chairman of the Eureka County Commission and represents rural communities on the advisory panel, their efforts came in the nick of time. 

“We were right on the breaking point of some of these rural counties and some of these constituents just saying, ‘The hell with it, we’re gonna open. We’ve got to move forward, we can’t afford to stay closed anymore,’” he said.

In California, rural counties like Yuba and Sutter have bucked the state’s guidance and allowed non-essential businesses to reopen, prompting criticism from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Goicoechea says his efforts at communicating with his rural peers kept them invested in the process. 

Goicoechea says the plan’s flexibility is also important because the balance between public health and economic needs looks different in every community. 

“It was critical that we did have representation that these rurals felt comfortable talking to,” he said.

According to Kirkpatrick, the next step in the state’s plan to reopen was driven by public health concerns as well. 

“In Phase One we needed to be able to meet the federal criteria of the downward hospitalizations, we needed to increase the testing,” she said.

She added that Nevada is on track to be able to test 4,000 residents per day, with a target of 10,000 per day by June. Sisolak said in addition they’re expanding testing criteria, too. 

“They will all be able to get tests now if they’ve been identified as either a symptomatic or asymptomatic patient,” he said.

According to a recent NPR investigation, however, the state needs to test more than 5,000 people every day to be able to control its outbreak.




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California Warns Reopening Counties To Follow Governor’s COVID-19 Orders Or Risk Loss Of Disaster Funding

By Bob Moffitt

California’s Office of Emergency Services has given notice to three counties that the state will withhold disaster funding if they continue to defy Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Newsom said Thursday that Yuba, Sutter and Modoc counties have “gotten ahead of themselves” by allowing some businesses to reopen in violation of his orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comments came as the state announced criteria for counties to move into Stage 2 of its plan to allow some businesses to reopen.

On the same day he made the comments, Newsom’s Office of Emergency Services threatened the counties by promising to withhold disaster funds if they continue to stray from the state’s plan. 

If a county believes “...there is no emergency, such that it can ignore the Governor’s Executive Orders or the State Public Health Officer’s directives, the county would not be able to demonstrate that it was extraordinarily and disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” wrote Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci.

He went on to say the counties may not be eligible for reimbursement if they have a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Yuba and Sutter counties had been at 50 cases for several days, but now report 52 positive results. Modoc County has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 following 104 tests.

Yuba County spokesman Russ Brown confirmed it has received a letter. 

“As always we will do what is in the best interests of the health of the community and will continue to work with the governor’s representatives to achieve a balance with his orders as we move to the next phase of reopening California’s economy,” Brown said.




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Hanna v. Mercedes-Benz USA LLC

(California Court of Appeal) - In a car purchaser's successful lemon law suit, held that the trial court used an improper method to determine reasonable attorney fees. Remanded for a recalculation of the fee award.




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Omlansky v. Save Mart Supermarkets

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed. Plaintiff brought a qui tam action alleging that Defendant violated the False Claims Act in its billings to Medi-Cal. The trial court sustained a demurrer and entered a judgment of dismissal of the complaint. The appeals court held that Defendant did not violate any requirement under law as to its billings to Medi-Cal.




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Rachael Sage Releases New Single, All Proceeds To Benefit Women's Cancer Research

Rachael Sage Has Released A New Single, “Bravery’s On Fire" After Revealing Cancer Diagnosis; All Proceeds From Single And Charity Shows To Benefit Women's Cancer Research.




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For Your Consideration R&B Performance “Permission To Love” Feat. Spencer Battiest By Singer/songwriter Melissa B.

#62ndGrammyAwards #GrammyAwards #GrammyNominations #MelissaB




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CLOE WILDER RELEASES HEART-STOPPING MUSIC VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE, “Save Me.”

Cloe Wilder Releases The Music Video For Her New Single.




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New Rap Sensation Etoc Drops Motivational Song "The Run"

The Orlando Based Wordsmith Has Dropped His Standout Single "The Run", Which Is Available On Soundcloud, Spotify And All Online Retailers Including ITunes, Tidal, Apple Music And Amazon.




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CapChat: Santa Anita Horse Deaths / Uber Pilots New Pricing / State Of The State

Today’s CapChat looks at three current issues. 

First, with horse death investigations underway at Santa Anita Park, three more deaths have occurred in recent days. Since December 2018, there have been a total of 42 deaths at the park. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in June of 2019 allowing the state to suspend horse racing at tracks with dangerous conditions. That has, as yet, not happened at Santa Anita.

Next, in a new pilot program, Uber is giving some of its driving contractors more control by letting them set their own rates. Drivers at the Sacramento, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara airports can increase rates in ten percent increments, with a cap. Depending on results, Uber could expand this to other airports. This is an effort to clarify that Uber drivers are independent, not employees, since the implementation of AB 5 on Jan. 1, 2020.

Third, with the impeachment trial underway in the U.S. Senate, the date of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union somewhat uncertain, Newsom has yet to set a date for his own annual State of the State address. 

Guests

  • CapRadio State Government Reporter Scott Rodd




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Themes By Bavotasan Is Becoming Bandicoot Pro

In November 2017, we here at Bandicoot Marketing acquired Themes By Bavotasan from Chris. It was great to meet Chris during the acquisition and hear about all of the hard…

The post Themes By Bavotasan Is Becoming Bandicoot Pro appeared first on bavotasan.com.




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‘BELIEF: LIVES AND STORIES OF MONTANA’S SALISH WOMEN’ Coming To Off-Broadway In September

One-woman Show Featuring Salish Tribal Member Julie Cajune Draws From Life Experiences And True Stories Of Generations Of Native American Women




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otter's Daughter To Release New Single “Blood And Water” Featuring Renaissance Legend Annie Haslam On August 8th!

The Single Will Be Available Digitally, CD Single And Limited Edition 7-inch Vinyl




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Oregon Reggae Band INDUBIOUS To Release Their New Full-Length Album BELEAF Featuring Special Guests Satsang, The Elovators, And Michael Leslie

BELEAF, Which Releases In Stores And Online Worldwide August 16, 2019, Is A 14-track Powerhouse That Promises To Be Their Strongest, Clearest, And Most Authentic Work Yet.




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Mark Messam Releases New Single 'Best Friend'

The Music Artist Known As Mark Messam Has Released His Latest Single, “Best Friend.”




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Interview With Finland-based Guitarist Pauli Saksa

Fusing Jazz, Rock, And Pop "Fragments & Fusion" Marks Debut Of Guitarist Pauli Saksa




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New Island Entertainment Presents A F8ckin Birthday Extravaganza At Santos Party House

NIE Presents: The Hsu-nami, Fuck Your Birthday, NegativeHate, Stereobird @ Santos Party House




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Alessa Ray Announces New Single “Gypsy Woman”

Paraguayan Songwriter, Producer And Performer Unveils Details On Her Latest Single “Gypsy Woman” Which Is Set For A Friday, 8/9 Release




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Versatile Haitian American Singer/Songwriter Natalie Jean Releases Spanish Holiday Single

Natalie Jean Is Excited To Announce Her Collaboration With Songwriters Bruno Vallelunga And Latin Grammy Nominee Danilo Gossain, Titled “Nostalgia De Navidad”.




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Rymel v. Save Mart Supermarkets, Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Affirmed the denial of a supermarket chain's motion to compel arbitration of three employees' claims. The issue concerned whether alleged violations of state anti-discrimination and retaliation statutes had to be arbitrated under the collective-bargaining agreement.



  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration
  • Labor & Employment Law

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Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer and White Sales, Inc.

(United States Supreme Court) - Held that when a contract delegates to an arbitrator the threshold question of whether a dispute belongs in arbitration, a court must allow the arbitrator to decide the issue, even if the court thinks that the arbitrability claim is wholly groundless. That is, a court may not short-circuit the process by stepping in for the arbitrator. The "wholly groundless" exception is inconsistent with the Federal Arbitration Act. Justice Kavanaugh wrote the unanimous opinion, which resolved a circuit split.



  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration

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Vasquez v. San Miguel Produce, Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that temporary workers assigned to pack produce for a produce company must arbitrate their claims alleging labor law violations, because their staffing firm contract mandated arbitration. It was inconsequential that they chose not to name the staffing firm in their complaint. Reversed and remanded with directions to compel arbitration.



  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration
  • Labor & Employment Law

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Salgado v. Carrows Restaurants Inc.

(California Court of Appeal) - Addressed whether an arbitration agreement could be enforced, given that it was signed only after the employee filed her employment discrimination lawsuit. Reversed and remanded for further findings.



  • Dispute Resolution & Arbitration
  • Labor & Employment Law

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Stemcor USA Inc. v. Cia Siderurgica do Para Cosipar

(United States Fifth Circuit) - On rehearing of a dispute between two creditors, held that Louisiana's non-resident attachment statute allows for attachment in aid of arbitration. Further held that subject matter jurisdiction existed here under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. Vacated and remanded.




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Archer and White Sales, Inc. v. Henry Schein, Inc.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Affirmed. On remand from the Supreme Court the panel determined that the parties to an arbitration clause did not clearly and unmistakably delegate the question of arbitrability to an arbitrator and that the district court had the power to make this determination.