Police officers can’t use an interrogation strategy that calls for giving no Miranda rights warnings to suspects until interrogation has produced a confession, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.
The court, in a 5-to-4 vote, ruled against the strategy in the case, MISSOURI v. SEIBERT.
Justice Souter said: “This case tests a police protocol for custodial interrogation […]

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), last week introduced the INDUCE Act, which critics say would prohibit so-called peer-to-peer networks like Kaaza, and some consumer electronics devices like the popular Apple iPod.
The bill, Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004, would in the senator’s words, allow creative artists to sue corporations that profit by encouraging children, […]

Cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor is dangerous and should be taken off the market, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Heath Research Group, wrote in a letter published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.
In the letter, Wolfe, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had evidence before approving Crestor that it caused an increased incidence […]

IBM on Wednesday settled 50 toxic chemical lawsuits brought by former plant workers who alleged that the company knew they were sick and concealed that information from them.
The terms of the confidential settlement were not disclosed, the Mercury News said.
The plaintiffs contend that exposure to acetone, benzene, trichloroethylene and other toxic chemicals used in manufacturing […]

Infants and children who drink milk from cows raised in some parts of California may be exposed to unsafe levels of perchlorate, a toxic chemical found in rocket fuel, according to a new study by an environmental group.
The study released Tuesday by the Environmental Working Group is the first to look for perchlorate in California […]

A federal judge on Tuesday approved a class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart that accuses the world’s largest retailer of discriminating against its female employees in promotions, pay and job assignments.
U.S. District Court Judge Martin Jenkins ruled that six current and former Wal-Mart employees from California may represent all female employees of Wal-Mart who worked at […]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that workers who voluntarily quit their jobs over sexual harassment can sue their former employers, but have a higher standard to prove that their rights were violated.
The case, Pennsylvania State Police v. Suders, involves the Pennsylvania State police and Nancy Drew Suders, a communications operator, who claims her male […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week advised doctors to use caution when prescribing Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering drug made by AstraZeneca.
The FDA Public Health Advisory follows a labeling change in the European Union for Crestor by AstraZeneca. The changes were prompted by recent reports of life-threatening side effects in some patients taking Crestor.
“The new […]

European Union regulators have changed the prescribing rules for Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering drug made by AstraZeneca, following reports of several cases of life-threatening side effects linked to Crestor worldwide.
The changes concern the recommend initial 10 mg dose of Crestor and a restriction on the highest dose of 40 mg, said the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board […]

In effort to diversify its workplace, Wal-Mart Stores will reduce bonuses for top executives if it fails to promote suitable women and minorities, the CEO announced last week.
To ensure accountability for its diversity initiatives, Wal-Mart has modified the compensation program for all officer-level management, “starting with me and my own compensation,” Lee Scott, Wal-Mart President […]