Author: Justin Lane

Below are Ring of Fire’s top stories from the past week. Top Video Florida Gov. Rick Scott Sign Bill That Strip Paid Sick Leave From Workers Florida Gov. Rick Scott delivered a harsh blow to Floridians when he signed a bill that stifles paid sick leave for workers. The bill that Scott signed favored big businesses in the state of Florida, which he justified by saying that the “bill fosters statewide uniformity, consistency and predictability in Florida’s employer-employee relationships.” … Read more. Texas Jailers Accused of Running ‘Rape Camp’ Two women are suing Live Oak County, Texas and its...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced yesterday that it will be opening an investigation into the growing problem of law firms known as “Patent Trolls”. The media has been paying particular attention to these firms recently. Known for hustling settlements out of would-be inventors, the FTC will be pursuing these entities to evaluate whether they stifle growth and innovation. According to the New York Times, the FTC Chairwoman, Edith Ramirez, is pushing for the Commission to pursue these firms, launching what is known as a “6(b)” study. The 6(b) study is highly effective at affecting the situations and occurrences...

In 2011, Internet search behemoth Google paid $500 million to settle claims that it had allowed fraudulent Canadian pharmacies to advertise their products in the United States. While the settlement with Google is the most widely-known regarding online advertising, the FDA receives thousands of requests to review pharmaceutical advertisements and promotional materials every day. With the advent of Social Media, the rapidly-increasing number of people coming online, and the burgeoning market for mobile health applications the burden of materials to review is certain to grow. “The FDA makes a concerted effort to prevent consumers from being subjected to false...

Republican Senator Ted Cruz is standing strong against the movement to provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and preventing progress for immigration reform. The Texas senator has somewhat backed down and given way recently, accepting what the numbers indicate, that Republicans must recognize the growing threat that their poor repertoire with immigrants, Latinos, and Hispanics will cost them dearly in future elections. Despite recent reports that immigration reform would positively benefit the economy, and thereby Americans at large, many Republicans, like Cruz, remain obstinate. As a senator, Cruz’s obligation, his duty, is to serve the best interest...

United Technologies Corporation (UTC) has been ordered to repay the U.S. government $473 million for its its overpriced sale of jet engines to the United States government in the 80s and 90s. The appellate court’s decision is the latest in the battle between the UTC subsidiary, Pratt & Whitney, and the government, that started in 1999. During the bidding for the project to build engines for F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, the government alleges that Pratt & Whitney made false claims regarding the cost of the production of the engines in order to win the contract. At the time...