By: U.S. News on MSNBC.com By msnbc.com staff and news services Updated at 2:30 p.m. ET: A federal appeals court has ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, a law that denies a host of federal benefits to same-sex married couples, is unconstitutional. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled Thursday that the act known as DoMA, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, discriminates against gay couples. The law was passed in 1996 at a time when it appeared Hawaii would legalize gay marriage. Since then, many states have instituted their  [ Read More ]

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A judge here sentenced Dharun Ravi to 30 days in jail Monday for using a webcam to spy on his Rutgers University roommate having sex with a man, in a case that galvanized concern about suicide among gay teenagers but also prompted debate about the use of laws against hate crimes. The case drew wide attention because his roommate, Tyler Clementi, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in September 2010, a few days after learning of the spying. A jury convicted Mr. Ravi in March of all 15 counts against him, which included  [ Read More ]

In a considerable setback for a president eager to ravage the due process rights of the American people, Federal Judge Kathleen Forrest granted a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, striking down those sections of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 which sought to provide Barack Obama the power to indefinitely detain citizens without benefit of their 5th Amendment rights. Signed very quietly into law on New Year’s Eve, the controversial Act has been roundly criticized as unconstitutional by groups on both the political left and right. Of greatest concern was Section 1021, which grants the United States military authority  [ Read More ]

On March 26, 2012 I posted a blog cautioning employers from requesting social media password, most notably, Facebook. That practice may be short-lived as legislation has been introduced in both Houses of the United States Congress making unlawful for employers or schools to require employees, students and/or candidates to provide social media password. Although several states introduced legislation in March and April of 2012, the proposed legislation may impact employers and its employees throughout the country. Bill H.R. 5050 was introduced by House Representative Eliot Engel on April 27, 2012 and is titled Social Networking Online Protection Act (SNOPA). The  [ Read More ]

(NaturalNews) The phrase, “bloated, broken bureaucracy” could apply to a number of federal government agencies, but without question there is no more apt description of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In fact, one could add a few more adjectives, such as inept, arrogant, self-serving and – did I say inept? So bad is the agency’s performance and reputation that more and more lawmakers are calling for this sad experiment in government-run airport security to come to an end. The latest call comes from Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., who says that, for starters, TSA chief John Pistole should step down immediately.  [ Read More ]

By WALTER BERRY Controversial lawman denies allegations of racial profiling PHOENIX — Federal authorities said Wednesday that they plan to sue Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and his office over allegations of civil rights violations, including the racial profiling of Latinos. The U.S. Justice Department has been seeking an agreement requiring Arpaio’s office to train officers in how to make constitutional traffic stops, collect data on people arrested in traffic stops and reach out to Latinos to assure them that the department is there to also protect them. Arpaio has denied the racial profiling allegations and has claimed that allowing a  [ Read More ]

By: David Matthau | NJ 101.5 Jersey’s highest court has heard oral arguments on Kyleigh’s Law. The justices must now decide whether the law requiring new drivers to place red decals on their cars, to help police monitor their behavior, violates privacy laws. Rockaway attorney Gregg Trautmann says the case is really about his daughter Catherine – and thousands of other young women “that are going to be out there driving alone at night, having to place a decal on their car – and make them potential victims for any creep or stalker that wants to do them harm.” He  [ Read More ]

Obama: ‘I Think Same-Sex Couples Should Be Able to Get Married’ President Obama today announced that he now supports same-sex marriage, reversing his longstanding opposition amid growing pressure from the Democratic base and even his own vice president. In an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, the president described his thought process as an “evolution” that led him to this decision, based on conversations with his staff members, openly gay and lesbian service members, and his wife and daughters. “I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and  [ Read More ]

By: Jacquelyn Smith, Forbes Staff With the employment picture finally perking up in some major metropolitan areas, job seekers might be tempted to limit their job search to the areas with the healthiest employment numbers. But low unemployment doesn’t always mean it’s the best place for finding a job. While cities with low unemployment might be the easiest areas for some to land a job, there may be little diversity in the industries hiring, the cost of living can be high, and the required skill sets can be too specific. The human resources firm Adecco Staffing U.S. looked at the  [ Read More ]

Forced Retirement: Laws to Protect Workers While many people plan to work until age 65 when they become eligible for Social Security, others would prefer to retire at age 62 when their Medicare eligibility kicks in. For some long-time workers, retirement can also happen without warning. Unexpected health problems, companies going out of business, or a layoff can force you into retiring earlier than you might have planned. If an employee has planned to retire at 65, but then finds the quality of work atmosphere to be less than pleasant, their hours are repeatedly cut, or other (younger) employees are  [ Read More ]

By DEREK HARPER and HOA NGUYEN Staff Writers | Atlantic City Press The TRU-ID system New Jersey was to have rolled out new TRU-ID drive’rs license and identity cards starting Monday. Drivers born before Dec. 1, 1964, were to have been allowed to renew by mail through November 2014, although that time frame now remains in question, officials said. The new eight-year licenses would double in price to $48, and would have new requirements: One proof of identity: Current U.S. passport or passport card Certified U.S. birth certificate or consular report of birth abroad Permanent Resident (Green) Card Current Employment  [ Read More ]

Laws and Regulations The Division of Wage and Hour Compliance administers and enforces New Jersey State Labor Laws by enforcing a minimum wage, methods of wage payment and by enforcing the laws concerning the employment of children. The Division of Wage and Hour Compliance regulates the following workplace labor standards: MINIMUM WAGE – The New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law establishes a minimum wage rate and overtime rate for all workers in New Jersey that are covered by the Act. Effective July 24, 2009, the minimum wage rate in New Jersey is $7.25 per hour. OVERTIME WAGE RATE –  [ Read More ]

AP) MIAMI — Federal authorities charged 107 doctors, nurses and social workers in seven cities with Medicare fraud Wednesday in a nationwide crackdown on unrelated scams that allegedly billed the taxpayer-funded program of $452 million — the highest dollar amount in a single Medicare bust in U.S. history. It was the latest in a string of major arrests in the past two years as authorities have targeted fraud that’s believed to cost the government between $60 billion and $90 billion each year. Stopping Medicare’s budget from hemorrhaging that money will be key to paying for President Barack Obama’s health care  [ Read More ]

Lawmakers sped the law’s passage in 2010 after the high-profile suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, whose roommate used a webcam to spy on Clementi’s intimate encounter with another man. Gov. Chris Christie has signed New Jersey’s tough anti-bullying legislation into law. The law — which requires schools to develop anti-harassment programs and review how bullying is handled — was set aside earlier this year after one small school district complained about the cost of training and materials. A local mandates council agreed the law created a financial burden. But lawmakers and Christie soon reached a deal for the  [ Read More ]

By: Lloyd Chapman – Small business advocate | The Huffington Post Today, under various federal laws, the term “small business” can define a range of companies, from businesses with less than 50 employees, to publicly traded corporations as large as Lockheed Martin — the federal government’s largest prime contractor. This question of how big a “small business” is, is of critical importance to our national economy. For example, when the House approved the Republican-sponsored “Small Business Tax Cut Act (H.R.9)” last week, legislators neglected to mention that under the bill many hedge funds, investment firms, C-corporations and pass-throughs worth billions  [ Read More ]