The U.S. Chamber-backed West Virginia Record critically summarizes the tortuous course of the state's lawsuit against Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma, often raised by critics as symbolic of their objections to Attorney General Darrell McGraw's handling of his office. More here,...

Now Chestnut Hill Hospital is closing its 1,000-babies-a-year maternity unit (via Pero). More background here....

Another study helps put to rest a litigation-driven canard. And, also via Orac, Ira Flatow interviews Paul Offit, author of the important new book hitting the bookstores this month, "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for...

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, president-elect of NAAG, says he's not sure he's ever hired outside counsel on contingency and says colleagues should be "very, very careful" of doing so [Legal NewsLine] More Bruning, discussing absence in Nebraska civil...

A call sounded in Mitt Romney's speech (via Genova)....

The Department of the Interior is preparing to lease portions of the Outer Continental Shelf for offshore wind farms. The WSJ reports here....

Columbia University is using the threat of eminent domain to acquire property in West Harlem for a new campus, and some of the local property owners are none to pleased. On...

In the New Republic, John Judis has an insightful analysis of Barack Obama's experience as a community organizer and his rejection of organizing (tip to Instapundit)....

The Daily Mail (U.K.) reports:...

From Live Nation Motor Sports, Inc. v. Davis, 2006 WL 3616983 (N.D. Tex. Dec. 12):...