“Some lawmakers in Albany want a state law to prohibit doctors from wearing neckties in hospitals.” They cite a study showing that infectious bacteria might be “carried on ties and other loose-fitting clothing.” [AP/WHEC] More: Scott Greenfield.
Update: “Court dismisses Duluth doctor’s lawsuit against patient’s son”
“A judge [last week] threw out a lawsuit filed by a Duluth physician who said he was defamed by a man who publicly criticized his bedside manner.” [Grand Forks Herald, earlier] More: Heller, OnPoint News.
Annals of New York public employment: Matter of Seiferheld v. Kelly
An opinion from New York’s highest court last month begins as follows:
Petitioner, a New York City police officer, retired in 2004 and was awarded accident disability benefits. In the following years, the police department received information indicating that petitioner was not disabled; that he had made false representations to the Pension Fund; and that he had ingested cocaine, thus becoming ineligible to return to duty. The City, understandably, claims that it should not have to continue paying him a pension.
Under New York law, however, the City is wrong, the court reluctantly concludes. Meanwhile (via Philip Howard’s Common Good) a New York law forbidding the closure of a unionized facility without a year’s notice has meant that a disused juvenile detention center upstate is being kept going with no clients: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says “We’re paying 30 staff people to baby-sit an empty building,” and calls it “bizarre.” And another state law requires that school districts field buses with capacity to seat every eligible child every day, which means that in districts like Port Washington, L.I., where many eligible children come to school by other means, buses routinely travel half full, at an unneeded cost the Port Washington superintendent estimates at $2 million a year.
Little-used Pennsylvania ADA ramps
Federal design standards have changed, so many little-used ADA sidewalk ramps in Berks County, Pa. and elsewhere will be torn up at great expense and replaced with new little-used ramps. “The borough [of Lyons, Pa.] has only a few sidewalks — with most yards running right to the street — so the ramps generally lead to areas that would seem difficult for wheelchairs to cross.” [Reading Eagle, h/t Tad DeHaven] More: Chris Fountain.
May 4 roundup
- “You Will Be Relieved to Know it is Now Harder To Discipline Bad Cops in Arizona” [Coyote]
- NYT runs Title IX “roster management” through a feminist echo chamber [Heather Mac Donald, Secular Right] Even with the slant, colleges’ willingness to contort their programs to comply with quotas tends to prove critics’ case [Althouse, Wendy Parker, College Sports Council, more]
- “AT&T v. Concepcion: ‘Consumers Win in Allegedly Anti-Consumer Supreme Court Ruling'” [PoL] Will Elizabeth Warren partly undo the outcome? [Fisher/Forbes] More on case: Trask, Karlsgodt;
- “[Entertainer] Prince Wants Laws Changed To Eliminate Song Covers” [Hollywood, Esq./THR]
- Consulting firm accused of racketeering in Chevron suit has U.S. gulf spill contract [ShopFloor]
- Point out flaws in DoJ’s legal case against you, and get branded “uncooperative” [Koehler/FCPA Professor]
- NYC might ban buying fake handbags [WSJ Law Blog] Bill sponsor’s curious political trajectory to city council [Rick Brookhiser, many years back in City Journal]
Beet sugar interests sue over “corn sugar” coinage
Public-spirited litigants Western Sugar Cooperative, Michigan Sugar Company and C & H Sugar Company, Inc., have filed a lawsuit charging corn refiners with false advertising in their recent campaign to relabel high-fructose corn syrup as “corn sugar.” “The sugar producers seek an injunction to end the advertising campaign and also seek damages, including compensation for corrective advertising.” [PR Newswire]
Activists’ demands of Wal-Mart in D.C.
Washington Business Journal brings word of the list of demands by a “community group” to drop its opposition to the opening of Wal-Mart stores in Washington, D.C. Given such a welcoming attitude, isn’t it strange that so many major retailers have opened stores in suburban Maryland and Virginia, but not in the District?
California bill would mandate fitted, rather than flat, sheets on hotel beds
Because, really, there’s no detail too small for the government to regulate (via Virginia Postrel). More: Coyote.
Cause for furrowed brows?
The maker of Botox is hit with a $212 million jury award [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
“Bus driver who refused to take women to Planned Parenthood gets $21K in settlement”
When an employee decides he doesn’t feel like fulfilling his job requirements, you might need to accommodate him, or be prepared to pay. [Steven Kreytak, Austin American-Statesman]