| Volume 61 Number 9 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Immediately review your bank statements and returned checks for forgeries. Promptly report any problems to your bank. A short delay may cost you your legal rights. Click here for more.
Weight Loss Drugs Linked to Organ Failure
Prominent consumer group, Public Citizen, is calling for the Food and Drug Administration to ban weight loss drugs Alli and Xenical. According to the report, the drugs have the potential to cause severe organ damage, including liver failure, kidney stones and pancreatitis. Alli and Xenical are both currently available over the counter, meaning many users may not be using the medications under the supervision of a physician. To read about the Public Citizen findings, Click here for more.
Resistant Bacteria Found in Meat
The meat you buy in grocery stores may contain antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, which can lead to life-threatening illness. Of 136 samples tested, half came back positive for Staphylococcus. Of the one half positive samples, more than half were resistant to three different classes of antibiotics. Cooking the meat properly should kill the bacteria, but improper handling can easily spread the bacteria. How did this strain of Staphylococcus become antibiotic-resistant? Click here for more.
McDonald's Aims to Fill 50,000 Jobs
Yesterday was National Hiring Day and McDonald's opened the day up with a hiring blitz to bring in an estimated 50,000 new employees, spanning all 50 states. McDonald's states the average opening wage is $8 per hour, which may not sound like much, but represents a great starting point for those who have been without work for many months (or years). At McDonalds, upward mobility is a great selling point for potential employees. 75% of their restaurant managers and 40% of corporate employees started as restaurant crew members. Are you looking for a job? Click here for more.
Your Money
What is the true cost of paying the minimum? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Kentucky Supreme Court strikes down class action ban. The Kentucky Supreme Court held that a contractual ban on class action litigation is void and unenforceable. The court also determined that: 1) the Service Agreement's choice of law provision is not enforceable, and Kentucky law, rather than New York law, is applicable; 2) the Service Agreement's general arbitration provision is not unconscionable; and, 3) the provision imposing a confidentiality requirement upon the litigants to arbitration proceedings is void. Click here for more.