Brianna Smith, Author at Legal Reader

Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.

New Bill Would Require Religious Daycares To Be Licensed and Inspected

February 23, 2017

A new bill has been introduced in Alabama by Republican and Democrat lawmakers that would get rid of the “God loophole” for religious daycares. What’s the God loophole, you’re wondering? This loophole is a law that has been around for a long time that currently “exempts more than 900 religious day cares from state oversight.” The bill, known as the Child Care Safety Act, would “require all day cares in Alabama to be licensed and inspected, and they would have to meet basic safety standards such as child-to-staff ratios and worker training.”

Christopher Duntsch Gets Life In Prison Over Questionable Surgeries

February 22, 2017

After a 13-day trial in a Dallas County Courtroom where a jury heard accounts and statements from more than “a dozen patients,” Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison. Nicknamed “Doctor Death,” Duntsch was accused of “crippling four patients and causing the deaths of two others between July 2012 and June 2013” while working as a neurosurgeon for a number of different hospitals throughout Dallas and Collin counties.

Lawsuits Filed Against the Estate of Deceased Marlins Pitcher, Jose Fernandez

February 21, 2017

Accidents happen all the time, but they’re even worse when lives are lost because of them. Unfortunately for Marlins pitcher, Jose Fernandez, and two of his friends, a boating accident last September ended their lives, sparking lawsuits. So far, two lawsuits have been formally filed against the estate of Jose Fernandez. Both of the lawsuits allege that Fernandez “owed his passengers a reasonable degree of care on the morning his boat crashed into a jetty.”

Sargento Foods Inc. Expands Voluntary Cheese Recall

February 21, 2017

Food recalls have been a hot topic in the news lately, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change anytime soon. Recently, Sargento Foods Inc. decided to expand it’s “voluntary recall of cheese due to potential listeria contamination.” Based in Plymouth, Wisconsin, the company has recalled a total of 14 different cheese products so far, including consumer favorites like “sliced Colby, muenster, pepper jack, tomato & basil jack; shredded reduced fat Colby-jack, chef blends four cheese pizzeria, artisan blends double cheddar; ultra thin sliced longhorn Colby; chef blends shredded nacho and taco; off the block fine cut shredded Colby-jack and cheddar-jack.”

Are the Elderly More Vulnerable To Investment Fraud?

February 20, 2017

A recent study commissioned by the AARP Fraud Watch Network found that “older people who are active investors and who prefer unregulated investments may be more susceptible to investment fraud.” The study was carried out by reaching out to “200 known victims of investment fraud” for telephone interviews, as well as conducting “800 interviews with members of the investing public.”

New Study Finds Surprising Solution for Deadly Hospital Infections

February 20, 2017

It may be hard to believe, but hospitals are one of the riskiest places for picking up infections, including deadly ones. Surprising, considering the fact that hospitals are places of healing. Fortunately, steps are being taken to decrease the number of deadly hospital infections, thanks to a recent study published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, that found a solution to the problem. According to the study, doctors “should stop giving hospital patients so many antibiotics.”

Analysis Reveals Racial and Economic Discrimination By Santander Bank

February 18, 2017

Already in hot water for lending practices, outlets of Santander Bank have recently come under fire for racial and economic discrimination, with government data and an analysis by an industry reform group revealing the bank has “denied mortgages to women, minorities and low-income borrowers in the U.S. Northeast more frequently than nearby banks.” The discrimination was discovered when the Committee for Better Banks, “a coalition of bank workers, consumer advocacy groups and unions” researched government data “on home loans in the U.S. Northeast, including nearly 10,000 Santander home-purchase applications.” What they found was “a disturbing pattern of racial and economic discrimination.”

Settlement Reached Over Deadly Harlem Blast

February 17, 2017

For those who don’t know, back in 2014, a deadly blast occurred that took the lives of eight people “and destroyed two buildings.” As a result, a $153 million settlement has finally been reached between Con Edison and the Public Service Commission of New York that will ensure that the utility company will foot “the bill for repairs to its gas distribution system.” According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Con Edison customers will not be responsible for paying for the repairs caused by a deadly blast.

New GOP Bills Attack the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

February 17, 2017

The Republicans are at it again in their plans to overhaul many aspects American life. Their target this time? Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, “which established the CFPB.” On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) introduced companion bills that would effectively “eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB),” a “controversial watchdog” organization that many Republicans have been targeting for some time now. Now since their party is in the White House and in control of the House and Senate, many are seeking to take advantage of the position of power to push their agendas through, including passing the two companion bills.

Restoration Hardware Recalls Tables Over Lead Exposure Concerns

February 16, 2017

Restoration Hardware has issued a recall for thousands of their Railroad Tie and Parsons Railroad Tie metal top dining tables. The recalled tables were sold at “Restoration Hardware outlets and online from March 2012 to Dec. 2016,” and the decision for the recall came after the company received “reports of elevated blood lead levels in

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