Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. Passionate about international politics and world affairs, he’s an avid traveler with a keen interest in the connections between South Asia and the United States. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics.


Three Cities Suing the Pentagon After Sutherland Springs Shooting

Three cities are suing the Pentagon, claiming its “clearly broken” system of background checks enabled a Texas shooting spree last month. In a recently-launched federal lawsuit, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco seek to have the Department of Defense “fulfill their long-standing legal obligation to report all service members disqualified from purchasing and possessing firearms


US to Resume Research on Lethal Viruses and Contagious Pathogens

Just a week before Congress left for its wintertime recess, the government lifted a long-standing ban on the creation of lethal viruses. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes for Health, made the announcement with an important explanation. According to the physician, continued research into deadly viruses is necessary to “develop strategies and effective


Trump Administration Lifts Penalties for Companies That Kill Migratory Birds

Environmental groups are on edge after the Trump administration announced that heavy industry will no longer be penalized for accidentally killing migratory birds. Hailed by industry as a groundbreaking move toward deregulation, the decision is stoking concern among those keen on preserving nature. According to Reuters, the announcement was made within a legal memo from


Park La Brea Apartments in LA Shells Out $3.5 Over Bedbug Infestation

A group of residents at Los Angeles’ Park La Brea Apartments won a hefty settlement over a bedbug infestation. Sixteen former and current tenants at La Brea were awarded $3.5 million by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge late Friday afternoon. La Brea Apartments is, according to The LA Times, among the largest housing complexes


Cleveland Pays $375k After Shooting Kip Holloway For No Reason

The City of Cleveland agreed to pay $375,000 to settle a suit over the 2014 shooting of Kip Holloway. Holloway, purportedly unarmed and trying to surrender himself to law enforcement, was lying face-down in a residential garage. The 29-year old African-American man had caught a ride from two men he knew. Shortly after, he learned


Congressional Slush Fund Used to Defend Rep. Gregory Meeks

A secretive, multi-million dollar slush fund was used to settle a claim brought against New York Rep. Gregory Meeks. According to the NY Post, back in 2006, Meeks settled for an undisclosed amount with a female staffer. The congressman purportedly fired her after she sued one of Meeks’ campaign donors for sexual harassment. Unlike recent



Sexual Misconduct Scandals Prompt Change to Tax Bill

A host of sexual misconduct scandals made clear over the past two years has prompted an apparent revision to the final rendition of a tax bill. Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, proposed the amendment in November. According to The New York Times, his add-on carries a heavy consequence for businesses seeking to


Carolina Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson Accused of Sexual Harassment, Racist Remarks

The Carolina Panthers extended settlements to at least four former employees, following allegations of sexual misconduct and racial discrimination on the part of team owner Jerry Richardson. Sports Illustrated catalogued the offenses purportedly committed by the 81-year old. Each of the settlements was subject to confidentiality agreements and non-disparagement clauses, which would prevent Richardson’s supposed


Delaware Pays $7.5 to Victims of Vaughn Correctional Center Siege

The State of Delaware agreed to pay $7.5 million to the family of a prison guard killed during an inmate siege at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center earlier this year. Six prison workers who were taken hostage by their wards participated as plaintiffs in the suit along with the remaining family of Lt. Steven Floyd,