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.


Judge Dismisses Trump’s “Free Speech” Defense for Inciting Violence

A federal judge rejected Donald Trump’s “free speech” defense after a lawsuit was brought against the President, accusing him of inciting violence at a campaign rally. Three protesters who were manhandled by then-candidate Trump’s supporters at a March 1, 2016 rally in Kentucky filed a suit claiming Trump wanted them to get hurt. Attorneys for


Advertisers Turn Their Backs to Bill O’Reilly After Harassment Revelation

Advertisers are leaving Bill O’Reilly en masse after a New York Times report revealed that his employer had paid millions of dollars to settle sexual harassment and misconduct suits pending against the popular talk-show host. Big businesses announced they’d be cutting ties with O’Reilly on Wednesday following the Times’ revelation. Among the advertisers canceling contracts


Lawsuit Over Connecticut Quarantines During 2014 Ebola Epidemic Dismissed

A judge dismissed a lawsuit brought against Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy as well as several state health officials. The plaintiffs in the case were seeking damages for what they claimed were unfair quarantine practices during the 2014 Ebola epidemic. U.S. District Judge Alfred Covello said in a ruling that the allegations were lacking. He


EPA Backtracks on Chlorpyrifos Pesticide Ban

The EPA is backtracking on a ban put forward by the Obama administration on a common pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that research suggests can hinder the development of children’s brains. The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, called the decision late Wednesday night. Pruitt framed the reversal as a form of “regulatory certainty” which would


North Carolina ‘Bathroom Bill’ Set to be Repealed and Replaced Today

Governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper announced late Wednesday night that a compromise had been reached in the state congress to repeal a controversial law known popularly as the ‘Bathroom Bill’. Passed in March of 2016 by former Republican Governor Pat McCrory, the controversial bill included a host of measures which led to it being


Seattle Sues Over Trump Order to Defund ‘Sanctuary Cities’

Seattle launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday, deriding the President’s executive order to defund ‘sanctuary cities’ as a form of unconstitutional federal coercion. The mayor of Seattle, Ed Murray, told reporters the Constitution of the United States forbids Washington from putting pressure on cities. “They cannot punish cities, and they cannot force


Texas Judge Shifts Exxon Mobil Lawsuit to New York

A federal judge in Texas ordered a lawsuit being pursued by oil giant Exxon Mobil to a Manhattan court, saying New York would be a more appropriate venue for the dispute. Exxon Mobil had been suing the Attorneys General of the states of New York and Massachusetts over allegations that the company had misled investors



Federal Judge Puts an Indefinite Hold on Revised Travel Ban

A federal judge in Hawaii granted the state’s request to continue a freeze on Donald Trump’s revised travel ban. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson played a critical role two weeks ago in halting the executive order from taking effect. Citing the President’s own words, Watson cast doubt on the claim that the order was intended


Judge Scraps Germanwings Lawsuit Two Years After Crash

Nearly two years after a passenger plane deliberately crashed into the French Alps, killing all aboard, a U.S. District Judge has scrapped a lawsuit against the Arizona flight school which trained Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz. Owned and operated by Lufthansa, the flight school was described by the plaintiffs’ lawyers as the “gatekeeper” for the commercial