Articles by Philip Marcelo

Justin Timberlake Reaches Plea Deal to Resolve Drunken Driving Case

Justin Timberlake is scheduled to enter a new plea Friday in his drunken driving case in New York’s Hamptons, prosecutors said. Details of the plea weren’t disclosed, but a person with knowledge of the deal said Timberlake has agreed to …

Disney Drops Bid to Toss Allergy Suit Because Plaintiff Signed Disney+ Arbitration

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney is no longer asking a Florida court to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit on the grounds that the victim’s family had signed up for its streaming service Disney+. The company filed a notice in Orange …

Rikers Island Inmates Sue City Claiming They Were Trapped in Cells During Fire

Inmates at New York City’s Rikers Island are suing the city claiming they were trapped in their cells during a jailhouse fire that injured 20 people last year. The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan said the 15 …

New York City’s Skyscrapers Are Built to Withstand Most Earthquakes

The ground rumbled Friday beneath New York City, home to famous skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Though buildings that can reach above 100 stories might seem especially vulnerable to earthquakes, engineering experts say skyscrapers …

Hacking Allegations Expose E-Prescription System Cyber Risk

Scammers hacked into doctors’ electronic prescribing accounts, wrote tens of thousands of bogus orders for addictive drugs, then had runners pick them up from pharmacies in multiple states so they could be illegally resold online, prosecutors in New York announced …

NRA to Have Surprising Defender in Supreme Court Free Speech Case: the ACLU

In a case of politics making strange bedfellows, the National Rifle Association will be represented by frequent nemesis the American Civil Liberties Union in an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court. The New York-based civil liberties group confirmed Saturday that …

Court Says Woman Can Sue Harvard for Distress Over Enslaved Ancestors’ Photos

A Connecticut woman who says she’s descended from slaves who are portrayed in widely published, historical photos owned by Harvard University can sue the school for emotional distress, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Thursday. The state’s Supreme Judicial Court partly vacated …

Mario Batali Acquittal Underscores Perils of #MeToo Cases

Bill Cosby was released from prison when his conviction that he drugged and assaulted a woman was overturned. Quarterback Deshaun Watson landed a record-setting $230 million contract, despite an investigation into allegations he assaulted 22 women. Celebrity chef Mario Batali …

Northeast Summer Storms Were a Climate-Change Wake-Up Call for Subways

When the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record-breaking rain on the East Coast this month, staircases leading into New York City’s subway tunnels turned into waterfalls. In Philadelphia, a commuter line along the Schuylkill River was washed out for miles, …

Suit Accuses Brown University of Failing to Protect Women From Sexual Misconduct

Brown University has systematically and repeatedly failed to protect women from rape and other sexual misconduct, according to a federal class action lawsuit filed recently by four current and former female students. The suit, which was filed last Friday in …