Articles by Jonathan Stempel

TD, Other Banks Reach $1.35B Settlements to End Stanford Litigation

Three banks agreed to pay $1.35 billion to resolve litigation by former Allen Stanford investors who accused them of contributing to the imprisoned financier’s massive Ponzi scheme. Canada’s Toronto-Dominion Bank will pay $1.205 billion, HSBC Holdings Plc will pay $40 …

FedEx Loses Bid to Undo $366M Racial Bias Verdict, Files Appeal

A U.S. judge rejected FedEx Corp’s request to throw out or reduce a jury’s $366 million damages award to a Black former employee who said the package delivery company fired her after she complained about racial discrimination. FedEx appealed the …

Fox News Must Face Smartmatic’s Lawsuit Over Election-Rigging Claims

A New York state appeals court rejected Fox News’ bid to dismiss a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit accusing the network of falsely accusing an electronic voting systems company of helping rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election to favor Joe Biden over …

FedEx Loses Bid to Undo $366M Racial Bias Verdict, Files Appeal

A U.S. judge rejected FedEx Corp’s request to throw out or reduce a jury’s $366 million damages award to a Black former employee who said the package delivery company fired her after she complained about racial discrimination. FedEx appealed the …

Judge Dismisses Whole Foods Workers’ Lawsuit Over ‘Black Lives Matter’ Masks

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by three former Whole Foods employees who said they were illegally fired for opposing the upscale grocery chain’s alleged discriminatory discipline of workers who wore “Black Lives Matter” masks. U.S. District Judge …

Consumer Reports Urges Dark Chocolate Makers to Reduce Lead, Cadmium Levels

Consumer Reports on Monday urged four chocolate producers to commit by Valentine’s Day to reduce the amounts of lead and cadmium in their dark chocolate products, after testing revealed harmful levels of the heavy metals. In letters to Hershey Co., …

Bayer Sued for Barring Non-U.S. Citizen from Roundup Settlement

A new U.S. lawsuit on Thursday accused Germany’s Bayer AG of illegally excluding a Virginia farmworker from a settlement over claims its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, because she is not a U.S. citizen. The complaint said Elvira Reyes-Hernandez, who used …

OSHA Says Amazon.com Exposed Workers to Safety Hazards

A U.S. government agency on Wednesday issued citations against Amazon.com Inc. for failing to keep warehouse workers safe, by exposing them to ergonomic hazards that resulted in serious injuries. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said …

Costco Must Face Lawsuit Over ‘Dolphin Safe’ Tuna Claim

A U.S. judge on Tuesday said Costco Wholesale Corp. must face a lawsuit claiming it falsely advertises and labels its canned tuna as “dolphin safe” despite using fishing methods that harm and kill dolphins. U.S. District Judge William Orrick in …

Donald Trump’s Company Sentenced to Pay $1.61M Penalty for Tax Fraud

A New York judge on Friday sentenced Donald Trump’s namesake real estate company to pay a $1.61 million criminal penalty after it was convicted of scheming to defraud tax authorities for 15 years. Justice Juan Merchan of the Manhattan criminal …