Daily Archives: October 11, 2012 - 5 results

Under the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), obesity was considered a disability only when it was due to an underlying physiological disorder, like diabetes or a thyroid condition. Otherwise, obesity was considered a lifestyle choice. Today, obesity itself is considered a disability.   ADAAA Changes Definitions In 2008, the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) expanded the definition of disability, particularly the definitions of “substantially limits” and “major life activities.” Since then, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the courts …

The United States Supreme Court Wednesday heard opinions about how race is used as a factor in admissions at a Texas university, in a case that has the potential to ban affirmative action from the college application process. In Fisher v. University of Texas, the court will decide whether Abigail Fisher was improperly denied admission to the Austin-based school because she is white. The court has a recent precedent to consider: The justices ruled in Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003 …

Dakoda Garren, 19, was arrested in Vancouver, Wash., in September on suspicion of stealing an antique coin collection in May that was estimated to be worth $100,000. Garren and his girlfriend were identified after spending some of the coins at a movie theater and a pizza restaurant, using rare Liberty Head quarters (worth from $5 to $18,500) at their face value. [The Daily News (Longview, Wash.) via The Columbian, 9-20-2012]

Think again if you have a habit of texting while driving your car. A Massachusetts teenager was texting and as he drove down a street and crashed into another car, killing the driver and injuring the passenger. In Massachusetts, distracted driving is a crime. Motor vehicle operators are 23 times more likely to get into an accident when they are texting while driving, according to Lawyers.com reporter Ted Bogosian. He was tried for murder, sentenced to a year in jail …

Landlords in California can no longer force tenants to declaw or devocalize their pets as a condition of renting a property, thanks to a new anti-cruelty law. Property owners can still ban animals from a dwelling outright; however the days of allowing only clawless cats and barkless dogs are over. The legislation passed in September stems from objections over surgical procedures that might cut down on property damage or noise complaints, but can be painful and cause permanent damage to …