Month: April 2016

Picture of Muhammad Aziz

Toxic Fish Pose Threat to Valley Residents

The Donna Reservoir and Canal System has long been a popular fishing spot for residents of the Rio Grande Valley. However, the fish from these waters pose major health risks to those who consume them. Federal environmental regulators and Texas health officials have known of this danger for twenty-three years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…

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Abraham Watkins

Volkswagen Accused of Deleting Data Showing They Cheated on Emissions Test

Daniel Donovan, a former information manager at Volkswagen in Michigan, has filed a whistleblower claim against his former employer after allegedly finding that his coworkers fudged data in their emissions tests. Donovan believes his employment was terminated because his superiors predicted that Donovan would report the spoliation of evidence to the Department of Justice. It…

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Picture of Benny Agosto, Jr.

State Standing in United States v. Texas Could be Key Issue

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Texas, a suit in which Texas along with twenty-five other states are challenging the Obama administration’s initiatives, announced back in November 2014, deferring removal of millions of unauthorized immigrants. The policies in question, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and expansion…

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Abraham Watkins

One Dead, Eleven Injured After Apparent Chemical Suicide in Austin

Last week, the Austin Fire Department responded to a reported gas leak in an Austin apartment building linked to the University of Texas. Instead, they found an apartment door with a sign reading “Danger: Watch out, hydrogen sulfide,” behind which they found the body of a young man who had apparently died of exposure to…

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Abraham Watkins

Third Circuit Court of Appeals Finds State Law Product Liability Claims Not Preempted by Federal Law

On April 19, 2016, the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a precedential opinion finding that state law product liability claims for defective aircraft are not preempted by federal law. The Third Circuit’s opinion holds that neither the Federal Aviation Act or a federal agency’s decision to issue a certificate approving of an…

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