'Ugly' potential fallout from Supreme Court health care case

A Supreme Court ruling due in a few weeks could wipe out health insurance for millions of people covered by President Barack Obama's health care law. But it's Republicans — not White House officials — who have been talking about damage control.

A likely reason: Twenty-six of the 34 states that would be most affected by the ruling have Republican governors, and 22 of the 24 GOP Senate seats up in 2016 are in those states.

Obama's law offers subsidized private insurance to people without access to it on the job. In the court case, opponents of the law argue that its literal wording allows the federal government to subsidize coverage only in states that set up their own health insurance markets.

Most states have not done so, because of the intense partisanship over "Obamacare" and in some cases because of technical problems. Instead, they rely on the federal HealthCare.gov website.

If the court invalidates the subsidies in those states, an estimated 8 million people could lose coverage. The results would be "ugly," said Sandy Praeger, a former Kansas insurance commissioner.

Swiss Bank UBS Pleading Guilty To Wire Fraud

Swiss bank UBS says it is pleading guilty to wire fraud and is paying $545 million to settle U.S. cases of market manipulation.

The bank said Wednesday that under the deal with U.S. authorities it will be granted conditional immunity from prosecution in a Department of Justice probe on the manipulation of foreign exchange rates. UBS AG said it was the first to report to the DOJ potential misconduct by banks in forex markets.

It will however pay a $342 million fine to the Federal Reserve.

It will separately pay a $203 million fine to the DOJ for manipulating a key market interest rate called the London Interbank Offered Rate.

The bank said "the conduct of a small number of employees was unacceptable and we have taken appropriate disciplinary actions."

New York Adoption Attorneys – Rosin Steinhagen Mendel

For over 35 years, the New York Adoption Attorneys of Rosin Steinhagen Mendel have served clients in New York City and the surrounding counties of Southern New York State and New Jersey in matters regarding adoption, foster care litigation, and family law. Rosin Steinhagen Mendel have represented clients in proceedings such as parental right termination, custody hearings, guardianship, and adoption.

The attorneys at Rosin Steinhagen Mendel have represented New York City Foster Care Agencies for over thirty years in all aspects regarding Family Law and New York State Administrative proceedings and provide representation for foster parents, persons seeking adoption, and parents in abuse and neglect proceedings.  Their practice focuses on the areas of law listed below:

·         Adoption

·         Foster Care litigation

·         General Family Law

·         Kinship Guardianship

·         Reproductive Law

In order to learn more about Rosin Steinhagen Mendel and their practice, please visit their website or contact them for more information regarding your case. 

Criminal Defense Attorney - Law Offices of Jerry Jenkins

Representing clients in Central Florida, Sanford, Tavares, Orlando, and surrounding areas, Jerry Jenkins is an intelligent criminal defense attorney who is dedicated to providing excellent representation to his clients. Jerry understands that once a person is involved in the criminal justice system each and every decision matters. The decisions a person within the criminal justice makes will have lifelong consequences not only on the person making it, but their family and friends too. These decisions should not be taken lightly as they can affect every aspect of your life from employment to housing. You need an attorney who will fight for you and protect your rights.

You need an attorney who knows their way around the criminal justice system.

You need Jerry Jenkins.

Jerry understands each case and situation is unique. After providing him the facts, Jerry will give the advice and counsel you need to make an informed decision. With Jerry by your side, no stone will be left unturned. He will explore every avenue and make sure that your case is presented to the court. Jerry always strives to provide the best representation for his clients and he will defend you against all charges and any state crime allegations. After all, the government has experienced prosecutors targeting you, so you should have a defense attorney with the necessary experience fighting back.

Every situation is different, but the one piece of advice that will never change is to not waive any of your rights. If authorities begin grilling you with questions regarding a crime, be polite and decline to speak without a lawyer present. They will try to strong arm and intimidate you, but remain firm in your request to have a criminal defense lawyer present.

If you need any more information regarding criminal defense in Florida, contact Jerry Jenkins for a free case evaluation.

Judge says court battle over giant emerald can proceed

A Los Angeles judge has ruled a trial can go forward to determine ownership of an emerald weighing 840 pounds that was hauled out of a Brazilian mine more than a decade ago.
 
The 180,000-carat emerald is at the center of a court battle between gem traders, miners, real estate tycoons and others vying for the jewel once valued at $372 million.

The latest claim to ownership came from the Brazil government, which wants the gem returned to its country of origin.

The Los Angeles Times reports Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson said this week a motion by Brazil lacked sufficient evidence to warrant halting the case.

The jewel known as the Bahia Emerald is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Ex-UBS banker pleads guilty in US tax evasion case

A former executive at Swiss bank UBS AG has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge as part of a long-running U.S. investigation into tax evasion using secret accounts.

Hansruedi Schumacher entered the plea Thursday before a Florida federal judge. Schumacher is cooperating in the investigation and in return, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of five years' probation and a $150,000 fine.

Schumacher admitted in court papers that while at UBS and a second Swiss bank from 1995 to 2009 he helped wealthy U.S. citizens escape the Internal Revenue Service using secret offshore accounts.

Several other bankers and dozens of customers have been prosecuted. UBS itself paid a $780 million fine to the U.S. in 2009 and agreed to disclose names of thousands of its American customers.

High court must fix special prosecutor process, lawyers say

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, not known for being shy about defending its prerogatives, has put itself in a curious situation.After months of intrigue and court silence, the justices surprised Pennsylvania's legal community by saying they would hear public arguments on Attorney General Kathleen Kane's legal challenge to the court's self-appointed power to launch special prosecutions.

The case in question is a court-ordered investigation into whether Kane's office illegally shared secret investigative material with the Philadelphia Daily News. The result was a grand jury's recommendation that Kane be charged with perjury and other offenses.

The justices may not ultimately agree with Kane that the courts lack the authority to appoint prosecutors to run grand juries or investigate her office. But, say lawyers and court watchers, the justices must at least clean up a murky and messy process that has been dogged by questions about legality and constitutionality.