Written by: Tracy Frazier Researched by: Casey King Edited by: Adam Gottlieb Managing Editor: Mary Anne Nash In the midst of the excitement and revelry surrounding the election of our 44th president, the success of California’s Proposition 8 was easily lost in the commotion. However, for many, the passage of Proposition 8 damped their excitement [...]

Written by: Jeff W. Richards Researched by: Peter Fehrs and Casey King Managing Editor: Brady Iandiorio These days, it seems like Americans have to hand over their Social Security Numbers (SSN) every time they turn around. From job or rental applications to buying a house, the SSN has become the de facto way of proving [...]

Written by: Amy E. Seely Researched by: Kirk Strohman and Dean Micknal Edited by: Nick Caleb and Tracy Frazier Managing Editor: Lauren E. Trent Each October in the United States, grocery stores beef up their candy displays, and thrill-seekers go searching for the scariest movie, creepiest haunted house, or spookiest ghost story. Indeed, horror movies [...]

Sarah Palin has always been an attractive person: at one time she was a beauty pageant contestant. Still, when Senator John McCain tapped the governor of Alaska to be his partner in a different kind of contest, the Republican National Committee (RNC) went shopping. And shopping. And shopping. Over the last two months, the RNC has dropped over $150,000 to spruce up the Palin family’s wardrobe and accessories.

This spending frenzy raises a number of disturbing questions: What were they thinking? Will Joe the Plumber like this? Do suits from Neiman Marcus fit in with the governor’s “hockey mom” image? And, most importantly from the tax attorney’s perspective, are the Palins required to treat the wardrobe enhancements as taxable income?

Written by: Edward S. Bushnell Researched by: Daniel Kwak and John Deininger Edited by: Casey E. Sanders Managing Editor: Mary Anne Nash There are some legal jobs where you just have to get your hands dirty. Criminal defense attorney Robert Simels may have such a job – he’s known for defending high-profile alleged criminals, including [...]

Written by: Matthew A. Schroettnig Researched by: Adam Gottlieb Edited by: Eric Blaine and Tom Borton Managing Editor: Brady Iandiorio Music is like, crazy, man. It seems every time you check the news, the music industry is once again going broke as a result of some epic catastrophe. In the 1980s that catastrophe was the [...]

Written by: Eric Wasik Researched by: Edward S. Bushnell and Kirk Strohman Edited by: Peter Fehrs and Casey King Managing Editor: Lauren E. Trent Every four years an invisible, omnipresent visitor arrives. You cannot escape it. It interrupts your peace as you are watching television in your living room. When you drive to work, it [...]

Written by: Brady Iandiorio Researched by: Tracy Frazier Edited by: Jeff Hinman and Dean Micknal Managing Editor: Mary Anne Nash Apparently life in these United States has changed dramatically; orgies are more popular than apple pie. At least that’s what the defense attempted to show in a recent Florida trial. Using “Google Trends,” which shows [...]

Written by: Nick Caleb Researched by: Casey E. Sanders Edited by: Stefanie Herrington, Daniel Kwak, and Eric Blaine Managing Editor: Amy E. Seely ATTENTION:  The final buzzer may have just sounded on the Wall Street Era. The global marketplace is in the midst of a serious financial crisis of which the effects are in no [...]

Written by: Matthew A. Schroettnig Researched by: Steve Glista Edited by: Darci G. Van Duzer Managing Editors: Stefanie Herrington and Lauren E. Trent “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” -Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 1786 A press that is free [...]

Written by: John Deininger Researched by: Darci G. Van Duzer Edited by: Steve Glista and Adam Gottlieb Managing Editor: Amy E. Seely This just in: “Patriots Lose Brady….” That’s it. “Aaron Rodgers added a….” Nope, sorry. “X-rays on Young’s knee….” Seeing a pattern to the quotes?  Anything more and the Associated Press (AP) may demand [...]

Written by: Jeff W. Richards Researched by: Jay D. Hall and Brady Iandiorio Edited by: J. Aaron Landau and Mary Anne Nash Managing Editor: Lauren E. Trent The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), perhaps subscribing to the theory that any publicity is good publicity, inflamed sensibilities this week when news leaked that it will soon [...]