Did Usher steal song for Bieber?

One of Justin Bieber’s hit songs is the target of a US$10 million copyright infringement lawsuit that also accuses Bieber’s mentor, R&B singer Usher, of funnelling the song to the teen pop star. R&B singer Devin Copeland, known professionally as De Rico, and songwriter Mareio Overton filed a lawsuit last week in US District Court in Virginia alleging that they came up with the song Somebody to Love.

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Blind eye turned to Jackson’s drugs

Michael Jackson’s family and friends knew he was addicted to prescription medications, but the only ones who refused to acknowledge it were the promoters of his ill-fated final series of comeback concerts, an attorney for the singer’s mother has told a US jury. Lawyer Brian Panish traced Jackson’s addiction in opening statements during the trial of a wrongful death lawsuit against concert giant AEG Live, telling jurors the company ignored numerous warning signs about the singer’s health in his final months.

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Wal-Mart Ruling Is Major Setback for Worker Rights

The Supreme Court’s decision to throw out a sex-discrimination suit by a large group of female Wal-Mart employees may look like a mere procedural decision about the rules for class-action lawsuits. But it is in fact a much bigger deal: it significantly shifts power from workers to big employers.

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Lawsuit: Madoff’s workplace was rife with cocaine, sex

A new lawsuit alleges that convicted swindler Bernie Madoff financed a cocaine-fueled work environment and a “culture of sexual deviance,” and he diverted money to his London, England, office when he believed federal authorities were closing in at home.

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Michigan courts given leeway to force veil removal

Michigan’s Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday allowing lower state courts to "exercise reasonable control" over the appearance of witnesses and parties, a rule change proposed after a Muslim woman refused to remove an Islamic garment in a small claims court. The order allows courts “reasonable control over the appearance of parties and witnesses” so as to “ensure that the demeanor of such persons may be observed and assessed by the fact-finder and ensure the accurate identification of such person.” The order, which amends a rule of the Michigan Rules of Evidence, is effective September 1. The amendment was prompted by a 2006 small claims case in Michigan filed by Ginnah Muhammad, who wore a niqab — a garment that covers the entire face and head, except for the eyes — to court, the order said

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Congresswoman: U.S. ties with Xe, formerly Blackwater, must end

A member of Congress Friday called on the State Department to stop doing business with Xe, the North Carolina-based security company formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton whether the State Department had just signed a new $20 million dollar contract with Xe for Iraq, saying she is “very concerned” that the State Department may be signing new security contracts with Xe, both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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