Roundup: Chaos may reign in Spain when courts reopen
Welcome to Tuesday, the 22nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that most of Ellis Island is in New Jersey, not New York. Here are some news items to get your holiday-shortened week started. — Spain expects chaos when it reopens courts. — U.S. attorney in east Texas announces resignation without explanation. — Law […]
Spain fines Google $1.2 million over privacy laws
MADRID — Spain’s data protection agency says it has fined search engine giant Google 900,000 euros ($1.2 million) for three serious breaches of the country’s laws. The agency says in a statement that it was imposing a fine of 300,000 euros for each breach, and requesting that Google comply with the law without delay. Thursday’s […]
An owl, a mouse and a fascinating job
Our small business is an example of what economists say is an increasingly common commercial enterprise: small businesses in which the owners perform all or most of the work.
Law blog roundup
It’s Monday, and you know what that means. No, Adele didn’t just win another Grammy. It’s time for the ol’ roundup. Here are some news items to get your week started. — Music-industry lawyers do not whistle to Spotify’s tune — Los Angeles Times finds a lawyer to top its story on “workaholism” — Disbarment […]
SunEdison sells solar energy systems to German company
SunEdison LLC of Beltsville, a worldwide solar energy services provider, said a German investment company purchased 33 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems located in Italy and Spain. Terms of the transaction, including financial details, were not disclosed. The same company, KGAL GmbH & Co., of Grunwald, Germany, acquired 20 MW of solar energy systems from […]
European soccer teams face host of financial woes
MONACO — It’s not just European governments that are mired in debt. Financial problems are increasingly affecting the most beloved institutions on the continent — soccer teams. Work stoppages, club bankruptcies and spiraling debts are all adding up in soccer’s current debt column, even to the point of seriously affecting play on the field. In […]
Bank of America quashes merger talk in memo
NEW YORK — Bank of America Corp. has sent a memo to employees quashing speculation that it is in talks to merge with rival JPMorgan Chase. The bank called the speculation “baseless,” and said it didn’t “make practical sense.” The nation’s largest bank sent the memo on Tuesday as takeover talk swirled in the market […]
Fed’s low rates pledge supports global stocks
LONDON — A pledge by the Federal Reserve to keep extremely low interest rates for another couple of years has calmed investors’ jitters, sending stock markets around the world higher Wednesday. The Fed’s surprise announcement Tuesday that it would likely keep its Fed funds rate at near zero percent through 2013 to help the ailing […]
Health officials focusing on tainted produce
NEW YORK — On the path from farm-to-fork, there are many ways that foods can pick up nasty germs like the E. coli bug sickening more than 1,600 people across Europe. But there are steps consumers can take to avoid getting infected. Health officials haven’t pinpointed the source of the food poisoning outbreak that has […]
Uneasy times for Spain’s age-old bluefin fishing
BARBATE, Spain — The season for an ancient and spectacular tuna-fishing technique has begun off Spain’s southwest coast, and fishermen fear it could soon disappear if fleets of factory ships elsewhere keep overfishing prized Atlantic bluefin tuna. In the method the Spanish called “almadraba,” fishermen stretch maze-like nets from sandy beaches to catch the bluefin, […]
Tourist bargains available in Europe this summer
LONDON — Airfares have repeatedly risen this year, the dollar has struggled against the euro, and Europe’s economic crisis is still rattling financial markets. Americans planning their summer vacations could well ask what’s the point of going to Europe this year? But savvy tourists considering the continent might also be wondering if there are bargains […]
Coming soon: Short distance for your phone
BARCELONA, Spain — Cell phones are usually used to communicate with people far away. This year, they’ll get the ability to do the opposite: communicate with things that are close enough to touch. It may not sound immediately useful, but phones will get some surprising capabilities with the addition of chips for so-called Near Field […]