Posts

No Torts for TSOs: Third Circuit Limits Tortious Liability of TSA Agents

By David Zvirman, Staff Writer Everyone who has flown on a plane in the U.S. in the last decade has experienced an administrative search by a Transportation Security Officer (“TSO”) of the Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”).[1] In 2017 alone, the TSA screened 771.5 million travelers in 440 federalized airports, which […]

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Fracking Trespassers: PA Court Rules Hydraulic Frackers No Longer Shielded by Rule of Capture

By Kurt Valentine, Web Editor On August 27, 1859, the first commercial oil well in the United States, drilled by Edwin Drake, struck oil along the banks of Oil Creek near Titusville, Pennsylvania.[1]  Drake’s well “forever changed America’s economy, standard of living, and culture.”[2]  The gas and oil industry is […]

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FCC Rule Gives US a Fighting Chance on 5G

By Brandon Schall, Staff Writer On September 26, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to approve a new rule that would cap the amount of fees local authorities could charge wireless providers on its fifth-generation networks (5G).[1] The rule also tightened deadlines for localities to consider applications for companies […]

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Police Fragmentation: A Discussion on Consolidation

By Kyle Steenland, Feature Editor It’s no secret that Pennsylvania’s police department structure is one of the most fragmented in the country. Fragmented systems – meaning a structure of police departments without any central governing agency – result from municipalities, counties, and communities creating their own departments to provide for […]

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Making Sense of the Census Citizenship Question

By: Samantha Dorn, Staff Writer   A federal judge in New York will soon make a decision on the issue of whether the Trump administration violated federal law when it added a citizenship question to the 2020 census.[1] According to the Commerce Secretary, Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., the proposed question […]

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Attorney Billing: Billable Hours vs. Fee Per Service

  By: Sarah Morrison, Staff Writer   Think about planning a monthly budget; rent, utilities, insurance, groceries, gas, and savings. Some of these expenses are fixed, others are variable. [1] However, many of the variable expenses can actually be translated into fixed expenses with budget plans available through most utility […]

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PA Animal Cruelty Statutes Updates: An Overview

By: Stephen Hodzic, Staff Writer   The Pennsylvania animal abuse cruelty statutes went through a significant overhaul in 2017 with the addition of Libre’s Law.[1] The law included several provisions, including a significant increase of the penalty for aggravated animal cruelty – an individual charged with a violation of this […]

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Working to End Discrimination Against Disabled Voters

By: Elizabeth Echard, Staff Writer   Currently, forty million Americans have a disability.[1] Of those forty million disabled Americans, sixteen million voted in 2016.[2] That shows a mere 40% of disabled citizens vote, compared to the 58% of United States citizens, as a whole, that voted in 2016.[3] Many issues […]

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Net Neutrality: Legislation and Responses

By: Brandon Schall, Staff Writer   On February 26, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet rules, known as Net Neutrality.[1] The FCC approved the rules with a 3-2 vote, along party lines.[2] The FCC ultimately adopted the rules and released the order […]

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