Login | January 19, 2021
The Daily Legal News
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US: Hack of federal agencies 'likely Russian in origin'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top national security agencies confirmed last week that Russia was likely responsible for a massive hack of U.S. government departments and corporations, rejecting President Donald Trump's claim that China might be to blame.
The rare joint statement represented the U.S. government's first formal attempt t ... (full story)
Payout ratios explained
Q: Can you explain payout ratios? -- M.W., Bradley, Illinois
A: A company's payout ratio is the percentage of its earnings (net income) that's paid out to shareholders as dividend income. For example, PepsiCo's trailing earnings per share (EPS) over the past year were recently $5.05 and its annual dividend was $4.02 ($1.023 per ... (full story)
Walgreens to sell drug wholesale business for $6.5B
Walgreens Boots Alliance will sell its pharmaceutical wholesale business to AmerisourceBergen in a $6.5 billion cash and stock deal.
Pharmaceutical wholesalers essentially act as middlemen, purchasing drugs from manufacturers and then distributing them to customers like drugstore chains, hospitals and doctor's offices.
Walg ... (full story)
UnitedHealth to pay nearly $8B for technology company Change
UnitedHealth Group will spend nearly $8 billion in cash to add a health care technology company to its growing Optum business.
UnitedHealth said last Wednesday that it will add Change Healthcare to its OptumInsight segment and boost its ability to provide data analytics and revenue cycle management support, among other offering ... (full story)
Local
The ‘gateway drug to corruption and overspending’ is returning to Congress – but are earmarks really that bad?
Congressional earmarks – otherwise known as “pork barrel spending” – may be coming back.
For decades, earmarks paid for pet projects back in lawmakers’ districts, with the tacit aim to earn those lawmakers votes. In turn, the awards encouraged legislators to vote for large spending bills. They have ... (full story)
Judge Rusu to take on a new role at the OSBA
He’s served on the Mahoning County Probate Court since 2014 and come early February 2021, Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. will utilize his judicial experience to help shape future legislation and changes to Ohio probate code as a member of the Ohio State Bar Association’s (OSBA) Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section Co ... (full story)
Court ordered to grant competency hearing in armed robbery case
A Summit County trial court violated a defendant’s due process rights when it determined he committed the charged offenses without giving him an opportunity to be heard on that issue, according to the 9th District Court of Appeals.
William Coffman was indicted in October 2018 on one count of aggravated robbery with a firea ... (full story)
State
Time limit for medical malpractice cases prevents claims against spine surgeon
Patients claiming medical malpractice by a spine surgeon and Cincinnati-area hospitals waited too long to refile their cases when they attempted to move the cases from Butler County to Hamilton County, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled recently.
The Court’s 5-2 opinion written by Justice Judith L. French dismissed the cases of ... (full story)
San Francisco DA under fire after pedestrians killed
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chesa Boudin took office as district attorney in San Francisco a year ago, part of a politically progressive wave of prosecutors committed to seeking restorative justice over mass incarceration.
But now the former deputy public defender and son of one-time Weathermen radicals is under fire for the dea ... (full story)