Jackie Fortier

Employees Who Work At Multiple Nursing Homes May Have Helped Spread The Coronavirus

Jackie Fortier

Cell phone data shows that contract workers who work at multiple nursing homes helped transmit the coronavirus between facilities.

Judge Thad Balkman listens to statements from the defense during a hearing last month in Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma Judge Shaves $107 Million Off Opioid Decision Against Johnson & Johnson

Colin Dwyer

The new number from Judge Thad Balkman comes nearly three months after he ordered the drugmaker to pay $572 million for its role in the opioid crisis. Both sides had questioned that sum.

Judge Thad Balkman listens during opening arguments for the state of Oklahoma on Tuesday in Norman, Okla. It is the nation's first state trial against drugmakers blamed for contributing to the opioid crisis begins in Oklahoma. At right is a slide from the state's presentation shown on a monitor.

'This Case Will Set A Precedent': 1st Major Opioid Trial Opens In Oklahoma

Jackie Fortier

Oklahoma's trial is the first in a wave of litigation attempting to bring claims against opioid manufacturers. The state is seeking millions of dollars in damages and penalties.

In the Tennessee Capitol, state Rep. Matthew Hill took heat from abortion-rights proponents last month who had gathered to protest a bill he favored that would ban abortions after about six weeks' pregnancy. That legislation was eventually thwarted in the Tennessee Senate, however, when some of his fellow Republicans voted it down, fearing the high cost of court challenges.

Republican State Lawmakers Split Over Anti-Abortion Strategy

Blake Farmer

Ohio is the latest Republican-led state to pass a ban on abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. But Tennessee this week backed off a similar bill, fearing costly legal battles. What now?