LAW

For when you’re ready to reintroduce yourself.

7 Things To Know Before Legally Changing Your Name

People legally change their first, middle, or last names for a variety of reasons. So what’s in a name (change)? A whole lot of paperwork.

Not all sesame seed ingredients are this obvious.

Allergic to Sesame Seeds? A New Food Labeling Law Is Going to Make Things Worse

Thanks to a stringent new FDA mandate, food suppliers are now adding sesame to products that didn’t previously contain it.

John Leonard in 'Pepsi, Where's My Jet?' (2022).

'I Just Want a Plane': When a College Student Demanded Pepsi Hand Over a Harrier Jet

John Leonard’s demand was simple. All he wanted was for Pepsi to deliver the Harriet jet he believed they had promised. In 1996, Leonard, then a 21-year-old col

How Super-Recognizers Are Helping Police Solve Crimes

Super-recognizers have a rare and uncanny ability to remember faces—a skill that’s estimated to affect just 1 to 2 percent of the population.

Mariah Carey sings at the 82nd Annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 2014.

Mariah Carey Is Trying to Trademark ‘Queen of Christmas,’ and Other Holiday Singers Aren’t Happy

Fellow queens of Christmas Darlene Love and Elizabeth Chan have thoughts.

Norma McCorvey and lawyer Gloria Allred attend a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building in 1989.

Who Is the 'Roe' in Roe v. Wade?

The woman known as "Jane Roe" left an enormous mark on the nation’s political landscape—one that’s still at the fore a half-century later.

In Florida, It Will Soon Be Illegal to Have Your Car Stereo Turned Up Too Loud

The statute targets cars blaring music that can be heard 25 feet away. Critics say it's just a sneaky way to pull suspicious vehicles over.

Puffing in Canada is about to come with more warnings.

Puff Piece: Canada Is Looking to Force Cigarette Companies to Put a Health Warning on Each Individual Cigarette

Smokers in Canada won't be able to take a puff without being reminded of their mortality.

Bees Are Now Legally Fish in California—And That’s Good News for Bees

Thanks in part to a snail, California bees are fish. No, this isn’t a Mad Lib.

Mariah Carey performing at the 81st Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 2013.

Mariah Carey Is Being Sued Over “All I Want for Christmas Is You”—Everyone’s Favorite Holiday Song

All Vince Vance & The Valiants want for Christmas is $20 million in damages.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Hart-Celler Act.

9 Facts About the Hart-Celler Act

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 irrevocably changed the face of the United States.

Dorothy's surviving dresses probably have dog drool on them.

How a Priest's Vow of Poverty Is Complicating a 'Wizard of Oz' Dress Auction

The dress, found in a shoebox in 2021, once belonged to a priest. Now lawyers are arguing over whether he ever owned it at all.

The integrity of McDonald's mozzarella sticks was once the subject of litigation.

Cheesegate: Why a Lawsuit Prompted McDonald's to Discontinue Its Mozzarella Sticks

The cheesy treats made their debut in 2016 but were quickly under fire for using "adulterated" mozzarella.

Why Are Cameras Allowed in Some Courtrooms and Not Others?

Allowing broadcast media into a courtroom has its pros and cons.

Next year's spring forward could be our last ever.

The Senate Just Passed a Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

The Senate has unanimously decided that the Daylight Saving Time system of falling back and springing forward just isn’t worth it.

McDonald's McFlurry Machines Are at the Center of a $900 Million McLawsuit

The temperamental ice cream machines at McDonald's have led to accusations of super-sized corporate espionage.

Team USA's Nathan Chen during his gold medal-winning free skate at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Do Olympic Figure Skaters Have to License the Music They Skate To?

Nathan Chen won gold against a backdrop of Elton John songs. But who shelled out for the music license?

Angela, Joshua, and the 18 Other Most Accident-Prone Names in America

One California law firm crunched the numbers on its personal injury claims and found that Joshuas made quite a few.

Martin Luther King, Jr. addresses a meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on May 27, 1966.

The Profound Effect Henry David Thoreau Had on Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s approach to resisting injustice came straight from the playbook of 19th-century writer Henry David Thoreau.

Bea Arthur once sought out Judge Judy to dispense justice.

6 Celebrities Who Have Appeared on Court Shows

Luminaries like Bea Arthur and Johnny Rotten have gone before TV judges to settle their small claims affairs. (Though not, unfortunately, against one another.)

The first Winnie the Pooh book is one of many classic works people can ruin beginning January 1.

Winnie-the-Pooh, Bambi, The Sun Also Rises, and Other Important Works Will Enter the Public Domain January 1

You want more 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'? Because this is how you get 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.'

New Zealand Plans to Permanently Ban Cigarette Sales to Its Future Generations

A new law proposed in New Zealand would make it illegal for anyone younger than 14 in the year 2027 to ever buy cigarettes, effectively outlawing them for everyone as the population ages.

Where vs. Whereas: When to Use Each One Correctly

One historical definition of ‘whereas’ is ‘preamble.’ But that’s probably not the one you’re looking for.

Pop Tort: A Disgruntled Consumer Is Suing Pop-Tarts Over a Lack of Strawberry Filling

The most important story you'll read this week: A strawberry-loving consumer is alleging Kellogg's is using red food dye and dried pears to make people believe their Pop-Tart contains more strawberry than it actually does.

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