Among four individuals appointed to the official committee of unsecured creditors finalized by the U.S. Trustee regarding the $10 billion Purdue Pharma LP bankruptcy filing will be a mother and grandfather of children born opioid dependent and represented by the legal-medical partnership known as the Opioid Justice Team.
“This finally represents a recognition of the hundreds of thousands of children who are exposed to opioids in the mother’s womb and who upon birth require immediate intervention, as well as life-long medical monitoring and services,” said Attorney Scott Bickford, one of several attorneys representing these children in more than 35 class actions filed in states across the U.S. Others appointed to the nine-representative committee during a recent meeting in New York are Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association, CVC caremark, LTS Lohmann, West Boca Medical Center, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and two additional personal injury victims. Mr. Bickford immediately moved to file a friend of the court legal brief in the U.S. Sixth District Appellate court supporting the State of Ohio’s position that municipalities trying to siphon off money from the Purdue bankruptcy settlement lack the legal ability to ask for those damages. Said Co-Counsel Celeste Brustowicz, “This is the first definitive sign that the fight we have waged on behalf of the innocent victims caught up in the prescription opioid crisis may finally get the medical trust fund we have advocated for.” The Opioid Justice Team estimates that every 15 to 19 minutes in the U.S., a baby is born already dependent on opioids due to the mother’s in-vitro exposure. For more information on this condition known as Neo-Natal Abstinence Syndrome, go to www.opioidjusticeteam.com
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PLANTATION WORKERS POISONED BY SPERM-KILLER PESTICIDE FINALLY RECEIVE JUSTICE IN FRENCH COURT9/20/2019 With a favorable French court ruling under their belts, a multi-national legal team moved today to seize more than $110 million in assets owned by legal entities of the Dow group in France in order to compensate more than 1200 former Central American plantation workers and their families for damages caused by knowing corporate use of a ‘sperm killer’ pesticide at its fruit plantations.
French Supreme Court Attorney Francois-Henri Briard and internationally-known environmental lawyer Stuart H. Smith head up the plaintiffs’ legal team seeking to finally provide damages to the workers of three companies which employed banana workers in Nicaragua and other areas around Central America after the chemical pesticide Nemagon, proven to cause sterility in men, had been banned in the U.S. in the late 1970s. The companies are Dow, Occidental and Shell. Nicaraguan courts have also ordered compensation to these workers, which Dow claims is unenforceable. But the French courts agreed to hear cases of previously uncompensated workers in a Paris trial early next January, 2020 about the corporate giants’ continued use of the banned pesticide in Central America well into the 1980s. Mr. Briard said there are serious chances that French Courts will soon grant exequatur—or enforcement of a foreign Court order in France—because the legal reasoning of Nicaraguan judges is inspired from French legal culture. Also Mr. Briard emphasized the fact that these U.S. companies had a fair trial in Nicaragua which makes these foreign opinions very compatible with French legal order. Because current European Union rules allow Court orders to be upheld within its 28-nation trading bloc, workers will then be able to enforce exequatur and if necessary seize the three U.S. companies assets in Europe. “Finally, these plantation workers will collect damages from Dow and its subsidiaries,” said Mr. Smith. “These companies knowingly poisoned people and then left without any penalty, knowing these workers would be denied a normal family life.” Mr. Smith also called attention to the fact that Dow has hidden a multibillion-dollar liability from its stockholders and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, since the Nicaraguan Courts ordered a $805 million payout, which the companies continue to ignore. Let me open by saying that overall this year’s open rolls process has been very robust and I thank the public for engaging with us regarding their assessment questions so courteously.
Between July 15 and August 22, we served approximately 7,500 property owners in the office and another 6,700 filed appeals online or by mail. At this moment, we are busy reviewing all formal appeals, settling them whenever possible and will be submitting those remaining to the Board of Review September 4, 2019. It is because of this immediately deadline I asked the Council to allow me to delay speaking to them and why I must cut short my time with you today. Because of orders from the State Tax Commissioner, we attempted to do a review of all commercial and residential properties within Orleans Parish. Historically, we do approximately a quarter of the city each year rather than all properties once every four years. Our method of segmenting assessments within each four-year period was recently upheld in court, but we met the state’s demand, suspending annual revaluations, until courts agreed we could hold to our original process. Thus, there remain some 40,000 properties that will be reviewed for assessment values next year. We informed the Tax Commission of this in April and are in compliance with the law. Regardless, this year’s large volume of 129,000 assessment reviews caused a very large and vocal response, but I must reiterate: My constitutional job is to review and reassess all commercial and residential properties according to standards set by the State of Louisiana and professional assessors’ organizations. The Orleans Assessors’ Office has been reviewed in the past by the State Legislative Auditor, independent organizations, as well as the media. This process is set in law and always in place. In my more than 30 years as an Assessor, I have maintained these high standards of operation and continue to do so. We are always open to improvement and because we have so openly provided access to all the data we maintain online, we encourage the public to engage with us when we make mistakes. We now have 21 appraisers with state designations and five with national designation. However, there is no denying the fact that property values in the Parish of Orleans have drastically changed since 2016, as reflected in property assessments for 2020. Only owners of those properties which saw increased or decreased valuations received letters from me this year. They were invited to meet with us during the open rolls period or file a formal appeal. Increased property taxes result when there are increased assessments and when the authorities allowed by voters to collect these taxes choose to roll their dedicated millage rates forward. I have done my part with assessing value, but it is now in the court of these 10 agencies to do theirs and either vote to reduce property tax rates, keep them neutral or increase them. They must do this in a public vote and after a public meeting. Now, because this tax increase discussion still looms, I wish to correct several mis-statements:
Let me be very clear, I personally do not support ever giving any property owner, no matter how small or large, special treatment and by law I cannot allow my personal feelings to influence how I do my job. The Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office does not approve or revoke any form of tax levies or exemptions, except those we control: Homestead Exemptions and special assessments granted by state law on the basis of age, disability and income. And these special exemptions are again granted by state law. I do not have the authority to remove an entity's tax-exempt status without due process simply because the City wants more money. While I understand the concern from property owners about tax rates, that is a discussion that must move to the agencies which set the tax rates. That is where the public’s focus now belongs. Appendices. Home damage.
Lt. Colonel Brandon Gregoire, a graduate of Jesuit High School, Harvard College and the U.S. Naval War College, and who went on to serve three tours of duty before retiring from U.S. Marines after 23 years of service, qualified for the District 3 Senate Race. He is currently employed as Director of School Operations at the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy, a public high school serving students from multiple parishes and active military duty families. “I am determined to bring more resources to the three parishes represented in this district and improve our quality of life as residents, business owners and homeowners,” said Lt. Col. Gregoire. “I have a life-long record of accountability, discipline and character learned from the highest levels of the nation’s security and intelligence agencies that can be used to improve our community with strong leadership.” He previously served as a defense legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a democrat from Missouri. He is a Bronze Star Medal recipient, among 18 other military decorations. He is the proud father of one son and a homeowner in Gentilly Terrace. Learn more about Brandon at brandongregoire.com. (New Orleans) ‒ Matthew Willard, 30, a lifelong resident of Gentilly, businessperson and President of the Seabrook Neighborhood Association, today announced he will qualify for the District 97 House of Representatives election to be held on Saturday, October 12. Matthew is the Senior Marketing and Communications Manager for the local technology start up, Fluence Analytics, and he comes from deep roots in New Orleans public service. Matthew’s grandparents, Dr. Elliot and Mary Jane Willard, were civil rights leaders and lifelong educators at St. Augustine, Booker T. Washington and John McDonogh High Schools. His Aunt Cynthia served as a State Senator and City Councilperson, and his Uncle Benedict is a Criminal District Court Judge. His parents, Dominic and Terrie Willard, are a local contractor and a lifelong educator, respectively. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home; all children deserve a quality education; we deserve good streets and working street lights; every working person should receive a living wage; we all deserve a chance at success. As your next State Representative, I will fight to make sure New Orleans remains a great place to visit but an even better place to live,” said Willard. Matthew said he is running to serve District 97 in the spirit of faith, community service and integrity. “Our area of strong neighborhoods and residential business corridors deserves a principled and dedicated leader to fight for them,” Willard said. His legislative priorities will be to:
As a business leader, Matthew guides Fluence Analytics’ overall marketing direction and manages business development initiatives and communication policies. Recently, Matthew led successful public relations campaigns following the company’s Series A and A-1 venture capital funding rounds. He is a certified Scrum Master in agile project management and was recently honored by Gambit New Orleans as a 40 Under 40 leader. Matthew is as an elected member of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee for City Council District D and serves as a Board Member for Jason’s House, a nonprofit organization working to finance low-cost housing for men following rehabilitation for chemical dependency. Matthew is a homeowner and Board Member for the Seabrook Neighborhood Improvement and Security District. He is a parishioner of St. Raymond / St. Leo the Great Catholic Church. Election Day, October 12, 2019 | MatthewWillard97.com | Facebook & Instagram: MatthewWillard97 | Twitter @MattWillard97
The Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools (GNOCCS) invites you to come visit us on our first days of school! We’re proud of our schools and excited for the new school year. If you would like to visit a school, please contact Heather Harper, (504) 897-6110 or hharper@h2nola.net
**Back to School dates and grades are bolded below school name** Morris Jeff Community School (PK-11th) August 5 (PK-11th) Lopez Campus (PK-8th) 211 S. Lopez, NOLA 70119 (504) 373-6258 Clark Campus (9-11th) 1301 N. Derbigny New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 355-0210 Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary Charter School (PK-8th) August 8 (1st-8th), August 15 (PK & K) 2401 Humanity St. New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 324-7076 New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School, Sci High (9-12th) August 8 (12th), August 9 (10 &11th), August 12 (9th) 5625 Loyola Ave. New Orleans, LA 70115 (504) 324-7061 Young Audiences Charter School (K-9th) August 8 (1st-9th), August 15 (K) Salem Lutheran Campus (8-9th) 418 4th St Gretna, LA 70053 Kate Middleton Campus (2nd-7th) 1407 Virgil St. Gretna, LA 70053 (504) 304-6332 Harvey Kindergarten Campus (K-1st) 3400 6th St. Harvey, LA 70058 International High School of New Orleans (9-12th) August 9 (9th), August 12 (10-12th) 727 Carondelet St. New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 613-5703 Benjamin Franklin High School (9-12th) August 12 (9-12th) 2001 Leon C. Simon Dr. New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 286-2600 International School of Louisiana, ISL (K-8th) August 12 (1st-8th), August 14 (K) Dixon Campus (K-2nd): 4040 Eagle Street New Orleans, LA 70118 (504) 934-4875 Uptown Campus (3rd-8th): 1400 Camp St., NOLA 70130 (504) 654-1088 Westbank Campus (K-5th): 502 Olivier St., NOLA 70114 (504) 274-4571 Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy (PK4-11th) August 12 (1st-12th), August 19 (K) Maine Campus (1st-7th) 2504 Maine Ave. Metairie, La 70003 (504)-233-4720 Vintage Campus (10-12th) 201 Vintage Dr. Kenner, La 70065 (504)-267-9470 Rivertown Campus (K) 415 Williams Blvd. Kenner, La 70062 (504)-267-9467 Jefferson Campus (K, 8-9th) 2012 Jefferson Hwy Jefferson, LA 70121 Warren Easton Charter High School (9-12th) August 12 (9-12th) 3019 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70119 (504) 324-7400 Einstein Charter Schools (PK-12th) August 12 (9-12th), August 13 (PK-8th) Einstein Charter School at Village de l'Est (PK-5th) 5316 Michoud Blvd - Extension New Orleans, LA 70129 (504) 324-7450 Einstein Charter Middle at Sarah T. Reed (6-8th) Einstein Charter High at Sarah T. Reed (9-12th) 5316 Michoud Blvd New Orleans, LA 70129 Middle: (504)-503-0470 High: (504) 503.0749 Einstein Charter School at Sherwood Forest (PK-5th) 4801 Maid Marion Dr. New Orleans, LA 70128 (504) 503-0110 Lusher Charter (K-12th) August 13 (1st-12th), August 20 (K) Willow Campus (K-5th): 7315 Willow St., NOLA 70118 (504) 862-5110 Freret Campus (6-12th): 5624 Freret St., NOLA (504) 304-3960 Audubon Schools (PK-8th) August 14 (K-8th), August 19 (PK4), August 20 (PK3) Uptown Campus Lower School (PK-3rd): 428 Broadway, NOLA 70118 (504) 324-7100 Upper School (4-8th): 1111 Milan St., NOLA 70115 (504) 324-7110 Audubon Gentilly (PK4-4th): 4720 Painters St. New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 309-9434 Hynes Charter Schools (PK-8th) August 15 (1st-6th), August 16 (7 & 8th), August 22 (PK & K) Hynes Charter School Lakeview (PK-8th): 990 Harrison Ave New Orleans, LA 70124 (504) 324-7160 Hynes Charter School UNO (K): 6101 Chatham Dr. New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 359-7700 Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics and Science School (PK-8th) August 19 (1st-8th), August 26 (PK-K) Lower School (PK – 5th): 421 Burdette St. (temporary location) New Orleans LA 70118 Upper School (6 – 8th): 401 Nashville Ave. New Orleans LA 70115 (504) 304-3932 Each of the member charter schools of the Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools does not discriminate in the rendering of services to/or regarding employment of individuals because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Student Orientation to be held August 5-7
WHAT: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy (NOMMA), a public charter school adjacent to the Marine Forces Reserve national headquarters in Federal City, will return to school for the 2019-20 school year. It is the only public charter of its kind in the metro area. The following activities provide a colorful and unique back-to-school visual and message. This is the first year the school has expanded by adding an 8thgrade. WHEN: August 5-7: Cadet orientation Monday, August 5: New Cadet Uniform Issue, 7:45am to 3:05 Wednesday, August 7: Formation Initial Inspections will be held throughout the afternoon from Noon-3pm August 12: First day of school for students (grades 8-12) 7:35am to 3:05pm Please contact Heather at hharper@h2nola.net or (504) 289-0499 if you would like to visit the school on one of these dates. WHERE: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy 425 O'Bannon St., NOLA 70114, in Algiers WHY: NOMMA’s high quality academic program has a 100 percent student body participation in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC), and was designated as a Naval Honor School due to superior performance of its MCJROTC program. NOMMA has a rigorous college preparatory curriculum and also offers career and technical training. It is one of the top open-enrollment public high schools in the four-parish metropolitan area with a graduation rate over 95 percent. NOMMA exceeded both the city and state averages for ACT scores, End-of-Course (EOC) exams, and LEAP 2025 assessments and was recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education as a Top Gains Honoree for consistently demonstrating exceptional student progress. NOMMA is open to all students in the Greater New Orleans metro area. Any student can apply for 8-11 grade at NOMMA through enrollnola.org with priority given to military dependents in the greater New Orleans area. For more information call (504) 227-3810 or go to www.nomma.net Read full statement here: http://www.stuarthsmith.com/hackers-virtual-assault-rifles-and-how-jeff-bezos-has-lost-control-of-amazon/ Customer complaints against Amazon have become a dime-a-dozen thanks to a hack in 2017 of more than 143 million Americans' credit card numbers in association with a data breach for the retail giant. But two Louisiana residents, who just happen to be prominent litigators, have decided it’s time to make Jeff Bezos more accountable. Attorneys Stuart H. Smith and Barry J. Cooper, Jr. of New Orleans discovered last summer that more than $9000 had been charged to Mr. Cooper’s credit cards for the purchase of 50 “crates” of virtual assault rifles to use in online video games. Because each charge was $200, fraud detection did not kick in until the scam added up. Mr. Cooper stopped payment of the fraudulent charges and Amazon responded by freezing his account—even though the scam was perpetrated by a wholly-owned Amazon subsidiary, Twitch Interactive. His account remains frozen and ironically so is Mr. Smith’s, since as his husband, he is associated with Mr. Cooper. The two attorneys repeatedly tried to resolve the matter through personal and written correspondence, but now feel forced to put the Seattle-based tech retailer on notice of their intention to sue Amazon allowing the egregious data breach and for violating Louisiana’s Unfair Trade Practices Act in hounding the two over these fraudulent charges. Mr. Cooper and Mr. Smith are domiciled in New Orleans and the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act bars companies from seeking to collect fees from fraudulent activity such as the hacking of Cooper’s account. “It shouldn’t have had to come with this. But going to court seems to be the only way to get the attention of a company whose owner Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the history of the planet and that has grown so arrogant that rather than profusely apologize to its customers for a significant privacy breach and trying to track down and arrest the criminals, it adds insult to injury by blocking and billing the victims,” said Mr. Smith in a written statement. “Amazon is harassing two longtime Prime account holders, when it could have reported this data breach to the proper authorities, identified the thieves and worked with law enforcement to make the criminals repay the money. Surely Twitch Interactive — Amazon’s wholly owned subsidiary and retailer of the virtual rifles — could help identify who the wrongdoers are. A theft of this magnitude is punishable with substantial prison time,” Mr. Smith added. Amazon controls nearly half of the online retail market in the U.S., and is “the judge, the jury, and the executioner” in its actions, according to critical reports. The filed legal action on Cooper’s behalf seeking damages from Amazon for the data breach and for its clear violation of the Additionally, the attorneys claim the firm is in violation of both the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act as well as the Louisiana Fair Debt Collection Act for its multiple, bad-faith efforts to coerce Cooper into paying for the bogus charges. It asks Amazon to halt its collection activities and restore Cooper’s account. A copy of the letter was forwarded to Louisiana’s attorney general, Jeff Landry. "When customers plea for help, Amazon does not pick up the phone. But you know what: A jury can make Jeff Bezos pick up the phone. That is the beauty of our incredible Constitution, that gives us the right to speak truth to power,” said Mr. Smith. He has also taken his case to every member of the U.S. Congress. “This is a matter of justice not just for one consumer, but for the millions of consumers who are at risk both from Amazon’s reckless handling of their most personal and private data and from the arrogance of Jeff Bezos’s monopolistic giant, which functions less as a corporation and more as a rogue state making its own harsh and inscrutable rules.” One Senator, Elizabeth Warren, has already declared that it’s past time for government regulators to break up the tech giants like Amazon, Facebook and Google. The Democratic presidential candidate told a rally in Queens, N.Y., that Amazon reminds her of the dystopian novel “The Hunger Games,” with its ability to impose its will on the less-fortunate masses. “I’m sick of freeloading billionaires!” she proclaimed. “Amazon has a choice. It can start taking its awesome public trust to safeguard the data of its customers – and to treat them as human beings – more seriously. Or it can face the growing chorus calling for a more sweeping kind of change who say it is time for Bezos’ empire to be broken up,” said Mr. Smith. Stuart H. Smithis an attorney with the Cooper Law Firm of New Orleans and author of Crude Justice: How I Fought Big Oil and Won, and What You Should Know About the New Environmental Attack on America.
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