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Updated 9:39 am CDT, Wednesday, April 17, 2019 BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia is seeking a greater Russian role in European Union-mediated talks with the former province of Kosovo, which could further strain the Balkan country's relations with the West. Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said after meeting his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday in Moscow that "Serbia cannot defend its state interests without the assistance of the Russian Federation." Dacic also said Serbia "would not do anything without consulting Russia." The EU-sponsored talks on normalizing ties have been stalled over the Kosovo government's 100% tariff on goods imported from Serbia, which Belgrade wants lifted. While Serbia and Russia don't recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, the U.S. and most of the West do. Although it formally seeks EU membership, Serbia has gradually been shifting toward Russia. … [Read more...] about Serbia seeks greater Russian role in talks with Kosovo

POLITICS 05/21/2018 07:01 am ET The outside groups can spend big to alter election outcomes, but don't have to disclose donors until after the voting. By Kevin Robillard Two outside groups that successfully meddled in West Virginia’s Republican Senate primary this month by spending millions of dollars on advertising were funded entirely by donors from outside the state.  The super PACs Mountain Families PAC and Duty and Country revealed in reports filed with the Federal Election Commission on Sunday that they were funded by major donors affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, respectively. Neither group received a single cent from West Virginians.  The filings show how big donors, party leaders and consultants can dramatically alter the outcome of elections without disclosing who funded the ads until after the election is over. West Virginia Attorney General … [Read more...] about Super PACs That Meddled In West Virginia’s Senate Primary Didn’t Receive A Penny From West Virginians

TEL AVIV – In another departure from past policy, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman attended a business forum in an official capacity in the West Bank Jewish community of Ariel, the first such visit from a U.S. government representative.  Traditionally, American envoys in Israel have abstained from crossing the so-called pre-1967 borders, much less making official visits to the West Bank.Friedman has in the past made official visits to West Bank settlements, but these are usually in the form of condolence calls to the families of victims of terror. This is the first time he has attended a conference. The closed-door event, organized by the Judea and Samaria Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was attended by both Palestinian and Israeli business leaders with the goal of promoting joint economic ventures in the West Bank. After the event, Friedman took to Twitter to blast the Palestinian leadership, saying the businessmen he met with are “ready, willing and … [Read more...] about In a First, Ambassador Friedman Attends Business Conference in West Bank in Official Capacity

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has issued its final Clean Water Act §401 water quality certification (WQC) for Nationwide general permits (NWPs) on April 13, 2017. The WVDEP is required to certify that NWPs do not degrade state water quality through the § 401 WQC.   These §401 conditions must be implemented into any activity authorized by an Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) NWP. Field support for the 401 program is provided by the Division of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Section. For federally non-jurisdictional (or isolated) waters, the Division of Water and Waste Management (DWWM) may require a WV State Waters Permit.  Mining-related 401 Certifications are issued by the WVDEP’s Division of Mining and Reclamation. NWPs are commonly used for activities such as stream crossings, stream relocations, and filling of wetlands for roadways or well pads, etc.  Selected provisions of the West … [Read more...] about West Virginia Submits Clean Water Act §401 Water Quality Certification Requirements

Two new laws were recently signed by Governor Tomblin that greatly alter the damages landscape in West Virginia employment cases – SB 344 (available here) and SB 421 (available here).SB 344 amends the West Virginia Code to add a new article, including Sections 55-7E-1, 55-7E-2 and 55-7E-3.  These new sections limit the scope of “compensatory damages available to an employee in statutory and common law wrongful or retaliatory discharge causes of action or other employment law claims.”  SB 421 attempts to reign in excessive punitive damage awards.  Specifically, the WV Legislature added a section to the West Virginia Code, §55-7-27, which alters the punitive damages scheme in the state by placing caps on the amount of punitive damages and altering the procedure for awarding such damages at trial.  Let’s take a look at these new laws in more detail.SB 344: The End of the Malice Exception and Court-Determined Front PayPlaintiffs in most … [Read more...] about Damage Control: West Virginia Legislature Reshapes Damages Available in Employment Cases