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I need some general guidance as to how to handle the situation and which direction to seek professional advice. [more inside]
posted by monologish at 3:01 PM - 21 answers

Last month a friend was likely hit by a car while biking in DC. However, all she remembers is waking up in the hospital a few hours later. She's struggling to put the pieces together in terms of police reports, medical bills, and more. Please help me help her! [more inside]
posted by smorgasbord at 1:59 PM - 12 answers

About ten years ago I heard a rumour of a Chinese government proposal for a moratorium on coastal development below (I think) eight (8) metres above mean high-water spring tide. Have any mefites heard about this? I've searched widely on this, but found nothing remotely meaningful, I suspect it's in a Chinese language only publication. [more inside]
posted by unearthed at 11:13 PM - 0 answers

I'm creating a presentation to use in classrooms at high schools for a leftist climate organization (Sunrise Movement) and am looking for a better way to phrase my current answer, "injustices in our system", as the answer to "why do we have the climate crisis, actually". Without just blatantly saying that the answer is "white male patriarchy/capitalism/etc." how can I phrase this better to answer the question while also minding the context in which I will be presenting (high school classrooms as a guest speaker)?
posted by defmute at 6:56 PM - 34 answers

I accidentally wound up with too much money in my Transit Check account. I'm hoping to load up some Metrocards with the excess money and sell them online — on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or somewhere like that. Is this legal? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 11:16 AM - 11 answers

There is a woman who begs for money in my neighbourhood in Scarborough Ontario. What social services are available to someone who is pregnant, single, unvaccinated, and out of status? [more inside]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 3:38 PM - 4 answers

Looking for voter endorsements, guides, and other resources to help me vote for the California June 2022 primaries (and future elections)? As a busy individual how do you figure out who to vote for? What things can I reasonably read to learn about the candidates or issues? [more inside]
posted by Mr. Papagiorgio at 1:31 PM - 8 answers

I am receiving email, including private information about a student at a school part of a major charter-school network in the U.S. Besides containing private info the emails allow me to (without entering any password or anything) set up meetings, consent to medical procedures for this student. It makes me very angry that this school is so careless with its students privacy, not to mention my ability to set things up for this student. Obviously a FERPA violation. How/to whom do I report this? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:52 AM - 6 answers

Let's say, hypothetically, that some time ago I complained to [government agency] about [private business]. [Government agency] used my complaint as a piece of evidence in a case they have filed against [private business]. I just received a message from [expensive lawyers] representing [private business] asking to have an "informal chat" and also suggesting that they intend to subpoena me to testify in the case. I would like to talk to a lawyer about my options here. However, I do not know what kind of lawyer I should be looking to speak with. [more inside]
posted by sparkling at 4:05 PM - 14 answers

I see that Putin is not happy that his war is driving Finland and Sweden closer to NATO membership, and strengthening NATO's resolve in general. This seems to me like a completely logical outcome of his invasion, so what am I missing here? Can you give me a simple explanation of why Putin thought that wouldn't happen? [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:26 AM - 12 answers

In the upcoming 2022 US midterms, who is doing work to get dems AND repubs+ticket splitters+other voters to vote for non-kleptocratic state-level secretaries of state? This question derives from the terrifying conclusions of this article: The Most Pivotal Elections in 2022 Are Not the Ones You Think [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 6:37 AM - 2 answers

A thread on Twitter by Brynn Tannehill (unrolled here) paints a convincing (to me) picture of what is happening in the US with respect to reproductive rights, the rights of LGBTQ people, and democratic norms in general. Is the evidence and logic flawed, or are things this bad? [more inside]
posted by StrawberryPie at 6:02 PM - 30 answers

Long-time ACLU donator, concenred about a report I read, which suggests the ACLU solicited a donation from a celebrity and then ghostwrote an op-ed. The report makes everyone involved look bad, and makes me wonder if my money is better directed elsewhere? [more inside]
posted by soylent00FF00 at 3:46 PM - 21 answers

My 21 year old college student was hit by a car while on a Lyme scooter 6 months ago. The driver 's insurance company now is suing her for over $4,000 and our insurance company is not covering it because she was on a scooter which they say means she is considered a pedestrian not a driver. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:27 AM - 18 answers

What are the democratic races to watch and put some money towards in the US this year for the midterms? [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:56 PM - 10 answers

Very, very specific question about real estate transactions in New York State. Looking for input from people who work in real estate or have direct knowledge of real estate laws in New York. [more inside]
posted by nayantara at 4:14 PM - 10 answers

As you may know Ireland allows people who were born in the US to Irish citizens to become Irish citizens themselves. I was wondering if anyone could share their personal experiences with this process. [more inside]
posted by bleep at 12:52 PM - 11 answers

Donating money? To who? Writing a letter to who? Demanding action? From who? This is US focused. [more inside]
posted by Toddles at 8:28 AM - 9 answers

Are agency buyout clauses enforceable in California? [more inside]
posted by rhizome at 3:31 PM - 2 answers

I'm sorting out my recently widowed Mom's taxes. She just received an unexpected refund check for tax year 2020 due to my late Dad making a miscalculation on the taxable portion of their SS income. The check is made out to both of them, so we need to fill out Form 1310 to get the check reissued in just her name. Simple enough, but you're supposed to send the form "to the address where you sent your return." [more inside]
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 2:24 PM - 5 answers