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I'm trying to find the original court documents for a case that eventually made it to the US Supreme Court in the 1960's. How does one do that, exactly? [more inside]
posted by bill the tinman at 10:06 AM - 8 answers

You have a year to prepare before your country becomes a fascist dictatorship. What should you be doing now? [more inside]
posted by Naberius at 7:48 AM - 29 answers

I am a university student of political science, and I had a debate with someone who thinks The People's Party of Canada is considered a fascist with their policies and ideas. Is it considered along the lines of a fascist party? I mean, it is not like Mao, Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin's kind of fascism, but it is more right-wing than the Conservative Party of Canada, so it is extremely right-wing. I am a little confused because most fascist parties are very into militarization, aggressive nationalism and very harsh deeper policies. But I think the person I was debating found their policies on conversion therapy, lesser immigrants, and anti-climate change all to be very extreme and fascist in their view.
posted by RearWindow at 3:41 PM - 14 answers

I am a disabled senior on SSDI and would like to make a little extra money by working part time from home. I am thinking about taking a class in affiliate marketing as I know very little about that field. However, my understanding is that the earning potential is very high. I don't want to do anything that could sabotage my benefits. Does anyone happen to know if the money made from affiliate marketing is considered "passive income" where SSDI is concerned?
posted by htm at 10:36 PM - 8 answers

I'm interested in finding the transcript of a lawsuit that was tried in the 1920s. It was in a US Federal District Court - Eastern Division of Michigan. I have a case number and a date. Do these transcripts exist? Is there a physical archive I could go to? Would it be on PACER? (And how does one search on PACER? The Find A Case tab seems to be leading into a few thickets, websites that leave PACER, websites that aren't loading for me...)
posted by lewedswiver at 12:42 PM - 10 answers

I’ve accrued cash/rewards on my credit card over the years, and would love to cash it out. The rewards were earned from purchases with my card. I’m a bit unclear if this redeemed cash reward would be taxable. YANML. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 5:06 PM - 6 answers

Looking for authoritative information on the names/lists of cabinet ministers in the governments of southern Africa (south of the Sahara) going back as far as possible. [more inside]
posted by buttermilkmeeks at 5:25 AM - 4 answers

I left my volunteer job with a Friends of the Library early this year. During my 15 years as a Friend - most of them as president - all of the mail to do with it was sent to the library itself. Today I received mail from the IRS directed to the Friends at my home address. ?!?! [more inside]
posted by goofyfoot at 6:52 PM - 10 answers

UK-specific, but does writing to one's MP ever actually achieve anything? [more inside]
posted by unicorn chaser at 1:51 AM - 18 answers

I made a serious withholding error on a 401k withdrawal in 2020 and at tax time I found I owed a combined mid-5-digit amount of money to both the IRS and my state. I freaked out, didn't file, and didn't file in 2021 either. I now have enough money to catch up (with penalties, whatever they might be). I haven't received any communication from the IRS or my state on this matter, but failing to file taxes is a crime in my state. Can anyone tell me whether I should start with a tax attorney vs a regular accountant?
posted by anonymous at 8:10 AM - 9 answers

In an article on a recent major trial it was reported that "During deliberations this week, the jury asked a few questions, including a request for the court transcript. That request was denied, with the judge instructing the jury to instead rely on their memory." That seems counterintuitive to me? What would the reasoning be?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:25 PM - 10 answers

This is a simultaneously short and sweet question, but one that I can’t figure out for the life of me: I need to try to obtain an apostilled copy of a family member’s birth certificate from Venezuela for another country - but, since Venezuela has no consular services in the US at present - can’t seem to do so easily. Is there a firm, service or method I can use to obtain one without having to travel to Venezuela? (Which is, as understandable, highly discouraged at present moment!) [more inside]
posted by pipian at 7:51 AM - 1 answers

I am increasingly concerned and frightened about the political situation here in the US, but am at a loss as to what actual real-world actions I can take to help stem the tide of fascism... [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 12:45 AM - 25 answers

I have a warranty for an engine that isn't being honored by the dealer that I purchased the car from. It seems hiring a lawyer for this would cost $3500-5000 which I'm nervous about spending to try to get paid back the $7500. I'd also be splitting the cost of neutral party arbitrator. What should I expect to spend on a lawyer for this and is there any advice on finding an appropriate lawyer for this? [more inside]
posted by ridogi at 2:38 PM - 7 answers

I find myself in a situation where I’ll likely be considering legal representation related to a specialized medical issue sometime next year. How do I go about vetting attorneys for this sort of thing? [more inside]
posted by bizzyb at 8:32 AM - 3 answers

Here is my problem. One office two dentists. Dentist one is assigned to me, a new patient, in the last 6 months before his retirement. He suggests a root canal and then he shaves down and fits me for a gold crown. Root canal and crown are done roughly 6 weeks apart. Within (more to come) [more inside]
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 4:41 AM - 2 answers

I'm hoping someone with library or legal research skillz can help me turn up a document that was released by the Associate Commissioner for Legal Affairs for the New York City Department of Finance in 2000. [more inside]
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 4:43 PM - 6 answers

I went to the doctor to have something biopsied recently. The doctor did the whole procedure, closed me up, etc. Then when they did some imaging afterwards, realized the thing they biopsied wasn't the correct thing - it was the thing next to what they had biopsied. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:04 AM - 11 answers

YANML and YANMA. I did tax estimating for this year, and it seems like I’ll end up owing the IRS next year if I don’t withhold more from my paycheck (one-time withholding). A couple of questions inside the fold. [more inside]
posted by dubious_dude at 6:46 AM - 9 answers

A relative is set to begin a decade+ sentence in a US Federal Prison (TBD) in a few weeks. I'm looking for non-sensationalist resources I can share with my family (all adults, including seniors) that provide practical guidance to having a loved one locked up for an extended period. [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:18 PM - 7 answers