The Rhode Island State Police have joined the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office in investigating potential lobbying violations by a political insider who represented 38 Studios prior to receiving its $75 million loan guarantee from the state.

The jury foreman in the most recent Apple v. Samsung patent showdown says that the biggest loser in the case wasn't the combatants, but consumers. Speaking to the San Jose Mercury News, jury foreman Thomas Dunham, a retired IBM supervisor who delivered the jury's decision in the case on Monday, said that the case was bad for consumers in the long run, but that he hoped it would help these two companies finally settle the matter outside of a courtroom in the future.

Lawyers for Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom are taking their appeal of a decision on the 2012 raid of his mansion that led to the file-sharing site owner's property being seized. Yesterday the Supreme Court gave Dotcom permission to appeal a February Court of Appeal ruling that overturned an earlier High Court decision that the 2012 raid was unlawful. At the center of the raid is whether the warrants used to launch the operation were legal.

Rhode Island State Representative Michael Chippendale (R-Coventry) claims that he has received a death threat against himself and his family for investigating 38 Studios. Chippendale, the secretary for the House Oversight Committee investigating the failed $75 million loan deal for Curt Schilling's 38 Studios, said that he received a threatening letter at his State House office.

"It basically said that I have a beautiful family and I should stop poking around for their sake,” said Chippendale.

ZeniMax asserted last week that it owns the rights to "key technology used by Oculus to develop and market the Oculus Rift" by way of "extensive VR research and development works done over a number of years by John Carmack while a ZeniMax employee, and others." The company said that it provided that technology to Oculus in 2012 and 2013 and that Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey "acknowledged in writing ZeniMax's legal ownership of this

Today Rhode Island lawmakers will take money from the general fund to make its first payment to the private investors who purchased the $75 million in high-risk, high-yield bonds that financed retired Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s bankrupt video-game company 38 Studios.

The Rhode Island House Oversight Committee has written a letter to former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling asking him to testify before the committee as it continues its review of the $75 million loan deal that lured his video game company to the state. Chairwoman Karen MacBeth (D-Cumberland) told the Daily Journal on Wednesday that her office sent letters out last week to six other individuals she hopes will come before the panel in May.

A newly declassified order (via Courthouse News) reveals that the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court affirmed the government's authority to collect phone records, rejecting a challenge to the government from Verizon related to its mass surveillance of Americans' call data.

Nintendo is involved in another lawsuit with a familiar adversary, this time over a Wii U patent violation claim. Nintendo Co. Ltd, Nintendo of America and other companies are being accused of patent infringement by a company called Secure Axcess, LLC.

That company claims that its patent issued on February 18, 2003 for "a computer providing multiple display capability where one display presents the current document and another display may show a true display of a previously opened document," was infringed upon by Nintendo.

All 29 defendants in the massive federal corruption case that netted several politicians including California State Senator Leland Yee, a reformed gangster named Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, and many others, appeared in Federal court on Thursday.

The early proceedings are already proving to be very complicated for the court, with so many defendants, lawyers, documents, and evidence collected over five years by the FBI. The judge overseeing the case is trying to set up a system to manage the potentially unwieldy trial.

The FBI wants to talk to San Francisco leaders about Leland Yee, according to a report from CBS. The FBI wants San Francisco city leaders to talk with the agency on a voluntary basis as part of its ongoing investigation targeting political corruption and an alleged organized crime syndicate in Chinatown.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has approved the Postal Commission's plan to end DVD-mailer discrimination and Netflix's favored status at the U.S. Postal Service. The decision was the result of a complaint by GameFly. The U.S. Postal Service will now equalize the postage for DVD flats and letters.

Members of the Rhode Island House Oversight Committee said during a hearing on Thursday that they want to hear from former Red Sox pitcher and 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling and ex-Speaker of the House Gordon Fox as part of their ongoing review of the state's deal to lure 38 Studios from Massachusetts to Rhode Island with a $75 million loan guarantee.

California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) and two other state senators facing criminal charges will not be able to use campaign funds to pay their legal bills if Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) has his way. He announced a plan this week to introduce a bill that would bar California politicians from having the ability to spend campaign funds on things such as legal fees, travel, and gifts.

The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (the country's equivalent of the FBI) is investigating allegations that California State Senator was brokering a deal to buy firearms in the country and smuggle them into the United States.

Suspended State Senator Leland Yee (D- San Francisco) was in federal court today to enter a plea for his alleged role in a San Francisco political corruption and organized crime case. Yee's attorney entered a plea of "not guilty" to seven charges including one count of "conspiracy to traffic in firearms without a license and illegally import firearms," and "six counts of engaging in a scheme to defraud citizens of honest services."

If Republican California for Attorney General candidate Phil Wyman had his way State Senator Leland Yee (D) and two other lawmakers would be put to death if convicted of their crimes. He has put forward the idea that the best way to prevent government corruption is for those who put their constituents in harm's way with their dirty dealings should face the death penalty.

Suspended California State Senator Leland Yee has dumped attorney Paul DeMeester for a new attorney with a pretty impressive resume - a former federal and state prosecutor - to represent him against federal corruption, bribery and illegal firearms sales charges. Yee on Wednesday hired San Francisco attorney James Lassart to replace Paul DeMeester. DeMeester told the San Jose Mercury News that the court was notified of the change in legal representation on Wednesday.

The new Rhode Island Speaker of the House, Nicholas Mattiello, says that he is hopeful that it will not be necessary to subpoena witnesses who were in some way involved in the 38 Studios loan guarantee, the Providence Journal reports.

With it being tax season, what better story is there than a cautionary tale on what happens when you actively try to avoid paying taxes? According to news channel ABC 6, 49-year-old Lisa L. Harper (formerly) from Dublin, Ohio, has pled guilty to one count of committing income tax evasion with the Internal Revenue Service for the 2008 income tax year.

FBI agents searched another legislative office belonging to suspended California state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) on Tuesday after lawmakers alerted authorities that Yee had additional office space.

Those poor souls who donated half a million dollars to Senator Leland Yee's campaign for California Secretary of State may want to demand that the Senator gives the money back before he spends it on legal fees. Apparently under California law he can use some of that war chest to mount a defense.

Jay Wierenga, spokesman for the California Fair Political Practices Commission tells the San Francisco Chronicle that the money Yee raised to run for Secretary of State can be used to pay for legal fees related to corruption, bribery and firearm trafficking charges.

On this week's show hosts Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight are joined by Jeremy Powers to discuss suspended California Senator Leland Yee's legal troubles for charges including illegal gun running, corruption, and bribery; and Facebook buying Oculus Rift. It's fun for the whole family! Download Episode 93 now: SuperPAC Episode 93 (1 hour, 13 minutes) 67.6 MB.

California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) appeared in court today for a bail hearing in an attempt to get the amount reduced. The judge overseeing the case ruled that the bail amount would remain at $500,000.

U.S. Magistrate Nathaniel Cousins ordered Yee to return to court on April 8 for either an arraignment on a grand jury indictment or a preliminary hearing on the criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors last week.

California Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff issued a statement on Friday applauding the Senate's effort to suspend Senators Ron Calderon, Rod Wright and Leland Yee. Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) said in his statement that the Senate took "decisive action" in suspending the three senators who are currently embroiled in unrelated corruption cases. All three are Democrats.

An old colleague from San Francisco - now in a much higher office in California - has called for State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) to resign. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has joined the chorus of California lawmakers calling on the Senator that wrote the 2005 anti-video game law to step down for the good of the "institution" in which he currently holds a seat.

An affidavit by an FBI undercover agent details how California State Senator Leland Yee (and a group he regularly used) allegedly supplied arms to, among others, Muslim rebels in the Philippines. The Philippines government has been in a long running war with rebels, who want to turn Mindanao into an Islamic state.

Lawmakers in Sacramento voted today to suspend three Democratic Senators who are facing criminal charges. By a vote of 28-1, the California Senate passed a resolution to prevent Senators Leland Yee, Ron Calderon, and Rod Wright from using the power of their respective offices until criminal proceedings against them are concluded.

Senator Yee was indicted on seven different counts related to corruption, gun running, and taking money for political favors. Shortly after his indictment was unsealed, Yee's attorney announced that he had given up his bid for Secretary of State.

A bizarre story out of Japan details a lawsuit against the president of mobile and social gaming giant Gree. According to Sakura Financial News (by way of Kotaku) Gree's current president Yoshikazu Tanaka is being sued by a former girlfriend for allegedly forcing her to have an abortion. Gree is a household name in Japan.

A number of things have happened since State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) was indicted on a wide range of charges by the U.S. Department of Justice. Sen. Leland Yee’s defense attorney, Paul DeMeester, announced that he was no longer running for California Attorney General, for starters. DeMeester declined to discuss whether Yee intends to comply with the resignation demand from state Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.