Declarations

Moped Safety

“Literally, you can be stinking drunk on a moped and can’t be arrested.”

—South Carolina State Sen. Greg Hembree, in response to the lack of regulation for mopeds. Gov. Nikki Haley vetoed a moped safety bill in June that would have required moped drivers under 21 to wear helmets and reflective vests for nighttime driving and would have created a special moped license.

Pipeline Shortcuts

“Instead, it chose a cheaper method that did not ensure the safety of pipelines running through high-consequence areas.”

—Assistant U.S. Attorney Hallie Hoffman said Pacific Gas & Electric Co. ignored pipeline safety regulations to cut costs and tried to cover up its illegal practices by misleading federal officials investigating a deadly explosion of one of its natural gas pipelines in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Baylor Sexual Assault

“(S)exual assault issues at Baylor were not an ‘athletic department issue,’ but were an institution-wide problem that Baylor and Baylor regents failed to properly address.”

—A federal lawsuit accuses the school of creating a “hunting ground for sexual predators.” Brought by a former student, the suit is the third in recent months to claim the school was indifferent to or ignored claims of sexual assault.

Between a Rock and Hardship

“In short, Ohioans who trusted in the Obamacare marketplace now find themselves between a regulatory rock and financial hardship.”

—Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman on the possibility that nearly 22,000 Ohioans could end up paying much more for health care as their struggling insurer, InHealth Mutual, winds down its operations.

No Cyber Impunity

“Many foreign cybercriminals believe they can operate overseas with total impunity, but this case proves they can be held criminally responsible for their actions, which can have devastating consequences on thousands of victims at a time.”

—Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., after Vadim Polyakov, a Russian, admitted to coordinating an international operation that took over San Francisco-based StubHub users’ accounts.