A truck bomb struck a Shiite mosque Tuesday in central Baghdad, killing 78 people and wounding more than 200, even as about 10,000 U.S. soldiers northeast of the capital used heavily armored Stryker and Bradley fighting vehicles to battle their way into an al-Qaida sanctuary.

Supreme Court: IPO Underwriters Immune From Antitrust Liability
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Supreme Court on June 18 ruled 7-1 that federal securities laws implicitly preclude the application of antitrust laws to investment banks’ underwriting activities related to the initial public offerings (IPOs) of hundreds of technology companies (Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, et al. v. Billing et al., No. 05-1157, U.S. Sup.). Full story on lexis.com

Allstate Not Liable For Cedent’s Settlements, New York Court Rules
NEW YORK - A reinsurer is not required to follow the fortunes of its cedent because the cedent’s post-settlement allocation of pollution occurrences at various sites was “neither reasonable nor reflective of good faith,” a New York appellate court ruled June 12 (Allstate Insurance Co. v American Home Assurance Co., No. 9335, N.Y. Sup., 1st App. Div.). Full story on lexis.com

Army Again Weighs Longer Iraq Tours
The Army is considering whether it will have to extend the tours of troops in Iraq if President Bush opts to maintain the recent buildup. Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren says the service is reviewing other options, including relying more heavily on Army reservists or Navy and Air Force personnel.

Army Brass Losing Influence
At a time when the U.S. Army’s Soldiers are doing most of the fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, the service’s influence in key decision-making positions is waning. Of the U.S. military’s nine combat commands, only two are run by Army generals, and that number will soon be cut in half.

Failure To Warn Ruled Not To Absorb Plaintiff’s Other Claims
ST. LOUIS - A federal judge in Missouri has ruled that failure to warn does not absorb claims of design defect, breach of warranty and negligent failure to test and denied Wyeth Inc.’s motion for partial summary judgment in a diet drug case (Virginia Cavender v. American Home Products Corporation, et al., No. 4:02CV1830 ERW, E.D. Mo., Eastern Div.; 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33415). Full story on lexis.com

Bill Would Improve Care for Veterans
Responding to shabby treatment of wounded Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a group of senators moved to boost disability pay to those hurt in combat and improve care for brain injury.

Relief From Texas ‘Toxic Soup’ Trial Granted
AUSTIN, Texas - A 5-to-4 Texas Supreme Court on June 15 granted a defense motion for mandamus relief from a trial for a bellwether plaintiff chosen from nearly 2,000 claims alleging exposure to a so-called toxic soup of chemicals from a pesticide factory on the grounds that the trial court erred by not ordering production of causation evidence early enough before trial; in dissent, four justices noted that the trial order about which the relator defendants complain has been stricken, and a single plaintiff who produced causation evidence is proposed for trial (In re: Allied Chemical Corp., et al., No. 04-1023, Texas Sup.). Full story on lexis.com

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