Appeal Made in Cozen Same-Sex Death Benefits Suit

The parents of a deceased Cozen O'Connor lawyer are appealing the district court's decision to direct the benefits of her profit-sharing plan to her wife, Jennifer Tobits.

Media Decoder: Weinstein Company Loses Appeal to Use Movie Title ‘The Butler’

Eliot Spitzer promises to spend plenty on the race for New York City comptroller without revealing where it comes from.

Mark Kozelek shares a song about his mom, who cleaned his ears, dropped him off at rehab and helped him buy a Les Paul.

Media Decoder: Weinstein Company Loses Appeal to Use Movie Title ‘The Butler’

Eliot Spitzer promises to spend plenty on the race for New York City comptroller without revealing where it comes from.

Mark Kozelek shares a song about his mom, who cleaned his ears, dropped him off at rehab and helped him buy a Les Paul.

Superior Court Rejects Sandusky's Attorney's Appeal

An attorney representing convicted serial child molester Jerry Sandusky may not invoke the work-product doctrine to avoid complying with a protective order issued by the judge who presided over Sandusky's trial, which was put in place days after grand jury materials in the case were allegedly leaked to the media.

Prosecution Stands By the Charging in Monsignor's Appeal

A change in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office's position on whether high-level officials in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia could be successfully prosecuted is not an argument that can help the appeal of the first Catholic Church official in the country to be convicted of endangering the welfare of children abused by other priests, prosecutors argued in court papers.

BP Payouts Are Upheld; An Appeal Is Likely

Federal District Judge Carl Barbier said he found no reason to reverse his decision last month to uphold the payout process. BP had protested payouts including $21 million for a Louisiana rice mill 40 miles from the coast, which earned more revenue in 2010 than in any of the previous three years.

The hearing in New Orleans federal court revisited a part of BP’s liability laundry list that seemed settled last year when it agreed to terms on economic, property and medical compensation for individuals and businesses that filed a class-action lawsuit.

As of Friday, more than 160,000 claims had been submitted under the Deepwater Horizon Economic and Property Damages Settlement, according to the settlement Web site, and a total of $1.87 billion of payments had been made on 27,488 claims.

The source of dispute is the calculation of business economic losses, for which $743 million has been paid out on 4,461 claims, according to the site.

BP initially estimated the overall settlement bill at $7.8 billion, but the total is uncapped, and it is dependent on decisions made by Patrick A. Juneau, a Louisiana lawyer who administers the payments under complex rules set out by the agreement.

“BP believes today’s proceedings and the related filings were necessary steps on the way to appellate review,” the company said in a statement on Friday, confirming it had filed a notice of appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that is the next step in the federal judicial hierarchy.

Elite Status on Airlines Loses Some of Its Appeal

Travelers with elite status in an airline’s frequent-flier program used to be rewarded with perks unavailable to the masses, like access to better seats, priority boarding and faster security lines.

But as carriers have begun selling these services to anyone willing to pay a fee, or offering them to customers who carry an airline-branded credit card, the status is losing some of its appeal — at least for frequent fliers on the lower end of the elite spectrum.

“I’ve definitely noticed an erosion in benefits since I became elite,” said Bill Wilkes, a Delta SkyMiles Gold member, the second-lowest rank in Delta’s four tiers of elites. “Pretty much anyone who gets approved for a SkyMiles credit card can get priority boarding and a free checked bag.”

Mr. Wilkes, who works for a Major League Baseball team, noticed on a recent Delta flight from Baltimore to Sarasota, Fla., that more than half the passengers lined up when priority boarding was announced.

He estimates that he gets a complimentary upgrade — arguably the most important benefit of elite status — on only 15 to 20 percent of his domestic flights, compared with 40 to 50 percent several years ago.

That shift can be attributed partly to the growing ranks of elites on any one airline, because of mergers like Delta’s with Northwest, as well as more ways to earn elite status through credit card spending, not just flying.

Program rules vary by airline, but travelers typically have to accumulate 25,000 miles in a year to become a bottom-tier elite, 50,000 miles for the middle tier and 75,000 to 125,000 miles for the top tiers. Most people have to requalify each year, and miles earned from credit card spending increasingly count toward the minimum required.

For instance, customers approved for Delta’s Reserve card from American Express can earn 10,000 elite qualifying miles after their first purchase. (There is a $450 annual fee.)

US Airways even sells access to its “preferred” status: a traveler who is short 1,500 miles to qualify for a particular elite tier can pay a $249 fee to close that gap. Prices vary depending on the mileage needed, but can run as high as $3,999 for 100,000 preferred miles.

While airlines do not disclose how many people are in each elite tier, Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst at the consulting firm Hudson Crossing, said about 3 to 4 percent of a carrier’s frequent-flier members had elite status. Delta and United each have 90 million frequent fliers, and American has 69 million, which means anywhere from two million to four million elites a program (though the number may be higher).

“When you think about the scale of these programs, it’s an enormous volume and, of course, these people travel more often,” Mr. Harteveldt said. “When you’re on a hub-to-hub flight like United from Chicago to San Francisco, elites can sometimes make up between a third and half of the plane.”

There are some signs that carriers recognize this issue. Delta recently announced that starting next year, passengers can qualify for elite status based on miles earned (or segments flown) and by spending at least $2,500 on Delta tickets, not including taxes or optional fees. The spending requirement is waived for those who charge $25,000 a year using a Delta credit card.

“I expect other airlines are going to take steps to thin out their elite ranks by instituting similar spending requirements,” Mr. Harteveldt said. “The people who fly the most and spend the most will receive the benefits they value more often.”

But airlines also value the revenue they earn from selling some benefits to nonelite travelers, a growing practice as the industry seeks to maintain its profits.

For $10 a flight, JetBlue passengers can buy access to priority security lines typically reserved for elite and premium cabin passengers. American sells priority boarding for $18 round trip, as well as a “Choice Essential” package for $68 that includes priority boarding, a checked bag and a change fee waiver on a domestic round-trip ticket. Even Southwest, known for its “bags fly free” motto, recently began selling an early boarding option for $40 a flight.

Court nixes Va. appeal in case of low IQ inmate

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has rebuffed Virginia's request to reinstate the death sentence of a convicted killer who claims he is too mentally disabled to be executed

Court won't hear campaign contributions appeal

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal of a decision upholding a century-old ban on corporate campaign contributions in federal elections.

Mason City man files Iowa Supreme Court appeal

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) - A 42-year-old man convicted of killing another Mason City man in 1998 has appealed his case to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Texas death row inmate loses impairment appeal

HOUSTON (AP) - A federal appeals court has rejected an East Texas inmate's claims that he's mentally impaired and ineligible for execution.

US Supreme Court rejects Okla. personhood appeal

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that said a proposal to grant "personhood" to human embryos would be an improper ban on abortion.