BOSTON – Attorney General Martha Coakley and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have called for a new permanent leader to replace Edward DeMarco as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. more

After developing a chest cold and breathing problems last year, Susan Alexander went to First Choice ER, an independent emergency room in League City, Texas, drawn by its motto: “Real ER. Real Fast.” more

PROVIDENCE – Rep. William O’Brien, D-North Providence, has introduced legislation that aims to ease the auto-excise taxes on Rhode Island motor vehicle owners while generating more tax revenue for the state by instituting a sales and property tax on sailing vessels worth more than $100,000. more

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island last week became the latest state to roll back criminal penalties for minor marijuana possession, replacing the threat of jail time for those caught with pot with something akin to a traffic citation, The Associated Press reported. more

One of the top box office movies of the winter was called “Identity Thief,” a lightweight comedy about a guy chasing a woman across the country after she had stolen his identity. It was filled with pratfalls, sight gags and fat jokes. more

Lawyers drained Linda Brice’s bank account and seized a quarter of her take-home pay, or more than $900 a month. Brice, a first-grade teacher and Coast Guard veteran, begged for mercy, saying she couldn’t afford food, gas or utilities. more

PROVIDENCE – The city Board of Licenses last week voted to revoke the licenses of Level II nightclub following an incident in April that saw six people stabbed and seven people arrested, WPRO-AM 630 reported. more

Jason C. Martiesian has been named a lobbyist at Robinson and Cole LLP, where he will be engaging in legislative and administrative lobbying on issues including health care, the environment, labor, energy and economic development. more

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee this month signed into law the Jason Foreman Act, which prohibits those convicted of certain crimes, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping of a minor and first-degree sexual assault, from earning credits toward early release for good behavior. more

In late April, The New York Times reported that Wal-Mart’s Mexican subsidiary paid millions of dollars in alleged bribes to Mexican officials to gain approval and other favorable treatment for new stores. Wal-Mart allegedly discovered the payments in 2005, but bottled up its internal investigation. more