MADISON, Wis. - Don't look for the government to protect us when faulty products threaten lives. That's the message trial lawyers gathering in Milwaukee this week will hear from trial lawyer Lance Cooper of Atlanta.

Although government watchdog agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are staffed with well-intentioned and well-qualified people, Cooper said, they're usually underfunded and more often than not at the mercy of the manufacturers.

Cooper, who successfully sued General Motors on behalf of a client who was killed because of a faulty ignition switch, said the civil jury system is critical to obtaining justice.

"Just over the past 3 or 4 years with the Toyota sudden-acceleration problem, of course the GM ignition switch problem, and now the Takata air bag problem," he said, "these are all problems that were reported to the federal government but it took civil litigation to bring those cases and those problems to the forefront."

Trial lawyers often are perceived as greedy ambulance-chasers, Cooper said, but too often litigation has been more effective than government regulatory agencies at reforming shoddy business practices. According to Cooper, when juries speak, corporate America listens.

Cooper will speak in Milwaukee on Friday to a gathering of trial lawyers at a Wisconsin Association for Justice meeting about the importance of having a strong civil-justice system.

"The founding fathers understood that - as far as the necessity of a right to trial by jury, because they understood that the government at times either would overstep its bounds or would not do enough to protect its citizens," he said. "Without a robust civil justice system, the system just wouldn't work."

Eighteen-year-old Natasha Weigel of the village of Hammond in St. Croix County was killed in a 2006 crash involving a General Motors car with a faulty ignition switch. Cooper did not represent her family in their case against GM, but did represent survivors of another young woman who was killed in a similar crash.

"We handled this like we handle any other product liability case," Cooper said. "The benefits of our system, and in particular the responsibility that we as trial lawyers have in representing consumers, is often times it's not only the individual case; the tort system is to benefit society as a whole."

Madison, WI - An attorney who successfully sued General Motors on behalf of the family of a client who was one of several people killed because of cars with a faulty ignition switch will tell lawyers gathering in Milwaukee this week (Friday) that government watchdog agencies like the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration can't be relied on to protect consumers. Comments Lance Cooper, trial lawyer, Atlanta. Image available: photo of Cooper

Don't look for the government to protect us when faulty products threaten lives. That's the message trial lawyers gathering in Milwaukee this week will hear from trial lawyer Lance Cooper of Atlanta. He says although government watchdog agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are staffed with well-intentioned and well-qualified people, they're usually underfunded and more often than not at the mercy of the manufacturers. Cooper successfully sued General Motors on behalf of a client who was killed because of a faulty ignition switch. He says the civil jury system is critical to obtaining justice.

"Just over the past 3 or 4 years with the Toyota sudden acceleration problem, of course the GM ignition switch problem, and now the Takata air bag problem - these are all problems that were reported to the federal government but it took civil litigation to bring those cases and those problems to the forefront."

Cooper says trial lawyers are often perceived as greedy ambulance-chasers but, he says, too often litigation has been more effective than government regulatory agencies at reforming shoddy business practices. According to Cooper, when juries speak, corporate America listens.

Cooper will speak in Milwaukee Friday to a gathering of trial lawyers at a Wisconsin Association for Justice meeting about the importance of having a strong civil justice system.

"The founding fathers understood that - as far as the necessity of a right to trial by jury, because they understood that the government at times either would overstep its bounds or would not do enough to protect its citizens. Without a robust civil justice system, the system just wouldn't work."

An 18-year-old Wisconsin woman, Natasha Weigel (WY-gul) of the village of Hammond in St. Croix (croy) County, was killed in a 2006 crash involving a GM car with a faulty ignition switch. Cooper did not represent her family in their case against GM, but did represent survivors of another young woman who was killed in a similar crash.

"We handled this like we handle any other product liability case. The benefits of our system, and in particular the responsibility that we as trial lawyers have in representing consumers, is often times it's not only the individual case - the tort system is to benefit society as a whole."


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Nationwide, it is estimated about one-third of Americans either adhere to Christian Nationalist ideals or sympathize with them.

Groups working for social justice in Washington state are organizing to counter what they see as a movement harmful to democracy.

Aaron Scott, author of "Bring Back Your People: Ten Ways Regular Folks Can Put a Dent in White Christian Nationalism," is the keynote speaker at this weekend's Peace and Justice Action Conference in Spokane.

It is estimated 16% of people in Washington support Christian Nationalist ideas and although it is hardly a majority, Scott said the movement should not be disregarded.

"We can't afford to say, 'Well, we're not going to really deal with that stuff, that's a side conversation,'" Scott explained. "Because clearly we are now in a moment where it is not a side conversation. It is the central conversation."

Scott noted white Christian Nationalist groups embed in rural areas, building churches and securing funds to win local elections. Their beliefs often appear as anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ. He pointed out the ideology thrives where voter suppression and disengagement are high and encouraged people to stay engaged in their communities.

Christian Nationalists want the U.S. to be declared a Christian nation, with laws based on their far-right values. Though the ideas can seem threatening, Scott stressed arguing with strangers is usually not an effective way to change someone's mind. Instead, he suggested having direct, thoughtful conversations within trusting relationships, reinforcing their values of honesty and compassion.

"You can do things like point to the way this person lives their lives and the values that you know they hold, and highlight, like, 'This does not seem aligned with this,'" Scott advised.

Scott, who also works with the Episcopal Church, emphasized the core of Christianity runs counter to the ideas of Christian Nationalism. He added many Christian groups recognize the movement provides cover for white supremacy and are concerned about the threat it may pose to their religious communities as well as democracy. Scott acknowledged it takes time and commitment to counter extreme ideologies.


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In a nationwide movement, Latinos are being urged to boycott retail stores tomorrow that have curtailed programs promoting fair hiring practices.

The diversity, equity and inclusion framework has been a cornerstone for many large retailers for several decades but attacks by President Donald Trump and the GOP have led such giants as Walmart, Target, McDonald's and others to scale back their DEI initiatives.

Caroline Tso Chen, associate professor of taxation at San Jose State University, said one person might not be able to make a huge difference but if 20% of people joined "Latino Freeze Day," the effect would be substantial.

"By basically telling those companies, we do not approve of what you are doing and we will take our money and we will spend it elsewhere," Tso Chen explained.

The annual purchasing power of Latinos in the U.S. continues to grow, now topping more than $3 trillion. New Mexico is among the top 10 states with the largest Hispanic/Latino buying power, which has increased due to population growth, labor force participation and educational attainment.

DEI programs have been around since the 1960s and are meant to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination. As an Asian woman, Tso Chen noted she knows what it is like, but added Friday's boycott would need to be just the beginning.

"You can't make this just February 28," Tso Chen stressed. "In order to make any sort-of significant economic impact to any of these retailers, it is going to have to be for an extended period of time."

The Latino Freeze Movement is encouraging supporters to find alternative ways to purchase what they need at other retailers, including local stores, swap meets, farmers markets, secondhand stores or negotiating trades.


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Lessons learned during the COVID pandemic have proven crucial to one organization responding to Hurricane Helene.

Centro Unido - which serves the Spanish-speaking population in McDowell County - stepped up its services during the pandemic to provide testing, vaccine clinics, and easy-to-understand information.

It also offered financial assistance to help western North Carolina families avoid evictions and utility disconnections.

Centro Unido's Interim Executive Director Laura Zapater said they learned a lot during the COVID response that is useful today.

"It was really helpful in the way that we could quickly organize after Hurricane Helene," said Zapater, "because we knew that our community was going to struggle more than other communities to receive the resources and the support needed."

Zapater said people in the community were lined up at their door as soon as Centro Unido had power again after the hurricane.

The group is still helping with hurricane relief, although she notes the change in presidential administrations has put new strains on their work.

Zapater said during COVID, Centro Unido worked with other Latino organizations to share resources and expand their impact. They established relationships and have worked on collaborative grants.

She said that joint work extended to hurricane relief when organizations in areas like Asheville struggled to get supplies.

"The access was harder there," said Zapater. "They couldn't get supplies as soon as us, because McDowell was more accessible. So, we had different vans and volunteers were like, 'Hey, I'll load the van, I'll take it to them.' So, we were kind of like a hub for other organizations more towards the west."

The Kate B. Reynolds Trust has partnered with and given grants to Centro Unido.

Jason Baisden, senior program officer with the trust, said support for organizations like Centro Unido move away from the traditional "top-down" approach to relief.

"Without the input at the local level, the grassroots level, sometimes you get solutions that aren't optimal," said Baisden. "They could be more optimal when they get the input from community, because those folks are the ones living it. They pretty much know what would help solve these issues."