Last year, you may have heard of an impressive medical accomplishment, where the gametes of three people were combined to make one healthy baby. The doctor behind that procedure has now been warned by the Food and Drug Administration for advertising the still-unapproved procedure. [More]
regulations
Is The FDA Doing Enough To Keep Problematic Personal Care Products Off Shelves?
By 6.26.17
When you slather that trendy beauty lip balm on or try a new shampoo for the first time, perhaps you’re under the impression that the federal government has a process in place that ensures that cosmetic or personal care product is safe before it touches your body. But the reality is that cosmetics manufacturers don’t have to obtain premarket approval before selling most new products — and whether or not they report adverse events related to those items is pretty much up to them. Some in the industry think it’s time for this to change. [More]
FDA Quietly Delays Stricter Rules On E-Cigarettes, Cigars
By 5.3.17
The Food and Drug Administration has handed a temporary victory to e-cigarette and cigar companies, quietly deciding to delay enforcement on some recently finalized rules that impose stricter oversight on these tobacco and nicotine products. [More]
Trump White House Directs Agencies To Start Lining Up Regulations For Chopping Block
By 2.24.17
In January, President Trump signed an executive order dictating that for every new federal regulation put in place, at least two existing regulations would need to be removed. Today, the President took things even further, directing these agencies to start thinking now about which rules should be eliminated. [More]
Trump Executive Order Requires Cutting 2 Old Rules For Every 1 New Rule, But Is It That Easy?
By 1.30.17
This morning, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that is being described as “two out, one in,” meaning that for each new federal regulation, two existing rules are to be cut. While it might seem like a simple concept, the reality is quite different. [More]
Why GM Is Okay Losing Money On The Electric Chevy Bolt
By 11.30.16
When it comes to electric vehicles, consumers have to be willing to spend a pretty penny in order to reduce their emissions. But it’s not just car owners that are shelling out for more environmentally friendly rides, carmakers are too: on top of the cost to create, test, and manufacture the vehicles, companies, like General Motors, are regularly taking a hit when it comes to putting keys in customers’ hands. But why? [More]
Amid Fake Account Fiasco, Wells Fargo Must Now Get Permission to Hire Or Fire Executives
By 11.21.16
Two months after federal regulators imposed a $185 million fine and other sanctions against Wells Fargo for its fake account fiasco, one of those agencies — the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency — has rolled back some of the terms of its deal, signaling it will require more oversight of the company. [More]
New Rules Aim To Make It Easier For Students To Seek Financial, Legal Relief From Failed Colleges
By 10.28.16
In the last few years, multiple for-profit college chains have closed with little or no warning given to their students, while others remain on the brink of closure. And many of the for-profit schools that remain bar wronged students from ever suing the college in a court of law. Today, the Department of Education finalized the massive overhaul of its “Borrower Defense” rules in an effort to make it easier for students to hold colleges financially and legally responsible for their actions. [More]
San Francisco Proposal Would Limit Residential Airbnb Rentals To 60 Days/Year
By 10.14.16
The relationship between Airbnb and its home city of San Francisco is complicated to say the least. the least. The two have repeatedly duked it out over regulations, taxes, and liability, and now the stage is set for yet another battle between the city and the home-sharing platform, as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors considers reducing the number of days people in the city can rent out their homes each year. [More]
Airbnb’s New Legal Strategy: Compliance With Local Laws Is Not Our Problem
By 10.6.16
When you buy a bootleg T-shirt on eBay or some phony concert tickets on StubHub, those businesses aren’t responsible: the seller is. What if that principle also applied to sharing economy businesses like Airbnb? That’s what the company is experimenting with, starting in its home city of San Francisco. [More]
Wells Fargo CEO Stumpf Admits He Learned Of Fake Accounts In 2013
By 9.20.16 — Updated: 9.30.16
Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf appeared before the Senate Banking Committee this morning to answer questions about, and apologize for, company policies that led employees to open millions of fake accounts in customers’ names.
FDA Warns Dozens Of Retailers Caught Selling E-Cigs, Liquid Nicotine To Minors
By 9.16.16
The Food and Drug Administration recently finalized rules making it clear that e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine are, just like traditional cigarettes, not to be sold to people under the age of 18. Now the FDA is putting dozens of retailers on notice that they were caught allegedly selling these products to minors. [More]
Senators Demand Mylan Lower Cost Of Life-Saving Epipens, Call For Congressional Hearing
By 8.23.16
The cost of a life-saving EpiPen from drug maker Mylan increased as much as 600% in just nine years. That’s simply too much, lawmakers say, with some legislators now calling on the pharmaceutical giant to drop its price immediately, while others are pushing for a congressional hearing on the matter. [More]
Why Did American Airlines Make Me Move My Child’s Safety Seat So Someone Could Recline?
By 6.13.16
Planning ahead can go a long way when it comes to reducing the amount of stress parents face when flying with their young children. At least that was Becca’s thought when she researched and decided to pay extra so her 7-month-old son could travel rear-facing in his safety seat on a recent American Airlines flight. Despite Federal Aviation Administration rules — and American’s own policies — things didn’t go as planned when a flight attendant ordered Becca to move the child seat so the passenger in the row in front of her could recline. [More]
NHTSA: Self-Driving Cars Need To Be Twice As Safe In Order To Reduce Traffic Deaths
By 6.8.16
Proponents of self-driving vehicles claim the new technology will decrease the number of crashes occurring on the roadways, thereby reducing the number of driver and pedestrian deaths. But for that to happen, regulators say the new industry must take significant steps to improve autonomous vehicle safety. [More]
FDA Bans Sale Of E-Cigarettes To Minors; Requires Health Warnings
By 5.5.16
After a prolonged, seven-year process of drafting regulations for e-cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration has finalized rules that treat e-cigs, hookah tobacco, pipe tobacco, and premium cigars the same as traditional cigarettes and cigars. [More]
Anheuser-Busch InBev To Sell Peroni, Grolsch To Earn European Approval Of Beer Merger
By 4.12.16
A month after Anheuser-Busch InBev cleared one huge regulatory hurdle in gaining approval for its $107 billion SABMiller merger with the sale of SABMiller’s half of China’s largest brewer, the beer behemoth is looking to appease regulators on other continents. This time it happens to be the European Union and the sale of premium brands Peroni and Grolsch. [More]
Regulators Move To Ease Restrictions For Self-Driving Cars
By 1.14.16
With everyone from Google to Ford trying to get into the self-driving vehicle business, federal regulators say it may be time to ease up on some restrictions that the industry claims are slowing innovation in the relatively new field. [More]
