U.S. to require passenger vehicles to have alarms for rear seat belts
Starting in September 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up.
Federal agencies
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Finding freedom? Noncompete agreements facing stiff challenges on state, federal level
Noncompete agreements are taking center stage in the Indiana Statehouse and on the federal level this year.
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Innovation needed to bridge patent diversity gap, attorneys say
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in March seeks to quantify the lack of diversity among patent holders. The Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2021 — or IDEA Act — would require the USPTO to collect inventors’ demographic information, including race and gender.
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Fighting for love: Immigration attorneys say challenges for unmarried couples rise amid COVID
Immigration attorneys say international couples attempting to reunite during the pandemic are feeling desperate as borders between countries are closed to foreigners and backlogs continue to mount.
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Settlement requires real estate brokers to disclose commissions
The National Association of Realtors is revamping its rules about commissions to comply with a settlement reached with the Department of Justice. The settlement requires brokers to disclose commissions on listings published through the Multiple Listings Service.
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Articles
Consumer protection agency finalizes rule limiting overdraft fees
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday that it has finalized new rules limiting the fees that banks can charge when customers overdraw their accounts.
FTC sues largest wine and spirits distributor, saying it discriminates against smaller stores
The Federal Trade Commission sued the largest U.S. distributor of wine and spirits on Thursday, saying it is illegally discriminating against small and independent businesses.
FTC’s rule banning fake online reviews goes into effect
The Federal Trade Commission issued a rule in August banning the sale or purchase of online reviews. The rule, which went into effect Monday, allows the agency to seek civil penalties against those who knowingly violate it.
Supreme Court won’t revive Michael Cohen’s lawsuit against Trump claiming retaliatory imprisonment
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday from Michael Cohen, who wanted to hold his former boss and ex-president Donald Trump liable for a jailing he said was retaliation for writing a tell-all memoir.
FTC adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission adopted a final rule Wednesday that will require businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships.
Federal Trade Commission warns franchisors against using deceptive practices on franchisees
The Federal Trade Commission is warning franchisors to avoid “unfair and deceptive practices” against franchisees in an effort to ensure the franchise business model is a ladder of opportunity for honest small business owners.
Indianapolis accountant pleads guilty to defrauding IRS of millions
An Indianapolis CPA faces up to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.
IRS apology in Trump-related case reveals agency’s shoddy tax security
IRS officials, pushed by a lawsuit filed by Citadel CEO Kenneth Griffin, apologized to him and the other taxpayers through a news release last week after an agency contractor leaked the private tax data of more than 80,000 people and businesses.
FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg says he will resign after hostile workplace claims
Martin Gruenberg, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., announced Monday that he would resign once President Biden appoints and the Senate confirms a successor to lead the banking regulator, after a searing report said Gruenberg led a hostile workplace at the agency.
FTC’s new noncompete ban allows exceptions for mergers
A sale-of-business provision in the agency’s new rules permits entering into a noncompete with a person who is selling a business or disposing of all of the person’s ownership interest in a business in a “bona fide sale.”
The IRS is quicker to answer the phone on this Tax Day
On this Tax Day, the IRS is promoting the customer service improvements the agency rolled out since receiving tens of billions in new funding dollars through Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.
Supreme Court seems skeptical of EPA’s ‘good neighbor’ rule on power plant pollution
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed skeptical Wednesday as the Environmental Protection Agency sought to continue enforcing an anti-air-pollution rule in 11 states while separate legal challenges proceed around the country.
Alson and Pashos: Judicial deference to administrative agencies in 2024
In the four decades since Chevron was decided, it has been cited in more than 18,000 cases. Today, however, the future of the “Chevron deference” is uncertain.
Sugarman: Change coming to judicial review of agency action in Indiana?
Two cases currently pending before the United States Supreme Court have the potential to change the face of administrative law at the federal and, perhaps, state level by eliminating or significantly curtailing Chevron deference.
Supreme Court wrestles with major challenges to power of federal regulators
Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday voiced support for weakening the power of federal regulators, but it was not clear whether a majority would overturn a precedent that has guided American law for four decades.
US intensifies oversight of Boeing, will begin production audits after latest mishap for planemaker
The Federal Aviation Administration will begin auditing Boeing’s aircraft production and increase oversight of the troubled manufacturer after a panel blew off a jetliner in midflight last week, the last in a string of mishaps for its marquee aircraft.
Businessman with Elkhart ties sentenced in $180 million bank fraud that paid for lavish lifestyle, classic cars
A businessman who orchestrated a $180 million check-kiting scheme and used the proceeds to live a lavish lifestyle and amass one of the world’s most revered classic car collections has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison.
Supreme Court seems likely to side with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed likely to preserve the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau against a conservative-led challenge.
Supreme Court justices taking the bench for first time since June
The justices are taking the bench at the U.S. Supreme Court for the first time since late June. Their new term begins Monday with ethics concerns swirling around the court.