Public PolicyRSS

  • June 24, 2009

    SEC Proposes New Limits On Money Market Funds

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed stricter rules on money market mutual funds that would require them to hold a minimum amount of assets that could be readily converted to cash and to make investments in only top-rated securities.

  • June 24, 2009

    Suit Over Pesticide's Effect On Bees Buzzes Ahead

    A federal judge has shot down the Natural Resources Defense Council's summary judgment bid in the group's fight to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release information about the possible connection between a new pesticide and the recent loss of millions of honeybees.

  • June 24, 2009

    Antelope Trophy Hunt Apps Must Be Published: Judge

    A federal judge has upheld a Bush administration-era statutory ruling affirming the legality of U.S. trophy hunts targeting three antelope species, but in a significant consolation to wildlife advocates, has ruled that the Endangered Species Act requires applications to engage in the so-called canned hunts to be public.

  • June 25, 2009

    Fla. Gov. Vetoes 'Consumer Choice' Insurance Bill

    Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has vetoed a bill that would create a new line of residential property insurance in the state with no prescribed upper-rate limits, as he battles with state legislators over how to best protect consumers in the state's precarious property insurance market.

  • June 25, 2009

    Canada Patent Chief Can't Restart Exam: Judge

    A Canadian judge has ruled that the country's commissioner of patents cannot restart an examination of a patent application after the defects cited in a patent examiner's final action rejection of an application have been addressed by an appeal board.

  • June 24, 2009

    401(k) Bill Passes House Labor Committee

    Legislation to expose hidden 401(k) fees charged to unwitting retirement plan participants passed the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee on Wednesday.

  • June 24, 2009

    EPA May Have To Halt GHG Assessment Method

    An accord reached in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday would reportedly take off the table a controversial calculation method that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has used to assess how much the use of ethanol and biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

  • June 24, 2009

    Teva Blasts FTC's Position On Pay-For-Delay

    In response to Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz's claims that banning "pay-for-delay" patent settlements between generics and branded drugmakers would save consumers $3.5 billion a year, leading generics maker Teva Pharmaceuticals USA decried the supposed savings as based on a "flawed assumption."

  • June 23, 2009

    EU To Reveal Bank Guidance, Pharma Findings: Report

    The European Commission will soon release guidelines for banks that have been receiving state aid to become viable, as well as the findings of its ongoing probe into competition in the pharmaceutical industry, Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes reportedly said Tuesday.

  • June 23, 2009

    Offshore Oil Speculation Measure Stalls In Senate

    Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is blaming Senate Republicans for stymieing consideration of a proposed amendment that would have given the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulatory authority over financial services firms that are allegedly driving commodity prices up by storing oil offshore.

  • June 23, 2009

    Obama Calls On House To Approve Energy Bill

    With a vote on the energy and climate change bill expected later this week, President Barack Obama has urged the U.S. House of Representatives to find common ground and pass through the legislation, saying it is “extraordinarily important for our country.”

  • June 24, 2009

    Bill Aims To Expand ANDA First Filer Exclusivity

    Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to revise the Hatch-Waxman Act's definition of “first applicant” for abbreviated new drug application filers to give generic-drug makers challenging brand-name patents a shot at receiving 180-day market exclusivity.

  • June 23, 2009

    Insurers Urge Caution On US Health Care Plan

    Two of the largest U.S. insurance industry groups have warned lawmakers that implementing a government-run health care plan to compete with private insurers could decimate the private market and burden taxpayers with hundreds of billions of dollars in health care costs.

  • June 24, 2009

    DC Circ. Backs FERC In New England Power Battle

    A federal appeals court has refused to review a challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's authority over a system that sets electricity capacity and affects power prices in New England, rejecting several states' contention that FERC has overstepped its jurisdiction.

  • June 25, 2009

    EPA Official Criticizes Mountaintop Coal Mining

    Mountaintop coal mining robs Appalachia's ecosystem of the carbon sequestration properties of forests, threatens native species and destroys critical watersheds, a top U.S. environmental official told lawmakers in Washington on Thursday.

  • June 22, 2009

    Texas Gov. Signs Refill For Hurricane Insurance Pool

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law a bill to recapitalize the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association — a pool of all property/casualty insurance companies authorized to write coverage in the state — whose funds were depleted in 2008 as a result of hurricanes Dolly and Ike.

  • June 22, 2009

    FCC Nominee Will Study Exclusive Wireless Deals

    President Barack Obama's pick for Federal Communications Commission chair said he would, if confirmed, investigate lawmakers' and lobbyists' growing concerns about the possible anti-competitive and anti-consumer effects of exclusive licensing deals between wireless device makers and service providers.

  • June 22, 2009

    Entergy Asks To Pause Refund Suit For FERC Ruling

    Entergy Texas Inc. and Texas state regulators have asked a federal judge to suspend their dispute over a state order dictating how the energy giant should allocate certain customer refunds, saying an appeal before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could moot the case.

  • June 22, 2009

    Europe OKs Lufthansa Takeover Of Brussels Airlines

    Deutsche Lufthansa AG has been given the go-ahead to snag SN Brussels Airlines after overcoming the reservations of European Union competition regulators, a decision that will see the regional carrier join Lufthansa's growing stable of carriers by the end of June.

  • June 22, 2009

    FTC Issues 2nd Request In Merck-Schering Merger

    The Federal Trade Commission is seeking additional information from Merck & Co. Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp. on their proposed $41.1 billion merger, the two companies said Monday.