2015 - Page 13 of 57 - Legal Reader

EPA to Volkswagen: Das Cheaters!

Staff - September 19, 2015

The company faces a potential $37,500 fine by the EPA for each Clean Air Act violation. That could lead to the automaker facing as much as $18 billion in federal penalties in total. To put that in comparison, General Motors just agreed to a $900 million federal penalty on Thursday after a Justice Department criminal investigation over its ignition-switch defect that led to at least 124 deaths, and Toyota agreed to a $1.2 billion penalty last year after several deaths were attributed to an acceleration defect.

House Committee Clears Major Hurdle to Repeal Crude-Oil Ban

Staff - September 18, 2015

The bill is expected to easily pass the Republican-led House, however it faces a much stronger challenge after that. President Barack Obama has refused to lend his support to the bill, stating that oil-export decisions are made by the executive-controlled Department of Commerce, and that the Department can decide on its own to lift the ban. Still, the president has loosened restrictions in recent months, allowing Shell to drill in a new area off of the Alaska coast and allowing additional oil trade to Mexico. The bill may not reach Obama’s desk anyway, as key Senate Democrats are poised to prevent it from being brought to a vote in that chamber.

Settlement Reached in Police Shooting of Former MLB Player’s Son

Staff - September 18, 2015

Tolan’s mother Marian said about the resolution, “Though I still have my son, I’ve had to watch his dreams and part of his spirit die. We’ve given up so much as a family for a chance at justice, a chance at peace, a chance at being whole again. This has been a horrific experience.” While the attorney for the Tolan family Daryl Washington told reporters outside the courthouse, “As Mrs. Tolan has said and as Robbie has said on many occasions this is not about black versus white this is about right versus wrong,”

FDA Grants Bristol-Myer’s Kidney Cancer Drug ‘Breakthrough’ Status

Staff - September 17, 2015

Opdivo was first approved in Japan in July 2014 for the treatment of melanoma and nivolumab was approved by the European Commission this past July for the treatment of lung cancer. The FDA also approved Opdivo for the treatment of melanoma in December and lung cancer in March. In addition to being granted breakthrough designation prior to its two FDA approvals, it has also been given the status for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.

GM, Justice Department Tentatively Agree to Ignition-Switch Settlement

Staff - September 17, 2015

It is likely that General Motors got off easy both in comparison to Toyota and to future corporate federal prosecutions. Last week, Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates announced major policy changes in the Justice Department for corporate investigations, focusing on prosecuting individuals who are responsible for wrongdoing instead of offering the deferred agreements and taking financial penalties in lieu of criminal charges. The change in policy discourages the probationary deferred prosecution agreements and requires companies to point out wrongdoing by specific employees to receive any kind of prosecutorial credit.GM as a company had been charged with felonies, according to the New York Times, sources familiar with the settlement say no individuals will be charged in the agreement.

Bud…Weis…Mill…Er?

Staff - September 17, 2015

Despite the aggressive posture of AB InBev and the venture capital group 3G Capital run by Lemann, the potential transaction will face a mountain of obstacles even if SAB Miller is a willing partner. AB InBev currently controls nearly half of the U.S. beer market with SAB Miller controlling nearly 30 percent. All major corporate mergers must face a Justice Department antitrust review. Diana Moss, the president of the American Antitrust Institute says “The competitive harm is pretty scary. The concern is higher prices for consumers.”

Psoriasis Drug Gastrointestinal Side Effects Outweigh Usefulness

Jay W. Belle Isle - September 16, 2015

XenoPort is developing a new psoriasis drug but has hit some snags. During patient trials, one-third of the study participants dropped out due to severe gastrointestinal side effects involving diarrhea.

New Jersey Sierra Club, Others ask to Intervene in Exxon’s ‘Dirty Jersey’ Settlement

Staff - September 16, 2015

Out of any state in the union, it is likely that none is as self-contradictory as New Jersey. Torn between the major metropolises of New York and Philadelphia, the state operates as a hub for biotech and academia as well as for heavy industry. The deeply blue state with a controversial Conservative governor has often

FDA Pulls Four R.J. Reynolds Cigarette Brands from Market

Staff - September 16, 2015

The FDA cited various reasons for the violations in its press release. As an example, the agency cited that the filter on the Camel Crush Bold cigarettes contain a capsule that when crushed, releases additional menthol flavoring. The agency found that the feature creates a significant difference from products that existed prior to the law. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids president Matthew Myers praised the decision, believing that the Camel Crush cigarettes “deliver menthol differently and at higher levels, have added sugars and other sweeteners, new filters, and tested differently for harmful and potentially harmful constituents.” According to Myers, Camel is the most popular cigarette brand among young smokers.

Is Salmonella Winning?

Staff - September 15, 2015

The problems are not confined to just California or Texas by any means. The Minnesota Department of Public Health said in a September 10th news release that 45 cases of salmonella have been reported likely involving at least 17 different Chipotle restaurants throughout the state since September 2nd. Halfway across the country in the nation’s capital, up to 70 cases of salmonella-related illnesses have been traced to the upscale chain restaurant Fig & Olive’s Washington D.C. location. Among the cases, six have been confirmed to contain a salmonella infection. These cases follow the September 2nd press release by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that New York specialty online retailer Sincerely Nuts is recalling several macadamia nut products due to traces of salmonella found during routine lab testing.

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