Inspector General criticizes EPA study methodology, new pool safety rules, SEC proposes changes to market circuit breakers, and more.
- A report from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General criticized some of the agency’s methodology for researching the dangers of greenhouse gases, such as a lack of sufficient scientific peer review.
- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a proposal to tighten “circuit breaker” rules which halt trading if the markets fall by certain percentages. Under the proposal, the halts on trading would be shorter than they are currently, and the thresholds for triggering them would be recalculated every day.
- The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a brief requesting the U.S. Supreme Court review the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). See related The Regulatory Review essay.
- According to a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, SUVs and pickup trucks significantly improved in safety over the past decade. The study found that current SUVs are not generally more dangerous than cars or minivans of the same weight.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is reviewing several studies that evaluated birth control pills containing drospirenone, at least one of which indicated that the pills may create an increase in the risk of blood clots.
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a stringent pool-safety rule that will likely require many public pools to install potentially costly safety equipment.
- In a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over deceptive advertising of toning shoes, Reebok International agreed to pay $25 million in customer refunds but without admitting any wrongdoing.
- In a speech in Stockholm, Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren detailed the large impact the housing market has on the U.S. economy and suggested policies that would prevent a severe housing market decline in the future.
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) called for a reduction of “onerous” federal regulations in the private sector during the GOP weekly address.
