The Supreme Court reaches a decision on the EPA’s regulation of power plants, the DOL proposes a rule for paying white collar employees overtime wages, and more…
IN THE NEWS
- The U.S. Supreme Court held in Michigan v. EPA that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unreasonably interpreted the Clean Air Act—under which power plant regulation is permissible only if it is “appropriate and necessary”—by concluding that cost was irrelevant to that determination.
- The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule which would extend overtime pay protections to white collar employees earning up to $50,440 annually—an increase in the current pay threshold, which applies to employees earning less than $23,660 annually.
- In light of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) expansion of the Clean Water Act’s definition of “waters of the United States,” a coalition of eighteen states, in three federal district courts, sought declaratory and injunctive relief against the EPA for what they contend is an “impermissible expansion of federal power over the states.”
- As part of an investigation into alleged collusion between several United States airlines, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently sent letters to these airlines requesting information about their flight capacities and about their communications with other airlines.
- The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) adopted as final an interim rule implementing a section of the National Defense Authorization Act—legislation authorizing the budget authority of the DOD—which is intended to enhance whistleblower protections for contractor employees.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will soon begin the rulemaking process to address privacy issues implicated by consumers’ use of the Internet.
- The State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule requiring states to create plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions released by power plants to an EPA-determined amount.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a guidance recommending the elimination of disclosure requirements for certain medical devices that apply prior to their entrance to the market.
