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NEWS ABOUT: regulations

FDA Bans the Term 'Sunblock'

Sunscreen can't call itself 'waterproof' anymore, either

(Newser) - You’ll never put on sunblock again. The FDA rolled out its long-awaited changes for sunscreen labels today, banning the word “sunblock” along with the terms “waterproof” and “sweat-proof.” From now on sunscreen can only boast that it’s “water-resistant” and specify whether users should... More »

Obama Moves to Root Out 'Dumb' Regulations

New executive order will trim, streamline rules

(Newser) - Republicans have said that deregulation will be a major part of their platform, but it looks like President Obama is beating them to the punch. The president will sign an executive order today mandating “a government-wide review of the rules already on the books” that aims to “root... More »

Regulators Let BP Blow Off Wildlife Permits

Endangered species protections simply ignored

(Newser) - The Minerals Management Service appears to have blatantly ignored a law requiring new oil drilling operations to get permits from the agency that assesses risk to endangered species. The MMS gave the okay to the Deepwater Horizon rig and dozens of others without getting the permits, the New York Times ... More »

NYC to Ban All Cabbie Phone Calls

Even hands-free devices will be a no-go under new rules limiting electronics

(Newser) - New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission is cracking down on its drivers, proposing tough new rules today that ban the use of any electronic communication devices while on the job, hands-free included. "Every driver will be prohibited from even wearing a Bluetooth device on their ears and... More »

Greedy Farmers Battle Climate Bill That Benefits Them

Demand government cash to take action

(Newser) - Farmers are among those facing the highest risk from global warming—storms, droughts and swarms of insect pests are coming their way—yet “true to form,” they’re not interested in backing a bill to fight it without reaping even more government cash, sputters Steven Pearlstein in the... More »

US to Expand Executive Pay Supervision

Administration to announce new rules, add pay-oversight chief

(Newser) - The Obama administration is set to announce new executive pay guidelines for banks and other corporations that have received bailout funds, the New York Times reports. Any company that’s taken two rounds of TARP cash—including Citigroup, Bank of America, AIG, GM and GMAC—will have to get pay... More »

Obama Overrules the Overruling of State Laws

Bush policy protected business interests in the states

(Newser) - President Obama is rewriting another set of rules inherited from his predecessor. This time, the Washington Post reports, it’s President Bush’s policy of overriding state laws with federal regulations, known as “preemption.” Says an activist, “It's environmental law, it's drug law, it's mortgage law, it's... More »

Market-Regulation Bill No Longer on Fast Track: Frank

Obama wants bill passed fast, but Congress chooses to take its time

(Newser) - Once on the fast track to President Obama’s desk, a bill that would grant the government powers to place large companies into receivership has been pushed to the slow lane, Rep. Barney Frank tells the Wall Street Journal. The bill’s complexity, and a slow-moving Senate, led the Financial... More »

Obama Reviews Abortion Rules

Bush's abstinence initiatives, Reagan's 'gag rule' could go way of dodo.

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s transition team is hard at work deciding how and when to undo the Bush administration’s abortion policies, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bush’s ban on federal stem cell research funding will be among the first to go—a move that has broad bipartisan support—along... More »

Bill Subject to Toothless Rules

Obama's regulations may do little to restrain ex-prez

(Newser) - Bill Clinton agreed to rules covering his charity work and earnings so his wife can run the State Department, but the new restrictions still offer the former president plenty of leeway, Politico reports. Clinton may stick to the rules at first, but  “then perhaps—just because he has this... More »

EU Repeals Straight Banana, Curvy Cucumber Laws

Rules set tight standards for produce size, shape, color

(Newser) - The EU took a U-turn on curved cucumbers and bent bananas and voted to repeal strict laws that ban the sale of imperfect produce, the Washington Post reports. Shops are barred from selling cauliflower less than 4.33 inches in diameter and not-green-enough asparagus until July, when such laws—long... More »

Score Card on Late White House Rules Changes

Bush administration pushes through midnight regulations

(Newser) - With the  Bush White House pushing through a raft of last-minute rules, the nonprofit journalism group ProPublica offers a running list, with the status of each:
  • Business-friendly safety regulations would loosen restrictions on exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace.
  • Local police would get increased surveillance ability.
  • Loaded guns would
... More »

High Prices Pound Gas Stations

Squeezed margins drive many out of business

(Newser) - Angry at gas stations for profiting on your financial misery? Think again, the Wall Street Journal reports: They're fast going out of business as oil prices rise. This year's 40% price hike has sent costs soaring, shuttering 3,000 US stations and causing Exxon Mobile to announce the sale of... More »

Washington Vows Better Airline Safety

Teamsters prez blasts plan as 'window dressing'

(Newser) - Today Washington vowed to beef up airplane inspections and demanded to know why American Airlines stranded 250,000 travelers last week, the AP reports. "No one at all was well served by what happened," US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. But she defended federal regulators, saying they did... More »

Treasury Wants Mega-Fed to Monitor Markets

Plan would merge agencies, allow Fed to swoop in on threats

(Newser) - The Treasury wants a newly empowered Federal Reserve to monitor market stability and swoop in on institutions that threaten it, the New York Times reports. If approved by lawmakers, the Treasury plan would merge a jumble of regulatory agencies and combine the SEC with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. But... More »

Obama Plan: $30B Stimulus, More Regulation

Democrat blasts lax Bush oversight, McCain's laissez-faire approach

(Newser) - Barack Obama called today for stricter financial regulations and laid out a $30 billion stimulus plan, the Wall Street Journal reports, including measures aimed at the foreclosure crisis. The Democratic candidate said President Bush had “a generally scornful attitude toward oversight and enforcement,” and proposed expanding Fed powers... More »

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