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☆ California AG Rob Bonta on calls for Kia and Hyundai to recall vehicles over theft risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCalifornia AG Rob Bonta on calls for Kia and Hyundai to recall vehicles over theft riskCalifornia Attorney General Rob Bonta discusses calls from 17 AGs for Kia and Hyundai to recall vehicles at risk of theft. Hosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

☆ Is Alvin Bragg’s Case Against Trump Constitutional?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( David B. Rivkin Jr. | Kristin A. Shapiro | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg ’s indictment of Donald Trump could mean trouble down the road for Joe Biden. “I think our Republican AGs and DAs”—attorneys general and district attorneys—“should get creative,” Mike Davis , a Republican former Senate staffer, told the New York Post. But under the Trump precedent, what’s to stop an ambitious Republican prosecutor somewhere from bringing dubious state charges against him before a hostile jury after he leaves office? Every four to eight years, prosecutors would order up a presidential ham sandwich. Presidents might end up having to flee the country when they leave office.

☆ States where abortion is legal warn appeals court about Texas mifepristone ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Attorneys general for nearly half of U.S. states in a new court filing warn that a federal judge's decision to suspend the Food and Drug Administration's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone across the country "presents devastating risks to millions of people," including those in states where abortion remains legal. The attorneys general in their filing Monday called on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to keep mifepristone on the market as litigation over the legality of the pill plays out. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas, on Friday effectively revoked the FDA approval of mifepristone. The Department of Justice on Monday asked the 5th Circuit to rule on its request to halt Kacsmaryk's decision by noon Thursday "to enable the government to seek relief in the Supreme Court if necessary." Danco Laboratories, the distributor of mifepristone, also has asked the appeals court to pause Kacsmaryk's decision for at least 14 days so the company has the opportunity to "seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court."

☆ Federal judge rules Google tried to ‘hide the ball’ by deleting chat logs in a big antitrust case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Google intentionally sought to “hide the ball” in a high-profile antitrust case by automatically deleting employee chat messages that could have been used as evidence in the suit, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, dealing a blow to the tech giant. But Donato repeatedly criticized Google this week for trying to keep sensitive chat logs out of the record. The Justice Department has filed a similar sanctions motion against Google in an ongoing antitrust suit over Google’s search business. Though that case is unfolding in a different federal court, Donato’s ruling Tuesday could give other courts more ammunition to reach the same conclusion. “We’ll continue to show the court how choice, security, and openness are built into Android and Google Play.”

Google should be sanctioned for failing to preserve chat messages between employees related to an antitrust case brought by Epic Games, a federal judge in California ruled on Tuesday. The company "adopted a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy for keeping messages, at the expense of its preservation duties," the judge said in the filing. A Google spokesperson said at the time of the DOJ's filing that it disagrees with the DOJ's claims. Epic alleged that Google failed to retain chat messages between employees that it should have preserved while under a litigation hold. Exhibits presented by Epic seem to show that Google employees saw chats as a less formal way to communicate.

☆ Walgreens' mixed messaging on abortion pills landed it in the political crossfire, and its clarifications may not be enough to avoid a boycott
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walgreens says it will sell abortion ills in states where it is "legally permissible to do so." She said Walgreens "does not intend" to sell Mifepristone at any of its locations in the state. The move sparked a backlash from abortion rights supporters, specifically in states where abortion is still legal, with California Gov. By Monday, Walgreens had put out a new statement that assured customers it would sell Mifepristone at locations in states where it was legal. Walgreens did not respond to questions asking in which states it would sell Mifepristone.

Companies TikTok FollowWASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - A group of 45 state attorneys general in the United States on Monday demanded Chinese-owned social media app TikTok produce subpoenaed materials sought in an ongoing nationwide consumer protection investigation. On Monday the states urged a Tennessee state court to compel TikTok answer requests for information. TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, is facing renewed scrutiny worldwide over its proximity to the Chinese government and protection of user data. Like other social media apps, TikTok has also faced criticism for not doing enough to shield teens from inappropriate content. Parents will now also be able to set custom time limits for their teens' TikTok usage depending on the day of the week, the company said.

Companies TikTok FollowWASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - A group of 45 state attorneys general on Monday demanded Chinese-owned social media app TikTok produce subpoenaed materials sought in an ongoing nationwide consumer protection investigation. The states are seeking to review internal TikTok communications to determine whether the company engaged in deceptive conduct that harmed mental health of TikTok users, particularly children and teens, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said. On Monday the states urged a Tennessee state court to compel TikTok's requests for information. Reporting by David Shepardson,Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Calls to boycott Walgreens grow as pharmacy confirms it will not sell abortion pills in 20 states, including some where it remains legal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Last month, 20 Republican attorneys general told Walgreens it could face legal action if it sold abortion pills in some states. Walgreens told Politico it will not sell the pills in those states, which includes some where abortion is legal. Walgreens told Politico that it has responded to the states represented by the 20 AGs, and said it will not distribute the abortion pill Mifepristone in any of those states. At the time, Walgreens told Insider that it was working to become FDA-certified to sell abortion pills in the states where they are legal. Several Democratic attorneys general filed an argument in the case last month that said banning the pill would lead to an "unprecedented spike" in maternal mortality.

Medication abortion has drawn increasing attention since the U.S. Supreme Court last year reversed its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion in response to the decision. Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, for medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions. They said ending access to the drug would force patients to have unnecessary surgical abortions or prevent them from accessing abortion altogether. The Texas lawsuit could move quickly, as the plaintiffs in a filing on Friday asked Kacsmaryk to skip a hearing on a preliminary order and instead go straight to trial.

Feb 1 (Reuters) - A group of 20 Republican state attorneys general on Wednesday told Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) and CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) that they risk running afoul of federal and state law if they dispense the abortion drug mifepristone by mail. Walgreens and CVS have said they intend to become certified and dispense the drug in states where abortion is legal, though neither has yet done so. Mifepristone, used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, is approved for abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. The attorneys general called this interpretation "bizarre" and warned that mailing the drug could violate some states' laws. Meanwhile, generic mifepristone manufacturer GenBioPro and a doctor have challenged restrictions on the drug in West Virginia and North Carolina, respectively.

☆ TikTok banned on government devices under spending bill passed by Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The bill includes an exception for law enforcement, national security and research purposes. TikTok has repeatedly said its U.S. user data is not based in China, though those assurances have done little to alleviate concern. While it fell short of antitrust advocates' hopes, the inclusion of the merger filing fee bill still gained praise. Miller said the bill will "significantly strengthen antitrust law for the first time since 1976." Empowering state AGs in antitrust casesAnother antitrust bill included in the package was a version of the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act.

☆ Google settles with 40 states over location tracking practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states over its use of location tracking, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Monday. Even when users thought they'd turned off location tracking in their account settings, Google continued to collect information regarding their whereabouts, Oregon's AG office said. The settlement requires Google to be more transparent with users and provide clearer location tracking disclosures beginning in 2023. Consumers thought they had turned off their location tracking features on Google, but the company continued to secretly record their movements and use that information for advertisers." Google settled a similar lawsuit with Arizona for $85 million last month, and the company faces additional location tracking lawsuits in Washington, D.C., Indiana, Texas and Washington state.

☆ Godiva accused of post-settlement meddling with claims in Belgium chocolate class action
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

At issue is the settlement claims process, funded by Godiva and executed by Kroll Notice Media Solutions. According to class counsel, Godiva recently directed Kroll “to conduct several additional rounds of review” of class claims that had already been validated. Adding to the intrigue: In September, class counsel told Preska that Godiva had informed them that the company did not have enough money to pay class members. It's also rare, Frank said, for class counsel to ask a judge to get involved in the post-settlement claims administration process. Read more:State AGs, objectors hoist red flags in proposed Godiva class actionOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 3 (Reuters) - A state court in Washington has temporarily blocked Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) from paying a $4 billion dividend to shareholders before the grocery chain closes its proposed deal with rival Kroger Co (KR.N), documents filed said on Thursday. Kroger Co (KR.N) snapped up Albertsons in a $25 billion deal in last month's mega merger between the No. "By eliminating its cash-on-hand and nearly doubling its debt, Albertsons will be in a weakened competitive position relative to Kroger, thereby harming grocery consumers and workers throughout Washington," State Court Commissioner Henry Judson wrote in issuing the temporary restraining order. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson called the temporary order a "huge victory". In its statement, Albertsons said on Thursday the court order was based on the "incorrect assertion" that the dividend payout would weaken its competitiveness while antitrust agencies review the proposed merger.

☆ U.S. state attorneys general probing Kroger deal for Albertsons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A customer leaves an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Riverside, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A half dozen state attorneys general are digging into Kroger's (KR.N) planned acquisition of rival grocery chain Albertsons (ACI.N), District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said on Wednesday. read moreRacine, along with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois and Washington state, also urged the chief executive of Albertsons to delay $4 billion in payments to shareholders until the state merger review is done and the deal closes. Albertsons, which owns Safeway and other grocery chains, said on Oct. 18 it would give shareholders a special dividend of up to $4 billion. An Albertsons spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the special dividend allows the company "to return cash to all of Albertsons Companies’ shareholders," adding that it would continue to be well-capitalized after the dividend is paid.

☆ Donald Trump says a simple disclaimer gives him immunity from fraud. Could he have a point?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-02 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The statements were unsealed last week as part of NY AG Letitia James' fraud lawsuit against Trump. Trump told Sean Hannity the disclaimers absolve him of responsibility and the AG has "no case." "We have a disclaimer," Trump told the Fox News host. But Trump told Hannity none of that would matter because each Statement of Financial Condition begins with a warning. The opening paragraphs of the disclaimer for Donald Trump's 2012 Statement of Financial Condition (highlights added).

☆ U.S. proposes requiring new airline fee disclosure rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This is the latest in a series of rules the Biden administration has proposed to boost airline consumer protections. "Airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Last month, Buttigieg told Reuters airline rules were in need of a "refresh." In July 2021, USDOT proposed rules to require airlines to refund fees for significantly delayed bags and refunds for services like onboard Wi-Fi that do not work. Under existing U.S. rules, passengers are entitled to a fee refund if bags are lost, but not when delayed.

☆ 24 GOP attorneys general warn Visa, AmEx, and Mastercard about using a code that identifies purchases at gun stores
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AGs from 24 states sent a letter threatening to take action over a new merchant code for gun stores. The attorneys general warned that tracking the data could lead to misuse, whether intentional or unintentional. They said using a merchant code for gun stores would be an inaccurate method for keeping track of firearms purchases. The coordinated move came after the Geneva-based nonprofit International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved the creation of the merchant code earlier this month. Gun rights advocates, including the NRA, have expressed concerns that the new merchant category code would effectively create a gun registry, and put gun owners at risk.

☆ What's next now that Letitia James has sued Donald Trump? A slow-motion, 'eye-glazing' battle of lawyers, experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NY AG Letitia James sued Donald Trump, his three eldest kids, and Trump Organization on Wednesday. "This is going to be an eye-glazing battle" of experts and lawyers, before the lawsuit even goes to trial, one ex-prosecutor, Armen Morian, said of what's to come. He prosecuted the New York AG's case against Hank Greenberg, the one-time CEO of insurance giant AIG. That's the Manhattan judge who repeatedly ruled against Trump in the two-year lead-in to the AG's lawsuit. "She will pay for bringing such an aggressive, gargantuan, and unwieldy case," Morian predicted, "assuring that this case will move at a snail's pace, to the defendants' advantage."

☆ Primul transplant de organe de la porc la om ar putea avea loc anul acesta
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-12 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +3 min

Compania de biotehnologie United Therapeutics, cu sediul în Maryland, intenționează să înceapă chiar de anul acesta transplantul de organe de la porci modificați genetic. Scopul este de a compensa o parte din cererea masivă de organe pentru transplant care salvează viețile oamenilor. Transplantul de organe de la animale la oameni poate produce reacții imune severeExistă, însă, o problemă majoră: transplantul de organe animale în corpul uman poate duce la reacții imune severe. Cunoscute sub numele de porci GalSafe, animalele au fost modificate genetic pentru a nu avea zahăr alpha-gal pe suprafața celulelor. FDA nu a testat în mod explicit dacă persoanele cu AGS pot mânca carne de porc și nici nu a evaluat dacă porcii pot fi o sursă sigură de transplant la oameni.

Persons: David Ayares, Revivicor, gal Organizations: United Therapeutics, United, US, Resources, Services, gal, FDA Locations: Maryland, SUA

☆ Porcii modificați genetic, aprobați pentru consumul uman în SUA
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-19 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +3 min

Animalele, cunoscute sub numele de porci GalSafe, au fost modificate genetic pentru a nu avea zahăr alpha-gal pe suprafața celulelor. Administrația pentru Alimente și Medicamente (FDA) din SUA a anunțat că a aprobat porcii modificați genetic, atât pentru consumul alimentar de către oameni, cât și ca sursă pentru potențiale utilizări terapeutice, precum medicamentele. Porcii GalSafe au fost dezvoltați de compania biotehnologică Revivicor Inc., derivată din compania britanică PPL Therapeutics care a ajutat la producerea primului animal clonat, oaia Dolly, în 1996. În 2015, agenția a aprobat o formă de somon modificată genetic pentru consum uman, care a fost editată pentru a crește mai repede. Decizia actuală a primit critici din partea ONG-urilor pentru siguranța alimentelor care au afirmat că FDA a aprobat GalSafe, porcii modificați genetic, fără să ceară companiei să realizeze teste de alergii și nici să ofere o analiză de mediu adecvată.

Persons: gal, Stephen Hahn, Revivicor Organizations: gal, FDA, biotehnologică Revivicor Inc, PPL, United Therapeutics, Associated Press Locations: SUA

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