Latest Government regulations News

17 states challenge federal rules entitling workers to accommodations for abortion

Apr. 25, 2024 20:13 PM EDT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Republican attorneys general from 17 states filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging new federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions, calling the rules an illegal interpretation of a 2022 federal law. The lawsuit led by...

Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers

Apr. 25, 2024 19:57 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday voted to restore “net neutrality” rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the...

Selling weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to minors in New York is now illegal

Apr. 25, 2024 18:35 PM EDT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — It’s now illegal to sell weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to minors in New York, under a first-in-the-nation law that went into effect this week. Experts say loose federal regulation of dietary supplements has resulted in these products sometimes...

Stock market today: Wall Street falls on double dose of disappointing economic data, as Meta sinks

Apr. 25, 2024 17:18 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Worries about a potentially toxic cocktail combining stubbornly high inflation with a flagging economy dragged U.S. stocks lower on Thursday. A sharp drop for Facebook’s parent company, one of Wall Street’s most influential stocks, also hurt the market. The...

Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down

Apr. 25, 2024 17:10 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. New limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants are the Biden administration's...

US growth slowed sharply last quarter to 1.6% pace, reflecting an economy pressured by high rates

Apr. 25, 2024 16:59 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s economy slowed sharply last quarter to a 1.6% annual pace in the face of high interest rates, but consumers — the main driver of economic growth — kept spending at a solid pace. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross...

Average long-term US mortgage rate climbs for fourth straight week to highest level since November

Apr. 25, 2024 12:41 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level since late November, another setback for home shoppers in what's traditionally the housing market's busiest time of the year. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 7.17% from...

FTC sends $5.6 million in refunds to Ring customers as part of video privacy settlement

Apr. 25, 2024 11:09 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access. In a 2023 complaint, the FTC accused the...

Missouri House backs legal shield for weedkiller maker facing thousands of cancer-related lawsuits

Apr. 24, 2024 16:57 PM EDT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The manufacturer of a popular weedkiller won support Wednesday from the Missouri House for a proposal that could shield it from costly lawsuits alleging it failed to warn customers its product could cause cancer. The House vote marked an important but...

New federal rule would bar 'noncompete' agreements for most employees

Apr. 24, 2024 16:37 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by a federal agency Tuesday, though the rule is sure to be challenged in court. The Federal Trade Commission voted Tuesday 3-2 to ban measures known as...