FTC Urges FDA to Re-evaluate Homeopathic Product Regulation

The $3 billion industry has increasingly drawn the attention of both regulators. Among the questions the FDA brought up in the request for comment involve consumer and health provider attitudes towards homeopathic products, requests for data sources regarding the safety of the products, and what kind of measures could be implemented to improve the clarity of the CPG’s standard, among others.


Department of Education Must Navigate Student Loan Forgiveness Carefully

Statistics released by the DOE on Thursday show that 3.9 million borrowers have enrolled in income-based repayment programs, with $200 billion of the total $1.2 trillion of outstanding student debt in some kind of payment modification program. The number of enrollees is 56 percent higher than in the year prior. The DOE also estimates that outstanding federal student debt will double to nearly $2.5 trillion by 2025.


Judge Orders Release of Detained Immigrant Children

Gee had already found DHS in violation of the agreement in July, with the most recent ruling being a stern rebuttal of the government’s request to reconsider the ruling. DHS has argued that complying with the agreement would lead to a large influx of illegal immigrants crossing the border; however Gee called the argument “repackaged and reheated,” saying it was “speculative,” and equating it to “fearmongering.”


NHTSA to Investigate more Honda Airbag Woes

Although no deaths have been reported from the defect, one of the 19 complaints involved a single-car, front-end collision with injuries. In that incident, a Belleview, Florida driver crashed into a concrete wall head-on at 50 MPH, with the front airbag failing to deploy.


If Mike Could be Like Me

Jordan told reporters, “This shows I will protect my name to the fullest. It’s my name and I worked hard for it, and I’m not just going to let someone take it.”

According to Jordan’s attorneys, the use of his likeness for advertising should have been valued at roughly $10 million, whereas Dominick’s attorney Steven Mandel argued that the Jordan’s legal team is overvaluing the amount, and that the jury should award Jordan $126,900 for his likeness in the ad.


GSK Sells Rights to Autoimmune Drug to Novartis for up to $1 Billion

While the timing of the purchase is ideal in many respects for Novartis considering its portfolio and the pending loss of the gilenya patent, it is also timing that has some in the industry questioning the deal. Ocrelizumab is about two years ahead in development compared to ofatumumab, having completed two successful late-stage studies in June.


Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Labor Department and Home Care Workers

Calling it a “tremendous victory,” Sarah Leberstein, senior staff attorney for the National Employment Law Group said, “Paying workers less than the minimum wage for their work hours, and not paying an overtime premium after 40 hours a week benefits no one.” According to the advocacy group Caring Across Generations, domestic care is one of the U.S.’s lowest paying industry, with an average hourly wage of $9.61.


Will Class-Action Litigation of Ashley Madison Account Holders Succeed?

The second data dump comes after Biderman questioned the credibility of the hacker’s claims, with the Impact Team taunting him with a message regarding Thursday’s disclosure, “Hey Noel, you can admit it’s real now.” As reality does indeed set in for both ALM and the millions of users whose personal lives may be altered forever by the leak, sorting out legal liability in the matter will be messy.


Final Ex-Executives Plead Guilty over West Virginia Chemical Spill

Charleston U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said that his agency was focused on pursuing prison time for the former executives as a stronger deterrent than financial penalties. Goodwin said, “Executives are used to writing checks. It sends a stronger message if they have to trade their three-piece suits for a prison jumpsuit.”