The election of Donald Trump has shone a new light on healthcare insurance mega-mergers currently being challenged by the Obama administration. With the Anthem-Cigna trial in motion, and Aetna-Humana soon to follow, the future of health care insurance is up in the air. If successful, these two mergers will significantly reshape the market, reducing the five major health insurers to just three.
EpiPen Maker Accused of Anti-Competitive Practices
The EpiPen is a necessity for people who are at risk of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening type of allergic reaction. They are a common item in kids’ backpacks and home first-aid kits, and the name has become a generic term that refers to epinephrine auto-injectors. Yet the product itself is only available as a brand-name product that costs hundreds of dollars.
IRS Attempts to Crackdown on Bitcoin Users with “John Doe” Summons
The Department of Justice on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filed a request for a “John Doe” summons in federal court for the individuals who engaged in transactions on Coinbase from 2013-2015. A “John Doe” summons request does not name any individual in particular, but instead identifies a nameless class of people that Coinbase is expected to turnover. The summons currently would include a large portion of the 4.8 million users trading over $5 billion in virtual currencies.
Facebook Versus German Hate Speech Laws
Facebook in Germany is a test case globally on how social media should respond to inappropriate and illegal content. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Justice Minister Heiko Maas are demanding that Facebook monitors the content published in its network and deletes unlawful content within 24 hours.
Trump to Take Actions on Immigration Visa Programs
Dallas Stares Down a Texas-Size Threat of Bankruptcy
Dallas, the city with the fastest economic growth out of the nation’s 13 largest cites, is in trouble. It could soon join Detroit as one of the largest American cities to go bankrupt.
Volkswagen Emissions Scandal is More than Just Cheating on Emissions Tests
The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal arose last year after it was determined that Volkswagen had programmed as many as 11 million diesel cars to cheat on air-quality and emissions tests. The scandal led to a $14.7 billion class action settlement which included a car buyback program for Volkswagen car owners and a payment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmental damage that Volkswagen had concealed. Volkswagen suffered about a 40% loss of its market value as a result of the scandal.
Controversial Use Of “Ethnic Affinity” For Targeted Advertisement
It is common knowledge and widely accepted that any activity we conduct on the internet is used to create an online profile of our interests, age, and sex. Our information is being collected through activities such as online shopping, reading the news, and even watching YouTube videos. This information is gathered and stored on our browsers and accessed by advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements.
US Regulators to Crack Down on Anti-Poaching Agreements
In a joint press release, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced an intent to criminally prosecute companies engaged in antitrust violations, such as wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements. In addition, the federal regulators issued new guidance for human resources professionals designed to educate those in hiring positions about the applicability of antitrust laws in the context of employment decisions.
Possible Revisit to Bankruptcy Protection for American Apparel
After officially emerging from bankruptcy in February of this year, American Apparel LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on November 14, 2016 to allow for an “orderly sale of the business.” The bankruptcy filing could offer the company a chance to evaluate competing offers for its assets and business if an auction process occurs.