No More Methane: New Rule Issued by the EPA Regulating Methane Production by Oil and Gas Operations

On December 2, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a new rule aimed at reducing methane and emissions from other pollutants. The rule contains Emissions Guidelines to aid states in setting plans limiting methane production in their territory. The rule also enumerates New Source Performance Standards aimed at reducing the prevalence of methane from new sources.

SEC Scales Back Landmark Greenhouse Emissions Proposed Rule Following West Virginia v. EPA

Amanda Lane Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2025 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule in March of 2022 mandating that publicly-traded companies report their levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and strategies for reducing climate risk on their Form 10-K, a form used to report annual financial performance. The response …
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Alabama Supreme Court Rules Frozen Embryos are Children Under Its Constitution: What Does this Mean for IVF?

The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last month that frozen embryos, commonly used for In-Vitro Fertility (IVF) treatments are considered children under the Alabama constitution. This ruling has caused significant unease among fertility clinics in Alabama and those in states with other staunch pro-life states. To make matters worse, the court did not specifically provide a road map as to how fertility clinics may operate in order to avoid civil monetary damages or potentially criminal prosecution under state statute. While it is too early for panic in other states, fertility clinics in Alabama and other pro-life states should pay close attention to the ruling and the actions within their states in the near future to observe how states choose to apply their anti-abortion legislation.

How the Latest NIL Rulings Impact the NCAA

The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been constantly changing since its enactment in June of 2021. Over the last month, the NCAA has faced legal defeats involving the rights of student-athletes under the policies it has established. A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Regional Director determined that members of the Dartmouth College men’s basketball team were employees, thereby granting them the right to unionize. Also, most recently, a Tennessee court issued a preliminary injunction barring the NCAA from enforcing its NIL rules against compensation for recruits. This injunction was issued as a part of a federal lawsuit alleging that the rules violate antitrust laws. Each of these rulings carries distinct implications for the NCAA’s future and the organization’s ongoing efforts to lobby Congress for federal regulation.

FTC Reaches Two Epic Settlements with Fortnite’s Maker

The FTC has settled its largest refund amount and established its largest administrative order in the history of the department and gaming industry. This settlement and administrative order were both with gaming giant, Epic Games. Epic Games is the owner of video games such as Gears of War, Dauntless, and Fortnite. The company has an estimated yearly gross income of $907 million a year, with a vast majority of its revenue coming from Fortnite. Fortnite is Epic Games’s most popular game, with over 400 million users worldwide, many of those users being young adults and teens.

FTC Attempts to Keep Up with Tech: Proposed ban on AI to Impersonate Individuals

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces federal consumer protection laws that prevent fraud among other unfair business practices. On February 15, 2024 the Chair of the FTC Lina M. Khan released a joint statement with Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Commissioner Alvaro M. Bedoya stating the FTC finalized its rule prohibiting both government and business impersonation scheme, and is seeking public comment on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that would extend the ban to include the impersonation of individuals as well. Specifically, the finalized rule and the proposed addition would prohibit the use of artificial intelligence or AI tools for impersonation. For consumers, this rule and the proposed addition provide much needed protection against fraudsters using AI-generated deepfakes. Given the increase in consumer fraud, it is imperative that the FTC expand consumer protection regulation in tandem with evolving technology.

‘Off-Channel’ Communications and the SEC

Alexia Mandoeng  Associate Editor   Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D. Candidate 2025        The U.S Securities and Exchanges Commission (“SEC”) has targeted its attention toward monitoring and regulating the off-channel communications of its registrants. In the past few years, the SEC has imposed penalties exceeding $2 billion, with the most recent charges being …
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Overseas Human Rights Violations

Ariez Bueno  Associate Editor  Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2025  On January 23, 2024, China’s human rights record was examined in the Universal Periodic Review. The U.N. Meeting included many Western countries raising their concerns over the treatment of Xinjiang Uyghurs. Although Beijing denied any abuse of Uyghurs and other Muslims in China, …
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Health Roulette: The Truth Behind Dietary Supplements

Katherine O’Malley Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2025   How safe are dietary supplements such as your average vitamin pill or gummy? Are they tested like a new drug before they hit the market? Or even tested for effectiveness? We do not know how safe or effective dietary supplements are because regulators …
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Preemies and Problematic Probiotics

Delaney Szwed   Associate Editor   Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2024     On September 29, 2023, following the death of a baby that was killed by bacteria linked to a probiotic drug, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning letter regarding the use and risks of probiotics to treat preterm infants. In …
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