How America’s Drinking Water Crisis Impacts Chicagoans

Posted on October 31, 2024Categories EPA, health

The movement to remove and replace lead pipes is nothing new in the United States. For decades, parts of the country have been working to get rid of lead pipes and replace them with alternatives that are much safer for human health. Progress, however, has generally been slow and lead pipes remain widely in use in many American cities. Earlier this month, President Biden announced the final deadline as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, giving the whole country ten years to expedite the process of removing and replacing all lead pipes.

Bars and Barriers: DHS Proposed Rule Permits Application of Mandatory Bars During Credible Fear Screenings

Posted on October 30, 2024Categories Regulation

On May 13, 2024 the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking which would allow asylum officers (“AOs”) to consider the applicability of certain mandatory bars to asylum and statutory withholding of removal during credible fear screenings. The proposed rule has garnered significant support and opposition from several groups and organizations, but it marks an unprecedented change to the asylum-seeking process that could create additional barriers to relief for asylum seekers. 
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Upcoming SEC Turmoil: What It Means for the Cryptocurrency Industry

Posted on October 25, 2024Categories Cryptocurrency, SEC

The early October resignation of Gurbir Grewal, the Director of the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent ripples of (false) hope through the cryptocurrency industry. Grewal played a key role in shaping the SEC’s enforcement agenda; although his departure will likely not alter the SEC’s approach to digital assets, the upcoming election may affect the cryptocurrency industry’s interests.
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Will Chicago’s Northwest Side Ordinance Protect Affordable Housing Along “The 606”?

Posted on October 24, 2024Categories Regulation

On September 19th, 2024, the Chicago City Council passed the Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance “Northwest Side Ordinance” by a vote of 44-3. The ordinance is designed to fight gentrification and preserve affordable housing in a set area near “The 606” recreation trail that includes parts of the Avondale, Hermosa, Humboldt Park, Logan Square and West Town neighborhoods. The DePaul Institute for Housing Studies found that, between 2013 and 2018, communities on the western end of The 606 lost almost 60% of their two to six flat buildings. To address this, Chicago City Council passed two ordinances in 2021 that changed zoning regulations to reduce displacement in both Pilsen and communities near The 606. These regulations proved to be very successful in slowing demolitions and deconversions within the boundaries of the study area and resulted in the permanent Northwest Side ordinance passed by City Council last month.
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$47 for the 47th Presidency: Musk Tests Super PAC Limits with Payouts for Swing State Voter Referrals

Posted on October 23, 2024Categories Elections

On October 7, 2024, Elon Musk’s pro-Trump Super PAC, America PAC, announced it would disburse $47 payments to residents of certain swing states who refer other swing state voters to sign a petition pledging support for the First and Second Amendments. Musk said on his social media platform, X, “ For every person you refer who is a swing state voter, you get $47! Easy money.” Eligibility is limited to registered voters in seven key battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Musk’s goal is to reach 1 million signatures, which would amount to $47 million in payments to signatories.
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Regulatory Framework for Airline Mergers: Recent Scrutiny by Regulators Leads to Splitting Antitrust Decisions by the DOJ and DOT

Posted on October 23, 2024Categories Antitrust, Transportation

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines’ proposed $1.9 billion merger has survived litigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) following recent scrutiny of airlines by regulators. Earlier this year, a federal judge blocked the $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines by JetBlue due to antitrust concerns. The DOJ successfully blocked the acquisition by arguing it would stifle competition and raise prices for consumers. The Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger managed to survive an inquiry by the DOT leading to split decisions by regulators.
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What the Indian Child Welfare Act Means for Tribal Sovereignty

Posted on October 18, 2024Categories Regulation, Uncategorized

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) has been considered the “gold standard” of child welfare best practice from experts in the field. This is because it requires active efforts to keep children safe in their homes and connected to their families, communities, and culture. For the past 46 years, ICWA has stood as a powerful force in protecting Native American children and preserving Indigenous cultures. Considering that reunification is the most common goal for children in foster care, ICWA is an essential means of reaching this goal in a culturally responsible way for Native American children. Further protections at the state level as well as expanding ICWA are necessary to protect tribal sovereignty in the removal of their children.
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Tackling Concussions – How the NFL is Addressing Player Safety

Posted on October 18, 2024Categories Athletic Regulation, Sports

On Thursday, September 12th, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained his third career concussion during a game against the Buffalo Bills. Following his previous concussions, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) worked diligently to implement new protocols aimed at enhancing player safety and reducing the risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). However, this latest incident has reignited online debate about player safety, TBIs, and the NFL’s implementation of Guardian Caps at training camps and practices.
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Danger in Every Dye: Why the FDA Should Ban Artificial Food Color Additives

Posted on October 18, 2024Categories FDA

Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies have shown that certain food color dyes have toxic and carcinogenic effects on human health, with focuses predominantly on Red No. 3 and Red No. 40. However, in recent years, studies have revealed the toxicity of many other artificial food color dyes in addition to red dyes. Last month, United States Senator Ron Johnson hosted a roundtable discussion, “American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion”, with prominent doctors and other health advocates to discuss the changes within agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries and their impacts on the nation’s health. Among many topics covered during the four-hour-long discussion was the negative effects of artificial color additives in everyday foods on people’s health with toxic and carcinogenic effects. This discussion is coupled with increased calls on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban artificial food color additives in food products. At the state level, California and Illinois have begun to act to ban these toxic color additives statewide.
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Locked Out: How the FDIC is ‘Banking’ on Transparency

Posted on October 16, 2024Categories Banking, Finance & Banking

As a result of Synapse, a banking as a service (BaaS) provider, declaring bankruptcy back in May 2024, millions of users were unable to access accounts for at least two weeks. Synapse was a startup that had contracts with 20 banks and 100 financial technology (fintech) companies. When the company filed for bankruptcy, it shut down its services to comply with banking laws to ensure that all customer deposits were accurate. Despite the word “banking” in BaaS and customers having credit or debit cards, Synapse is not like other banks. It is distinguishable, because it is not backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), like other traditional banks are. In the aftermath of the lock out, the FDIC has proposed a new rule to force banks partnered with fintech apps to strengthen record-keeping.
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