Author:Shannon Henschel
The East Palestine Train Derailment
Earlier this month, an environmental disaster caused by a train derailment in a west Ohio town has resulted in close scrutiny from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in a chemical spill of millions of liters of toxic liquids. Among the spill’s immediate effects were chemical leakage into local water supplies and air pollution originating from a controlled burn. The EPA has since stepped in to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the clean-up, but unanswered compliance questions still remain.
Combatting Fraud in Latin America
In a recent statement for the Department of Justice (DOJ), Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. shared that the DOJ plans on ramping up enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in Latin America this year. This statement comes after the majority of noncompliance actions under the FCPA in 2022 occurred in Latin America.
Expansion of Generic Labeling for Food
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has loosened the approval for labels on meat, poultry, and egg products. By March 2023, the process for approval of certain labels on certain food products will essentially be discontinued under the Expansion of Generic Labeling Rule.
The Tax Gap and What it Means for Taxpaying Entities
Every three years, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases the estimated gross tax gap calculated for the three years prior. Recently, the estimated tax gap for the years 2014 to 2016 was revealed to be $496 billion. This startlingly high number represents a continuing trend of noncompliance by American taxpayers that feeds into the federal budget deficit.
Election Monitoring and Why It’s Important for November 8th
Voters have been questioning the credibility of elections since former President Donald Trump instilled fear in his supporters by alleging that votes were stolen in the 2020 election. Additionally, Democratic voters have become increasingly wary of voter suppression in Republican counties. As the United States midterm elections approach this year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be deploying stringent measures to ensure that counties and states are in compliance with fair voting practices.
Considerations for Employer-Provided Abortion Benefits
Following the ruling of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and subsequent reversal of Roe v. Wade, employers have begun to re-strategize how to help their employees legally access abortions. Several U.S. companies, including Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft, have released statements that they will cover transportation costs to other states for employees seeking an abortion.