Federal News Digest for March 27, 2012
Washington Post
EPA to impose first greenhouse gas limits on power plants [Environmental Protection agency, greenhouse gases] – Juliet Eilperin reports that the Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, propose limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants; coal power plants will not be able to meet them without costly pollution control systems, requirements which the coal industry claims will effectively ban new coal plants
SEC’s new safety mechanism contains fallout from trading glitches on BATS [Securities and Exchange Commission] – David S. Hilzenrath reports that a mechanism initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission after the 2010′s “flash crash” worked as intended when on a new stock exchange, BATS, Apple stocks dropped precipitously, triggering a circuit breaker that halted trading for five minutes
FTC urges transparency law for Internet data brokers [Federal Trade Commission, online privacy] – Cecelia Kang reports that the Federal Trade Commission added its voice to those calling for legislation to protect consumers’ online privacy in a report that endorsed a law to require “data brokers” such as Lexis Nexis and Choicepoint to explain how and why they collect their data and allow consumers to see the data collected on them; however, the agency said a mandatory “do not track” web option for consumers was unnecessary at this juncture, and it preferred self-regulation by businesses that use the information to market to individuals, at least for now
New York Times
For Justices, a matter of framing the core issue on health care [Supreme Court, Affordable Care Act] – Adam Liptak previews the second day of the three-day Supreme Court oral argument on the health care law, in which litigants will present different legal theories for their opposition to or support for the law: those supporting the law will argue that the federal government has a right to enact the law, including the requirement that almost everyone purchase health insurance, under its power to regulate interstate commerce, while those opposed to the law will argue that the law intrudes into constitutionally protected individual liberties
Government’s not dead yet [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] – Joe Nocera finds that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an example of a government agency with a passion for good government in the tradition of FDR’s New Deal and President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs
Wall Street Journal
Fed signals resolve on rates [Federal Reserve] – Jon Hilsenrath and Kristina Peterson report on remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the Fed’s low interest rate policies are still necessary, based in part on uncertainty as to whether the decline in unemployment will continue; Bernanke’s comments sparked an uptick in stock prices
