Welcome back to another Top 10 in Law Blogs, Lexbloggers. And Happy New Year! Now in its second week, the government shutdown continued to dominate the news cycle, with Trump announcing today that “he’d keep the government closed for a very long period of time–months or even years,” according to Sen. Chuck Schumer. Legal bloggers commented on the shutdown’s effect on the FCC, trade agencies, FDA, and USDA. Maria Danaher filled us in on what employers should know about minimum wages in 2019. Edward McAndrew and David Stauss reflected on key cybersecurity issues to keep in mind as we begin 2019. Happy reading!

 

FCC Shuts Down Because of Government Funding Impasse – What Does It Mean for Broadcasters?By David Oxenford: Do you have a deal to buy a new station or a planned technical modification that needs FCC approval? Well, it looks like those plans may have to wait as the budget controversy in Washington has shut down the FCC. But what does the shut-down really mean for broadcasters? The FCC clarified some of the…View Full Post

There’s a lesson for lawyers in Nikki Haley’s loss of 1.7 million Twitter followersBy Kevin O’Keefe: You may want to exercise more care when opening social media accounts, selecting social media account names and managing your accounts as you move from position to position in your career. Caitlin Bird of Charleston’s Post and Courier reports that former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, lost 1.67 million Twitter followers when she left her position as…View Full Post

Some Thoughts on the Year in Privacy and Data Security LawBy Edward J. McAndrew and David M. Stauss: As we turn the page on 2018, let’s reflect on some of the key privacy and cybersecurity issues that will continue to occupy our hearts and minds in 2019. Owning the Mega-Breach 2018 was the year in which data breaches in mergers and acquisitions became the iceberg in full view. This fuller realization of cyber risk in transactions, though…View Full Post

Department of Education Issues New Title IX Regulations: What this Means for Elementary and Secondary SchoolsBy Paige C. Duggins-Clay: The Department of Education (“ED” or the “Department”) issued its long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) on November 29, 2018. As the Department has acknowledged, the proposed rules would adopt standards that significantly depart from those set forth in prior ED regulations…View Full Post

What Should Employers Know About Minimum Wages in 2019?By Maria Danaher: The “minimum wage” is the minimum hourly wage that an employer must pay to a covered nonexempt employee for work, and is set by federal, state, and local law. The current federal minimum wage, which was set in 2009 under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), is $7.25/hour. States are able to set their own…View Full Post

FDA, USDA Impacted by Lapse in Government FundingBy Samuel Jockel: As of the time of this blog’s publication, without either a fiscal year 2019 appropriation or a Continuing Resolution, a partial government shutdown, which began on December 22, 2018, has continued to impact departments and agencies across the federal government. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are directly…View Full Post

Let’s Review Major Tax Law Changes for Small-Business OwnersBy Keith Bateman: The dawning of 2019 means the 2018 income tax filing season will soon be upon us. After year end, it’s generally too late to take action to reduce 2018 taxes. Business owners may, therefore, want to shift their focus to assessing whether they’ll likely owe taxes or get a refund when they file their returns…View Full Post

Trade Agencies Closed for Business with Government ShutdownBy Michael Kelleher: As a result of the partial government shutdown which began on December 22, 2018, about 800,000 federal employees are currently on furlough or working without pay.  Nine federal departments have been shutdown: Department of Commerce; Department of Treasury; Department of Agriculture; Homeland Security Department; Department of the Interior; Deparment of Justice; Department of State; Department…View Full Post

Lessons from the SEC Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations’ 2019 PrioritiesBy Robin M. Bergen, Alexis Collins and Zachary Baum: On December 20, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) released its 2019 Examination Priorities.  The six themes for this year’s priorities are: retail investors (including seniors and those saving for retirement), compliance and risk in registrants responsible for critical market infrastructure (clearing agencies, transfer agents, national…View Full Post

Top 10 Canadian Labour & Employment Law Developments of 2018By Jordan Kirkness: To ring in the New Year, we highlight the ten most significant developments in Canadian labour and employment law in 2018. Legalization of recreational marijuana. Across Canada, the legalization of recreational cannabis has had a significant impact on employers, requiring them to implement changes to their workplace policies and procedures. The legalization of recreational marijuana…View Full Post