Over 190 countries agree to curtail greenhouse gas emissions at the UN Climate Conference, the U.S. House releases the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, and more…
IN THE NEWS
- At the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, over 190 countries agreed to curtail greenhouse gas emissions in order to stop an increase in the world’s temperature above 2 degrees Celsius—an agreement that President Barack Obama stated “establishes the enduring framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis.”
- The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations released the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for the 2016 fiscal year, which includes among its aims “stop[ping] waste and abuse, increas[ing] transparency and accountability at federal agencies, and halt[ing] administrative overreach,” and would affect certain regulations, such as by postponing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed rule that would mandate that restaurants include calories on their menus.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clarified details concerning its drone registration rule—which will require all recreational drones to be registered starting on December 21—explaining that drone operators will not need to retain “drone registration firms” to assist them with the process, but rather will be able to register their drones on their own.
- The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued an opinion concluding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated federal law by using the social media platform Thunderclap in connection with its proposed rule concerning the Clean Water Act after the rule’s comment period had expired.
- In an effort “to help combat global corruption and empower citizens of resource-rich countries to hold their governments accountable,” the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a proposed rule that would require commercial developers of oil, natural gas, and minerals to disclose any payments that they make to foreign governments in their efforts to secure extraction rights.
- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Chairman Elliot F. Kaye announced that the agency is testing hoverboards after several caught fire, and provided recommendations to consumers when buying and using the boards.
