Subway Attacks: Two suicide bombers triggered huge explosions in the Moscow subway system Monday during rush hour, killing dozens of people. The New York Times and The Washington Post have stories here and here.
Pfizer Penalty: Pfizer Inc. was slapped with a a $141 million penalty for the unlawful promotion of its epilepsy drug Neurontin for unapproved uses, The National Law Journal reports. A federal jury in Boston found Pfizer violated federal racketeering laws in the off-label promotion of the drug. The jury's $47 million verdict was tripled under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Divided Camp: The New York Times reports on a divide in the Obama administration over some of the counterterrorism powers inherited from former President George W. Bush. The debate has focused on how to define the terrorism suspects who may be detained without trial as wartime prisoners.
Recess Action: Over the weekend President Obama used his recess appointment power to install 15 nominees, including labor lawyer Craig Becker and Georgetown University law professor Chai Feldblum, sidestepping several difficult confirmation battles, The BLT reports. The nominations of Becker for the National Labor Relations Board and Feldblum for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have faced opposition.
Data Theft Alert: Last week's theft of names, addresses and Social Security numbers for 3.3 million people with student loans was the largest-ever breach of such information, The Wall Street Journal reports. The personal information was stolen this month from the St. Paul, Minn., headquarters of Educational Credit Management Corp.
Low-Key Leader: The New York Times profiles U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell in Brooklyn, who is likely being replaced by former U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York under Campbell was home to high profile cases in the prosecution of terrorism and white-collar crime. “The Eastern District is in the forefront in all of these cases and in no small part thanks to Ben’s leadership,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer told the Times.
Guilty, Round No. 2: A federal jury has convicted former Brocade CEO Gregory Reyes on nine out of 10 felony counts, a victory for the Justice Department following last year's appellate reversal, The Recorder reports via law.com. Reyes was first convicted in 2007, marking the government's first and most high-profile conviction of a corporate executive on charges of backdating stock options.
Comments