Consumer Confidential: Why Is the Food Industry Dead-Set Against Warning Labels?
Consumers are frequently told that it’s their responsibility to make informed decisions. Otherwise, let the buyer beware. So it’s striking that some industries seem to work overtime preventing people from having all the information needed to choose wisely. A recent Field Poll in California found that 78 percent of California voters support placing labels on sugary drinks that warn of possible health hazards, up from 74 percent two...
California Marijuana Growers Face New Crop of Local Bans
Sacramento, Calif. — When the California Legislature passed the state’s first comprehensive medical marijuana regulations in September, pot advocates hoped the move heralded a new era of trust in their often-tumultuous relationship with wary local officials and police. So far, it hasn’t turned out that way. Facing what appears to be a rapidly closing window for action, dozens of cities and counties from across California are racing to...
Cage-Free, the Egg of the Future
Will the next egg you crack come from a chicken raised in a roomier barn? Foodies and farmers are in unusual agreement on the answer: If not now, then soon enough. Both say McDonald’s recent decision to transition to “cage free” eggs for its McMuffins and other menu items was a tipping point in the $9 billion egg industry, which still produces 96 percent of its eggs in barns full of stacked wire cages. It will be increasingly hard to...
Schedule Rules Prove Difficult to Implement
San Francisco — San Francisco, the country’s premier laboratory for new Internet services, is also used to innovating in municipal regulation. But in its latest experiment, it’s starting to find that legislating good corporate behavior isn’t as easy as pressing a button on your smartphone. In July, the city started implementing a first-in-the-nation law aimed at curtailing the trend toward “just-in-time” scheduling, where managers...
As Self-Driving Cars Come to More States, Regulators Take a Back Seat
When self-driving cars begin zipping through Virginia this year, they won’t need any special registration, and the testers sitting behind the wheel won’t need a special license. In the eyes of the law, they’ll be regular cars. Virginia is one of a handful of states seeking to attract the potentially lucrative business of developing self-driving cars. And along with a few other states, its lawmakers and regulators are inclined to...
