News and reports from the Department of Commerce.

The Federal Trade Commission recently initiated legal action in order to block IQVIA's acquisition of Propel Media, with the goal of preventing a significant increase in market concentration within the healthcare programmatic advertising industry.

The FTC has taken legal action against the manufacturers of Sobrenix supplement, who made deceptive claims about the supplement's ability to reduce alcohol cravings and utilized fraudulent endorsements.

The U.S. Commerce Department recently launched a website allowing companies to sign up for a program that is a mechanism in which personal data can be transferred from the European Union to the United States.

Congressman French Hill (R-AR), chairman of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion, said he and other committee leaders have introduced a bill aiming to provide regulatory clarity to crypto market participants, protect consumers, and encourage innovators to remain in the U.S. The bill includes paths for industry participants to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and directs both agencies to work with foreign regulators to develop international standards.

The Federal Trade Commission has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and all 50 states' attorneys general, in 180 enforcement actions targeting illegal telemarketing calls.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration awarded a $1.6 million grant to Spindale, N.C., for upgrades to its water and sewer system for expansion of a local truckload carrier company.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced charges against Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and its parent company, BAC North America Holding Co. (BACNAH) for failing to file hundreds of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) between 2009 and 2019.

NOAA has launched the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS), a new hurricane forecast model that aims to improve accuracy in predicting storm tracks and rapid intensification. HAFS will replace existing models and enhance hurricane forecasting capabilities for the National Weather Service in the United States.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged former U.S. Army financial counselor Caz L. Craffy with defrauding Gold Star family members of benefits, including of life insurance and survivor benefits received after the death of an active duty service member.

In early July, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has issued cease and desist letters to companies that sell edible products containing Delta-8 THC. Many of these products are packaged in a manner that closely resembles food commonly consumed by children.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo welcomed the European Union's adoption of the Data Privacy Framework (DPF). The adoption of the DPF allows for the transfer of personal data from EU countries to U.S. organizations.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that it filed insider trading charges against ex-Pfizer employee Amit Dagar and his business partner, Atul Bhiwapurkar, for trading before the announcement of a successful trial of the antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid,

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has declared his support of Bitcoin, describing the leading cryptocurrency as an "international asset" with the potential to transform the financial industry, he said.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) tweeted her support of the Southern District of New York's decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission vs. Ripple Labs Inc., stating the decision aligns with her proposed legislation on regulating the cryptocurrency industry.

A county in east-central Utah is getting more than a $1 million in federal grant funding to develop an aviation-maintenance workforce. The area has been challenged by the declining use of coal in the energy sector.