Amazon Taps DOJ Prosecutor, Helps 3M Fight Fake Goods

Here are the day’s top coronavirus stories from the team at Bloomberg Law:

• COUNTERFEIT CRACKDOWN: Amazon.com, Inc. is turning to a former federal prosecutor to bust counterfeit product sellers, as the online retailer fends off criticism from Congress and potentially costly trademark lawsuits. Amazon’s recently launched counterfeit crimes unit will be led by associate general counsel Cristina Posa, who joined the company in March after serving as senior counsel for the Justice Department.
• EPA ENFORCEMENT: The EPA can take its time responding to environmentalists’ request for increased transparency about the agency’s approach to enforcement during the coronavirus pandemic, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York refused to give the agency a deadline to address a petition the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups filed in April for an emergency rule requiring public notice of any reduced monitoring or reporting of pollution.
• MEDICARE INSURERS: Medicaid enrollment is surging, and insurers say a federal requirement that states keep beneficiaries on the rolls during the pandemic is a major reason why. The continuous coverage mandate, a provision of a law enacted in March, is designed to prevent beneficiaries from losing coverage as a result of state eligibility checks. Meanwhile, Oklahoma is set to join 35 states and the District of Columbia in expanding their Medicaid programs.
• RELIEF EXTENSION: Congress’ last-minute extension of a pandemic relief loan program to August is unlikely to increase banks’ appetite to lend the remaining money.

Editor’s Top Picks

Trump Officials Push Schools to Reopen, Setting Stage for Fight
Trump administration officials pushed for a full reopening of U.S. schools in the fall on Wednesday, though they stopped short of providing detailed plans for how to return students to the classroom as the coronavirus pandemic worsens.

Trump Administration Buys $594 Million in Virus Protective Gear
The Trump administration purchased $594 million in personal protective equipment since June, in the first complete look at how the Defense Department has replenished the Strategic National Stockpile since assuming that responsibility. The list of contracts, obtained by Bloomberg Law, highlights how the government is responding to a surge in infections around the country.

Brooks Brothers Goes Bankrupt With Formal Attire Losing Favor
Brooks Brothers Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy, felled by the pandemic’s impact on clothing sales and its own heavy debt load. The two-century-old apparel company is the latest to succumb as a nationwide lockdown during the outbreak added to the woes afflicting old-line retailers.

Recent Law Grads Call on California Trustees to Scrap Bar Exam
Those signed up to take the California bar exam are growing increasingly concerned about state officials’ indecisiveness regarding when and if the bar exam should be administered in 2020, given the public health concerns over Covid-19.

Harvard and MIT Sue ICE to Halt New Student Visa Guidelines
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the U.S. from enforcing new visa guidelines that could force international students out of the country if schools offer only online classes in the fall.

GEO Group Sued Over Private Prison Coronavirus Prep, Stock Drop
The GEO Group Inc. allegedly misled investors about the actions it was taking to prevent the coronavirus from infecting residents at a halfway house it operated in Kansas, a suit filed in Florida federal district court said.

United Air Warns 36,000 U.S. Employees That Jobs Are at Risk
United Airlines Holdings Inc. notified 36,000 U.S. employees, or 45% of the workforce, that their jobs are at risk after federal payroll aid expires at the end of September.

Watchdog to Review Return-to-Office Plans for Federal HR Agency
The Office of Personnel Management’s independent watchdog will keep tabs on the government’s central human resources agency as it looks to return employees to their regular workplaces.

JPMorgan Suspends Plan for Ohio Office Return Indefinitely
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is pulling back on returning employees to outposts in Columbus, Ohio -- home to the bank’s biggest U.S. office building -- after coronavirus cases in the state jumped.

INSIGHT: Employees Can Refuse Workplace Vaccinations
Employers have a duty to provide a healthful workplace and may consider requiring vaccinations to stem diseases, like Covid-19. University of Illinois College of Law Professor Matthew Finkel warns they might face legal challenges from applicants and incumbent employees based on religious objection, objection due to a medical condition, or objection based on ethical or ideological grounds.

INSIGHT: Combating Fraud and Conducting Remote Investigations in a Post Covid-19 Environment
The pandemic has created a target-rich environment for fraudsters. Annabel Kerley of StoneTurn predicts that large-scale cross-border fraud schemes will be uncovered and accounting irregularities exposed in much the same way that serious misconduct came to light after recent financial crises. The author offers steps and insights for internal and external socially distanced investigations.

Click here for updates on how federal courts are operating during the pandemic.

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Editor’s Note: The Bloomberg Law news team has been closely covering the legal, regulatory, business, and tax implications of the coronavirus pandemic. This daily email highlights the top stories of the day, across practice areas. To unsubscribe, please adjust your Bloomberg Law newsletter settings. For assistance, contact our help desk at 888-560-2529 or help@bloomberglaw.com.