Five Compliance Reminders on Meal and Rest Breaks to Protect Against Costly Claims

California employers continue to face heavy scrutiny and litigation regarding their meal and rest break practices. Since the Brinker Restaurant Group v. Superior Court decision in 2012, courts have reaffirmed that compliance is measured by strict timing rules, not just having written policies in place. Here are five key reminders on the timing requirements and related obligations for meal and rest breaks in California:

1. Timing of Breaks

Meal Breaks
The Brinker decision makes it clear:

  • First meal break must
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FTC Adds Defendants in Case Against Growth Cave Scam

The Federal Trade Commission has filed an amended complaint in its case against the Growth Cave business opportunity and credit repair scam. The amendment adds two defendants based on information the FTC learned after the original filing.

The amended complaint names LLT Research as a new defendant in the case, alleging that the company served as the corporate structure behind the operation’s PassiveApps product, which defendant Lucas Lee-Tyson started selling in 2024. The amended complaint also adds as a relief … Read the rest

Researchers search for microbes that offer protection against Salmonella

Scientists have identified how a bacteria in the gut can act as a protective species against Salmonella infection.

A team at the University of Cambridge in England revealed a novel role for the commensal bacterium Enterocloster clostridioformis as helping to protect against salmonellosis.

Virginia Pedicord, Benjamin Beresford-Jones, and researchers at the University of Cambridge found Enterocloster clostridioformis could protect the host against bacterial pathogens like Salmonella by inducing protective responses in gut cells and increasing anti-inflammatory immune cells in the gut. Findings were published in the journal Microbiome.

The gut … Read the rest

FDA steps up enforcement of import laws against pet treats, cilantro and more

The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.

Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below.

Click here to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts.

Import Alert Number Import Alert Type Publish Date Import Alert Name
99-42 DWPE 01/30/2025 DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF FOODS DUE TO HEAVY
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Special Counsel Jack Smith revises indictment against Trump

Special Counsel Jack Smith revises indictment against Trump

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Just under two months after a divided Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for their conduct in office, Special Counsel Jack Smith charged former President Donald Trump in a revised indictment alleging that Trump conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The court’s July 1 ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, held that former presidents can never be prosecuted for actions related to the core powers of their office. Moreover, the … Read the rest

Pennsylvania officials warn against raw milk cheese contaminated with Listeria

Raw milk cheese from a Pennsylvania producer sold at an unknown number of retail locations is contaminated with Listeria. The producer is refusing to issue a recall. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture warns consumers to discard BeiHollow brand raw milk cheddar cheese.

The Department of Agriculture purchased two retail packages of BeiHollow brand cheese from Racoon Valley Farm in Millerstown, Perry County, as part of required testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Analysis revealed that the cheese product … Read the rest

Justices take up abortion case pitting state against federal law

Justices take up abortion case pitting state against federal law

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The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon granted a request from Idaho and the state’s Republican-controlled legislature to temporarily put on hold a ruling by a federal district court that would require emergency rooms in the state to provide abortions to pregnant women in an emergency. The justices agreed to weigh in on the question at the center of the dispute: whether the federal law on which the lower court relied trumps an Idaho law that criminalizes most abortions in … Read the rest

Justices clear the way for Louisiana wetlands trial against oil companies to go forward

Justices clear the way for Louisiana wetlands trial against oil companies to go forward

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday morning declined to put a Louisiana trial seeking compensation for the “existential threat” posed by coastal land loss on hold while the defendants in the case, a group of oil companies, seek review of a state court decision rejecting their request to transfer the case. The oil companies had argued that they cannot get a fair trial in the court where they are being sued because any awards against them will go to the … Read the rest