Business news in brief

By The Associated Press

DEA reverses decision stripping drug distributor of licenses

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is allowing one of the nation’s largest wholesale drug distributors to stay in business, reversing an earlier order stripping the company of its licenses for its failure to properly monitor the shipment of tens of millions of addictive painkillers blamed for fueling the opioid crisis.

As part of the settlement announced Wednesday, Morris & Dickson Co. agreed to admit wrongdoing, comply with heightened reporting requirements and surrender one of its two certificates of registration with the DEA. The Shreveport, La.-based company, which has around 600 employees and generates about $4 billion a year in revenue, also agreed to forfeit $19 million.

Treasury rolls out residential real estate rules

WASHINGTON | The Biden administration wants to make residential real estate transactions more transparent — by unmasking the owners of all-cash purchases as part of its ongoing effort to combat money laundering and the movement of dirty money through the American financial system.

Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a regulation on Wednesday that would require some real estate professionals to report information to the agency about non-financed transfers of residential real estate to legal entities, trusts and shell companies.

U.S. labor judge orders Starbucks to reinstate high-profile union organizer

A federal labor law judge has ordered Starbucks to reinstate a high-profile labor organizer who resigned in 2022 after the coffee giant repeatedly ignored her scheduling requests.

An administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Starbucks compelled Jaz Brisack to resign when it scheduled her to two or three shifts per week for months despite her repeated requests to reduce her schedule.

The law judge’s decision must still be reviewed by the National Labor Relations Board. Brisack led the unionization effort at a Buffalo, New York, Starbucks in 2021. It was the first company-owned U.S. Starbucks store to organize in decades.

— From AP reports