Judge Revives Gas Station's Contamination Coverage Suit

By Hope Patti

A Washington federal court revived a gas station operator's suit accusing its insurer of wrongfully refusing to cover litigation over groundwater contamination, finding that a 2016 ruling on the insurer's duty to remediate environmental pollution at the operator's former gas stations does not preclude the current dispute.

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General Mills Urges Coverage For Ultraprocessed Food Suits

By Hope Patti

General Mills said it is entitled to defense and indemnity for a series of suits claiming it injured consumers through the distribution of ultraprocessed foods, telling a Pennsylvania federal court that its Liberty Mutual and Chubb insurers lack legitimate grounds to contest their coverage obligations.

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7th Circ. Suggests High Court Ruling Supports Ark. PBM Rule

By Kellie Mejdrich

The Seventh Circuit appeared reluctant Tuesday to revive a union fund's challenge to an Arkansas rule making health plans disclose pharmacy compensation and pay fees, with judges pointing to a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permitted state cost regulations on pharmacy benefit managers.

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Penn National Says No Coverage In Property Sale Fraud Suit

By Gina Kim

Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co. told a North Carolina federal judge it should have no duty to indemnify a businessowner policyholder accused in an underlying lawsuit of knowingly hiding a water leak in a residential property to induce someone into buying it, arguing Monday there's no coverage for damages resulting from alleged misrepresentations.

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Vehicle Co. Inks $150K Deal To End Tobacco Fee Suit

By Grace Elletson

International Motors LLC, formerly Navistar, has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a suit claiming the company illegally charged workers an extra $600 a year if they used tobacco without giving them a proper avenue to dodge the fee, according to an Illinois federal court filing.

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Grassley Says Cruz And Lee Top His List If Alito Retires

By Courtney Bublé

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that if U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito were to retire then he would recommend the president nominate either Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

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Ginsburg Hack Conviction Upheld For Man Who Blamed Cat

By Craig Clough

The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tuesday a former hospital transplant coordinator's conviction for illegally accessing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's healthcare records, upholding a ruling that the defendant was not improperly coerced when he told FBI agents a coworker or his cat may have been responsible.

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Judiciary Panel Backs Legal Finance Project, Subpoena Rules

By Jeff Overley

Federal judiciary advisers agreed Tuesday to develop transparency obligations for litigation funders despite "vehement" views in the defense and plaintiffs bars, while also advancing controversial subpoena rules involving remote testimony and process servers.

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Analysis

IBM's FCA Deal Creates Unease Over DEI Enforcement Scope

By Madeline Lyskawa

IBM's agreement to pay the Trump administration $17 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act with policies aimed at increasing the diversity of its workforce continues to raise more questions than answers about what the administration views as illegal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

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Mintz Can't Halt Texas Malpractice Suit For Fee Fight In Mass.

By Elliot Weld

A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday declined Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC's request to halt a former client's legal malpractice case against the firm in Texas federal court while the two fight over a $2 million "success fee" the law firm claims it is owed.

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DC Circ. Halts Boasberg's 'Unnecessary' Alien Enemies Probe

By Britain Eakin

A split D.C. Circuit panel on Tuesday halted for the second time U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's criminal contempt probe of Trump administration officials for willfully violating his order barring removals of Venezuelans under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

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House Dem Threatens Bondi Contempt Over Epstein Files

By Courtney Bublé

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is looking to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt if she does not appear before the committee to discuss the U.S. Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files.

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Grassley Hits 100 Judge Confirmations As 2 Clear Senate

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the 100th district judge under Sen. Chuck Grassley's leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Investors Want Sanctions For Fake Citations In LGBCoin Suit

By Carolina Bolado

Investors in the "Let's Go Brandon" meme token urged a Florida federal judge Monday to issue "case-terminating sanctions" against the man behind the coin, saying he and his counsel have lied in discovery, disobeyed court orders and submitted fake legal citations in at least eight filings.

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Calif. Federal Judges Weigh Audio Access For Civil Jury Trials

By Dorothy Atkins

California Northern District federal judges are seeking public comment on modifying local court rules to allow jurists to audio stream civil jury trials in the district, which regularly presides over high-stakes courtroom fights involving tech giants such as Google, Meta, OpenAI and Apple.

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IOLTA Group Owed Notice Of Settlements, Mass. Justices Say

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court said Tuesday that a committee overseeing lawyers' trust accounts should have been given a chance to request potential leftover funds prior to a judge's approval of a class action settlement, but saw no reason to unwind the deal.

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