A Houston federal judge has tossed Kash Patel's defamation suit against news analyst Frank Figliuzzi, who during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" quipped that the FBI director is more often seen in nightclubs than in his office, saying Patel's claims include an "'unreasonably literal interpretation'" of Figliuzzi's remark.
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TOP NEWS

Kash Patel's Suit Over Pundit's 'Nightclubs' Quip Gets Axed

By Lauren Berg

A Houston federal judge has tossed Kash Patel's defamation suit against news analyst Frank Figliuzzi, who during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" quipped that the FBI director is more often seen in nightclubs than in his office, saying Patel's claims include an "'unreasonably literal interpretation'" of Figliuzzi's remark.

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11th Circ. Mulls Whether High Court Ruling Backs Book Ban

By Kelcey Caulder

The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday pressed Florida on its argument that a landmark 1988 U.S. Supreme Court case supported its defense of a state law barring books with sexual content from school libraries, with two judges hinting that the high court's decision might not be directly on point.

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6th Circ. Questions Timing Of Late Keyboardist's Royalties Bid

By Melanie Dorsey

A Sixth Circuit panel sharply questioned both sides Wednesday over when, if ever, Parliament-Funkadelic co-founder George Clinton clearly rejected a decades-old royalty deal with the band's former keyboardist, signaling uncertainty about whether the late musician's estate waited too long to sue.

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MrBeast Executive Fired For Taking Maternity Leave, Suit Says

By Patrick Hoff

YouTuber MrBeast's companies demoted an executive for complaining that women were being sidelined and harassed by male colleagues and then fired her for taking leave after giving birth, the former employee said Wednesday in North Carolina federal court.

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Alabama AG Secures $12.2M Roblox Kid Safety Deal

By Emily Field

The Alabama attorney general has announced a $12.2 million deal with popular gaming platform Roblox that would add age restrictions and more parental controls to protect children from online sexual predators.

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'Cheap' Judge Tentatively Trims Fees But OKs $65M Snap Deal

By Craig Clough

A California federal judge who previously described himself to the parties as "cheap" may have lived up to the descriptor Wednesday by tentatively granting final approval to Snap's $65 million securities settlement while indicating he'd likely give a 5% "haircut" to the investor plaintiffs' requested attorney fees.

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Judge Lets AI Copyright Claims Against Databricks Proceed

By Elliot Weld

A California federal judge has denied a bid from software and artificial intelligence firms Databricks and Mosaic ML to escape authors' allegations that their works were used to train large language models, saying the proposed class of writers had asserted a sufficient complaint.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Norton Rose Faces $100M Suit Over Withdrawn Patent App

By Celeste Bott

Norton Rose Fulbright was sued in Illinois state court Tuesday by an advertising tech company claiming that the law firm mishandled a patent application and caused it to be deemed withdrawn, but kept the company in the dark about the loss of its valuable patent rights for over a year.

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Brief

Music Cos. Drop Verizon Copyright Suit After Cox Decision

By Ivan Moreno

Music companies that accused Verizon Communications Inc. of profiting from its customers' online piracy told a New York federal court on Wednesday that they were dropping their case, which had been paused while the U.S. Supreme Court considered similar claims against another internet service provider, Cox Communications.

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PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTION

Analysis

House GOP Again Pushes Data Privacy Bill To Override States

By Allison Grande

House Republicans on Wednesday took their latest crack at establishing a cohesive nationwide data privacy framework, floating legislation that would give consumers more control over their personal information while preempting a growing patchwork of state laws, although early criticisms indicate that the issues that have long stymied these efforts persist.

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Samba TV Must Face Wiretap, Privacy Claims In Data Suit

By Jared Foretek

A California federal judge allowed invasion of privacy and Federal Wiretap Act claims against smart TV advertising company Samba TV to proceed to discovery Tuesday, ruling that a proposed class's allegations that the company collected viewing data to build viewer profiles that include their political leanings constituted actionable harm.

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Nintendo Customers Jump In On Tariff Refund Suits

By Jack McLoone

Video game giant Nintendo stands to make "windfall profits" through refunds of President Donald Trump's now-invalidated global tariff regime since those costs were actually passed on to consumers, a proposed class action in Washington federal court said, joining the chorus of customers looking to secure tariff-related refunds.

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COMPETITION

Cumulus Defends Nielsen Data-Tying Order At 2nd Circ.

By Matthew Perlman

Radio giant Cumulus Media has told the Second Circuit that Nielsen helped contribute to the broadcaster's bankruptcy earlier this year by tying sales of its national radio ratings data to sales of its local offerings, calling the practice unlawful and saying it should be stopped.

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Nexstar Appeals Order Blocking $6.2B Tegna Merger

By Matthew Perlman

Nexstar Media Group Inc. has made good on its promise to appeal an order preventing it from fully merging with Tegna Inc., as the broadcasters fight a challenge of the $6.2 billion deal from state enforcers and satellite provider DirecTV.

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Defunct Soccer League Bids To Revive Antitrust Case

By Alex Lawson

The North American Soccer League pressed the Second Circuit for a new antitrust trial against Major League Soccer and soccer's U.S. governing body Wednesday, arguing that it was hamstrung by the trial court's jury instructions regarding a "relevant market" for professional soccer.

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EMPLOYMENT

Yelp Stiffed Calif. Workers On Boot-Up Time, Suit Says

By MJ Koo

Yelp failed to pay hourly workers for the minutes they spent waiting for their work computers to boot up before they could clock in for each shift, a former worker alleged in a proposed class action in California state court.

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Asks If Shows With Trans People Need Higher Rating

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission is wondering whether it should update the TV rating system to warn people when a program may include transgender or nonbinary characters or themes related to gender identity, so parents could "make informed choices for their families."

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Retailers Ready To Fight FCC Over Call Center 'Onshoring'

By Christopher Cole

Large retail chains aren't happy with the Federal Communications Commission's plan to "onshore" customer service call centers, saying that even though it's geared toward communications companies, the proposal risks being foisted onto retailers as well.

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Cruise Ship Wi-Fi Plan Could Skew Ocean Data, NAS Says

By Christopher Cole

A plan to expand wireless device access on cruise ships might cause rough sailing for those who study the oceans from afar using the 6 gigahertz spectrum band, the National Academy of Sciences has warned.

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Brief

FCC Boosts Mobile Service From Space With AST Exemptions

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission's staff approved some rule exemptions for AST & Science LLC to launch a 248-satellite constellation, which they said would encourage the growth of mobile services from space.

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PEOPLE

Steptoe Adds Hogan Lovells Voting Rights Partner In DC

By Jack Rodgers

Steptoe LLP has hired a Hogan Lovells partner who helped Black Alabamians secure voting rights protections in a U.S. Supreme Court victory in 2023, and who joins the firm in Washington to work with white collar defense and compliance matters.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

How College Sports EO Raises Stakes, Casts Uncertainty

The effectiveness of President Donald Trump's recent executive order urging national action to "save" college sports depends on NCAA implementation and judicial tolerance, neither of which is certain, so college athletics will remain governed by an unstable balance between executive pressure and judicial authority until Congress acts, say attorneys at Manatt.

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Prediction Market Platform Probes Merit Strategic Responses

As the battle over the regulation of prediction markets is being waged between states and the federal government, investigations into insider trading allegations are increasingly originating from inside the exchanges themselves, creating obvious risks for market participants — as well as opportunities, say attorneys at Kobre & Kim.

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Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Draft Pleadings

Most law school graduates step into their first jobs without ever having drafted a complaint, answer, motion or other type of pleading, but that gap can be closed by understanding the strategy embedded in every filing, writing with clarity and purpose, and seeking feedback at every step, says Eric Yakaitis at Haug Barron.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

The 2026 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey: Where Do You Stand?

How is your work-life balance? Are you content with your compensation and opportunities for advancement at work? Take the 2026 Law360 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey and share your thoughts.

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Bar Complaint Calls Out EEOC Chair's Law Firm DEI Letters

By Grace Elletson

A legal advocacy group asked the Virginia State Bar to investigate whether U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas violated ethics rules by declining to investigate LGBTQ bias complaints and sending letters demanding information from law firms on their diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

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Analysis

Judge Albright Changed The Landscape Of Patent Litigation

By Dani Kass

U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas became infamous in 2019 when he drew repeated chastising from the Federal Circuit for hoarding patent cases, but in the wake of his plans to step down, attorneys say the judge's biggest legacy has become his efficient, common sense approach to litigation.

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'Cheap' Judge OKs $19.5M Snap Deal Fees But 'No Bentleys'

By Craig Clough

After warning counsel who negotiated a $65 million securities settlement with Snap that he is "notoriously cheap," and in a tentative order gave a "haircut" to their $19.5 million fee request, a California federal judge talked himself out of the trim at a hearing Thursday but quipped, "No Bentleys."

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Paul Clement, Abbe Lowell To Argue For Firms In EO Appeals

By Lauren Berg

Four BigLaw firms and a national security attorney informed the D.C. Circuit on Thursday that heavyweight litigators Paul D. Clement of Clement & Murphy PLLC and Abbe David Lowell of Lowell & Associates PLLC will present their arguments against the Trump administration's appeal seeking to reinstate executive orders that were deemed unconstitutional.

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Another 'Inventing Anna' Attorney Gets Disbarred

By Emily Sawicki

A New York state appeals court has accepted the resignation of a New York City attorney amid a misconduct investigation, reportedly leaving high-profile socialite scammer Anna Sorokin without legal counsel while facing fee claims from her former lawyer, according to a Thursday notice by opposing counsel.

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DOJ Watchdog To Review Handling Of Epstein Files

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Department of Justice watchdog announced Thursday that it will be reviewing the department's release of the Epstein files after much bipartisan pushback that it has been slow and error-ridden.

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Ex-DA's Defamation Claims Tied To Menendez Work Risk Toss

By Rae Ann Varona

A Los Angeles County prosecutor-turned-public defender fought uphill Thursday to pursue defamation claims against a former colleague who criticized her advocacy for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, with a California state court judge saying that alleged comments like calling the attorney a "quisling" — or traitor — were nonactionable opinions.

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ICE Courthouse Arrest Policy Faces New Stay Bid After Error

By Adrian Cruz

Civil rights groups suing the U.S. government to block immigration courthouse arrests asked a New York federal judge to stay the enforcement of the arrest policy, arguing that government attorneys have retracted their original position on the legality of the arrests.

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Immigration Board Says Judge Glossed Over Inconsistencies

By Tom Lotshaw

An immigration judge failed to address and explain inconsistencies before finding a Cameroonian man credible and granting him withholding of removal protection, the Board of Immigration Appeals said in a decision designated as precedential.

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Ex-EEOC Official Accuses Agency Of 'Ironic' LGBTQ+ Bias

By Hailey Konnath

A former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission director sued the agency in California federal court Thursday, alleging it forced him, a queer and transgender man, to participate in the "erasure" of LGBTQ+ individuals, a move his attorney called "ironic" for the agency tasked with upholding antidiscrimination laws.

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Promo that reads Law360 Pulse 2026 AI Survey

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

AST & Science LLC

AT&T Inc.

African Communities Together

Amazon.com Inc.

American Civil Liberties Union

American Standard

Apple Inc.

Center for Democracy & Technology

Comcast Corp.

Costco Wholesale Corp.

Cox Communications Inc.

Cumulus Media Inc.

Databricks Inc.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

FedEx Corp.

Google LLC

Instagram Inc.

LinkedIn Corp.

Major League Soccer LLC

Make the Road New York

Meta Platforms Inc.

Microsoft Corp.

Mosaic

NBCUniversal Media LLC

National Academy of Sciences

National Association of Broadcasters

National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Retail Federation Inc.

New York Civil Liberties Union

Nexstar Media Group Inc.

Nielsen Holdings PLC

Nintendo Co. Ltd.

Roblox Corp.

Snap Inc.

Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Tegna Inc.

Temu

Tesla Inc.

The DIRECTV Group Inc.

The Kraft Heinz Co.

United States Soccer Federation Inc.

Universal Music Group NV

Verizon Communications Inc.

Virginia State Bar

Westwood One, Inc.

Yelp Inc.

YouTube Inc.

iHeartMedia Inc.

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

ArentFox Schiff

Baker Botts

Barnes & Thornburg

Bienert Katzman

Binnall Law Group

Bird Marella

Bracewell LLP

Burr & Forman

Cafferty Clobes

Carlton Fields

Clement & Murphy

Cooley LLP

Cozen O'Connor

Dickinson Wright

Emery Celli

Emery Reddy

Fenwick & West

Fish & Richardson

Gibson Dunn

Haug Barron Law Group

Hogan Lovells

Jackson Walker LLP

Jeffer Mangels

Jenner & Block

Joseph Saveri Law Firm

Katz Banks

Kellogg Hansen

King & Ballow

King & Spalding

Kobre & Kim

Koskoff Koskoff

Latham & Watkins

Lehotsky Keller

Lieff Cabraser

Lockridge Grindal

Lowell & Associates

Lowey Dannenberg

Manatt Phelps

McKool Smith

Meritz Reddy

Milberg PLLC

Miller Barondess

Morrison & Foerster

Munger Tolles

Noble Law Firm

Norton Rose

Oppenheim & Zebrak

Paul Weiss

Pearson Warshaw

Perkins Coie

Proskauer Rose

Quinn Emanuel

Saxena White

Scharf Appellate Group

Scheef & Stone

Schenk & Bruetsch

Schubert Jonckheer

Scott & Corley

Seiden Law Group PC

Setareh Law Group

Shegerian & Associates

Simonsen Sussman

Steptoe LLP

Susman Godfrey

Valli Kane

Williams & Connolly

WilmerHale

Winston & Strawn

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

California Attorney General's Office

Clayton County, Georgia

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Cook County Circuit Court

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

European Union

Executive Office for Immigration Review

Executive Office of the President

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Trade Commission

Judicial Conference of the United States

New York State Unified Court System

New York Supreme Court, New York County

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court