Trump Exits Climate Pact, UN Orgs. He Says 'Conflict' With US

By Lauren Berg

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he is withdrawing the United States from a decades-old international agreement that brings the world's countries together to take action against climate change, as well as 65 other international organizations and treaties that are "contrary to the interests" of the U.S.

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Trump Says He Wants To Ban Wall Street From Buying Houses

By Nate Beck

President Donald Trump announced in an online post Wednesday he plans to ask Congress to endorse coming steps from his administration to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes in the U.S.

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DOJ Nominee Says He'll Work Within Blue-Slip 'Parameters'

By Courtney Bublé

A nominee for a top U.S. Department of Justice position that handles judicial nominees appeared to give a nod to the Senate's blue-slip process, despite President Donald Trump's vocal opposition to the tradition.

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FERC Defends Grid Planning Policy Revamp At 4th Circ.

By Keith Goldberg

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has told the Fourth Circuit that the overhaul of its regional transmission planning policy was needed to address a pervasive failure to efficiently build out the U.S. electric grid, and that allegations the agency acted unlawfully are meritless.

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Feds Say Rubio Has Authority To Halt Ally Visa Processing

By Britain Eakin

The federal government defended its authority to suspend visa processing for Afghan and Iraqi allies even though a final court order requires prompt action, arguing that the secretary of state can override the court.

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Bulk Of SDNY Attys Are Tasked With Reviewing Epstein Docs

By Hailey Konnath

Over half of the more than 220 assistant U.S. attorneys at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York have been tasked with sifting through documents related to the investigation of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Justice Department disclosure filed in federal court.

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DOJ To Appeal Reinstatement Of Clearance For Mark Zaid

By Jared Foretek

The Trump administration told a D.C. federal judge on Wednesday that it will obey his injunction to reinstate attorney Mark Zaid's security clearance as it appeals the ruling in the D.C. Circuit, but left open the possibility that government intelligence agencies could try to revoke it again for new reasons.

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Cruz Tells House Speaker To Move On Judicial Impeachments

By Courtney Bublé

Ahead of a hearing on impeachment of "rogue judges" on Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, increased pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to advance impeachment proceedings against federal judges in D.C. and Maryland.

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NC Panel Backs GOP In Judicial Appointment Power Clash

By Hayley Fowler

A split panel in North Carolina's intermediate appeals court Wednesday sided with Republican lawmakers in an ongoing constitutional battle over the governor's appointment powers, finding the Legislature can restrict his ability to fill judicial vacancies in the state appellate courts.

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Feds Cut $160M From Calif. Over Truck Driver Licenses

By Linda Chiem

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Wednesday that California will lose out on nearly $160 million in federal highway funds for failing to revoke thousands of commercial driver's licenses that were issued to ineligible foreign drivers, as the Trump administration cracks down on immigrant truck drivers.

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Law Firms Step Up To Navigate Biz Opportunities In Venezuela

By Lynn LaRowe and Adrian Cruz

Law firms are gearing up to assist clients exploring potential business opportunities in Venezuela following President Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. would "run" the country for the time being after the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on narco-conspiracy charges.

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Chief Cook Co. Judge Highlights First Month's Reforms

By Celeste Bott

In his first month on the job, Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach has restructured the court to create three new deputy chief judge positions and has taken steps to review the court's pretrial electronic monitoring practices.

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Objector To PACER Overcharge Settlement Faces Uphill Battle

By Emily Sawicki

An objector to a $125 million settlement to end class claims alleging the federal government overcharged nonprofits and other lawyers to access court documents faced a skeptical Federal Circuit panel Wednesday, with judges indicating they had not found legal errors in the district court's approval of the deal.

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Trump Family-Tied Stablecoin Co. Seeks Bank Charter

By Aislinn Keely

The Trump family-tied crypto company World Liberty Financial said Wednesday that it's filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to become a national trust bank as it looks to expand its stablecoin business, drawing the ire of one lawmaker, who called the application a conflict of interest.

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2 European Fintechs Seek OCC Bank Charters

By Aislinn Keely

Two European fintechs are seeking sign-offs from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to set up U.S. banks, including a firm planning to issue its own stablecoin.

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10th Circ. Halts Kan. Bank's $20M FDIC Appeal For Settlement

By Jon Hill

The Tenth Circuit will hold off on hearing a small Kansas bank's push to challenge a $20 million anti-money laundering enforcement proceeding from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. after the two sides said Wednesday that they have reached a settlement.

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ISS Asks Judge Not To Stall Ruling On Texas ESG Law

By Jessica Corso

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. is pushing back on Texas' request to delay a ruling on the constitutionality of a law requiring proxy advisory firms to disclose when voting recommendations are based on environmental, social or governance factors, arguing that the state hasn't shown how additional discovery "will make any difference" to the case.

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Ørsted Expands Challenge To Halt Of Offshore Wind Projects

By Keith Goldberg

Danish energy developer Ørsted has expanded its legal fight against the Trump administration's latest order halting offshore wind projects, filing a lawsuit claiming the order unlawfully blocks the construction of its Sunrise Wind project off the New York coast.

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Judge Seeks Assurance That PFAS Deals Are Good For NJ

By George Woolston

A New Jersey federal judge on Wednesday asked attorneys for the state to assure that two proposed deals with 3M and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. worth nearly $3 billion to resolve its claims over contamination by "forever chemicals" are in the best interest of the state's residents despite a number of objections.

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House Talks Market Share Regarding Netflix-WB Merger

By Nadia Dreid

Rapid consolidation in the streaming market was on the minds of members of the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on antitrust when they met Wednesday, with Democrats questioning if competition was being threatened and if the president was exerting too much influence on merger reviews.

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STB Eyes Easier Shipper Access Mandates Across Railways

By Bryan Koenig

Showing "anticompetitive conduct" would no longer be a requirement for shippers seeking to force rail carriers to work together to ferry their goods, under a proposed rulemaking Wednesday that the Surface Transportation Board said would shift such petitions back to consideration on a case-by-case basis.

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Compass' $1.6B Anywhere Buy Goes Unchallenged By Government

By Isaac Monterose

Real estate brokerage Compass Inc.'s $1.6 billion acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate Inc. is expected to move forward Wednesday without being scrutinized by the federal government even though congressional lawmakers previously urged the government to do so.

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NJ Town Blasts 'Litigation Tactic' In Mall Sunday Sales Suit

By Carla Baranauckas

The New Jersey borough that's home to the American Dream megamall has asked a state judge to dismiss another municipality's lawsuit challenging Sunday sales there, arguing that the complaint failed to articulate any legally cognizable claim against the borough.

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NLRB Gets Up To Speed As Members And GC Are Sworn In

By Braden Campbell

The National Labor Relations Board is set to resume deciding cases after two new members arrived at the agency Wednesday along with President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Office of the General Counsel.

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Philadelphia Settles Cops' OT Suit 6 Days Before Trial

By Matthew Santoni

A group of mid-ranking officers in Philadelphia's police department have settled an overtime lawsuit against the city and the department's leaders, less than a week before it could have gone to trial.

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DOJ Seeks Nod For HPE Merger Deal Over State Objections

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Department of Justice has requested court approval for its settlement that would end a challenge of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisition of a networking equipment rival, despite objections raised by state enforcers over allegations of improper lobbying influence.

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FCC Urged To Revisit AT&T-UScellular Spectrum Deal OK

By Christopher Cole

Consumer advocates are teaming up with rural wireless carriers to call for the Federal Communications Commission to reverse its recent approval of a $1 billion deal for AT&T to snap up spectrum held by broken-up UScellular.

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Calif. Bill Proposes 4-Year AI Toy Ban To Mull Safety Rules

By Lauren Berg

California Sen. Steve Padilla has introduced what would be the nation's first moratorium on the sale of toys containing artificial intelligence chatbot features, with the aim of giving lawmakers time to implement regulatory guardrails to protect children from potentially dangerous AI interactions.

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Conn. Regulator Clears Avangrid Unit In Fatal Electrocution

By Brian Steele

An Avangrid Inc. subsidiary is not responsible for the death of a Connecticut man who grabbed a downed power line while clearing a fallen tree from a golf course driveway in August, but it should make changes to the way it responds to potentially life-threatening situations, the state's utility regulator said Wednesday.

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Trump Bars 'Underperforming' Defense Contractors' Buybacks

By Rae Ann Varona

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that defense contractors are barred from buying back their own stocks or paying shareholder dividends if they are underperforming on their U.S. government contracts, ordering a review and potential "remediation plan" for contractors found slacking.

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Commerce Opens Probe Into Canadian Mushroom Imports

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Wednesday that it has opened a pair of investigations into whether fresh mushrooms from Canada should be subject to antidumping and countervailing duties.

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Tax Funding Oil Spill Cleanups Has Expired, IRS Clarifies

By Jack McLoone

The Internal Revenue Service clarified Wednesday that the part of an added tax on crude oil and petroleum products earmarked for an oil spill cleanup fund expired at the end of 2025.

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Ind. Bill Seeks Uniform Assessments Regardless Of Owner

By Michael Nunes

Indiana would require that all tangible property and agricultural land be assessed in a uniform manner regardless of the owner under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

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Ga. Republicans Outline $16B Plan To End State Income Tax

By Chart Riggall

Georgia Republican lawmakers laid out a $16 billion proposal Wednesday to abolish the state's income tax, a plan that would gradually reduce the levy over the next six years with a goal of complete elimination by 2032.

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Mich. AG Says State Lawmakers Can't Ax $645M In Spending

By Carolyn Muyskens

Michigan's attorney general said a state House committee acted unlawfully when it blocked $645 million in previously approved funds from rolling over to the next fiscal year, issuing a formal opinion Wednesday deeming the move unconstitutional.

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Ind. House Bill Would Stop Property Taxes And Assessments

By Jaqueline McCool

Indiana would bar political subdivisions from assessing and taxing tangible property and instead allow school corporations to impose an annual fee to attempt to make up revenue under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives. 

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3rd Circ. Says Visa Omission Of Kids Sinks Naturalization Bid

By P.J. D'Annunzio

In a precedential opinion Wednesday, the Third Circuit ruled that a green card holder attempting to gain U.S. citizenship was properly denied naturalization for failing to list his two children on the original visa paperwork, an omission that made his permanent residence unlawful.

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Trump Admin Asks Judge Not To Toss Boston Sanctuary Suit

By Julie Manganis

The Trump administration on Wednesday urged a judge not to dismiss its lawsuit against the city of Boston over its sanctuary immigration policies, saying the ordinance at issue is preempted by federal law.

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New York Tribal Land Settlement Awaits Senate Approval

By Crystal Owens

A bill that would ratify a land settlement agreement among two tribes, New York and two of its counties that would return about 140,000 acres to reservation status is stalled in the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

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Tribes, Feds Both Denied Early Win In Riverbed Rights Case

By Crystal Owens

The D.C. federal court won't give early victories to three Indigenous tribes or the federal government in a dispute with North Dakota over ownership rights of a Missouri River mineral bed, saying a review of the case underscores the need for it to go to trial.

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FCC Plans To Raise Power Limits For Unlicensed 6 GHz Use

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote this month on whether to expand unlicensed uses of the 6 gigahertz airwaves, aiming to make more room for Wi-Fi, the Internet of Things and augmented and virtual reality.

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FCC Won't Extend Time To Comment On Wireless Reg Redo

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission dashed the hopes of nearly two dozen cities on Wednesday, including the District of Columbia, when it refused to grant them more time to respond to the agency's plans to change rules surrounding wireless site deployment.

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Mich. Again Falls Short In Bid To Ax Challenge To 24% Pot Tax

By Allison Grande

A Michigan federal judge is standing firm in her decision to allow industry members to proceed with a portion of their challenge to the state's excise tax on wholesale marijuana sales, finding that the state hasn't identified a "palpable error" that would justify disposing of the sole remaining dispute over the law's intent. 

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Jones Day Adds Ex-SEC Deputy Enforcement Director In Ga.

By Sydney Price

Jones Day has added to its Atlanta investigations and white collar defense practice a former deputy enforcement director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the firm announced on Wednesday.

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Navigating Workplace AI When Federal, State Policies Clash

Two recent federal bills and various state laws concerning employers' artificial intelligence use may clash with an executive order calling for minimal regulation, so employers should proactively monitor their AI usage and stay apprised of legislative updates while awaiting further direction from the federal government, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

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How Changes At The IRS Will Affect Tax Controversy In 2026

Taxpayers will need to adjust approaches to dealing with the IRS in 2026, as the agency is likely to shift its audit strategies and increases reliance on technology following the significant reductions in funding and personnel last year, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

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State AG Enforcement During CFPB Gap Predicts 2026 Trends

State attorneys general responded to the decrease in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement in 2025 by stepping in to regulate consumer finance more than ever before, and the trends in rebooting CFPB investigations, cracking down on ESG and DEI initiatives, and fighting financial exploitation of homeowners will likely extend into 2026, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

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Chancery Exec Noncompete Ruling Offers PE Buyer Lessons

In Derge v. D&H United Fueling Solutions, the Delaware Court of Chancery sided with a private equity-backed portfolio company by enforcing a noncompete against an executive, providing private equity buyers with a checklist of factors for an enforceable noncompete in the sale-of-business context, says Danielle Asaad at Squire Patton.

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Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2026

As 2026 begins, the legal and regulatory outlook for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is defined less by sweeping federal initiatives and more by incremental adjustments, judicial guardrails and state-driven regulations — an environment in which proactive risk management and close monitoring of policy developments will be essential, say attorneys at MG+M.

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Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Intentional Career-Building

A successful legal career is built through intention: understanding expectations, assessing strengths honestly and proactively seeking opportunities to grow and cultivating relationships that support your development, say Erika Drous and Hillary Mann at Morrison Foerster.

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New Assistant AG For Fraud Will Report To White House

By Courtney Bublé

Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday the creation of a new assistant attorney general role for fraud, which will be overseen by him and the president.

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US Atty In NY Northern District Serving Unlawfully, Judge Says

By Stewart Bishop

A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday held that the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York is unlawfully serving in his position, the latest in a string of rulings disqualifying prosecutors appointed by President Donald Trump.

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Calif. Judge Will Resign, Cop To Workers' Comp Fraud

By Lauren Berg

A California state judge has agreed to resign and plead guilty to a felony fraud charge after prosecutors alleged he knowingly hired a physician previously convicted of healthcare fraud to prepare medical reports to submit to the state's workers' compensation program, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

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Alito Recuses From Chevron, Exxon Coastal Pollution Case

By Keith Goldberg

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday recused himself from considering Chevron and ExxonMobil's effort to place Louisiana pollution lawsuits stemming from the companies' World War II-era production in federal court, just days before the justices hear oral arguments in the case.

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Brief

House OKs $540M For Imperiled Legal Services Corp.

By Emily Sawicki

The "minibus" appropriations bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday includes a lifeline $540 million allocated toward the nonprofit Legal Services Corp. — representing a reduction of $10 million, or 3.6%, compared to fiscal year 2025's budget — whose funding the White House previously suggested should be slashed.

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La. Judge Is Senate's 1st Judicial Confirmation Of 2026

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 53-40 on Thursday to confirm former acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook to be a district judge in the Western District of Louisiana.

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