Public Policy

  • February 10, 2026

    Texas Justices Seek 'Universal' Rule On Pretrial Motions

    A Texas Supreme Court justice on Tuesday pressed Attorney General Ken Paxton's office for more specifics on his position that a trial court implicitly ruled on a jurisdictional challenge in litigation over the $10 billion price tag for Austin's planned light rail system, suggesting a "universal rule" was needed.

  • February 10, 2026

    Former Teachers Union Leaders Get Prison For Stealing $2.6M

    A Florida federal judge has sentenced the former president and vice president of a Jacksonville teachers union to prison for embezzling more than $2.6 million in union funds, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

  • February 10, 2026

    Circuit Split Brewing Following 5th Circ.'s No-Bond Ruling

    The Fifth Circuit's split ruling blessing the Trump administration's mandatory immigration detention policy won't be the final say on the matter, but it could supercharge efforts to concentrate detained immigrants there while other circuits weigh the policy's legality.

  • February 10, 2026

    FirstNet Reauthorization Bill Advances To Full Committee

    A bill that would renew the First Responder Network Authority for just over a decade sailed through a House subcommittee hearing Tuesday afternoon and is now headed to the full committee for a vote.

  • February 10, 2026

    Amazon Calls FTC Allegations Of Hidden Documents 'Reckless'

    Amazon.com assailed the Federal Trade Commission for accusing it of using auto-deleting Signal chats and improper privilege claims to hide evidence of rules that created an artificial pricing floor across online retail stores, asking a Washington federal judge to appoint a special master to handle the "inflammatory, close-of-discovery filings."

  • February 10, 2026

    Financial Services Forum Taps Ex-Truist Exec For GC

    Banking industry group Financial Services Forum has hired a general counsel who most recently was a senior Truist Financial Corp. lawyer and who previously worked at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as senior counsel in its legal division.

  • February 10, 2026

    Feds Float Strict 100% 'Buy America' EV Chargers Mandate

    The Trump administration Tuesday proposed that only electric vehicle charging stations built with 100% American-made components can be eligible for federal funding, setting a stringent new requirement that would make it tougher for such projects to get off the ground.

  • February 10, 2026

    IHS To Phase Out Mercury Dental Fillings By 2027

    The Indian Health Service has announced it will phase out the use of dental fillings containing mercury at its facilities over the next year.

  • February 10, 2026

    Trump Is Owed Deference On Harvard Student Block, DOJ Says

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the First Circuit this week that President Donald Trump's expansive authority over foreign affairs calls for it to overturn a ruling that blocked a proclamation suspending the ability of foreign students to enter the country to attend Harvard.

  • February 10, 2026

    Lutnick Rules Out Creating Value-Based Fees For Patents

    Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a Senate panel Tuesday that the government is not planning to establish new fees for U.S. patents based on their value, saying the idea he was reportedly considering "is not going anywhere."

  • February 10, 2026

    NLRB Dismisses SpaceX Charges Over Jurisdiction Shift

    The National Labor Relations Board has ended a case alleging SpaceX illegally fired critics of boss Elon Musk after the agency that oversees airlines labor relations claimed jurisdiction over the rocket maker.

  • February 10, 2026

    Ex-Cop Claims Retaliation For Reporting Mayoral Misconduct

    A former assistant police chief in North Carolina says he was pushed out after accusing his boss of helping town officials cover up mayoral misconduct, including a traffic stop involving the mayor and a late night visit to town hall in which the mayor allegedly appeared on security footage without pants.

  • February 10, 2026

    Mich. Judge Blasts DOJ's 'Non-Existent' Voter Roll Claim

    Michigan officials will not have to turn over unredacted statewide voter registration lists to the U.S. Department of Justice, after a federal judge ruled that none of the statutes cited by the government require the state to turn over voters' sensitive personal information.

  • February 10, 2026

    9th Circ. Says DHS Likely To Beat TPS Termination Challenge

    The Ninth Circuit has hit pause on a district court's order that vacated the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, saying the administration will likely succeed on challenging the vacatur order.

  • February 10, 2026

    9th Circ. Panel Wary Of Reviving Wash. Gas Appliance Suit

    Ninth Circuit judges appeared skeptical Tuesday of a building industry coalition's argument that the Washington State Building Code Council and state attorney general can be sued over a regulation limiting natural gas appliances in new construction.

  • February 10, 2026

    Wash. Judge Won't Block Racial Equity Housing Program

    A nonprofit aimed at "overcoming identity politics" cannot preliminarily block a Washington state housing program designed to reduce racial disparities in homeownership, a Seattle federal judge ruled, saying the group has not shown it is likely to succeed on its claim that the program is unconstitutional.

  • February 10, 2026

    Broker Renews Fight Against $6.6M Civil Fraud Penalties

    An insurance broker renewed challenges to a $6.6 million civil fraud tax penalty over its captive deductions by arguing that the assessment required a jury trial, telling a Pennsylvania federal court that recent rulings, including in the Fifth Circuit, have reinvigorated requests the court previously denied.

  • February 10, 2026

    RealPage Defends Case Challenging NY Rental Pricing Law

    Property management software company RealPage is opposing a bid from New York state to toss a lawsuit challenging a new state law that prohibits building owners from using software to set residential rental rates, saying the statute clearly violates the First Amendment by banning advice.

  • February 10, 2026

    Utah Lawmakers OK Corporate Income Definition Change

    Utah would expand its definition of corporate income to include income allocated to the state, under a bill passed by lawmakers that will go to the state's governor.

  • February 10, 2026

    Coal Exec's Co-Worker Says Emails Hinted At Egypt Bribes

    A former coworker testified Tuesday that former Corsa Coal executive Charles Hunter Hobson sent emails as early as 2016 implying that the company's agent in Egypt was bribing officials to buy coal from the company and that he later saw the agent walk into the buyer's office with an envelope allegedly stuffed with cash.

  • February 10, 2026

    FERC Wins DC Circ. Backing In Power Auction Fight

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday backed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission orders approving regional grid operator PJM Interconnection's proposal to bar energy efficiency resources from participating in its electricity capacity auctions.

  • February 10, 2026

    Conn. Bill Would Change Tax On Cannabis Sales

    Connecticut would change its tax on adult-use cannabis sales to a standard excise tax instead of a tax based on the percentage of THC in a product under a bill introduced Tuesday in the state House.

  • February 10, 2026

    Broadcasters Fight 39% Media Ownership Cap In Hill Hearing

    TV broadcasters told the U.S. Senate Tuesday that lawmakers never meant to permanently cap national audience share controlled by a single station owner at 39%, as conservative outlet Newsmax argued there's support from both the left and right for keeping the limit in place.

  • February 10, 2026

    Ga. Reps Introduce Cannabis Legalization Law

    A group of Democratic Georgia state representatives have introduced a bill to decriminalize and legalize possession and use of cannabis, dubbed the Georgia Cannabis Freedom and Integrity Act.

  • February 10, 2026

    NCAA Looks To End Trans Athlete Eligibility Suit For Good

    The NCAA has asked a Georgia federal court to snuff out a closely watched suit challenging its eligibility rules for transgender athletes, explaining that it cannot be targeted with a Title IX discrimination complaint because it never received federal funds.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Lead On AI Policy, Not The States

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    There needs to be some limits on how far federal agencies go in regulating artificial intelligence systems, but Congress must not abdicate its responsibility and cede control over this interstate market to state and local officials, say Kevin Frazier at the University of Texas School of Law and Adam Thierer at the R Street Institute.

  • Breaking Down Expense Allocation In Mixed-Use Properties

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    Rapid increases in condominium fees and special assessments, driven by multiple factors such as rising insurance costs and expanded safety requirements, are contributing to increased litigation, so equitable expense allocation in mixed-use properties requires adherence to the governing documents, says Mike Walden at FTI Consulting.

  • Opinion

    Minn. Can Still Bring State Charges In Absence Of Fed Action

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    After two fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota's role isn't waiting to see if the federal government brings criminal charges, but independently weighing state homicide charges and allowing the judiciary to decide whether the subject conduct falls within the narrow protections of supremacy clause immunity, says Sheila Tendy at Tendy Law.

  • 4 Lessons From FTC's Successful Bid To Block Edwards Deal

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent victory in blocking Edwards Lifesciences' acquisition of JenaValve offers key insights for deals in life sciences and beyond, including considerations around nonprice dimensions and clear skies provisions, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Limiting Worker Surveillance Risks Amid AI Regulatory Shifts

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    With workplace surveillance tools becoming increasingly common and a recent executive order aiming to preempt state-level artificial intelligence enforcement, companies may feel encouraged to expand AI monitoring, but the legal exposure associated with these tools remains, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Can OCC State Banking Law Preemption Survive The Courts?

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    While two December proposals from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency seek to foreclose pending consumer litigation against national banks related to residential mortgage lending, it's unclear whether this aggressive approach will withstand judicial scrutiny under the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 rulings in Cantero and Loper Bright, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • How Selig May Approach CFTC Agricultural Enforcement

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    As the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission begins a new chapter under recently confirmed Chairman Michael Selig's leadership, a look back at the agency's actions in agricultural markets over the past six years sheds light on what may lie ahead for enforcement in the area, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Assessing Factors Behind Biosimilar Uptake And Competition

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    As biosimilar uptake remains uneven and questions linger over whether the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act can deliver robust competition between biologics and biosimilars, a case study of Humira and its biosimilars illustrates how many factors, including payor reimbursement and formulary strategy, collectively shape competitive dynamics, say analysts at Analysis Group.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Illinois

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    In 2025's last quarter, Illinois’ appellate courts weighed in on overlapping homeowners coverages for water-related damages, contractual suit limitation provisions in uninsured motorist policies, and protections for genetic health information in life insurance underwriting, while the Department of Insurance sought nationwide homeowners' insurance data from State Farm, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

  • How 3 CFTC Letters Overhauled Digital Asset Guidance

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    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently issued three letters providing guidance for the use of digital assets in derivatives markets, clarifying the applicability of CFTC regulations across numerous areas of digital asset activities and leading to the development of standards to allow market participants to post digital assets as collateral, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

  • Ruling Helps Clarify FERC's Post-Jarkesy Enforcement Power

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    A North Carolina federal court's recent ruling in American Efficient v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may be a step in providing clarity on FERC's enforcement authority under the Federal Power Act in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

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    While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

  • Aerospace And Defense Law: Trends To Follow In 2026

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    Some of the key 2026 developments to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law stem from provisions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, a push to reform procurement, executive orders that announced Trump administration priorities, the upcoming Artemis space mission and continuing efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Aviation Watch: Busy Skies, Tough Market For Airlines In 2026

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    After a turbulent year in the U.S. commercial aviation sector, demand for air travel and premium service shows no signs of slackening in 2026, with airlines facing the need to compete in a saturated market, while seeking opportunities for consolidation and pursuing other avenues to profitability, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

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