Public Policy

  • April 23, 2026

    Apache Group Amends Suit To Reverse Arizona Land Transfer

    An Apache nonprofit amended its challenge to the federal government and Resolution Copper Co. over the exchange of nearly 2,500 acres within Arizona's Tonto National Forest, arguing the land transfer, which contains a sacred Indigenous worship site, was rushed in violation of religious freedom and constitutional laws.

  • April 23, 2026

    Judge Orders Media Matters To Give X Its Employee Lists

    A Texas federal judge on Thursday ordered left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters for America to hand over employee lists and editorial process information to X Corp. as part of a business disparagement suit, ending a lengthy battle between the parties over the documents.

  • April 23, 2026

    Fake Patients Got Braces Approved In Medicare Scheme

    An investigator with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told jurors on Thursday that a telemedicine doctor signed off on unnecessary orthotic braces for two fake personas he created to test out a software system that the government claims bilked Medicare out of nearly half a billion dollars.

  • April 23, 2026

    DC Circ. Doubts Legality Of Trump's Ouster Of VOA Chief

    A D.C. Circuit panel appeared Thursday not to buy the Trump administration's argument that the president had free rein to summarily fire the head of Voice of America last year and suggested that Congress had directly stipulated that the VOA director could only be removed by its board.

  • April 23, 2026

    FCC Rejects SpaceX, Iridium Bids To Change 'Big LEO' Rules

    The Federal Communications Commission's staff has turned down requests from SpaceX and Iridium Communications Inc. to revamp spectrum sharing rules in the "Big LEO" bands that sought to let the companies expand mobile satellite services.

  • April 23, 2026

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

    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.

  • April 23, 2026

    8th Circ. Ends 1st Amend. Challenge To Iowa 'Ag-Gag' Law

    The Eighth Circuit has rejected an appeal by animal rights groups alleging that Iowa's trespass-surveillance law criminalizing recording on trespassed property is unconstitutional, ruling Thursday that the state can apply the law to forbid the conduct since recording could implicate a substantial government interest to protect its citizens' property and privacy rights.

  • April 23, 2026

    Dems Back Sen. Kelly In DOD Fight Over Illegal Orders Video

    Five Democrats in Congress who previously served in the military and intelligence communities backed U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in his challenge to the Trump administration's retaliation for warning service members not to carry out illegal orders.

  • April 23, 2026

    Cos. Say Permit Delays Could Drag Out 'Rip And Replace'

    The government's multibillion-dollar effort to pull Chinese-made gear from U.S. telecom networks is almost done, but a carriers' group told the agency this week it was concerned that permit delays could set project timelines back.

  • April 23, 2026

    Ill. House Passes Bill Aiming To Keep Chicago Bears In-State

    The Illinois General Assembly has approved a bill amended to provide more tax incentives for the site of a proposed stadium for the Chicago Bears, who are also considering a stadium offer from neighboring Indiana.

  • April 23, 2026

    Cannabis Cos. Use Opponents' Playbook In Latest Ballot Fight

    A campaign to repeal the legalization of retail cannabis in Massachusetts via ballot initiative — the first campaign of its kind in the country — has triggered a legal action from cannabis business owners akin to the sort pushed by legalization opponents for years.

  • April 23, 2026

    Senators Seek Oversight Of DOL Benefits Agency Probes

    A pair of Republican senators introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm to give Congress more information about its enforcement efforts, an action lawmakers say is necessary to ensure investigations are conducted in a timely manner.

  • April 23, 2026

    Fla. Subpoenas Cos., Green Groups In Plastics Antitrust Probe

    Florida's attorney general has subpoenaed several major corporations, including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Target, Nestle and Mondelez International, and a number of environmental groups as part of an investigation into whether their involvement in organizations aiming to reduce plastic waste might run afoul of antitrust and consumer protection laws.

  • April 23, 2026

    Lender's COVID Boom Bars $5M Worker Credit Claim, US Says

    A mortgage lender isn't entitled to a $5 million refund for denied COVID-19 worker tax credits because the company's true business was never halted by a government order, the U.S. government told a California federal court, noting that the company's revenue actually increased by 600%.

  • April 23, 2026

    Judge Questions DOJ Bid To End Suit Over Trans Care Memo

    A Massachusetts federal judge appeared unmoved Thursday by a U.S. Department of Justice lawyer's argument that a suit challenging directives on prosecuting providers of gender-affirming care for transgender children is an abstract debate, noting that some providers have deemed the care too risky and stopped services. 

  • April 23, 2026

    Former Ga. State Rep. Avoids Prison For Unemployment Fraud

    A former Georgia state representative who stepped down this year amid allegations that she fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic avoided prison time Thursday as a federal judge sentenced her to time served.

  • April 23, 2026

    9th Circuit Clash Flares Over Idaho Tribal Land Swap Decision

    The Ninth Circuit's rejection of a global agribusiness' efforts to reverse the invalidation of an Idaho federal land transfer drew the ire of seven Republican-appointed judges, who said in a dissent that the majority is blocking the government's administration of the property that was once owned by an Indigenous nation.

  • April 23, 2026

    UK Collected £944M From Digital Services Tax In Past Year

    The United Kingdom collected £944 million ($1.27 billion) from its digital services tax during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, about 0.001% of the country's total tax take, HM Revenue & Customs said Thursday.

  • April 23, 2026

    ICE Courthouse Arrest Policy Faces New Stay Bid After Error

    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.

  • April 23, 2026

    DOJ Watchdog To Review Handling Of Epstein Files

    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.

  • April 23, 2026

    Belgian Lawmakers Push Gov't For 3% Digital Services Tax

    Belgian lawmakers have introduced a bill to create a 3% digital services tax on revenue that large multinational corporations derive from the country, pushing the governing coalition to follow through on a pledge to adopt the unilateral measure if international negotiations on an alternative fail.

  • April 23, 2026

    NJ Judicial Privacy Law Beats Political Group's Challenge

    A federal judge ruled this week that the New Jersey judicial privacy measure Daniel's Law does not violate the First Amendment rights of a Democratic campaign finance and fundraising company, finding the law serves a compelling purpose in protecting judges and others from violence.

  • April 23, 2026

    Mich. Councilman Says Suit Over 'Legislative Speech' Barred

    A Hillsdale city councilman has urged a Michigan federal court to dismiss a businessman's $1.5 million suit over remarks made during a library board appointment debate, arguing the claims are barred by absolute legislative immunity and rest on speculation rather than plausible facts. 

  • April 23, 2026

    Mo. County's Tax Appeal Process Unfair, State Auditor Finds

    A Missouri county's equalization board disadvantaged taxpayers by failing to place the burden of proof on the county Assessment Department during appeals, the state auditor reported Thursday.

  • April 23, 2026

    Canada PM Carney Announces US Trade Advisory Committee

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently announced the formation of a new advisory committee on U.S. economic relations in advance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement's joint review later this year.

Expert Analysis

  • NY RAISE Act Raises The Bar For Frontier AI Developers

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    For organizations developing or substantially modifying highly capable artificial intelligence models, the New York Responsible AI Safety and Education Act represents a meaningful escalation beyond California's S.B. 53, even though it applies to a narrower group of developers, so companies should expect additional obligations, particularly around accelerated incident reporting, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Takeaways From CFPB's Retreat On Immigrant Fair Lending

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    Practices discouraged under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Justice Department's 2023 statement on the treatment of immigration status under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act may now be permissible following its recent withdrawal, making it crucial for lenders to follow unfolding fair lending developments in this area, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • What DOJ's New Trade Fraud Push Means For Cos.

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement this week that it is elevating trade fraud to an economic and national security imperative sends an unmistakable message to multinational corporations, importers, compliance professionals and supply chain managers that the days of laissez-faire enforcement are over, says Markus Funk at White & Case.

  • How New Texas Law Streamlines Eviction Proceedings

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    A recent legislative change to the Texas Property Code overhauls the state's eviction process and makes it more difficult for nonpaying tenants to challenge evictions, likely yielding a faster and cheaper procedure that will encourage timely rent payment and lease compliance, says Maddison Craig at Munsch Hardt.

  • Bank Action Items For FDIC Digital Display Rule Compliance

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    Recently finalized Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. rules enhance the flexibility of signage requirements for bank websites, digital banking applications and ATMs, but new compliance hurdles will require cross-functional resources to avoid risk ahead of next year's compliance deadline, say attorneys at Winthrop & Weinstine.

  • Opinion

    A TVPRA Safe Harbor Would Boost Antitrafficking Efforts

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    Adding a well-thought-out safe harbor measure to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which is currently up for amendment and reauthorization, would motivate proactive cooperation from hotels and other businesses to combat sex trafficking, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • AI-Generated Doc Ruling Guides Attys On Privilege Risks

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    A New York federal court's ruling, in U.S. v. Heppner, that documents created by a defendant using an artificial intelligence tool were not privileged, can serve as a guide to attorneys for retaining attorney-client or work-product privilege over client documents created with AI, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • How To Turn EU AI Act Disclosures Into Patent Assets

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    As the Aug. 2 deadline approaches to comply with provisions of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act governing high-risk AI systems, intellectual property and AI leaders should consider steps to leverage documentation requirements to surface patentable subject matter, reinforce inventive-step narratives and align regulatory timelines with patent filing strategy, say Lestin Kenton, Roozbeh Gorgin and Ananth Josyula at Sterne Kessler.

  • The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Leadership Strategy After Day 1

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    For law firm leaders, ensuring a newly combined law firm lives up to its promise, both in its first days of operation and well after, includes tough decisions, clear and specific communication, and cheerleading, says Peter Michaud at Ballard Spahr.

  • The Challenges Of Detecting Event Contract Manipulation

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    While concerns about possible manipulation and insider trading in event contracts have increasingly been raised by market observers, distinguishing a speculative position from a hedge and effective surveillance make regulation difficult, particularly as the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission argues for exclusive jurisdiction to do so, say economic consultants at the Brattle Group.

  • How US Liability Law Is Becoming The Primary Regulator Of AI

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    Comprehensive federal AI regulation remains fragmented and uncertain — but U.S. courts, applying long-standing doctrines of liability and responsibility, are actively shaping how AI systems are designed, deployed and governed, and companies are aligning their AI practices because courts may hold them accountable if they do not, says Alexander Lima at Wesco International.

  • How New HSR Thresholds, Fees Could Affect Enforcement

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    While the Federal Trade Commission's new thresholds and filing fees for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act are not expected to materially affect the number of required HSR filings, or the percentage or focus of second requests, increased filing fees may give agencies dedicated resources to bring enforcement actions, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Methods For Challenging State Civil Investigative Demands

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    Ongoing challenges to enforcement actions underscore the uphill battle businesses face in arguing that a state investigation is prohibited by federal law, but when properly deployed, these arguments present a viable strategy to resist civil investigative demands issued by state attorneys general, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Monetizing EV Charging Stations For Long-Term Success

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    An electric vehicle charging station's longevity hinges on monetizing operations through diverse revenue streams, contractual documentation of charge point operators' and site hosts' rights and responsibilities, and ensuring reliability and security of facilities, says Levi McAllister at Morgan Lewis.

  • Calif.'s Civility Push Shows Why Professionalism Is Vital

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    The California Bar’s campaign against discourteous behavior by attorneys, including a newly required annual civility oath, reflects a growing concern among states that professionalism in law needs shoring up — and recognizes that maintaining composure even when stressed is key to both succeeding professionally and maintaining faith in the legal system, says Lucy Wang at Hinshaw.

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