Public Policy

  • February 18, 2026

    Journalists, Unions Urge Court To Keep In Place Layoffs Suit

    The deputy CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media did not have the authority to fire over 500 Voice of America employees, a coalition of journalists and federal employee unions has told a D.C. federal court, asking that their lawsuit challenging the terminations be allowed to proceed.

  • February 18, 2026

    State Law Matters More For Bankruptcy Tolling, NC Justices Told

    A real estate rental agency told North Carolina's high court Wednesday that it didn't miss its chance to collect a $507,000 debt because a decade-long statute of limitations period for judgment renewal was tolled by the debtor's bankruptcy.

  • February 18, 2026

    Illinois' Pritzker Proposes Social Media Tax To Fund Education

    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker proposed Wednesday that the state levy a new tax on social media companies with at least 100,000 users in the state and direct the money raised to education as part of a $56 billion budget plan he unveiled for fiscal 2027.

  • February 18, 2026

    Amazon Rips FTC's 'Farfetched' Antitrust Discovery Refusals

    Amazon slammed the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday for treating discovery "as a one-way road" in the agency's antitrust case against the e-commerce giant, calling on a Seattle federal judge to again order the agency to cough up answers that the company says are key to formulating its defense.

  • February 18, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs Military Policy Banning HIV-Positive Enlistees

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a U.S. Department of Defense policy that bans HIV-positive Americans from enlisting, deferring to the military's judgment that it must have healthy and fit service members who do not require consistent treatment for chronic medical conditions. 

  • February 18, 2026

    Ga. Railroad Defends Land Seizures In Eminent Domain Fight

    A small Georgia railroad operation urged a state appellate court Wednesday to uphold successive rulings by the state's utility commission and a trial court to allow condemnation of landowners' property to build a new spur in its network and to lift the stay that's currently holding up construction.

  • February 18, 2026

    Tesla Scores FCC Waiver For EV Positioning Technology

    Tesla has convinced the Federal Communications Commission to make some exceptions to its rules for ultra-wideband devices — specifically a requirement that they be handheld — so that it can use the technology to help its vehicles self-park on charging pads.

  • February 18, 2026

    Fla. Prison Officials Seek End Of Fired Chaplain's Bias Suit

    A former prison chaplain who was fired for refusing to train a female minister failed to exhaust his administrative remedies before filing a suit that amounted to a shotgun pleading, the Florida Department of Corrections has told a federal judge.

  • February 18, 2026

    Texas AG Says Hospital Violated Gender-Affirming Care Ban

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Children's Health System of Texas on Wednesday, alleging it performed gender-affirming care on children through puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones despite a state law banning the treatments.

  • February 18, 2026

    Okla. Regulators Aim To Toss $4M Hemp Seizure Suit

    The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control on Wednesday pushed to dismiss a suit from two hemp companies alleging one of its agents illegally seized and ruined $4 million in legal hemp, saying both the agency and the agent have sovereign immunity.

  • February 18, 2026

    Oklahoma Tribes' Bid For Indian Country Status Denied

    A federal court judge has denied four Oklahoma tribes' bid for a declaration that lands within the historic boundaries of their reservations maintain their Indian Country status, saying there's no evidence of a live controversy between the Indigenous nations and Sooner State prosecutors.

  • February 18, 2026

    EPA Hit With Suit Over Repeal Of Climate Rule

    A coalition of public health and environmental groups on Wednesday challenged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to repeal a landmark finding that greenhouse gas pollution endangers people's health, calling it a corporate handout at odds with the science and the law.

  • February 18, 2026

    US, Japan Announce $36B In Projects As Part Of Trade Deal

    Japan and its companies will undertake new investments in U.S. manufacturing and energy production facilities that total nearly $36 billion, the U.S. and Japanese governments announced as part of a framework trade agreement and confirmed Wednesday. 

  • February 18, 2026

    Feds Release $130M NY, NJ Gateway Hudson Tunnel Funds

    New York and New Jersey officials said Wednesday that construction on the $16 billion rehabilitation of aging commuter train tunnels under the Hudson River would resume next week after the federal government released $130 million in funds that a federal judge in Manhattan recently ruled had been unlawfully frozen.

  • February 18, 2026

    Migrants Urge Judge To Protect Anonymity In Flight Dispute

    Attorneys for three anonymous Venezuelan asylum seekers who claim they were among 49 migrants lured into boarding flights to Massachusetts have urged a federal judge to deny the flight operator's bid to unmask their identities, saying nothing has changed to warrant disclosure.

  • February 18, 2026

    SpaceX Attacks Studies Opposing NGSO Framework Changes

    SpaceX is coming out swinging against other satellite operators who have provided the FCC with studies they say show the new proposed spectrum sharing framework is a bad idea, calling it a "last-ditch effort to muddy the waters" before the agency makes a decision.

  • February 18, 2026

    Senators Push For Transparency In Litigation Funding

    Lawmakers are trying again to rein in third-party litigation financing, a multibillion-dollar industry that critics argue allows foreign entities to assert control of the U.S. legal system.

  • February 18, 2026

    NY Bill Would Allow Low-THC Drinks In Liquor Stores

    A new bill introduced in the New York State Legislature would permit alcohol retailers to sell low-potency cannabis-infused beverages with up to 5 milligrams of THC and impose a new tax on their sale.

  • February 18, 2026

    FCC Opens 2 Slices Of 900 MHz For Broadband Use

    The Federal Communications Commission opened two portions of the 900 megahertz airwaves for expanded broadband use Wednesday, saying it crafted the new rules to avoid disruption with users in nearby spectrum.

  • February 18, 2026

    IRS Asks Court To Deny Probe Of Improper ICE Data-Sharing

    A coalition suing the IRS over its data-sharing deal with immigration enforcement authorities should not be allowed to investigate the agency's revelation that it shared some data improperly, the IRS told a D.C. federal court, saying it made the admission "in good faith."

  • February 18, 2026

    Feds Ask High Court To Reject Chinook Tribe Recognition

    The U.S. Department of the Interior is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a petition by the Chinook Indian Nation that looks to undo a Ninth Circuit order that denied it federal recognition, arguing that the case is a poor vehicle for resolving questions under the 1994 List Act.

  • February 18, 2026

    No Jurisdiction In Judicial Privacy Law Suits, NJ Court Told

    Five data companies said Wednesday that a New Jersey federal court should toss suits alleging they violated the Garden State's judicial privacy law, arguing that they have no presence in the state and do not have enough contacts with it.

  • February 18, 2026

    Nicotine Pouch Co. Says FDA Unfairly Applies Tobacco Regs

    A nicotine oral pouch maker is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in D.C. federal court, saying the agency is arbitrarily requiring it to perform the same health studies for premarket authorization as tobacco products, despite acknowledging that its products have fewer health risks than cigarettes or other tobacco products.

  • February 18, 2026

    States, Unions Urge DC Circ. To Block Haiti TPS Termination

    California-led states and a coalition of unions urged the D.C. Circuit to deny the Trump administration's push to end temporary protected status for Haiti during an ongoing legal challenge, arguing it would harm families, communities and the economy.

  • February 18, 2026

    Anti-Abortion Clinics Lose Free Speech Suit Over Mass. Ads

    A Massachusetts federal judge has tossed a lawsuit over a state-funded ad campaign warning consumers about potentially misleading or inaccurate information provided by a group of anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers, finding that the state hadn't prohibited the clinics from operating — and that the public officials have the same free speech rights as the clinics.

Expert Analysis

  • Crypto In 2025: From Federal Deregulation To State Action

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    The cryptocurrency enforcement landscape evolved in 2025, marked by federal deregulatory trends and active state attorney general enforcement, creating both opportunity and risk for businesses navigating the digital asset market, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • How CFTC Enforcement Shifted In 2025 And What's Next

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    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pivoted sharply under acting Chairman Caroline Pham in 2025, resulting in a pared-back enforcement docket, sweeping policy changes intended to provide greater transparency, and a renewed focus on fraud prevention and maintaining market integrity for the CFTC's core markets, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Learning From 2025 FCA Trends Targeting PE In Healthcare

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    False Claims Act enforcement trends and legislative developments from this year signal intensifying state and federal scrutiny of private equity's growing footprint in healthcare, and the urgency of compliance, says Lisa Re at Arnold & Porter.

  • Reviewing 2025's State And Federal AI Regulations

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    In light of increasing state and federal action to oversee the use of artificial intelligence, companies that develop or deploy the technology should keep abreast of current and forthcoming AI laws and consider their applicability to their business activities, says Jessica Brigman at Spencer Fane.

  • Software Patents May Face New Eligibility Scrutiny

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    November guidance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, along with recent litigation trends from the Federal Circuit, may encourage new challenges in the USPTO and district courts to artificial intelligence and software patents that rely on generic computing functions without concrete details, say attorneys at Venable.

  • What Trump Order Limiting State AI Regs Means For Insurers

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    Last week's executive order seeking to preclude states from regulating artificial intelligence will likely have minimal impact on insurers, but the order and related congressional activities may portend a federal expectation of consistent state oversight of insurers' AI use, says Kathleen Birrane at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • Investment Advisers Should Stay Apprised Of New AI Risks

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently issued annual examination priorities reiterate a host of regulatory implications for investment advisers using artificial intelligence tools, highlighting that meaningful ongoing due diligence can help mitigate both operational and regulatory surprises amid AI's rapid evolution, says Christopher Mills at Sidley.

  • New Rule Shows NRC Willing To Move Fast To Reform Regs

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    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to forgo public comment and immediately rescind certain rules governing adjudicatory procedures, federal tort claims and disclosure of licensee information signals the agency's intent to accelerate the regulatory streamlining efforts ordered by the president this spring, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AG Watch: Texas Junk Fee Deal Shows Enforcement Priorities

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's recent $9.5 million settlement with online travel agency website Booking Holdings for so-called junk fee practices follows a larger trend of state attorneys general who have taken similar action and demonstrates the significant penalties that can follow such allegations, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • 10th Circ. Dissent May Light Path For Master Account Access

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    While the Tenth Circuit's majority in Custodia Bank v. Federal Reserve Board recently affirmed Federal Reserve banks' control over master account access, the dissent raised constitutional questions that could support banks seeking master accounts in future litigation, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Calif. AG's No-Poach Case Reflects Tougher Antitrust Stance

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    This month, California’s attorney general resolved the latest enforcement action barring the use of no-poach agreements, underscoring an aggressive antitrust enforcement trend with significant increases in criminal and civil penalties, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • A Look At The Wave Of 2025 Email Marketing Suits In Wash.

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    Since the Washington Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Old Navy in April, more than 30 lawsuits have alleged that a broad range of retailers across industries sent emails that violate the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act, but retailers are unlikely to find clear answers yet, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.

  • 3 Defense Strategies For Sporadically Prosecuted Conduct

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    Not to be confused with selective prosecutions, sporadic prosecutions — charging someone for conduct many others do without consequences — can be challenging to defend, but focusing on materiality, prosecutorial motivations and public opinion can be a winning strategy, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • 2025 Noncompete Developments That Led To Inflection Point

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    Employers must reshape their approaches to noncompete agreements following key 2025 developments, including Delaware's rejection of blue-penciling and the proliferation of state wage thresholds, say attorneys at Gunderson Dettmer.

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