Public Policy

  • July 31, 2025

    Vistra Pays $38M To End FERC Market Manipulation Case

    Vistra Corp. has agreed to pay $38 million to end long-running Federal Energy Regulatory Commission litigation alleging that affiliate Dynegy Inc. manipulated electricity capacity auction rules in 2015, which led to consumers being unjustly overcharged.

  • July 31, 2025

    Full FCC Hearing Sought On T-Mobile, UScellular Tie-Up

    Several trade and public interest groups urged the Federal Communications Commission to hold a full agency review of T-Mobile's plan to take over most of UScellular after FCC staff gave the deal a green light almost three weeks ago.

  • July 31, 2025

    Seattle Sues Trump Administration Over Anti-DEI Grant Terms

    The city of Seattle sued the Trump administration in Washington federal court on Thursday, targeting two executive orders that require federal funding recipients to adopt the president's stances on diversity efforts and gender or risk losing money for a range of critical causes.

  • July 31, 2025

    18 GOP Sens. Urge Trump To Fill IP Negotiator Post

    Eighteen Republican U.S. senators urged President Donald Trump to appoint someone to the vacant role of chief innovation and intellectual property negotiator of the U.S. Trade Representative in order to work to remove what they called "market-distorting price controls" in the pharmaceutical industry.

  • July 31, 2025

    HHS Plans To Test Rebates In 340B Drug Pricing Program

    The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans for a pilot project that would allow certain drugmakers to abandon upfront discounts in the 340B program and instead require hospitals to apply for rebates, testing an idea that would fundamentally reshape the long-running program.

  • July 31, 2025

    Firefighter Says Military Service Cost Her Pay, Opportunities

    The Jersey City, New Jersey, fire department shorted a firefighter on pay and pension benefits while she was out on military leave and deprived her of opportunities upon her return to work, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • July 31, 2025

    Judges Speak Out On Rising Threats Amid Safety Concerns

    Federal judges who have been at the center of some of the most high-profile litigation of the second Trump administration spoke publicly Thursday about threats they've faced after their rulings.

  • July 31, 2025

    Mass. Court Allows Consecutive Resentencing In Murder Case

    Massachusetts' highest court has ruled that prosecutors may seek two consecutive life sentences with parole eligibility in a double murder case after outlawing life without parole sentences for defendants who committed crimes between the ages of 18 and 20-years-old.

  • July 31, 2025

    Mexico Gets 90-Day Tariff Extension As US Deadline Nears

    President Donald Trump announced a 90-day extension of existing tariffs on Mexico on Thursday, a day before a pause on worldwide trade measures is set to expire.

  • July 31, 2025

    Judge Questions Gov't Objection To Shielding FEMA Funds

    A Massachusetts federal judge Thursday questioned the Trump administration's assertion that it has not redirected funds allocated by Congress for natural disaster mitigation efforts toward other Federal Emergency Management Agency programs, even as the government was objecting to states' narrow request to protect the funds for now.

  • July 31, 2025

    Nadine Menendez Loses Bid To Toss Bribery Conviction

    The wife of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez failed Thursday in her effort to overturn her conviction in a sweeping federal corruption case as a Manhattan federal judge ruled that the evidence against her was both extensive and compelling.

  • July 31, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds Google's Play Store Antitrust Trial Loss

    A Ninth Circuit panel Thursday affirmed Epic Games' 2023 antitrust jury trial win, along with an injunction requiring Google to open its Google Play Store to rivals, backing a landmark finding that Google monopolized the Android app-distribution market.

  • July 31, 2025

    Sens. Draft Bill To Combat Foreign Online Piracy

    A bipartisan group of senators introduced a discussion bill for a law that would allow American copyright holders to petition federal courts for orders against foreign-hosted websites that host pirated content.

  • July 31, 2025

    Meta Faces EU Probe Into WhatsApp AI Tying Allegations

    Italian antitrust enforcers are opening an investigation into Meta, saying that the company may have run afoul of anti-bundling laws by tying its dominant WhatsApp messaging service with its new Meta AI assistant.

  • July 31, 2025

    Energy Co. Tells 4th Circ. Land Access Needed For Power Line

    A Public Service Energy Group unit trying to build a 67-mile transmission line in Maryland asked the Fourth Circuit to deny property owners' bid to keep it off their lands, arguing it has a right to complete surveys needed for regulatory approvals.

  • July 30, 2025

    US Atty Swap Was 'Calculated' To Evade Senate, NJ Court Told

    The reappointment of Alina Habba from interim to acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey was an unconstitutional maneuver "calculated to bypass Senate confirmation," a defendant seeking dismissal of his drug trafficking indictment told a federal judge Wednesday, while prosecutors opposed the motion as a "dispute over titles, not authority."

  • July 30, 2025

    Sens. Step Up Push For Data Privacy Law Amid AI's Rise

    The leaders of a Senate data privacy subcommittee Wednesday put the spotlight back on longstanding efforts to craft a nationwide framework for how companies use and disclose consumers' personal information, arguing that a growing state law patchwork and the rise of artificial intelligence accelerated the need for such protections.

  • July 30, 2025

    White House Crypto Report Sets Blueprint For Coming Rules

    A long-awaited report from the President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets that was released Wednesday encouraged securities and derivatives regulators to use their existing authorities to clear the way for crypto issuance and trading in the absence of lasting legislation, while also urging banking regulators to sharpen standards for crypto engagement.

  • July 30, 2025

    Connecticut Says 2 Men Sold $2.5M In Fake Cannabis Licenses

    Two Connecticut businessmen ran a counterfeit cannabis licensing operation, selling fake credentials to as many as 70 retailers in the state for as much as $30,000 a certificate, according to a lawsuit filed by state officials who seek a $2.5 million judgment against the accused.

  • July 30, 2025

    Refugee Class Certified In Suit Over Trump's Admissions Ban

    A Washington federal judge said Wednesday that a challenge to the Trump administration's halt on refugee admissions may move forward as a class action on behalf of individuals seeking entry into the country and others impacted by the suspension, while also spurning the federal government's dismissal bid.

  • July 30, 2025

    GHG Regs Rollback Would Test Clean Air Act Interpretation

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to eliminate a pillar of climate change regulation could test the agency's — and courts' — interpretations of Clean Air Act language that has remained largely unquestioned since the Obama administration.

  • July 30, 2025

    NTSB Hearing Probes Helicopter Risks In DCA Collision

    The U.S. Army helicopter involved in January's deadly midair collision over the Potomac River was flying almost 100 feet higher than it should've been near one of the capital area's busiest airports according to testimony as the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday examined equipment and operational lapses tied to the accident.

  • July 30, 2025

    Microsoft Browser Rival Asks Brazil To Investigate Tech Titan

    Microsoft has been flexing its power as owner of the world's most dominant computer operating system to make people use its own web browser over those belonging to competitors, one such rival told Brazilian competition authorities.

  • July 30, 2025

    Calif. Sens. Slam Trump's US Atty 'Hijacking' To Keep LA Ally

    California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff issued a statement Wednesday condemning the Trump administration's decision to "circumvent the law" and appoint Bill Essayli as acting U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, in a move echoing the recent appointment of Alina Habba as acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey.

  • July 30, 2025

    Mich. Appeals Panel Settles Split On Notice Rule Retroactivity

    A special Michigan Court of Appeals panel said on Tuesday that a state high court ruling enforcing a notice requirement for lawsuits against the state is retroactive, resolving a conflict within the intermediate appellate court and upholding the dismissal of a correction worker's suit.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    IRS Should Work With Industry On Microcaptive Regs

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    The IRS should engage with microcaptive insurance owners to develop better regulations on these arrangements or risk the emergence of common law guidance as taxpayers with legitimate programs seek relief in the federal courts, says Dustin Carlson at SRA 831(b) Admin.

  • How Providers Can Brace For Drug Pricing Policy Changes

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    Though it's uncertain which provisions of the Trump administration's executive order aimed at addressing prescription drug costs will eventually be implemented, stakeholders can reduce potential negative outcomes by understanding pathways that could be used to effectuate the order's directives, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Comparing New Neural Data Privacy Laws In 4 States

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    Although no federal law yet addresses neural privacy comprehensively, the combined effect of recent state laws in Colorado, California, Montana and Connecticut is already shaping the regulatory future, but a multistate compliance strategy has quickly become a gating item for those experimenting with neuro-enabled workplace tools, says Kristen Mathews at Cooley.

  • 2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

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    The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Debunking 4 Misconceptions Around Texas' IV Therapy Law

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    Despite industry confusion, an IV therapy law enacted in Texas last week may actually be the most business-friendly regulatory development the medical spa industry has seen in recent years, says Keith Lefkowitz at Hendershot Cowart.

  • A Pattern Emerges In Justices' Evaluation Of Veteran Statute

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    The recent Soto v. U.S. decision that the statute of limitations for certain military-related claims does not apply to combat-related special compensation exemplifies the U.S. Supreme Court's view, emerging in two other recent opinions, that it is a reviewing court's obligation to determine the best interpretation of the language used by Congress, says attorney Kenneth Carpenter.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Psychedelic Treatment Regs May Be At A Tipping Point

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    Recent scientific and public attention suggest that development of psychedelics as treatment for some conditions may be at a tipping point, which could bring on more rapid change and opportunities for stakeholders who may in the future benefit from greater access to safe and effective psychedelic medicines, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • In NRC Ruling, Justices Affirm Hearing Process Still Matters

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas safeguards the fairness, clarity and predictability of the regulatory system by affirming that to challenge an agency's decision in court, litigants must first meaningfully participate in the hearing process that Congress and the agency have established, says Jonathan Rund at the Nuclear Energy Institute.

  • Comparing Stablecoin Bills From UK, EU, US And Hong Kong

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    For multinational stablecoin issuers, navigating the differences and similarities among regimes in the U.K., EU, Hong Kong and U.S., which are currently unfolding in several key ways, is critical to achieving scalable, compliant operations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Baseball Can Teach Criminal Attys About Rule Of Lenity

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    Judges tend to assess ambiguous criminal laws not unlike how baseball umpires approach checked swings, so defense attorneys should consider how to best frame their arguments to maximize courts' willingness to invoke the rule of lenity, wherein a tie goes to the defendant, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

  • Focusing On Fluoride: From FDA To Class Action

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    A class action filed two days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to remove ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market may be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the connection between government pronouncements on safety and their immediate use as evidence in lawsuits, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • How Energy Cos. Can Prepare For Potential Tax Credit Cuts

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    The Senate Finance Committee's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill act would create a steep phaseout of renewable energy tax credits, which should prompt companies to take several actions, including conduct a project review to discern which could begin construction before the end of the year, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • The CFTC Is Shaking Up Sports Betting's Legal Future

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    The sports betting industry faces a potential sea change amid recent state and federal actions across the regulatory landscape that have expanded access to sporting event contracts against the backdrop of waning Commodity Futures Trading Commission opposition, says Nick Covek at Foley & Lardner.

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