Public Policy

  • February 17, 2026

    CFTC Backs Prediction Markets In 9th Circ. Fight With Nevada

    U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Michael Selig told state gaming regulators Tuesday that he intends to defend his agency's "exclusive jurisdiction" over prediction markets, starting with a brief to the Ninth Circuit backing Crypto.com in an ongoing brawl with Nevada regulators over its sports wagers.

  • February 17, 2026

    Colo. Utility Advocates Dispute Energy Financing Program

    The Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate, or UCA, claimed in Colorado state court Friday that a recent decision to approve a tariffed on-bill financing program to help customers purchase energy efficiency upgrades violates state law.

  • February 17, 2026

    FCC Investigating Possible Lifeline Fraud In Calif., Beyond

    Lifeline providers in states that were allowed to opt out of the federal verification process might soon find themselves in the hot seat, as the Federal Communications Commission revealed Tuesday it has launched investigations into certain providers from three states.

  • February 17, 2026

    Wash. Governor Demands Changes To Millionaires' Tax Bill

    A proposal for a nearly 10% tax on income above $1 million that has passed the Washington state Senate is a good start, but it needs significant changes before it gets his signature, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday.

  • February 17, 2026

    No Need To Reopen Asbestos Suit, Insurance Exchange Says

    An insurance exchange for the trucking industry has told a California federal judge he does not need to reopen its case against a group of reinsurers as the parties battle whether to remove a "side-switching" arbitrator, explaining that a New York state court will likely rule soon on the issue.

  • February 17, 2026

    Judge Trims Moderna's Defenses In COVID Patent Suit

    A federal judge sitting in Delaware on Tuesday ruled that Moderna could not use obviousness to defend itself from patent claims brought by a rival vaccine developer since it already used that as a defense in related Patent Trial and Review Board proceedings, saying that Moderna had offered expert opinions to support a defense that the patents don't sufficiently teach about the claimed invention.

  • February 17, 2026

    Harvard Beats Suit By Prof Denied Tenure After Viral Incident

    Harvard University scored a pretrial win Tuesday in a Massachusetts state court suit brought by a professor who said the school wrongly denied him tenure after several incidents, including emails to a Chinese restaurant over a $4 overcharge that went viral.

  • February 17, 2026

    9th Circ. Clears Way For Nev. Gaming Action Against Kalshi

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday denied Kalshi's request to keep its sports event contracts safe from Nevada gaming regulators, clearing the way for the state to bring a civil enforcement action against the online trading platform.

  • February 17, 2026

    FCC's Equal Time Stance Blasted As Colbert Tanks Interview

    Progressives called the Federal Communications Commission's rollout of equal-time policies against late-night talk shows slanted after Stephen Colbert blamed the FCC for being forced to move an interview with a Democratic Senate candidate off the air.

  • February 17, 2026

    DOJ Cites Gun Ban For Mentally Ill In Cannabis User Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the Eighth Circuit not to excuse a man's conviction for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful cannabis user, arguing federal law limiting his rights is constitutional since it's analogous to historical laws preventing the mentally ill or dangerous drunkards from owning guns.

  • February 17, 2026

    Union Foe Can't Fight Ore. Impostor Ban, Court Told

    Accepting a conservative think tank's challenge to an Oregon law that threatens fines for impersonating public-sector unions would clash with decades of precedent on the state's exposure to enforcement challenges, a union attorney said Tuesday in arguments on its bid to toss the suit.

  • February 17, 2026

    Judge Rips Drugmakers' Borderline 'Disingenuous' Appeal Bid

    A Connecticut federal judge has rejected generic-drug makers' request for a quick appeal of his ruling denying them summary judgment on states' claims they engaged in an "overarching conspiracy" to fix prices, slamming the request for being borderline "disingenuous," mischaracterizing his reasoning and ignoring direct evidence of alleged wrongdoing.

  • February 17, 2026

    Ga. Panel Says Union Shorted Cop's Defense Over Shooting

    A Georgia appellate panel on Tuesday upheld a trial court's ruling that a police union breached its contract with a former Atlanta officer by failing to furnish him with legal representation after a high-profile shooting, clearing the way for the case to proceed to trial.

  • February 17, 2026

    SEC's Atkins Floats Litigation 'Safe Harbor' For Public Cos.

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins on Tuesday put forth a raft of ideas for encouraging shorter corporate disclosures, including a possible "safe harbor" for publicly traded companies looking to avoid shareholder lawsuits for failing to report the impact of highly publicized events on their businesses.

  • February 17, 2026

    County's Tourism Tax Use Was Reasonable, NC Justices Told

    Counsel for a coastal North Carolina county told the state's Supreme Court justices Tuesday that commissioners' decision to spend occupancy tax dollars on public safety and infrastructure wasn't arbitrary and capricious, while opining that buying carnival equipment for their own pleasure might be.

  • February 17, 2026

    Immigration Judge Halts Student's Deportation Over Speech

    An immigration judge has ended the Trump administration's attempt to deport Columbia University student and green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi, dinging the government for failing to authenticate evidence that he's removable for threatening U.S. foreign policy goals.

  • February 17, 2026

    Law Professors Sue EEOC For Firm DEI Letter Records

    Two professors at law schools in Michigan and Florida have sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in D.C. federal court, seeking documents related to 20 letters the agency sent to law firms over their purported diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

  • February 17, 2026

    FCC Threatens To Nix Mich. Radio Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

    The Federal Communications Commission said it will yank the licenses for seven Michigan radio stations if the company that holds the licenses fails to pay the regulatory fees it has been delinquent on for several years.

  • February 17, 2026

    States Say FEMA Ignoring Disaster Mitigation Funding Order

    Two months after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration's cancellation of a federal disaster mitigation program was illegal, the government has not shown any signs of restoring it, a coalition of states said Tuesday.

  • February 17, 2026

    Minn. Justices Urged To Uphold Hilton Valuation Cuts

    A county assessor overvalued a Minneapolis Hilton hotel and convention center, the property owner told Minnesota's justices, urging the high court to uphold the state tax court's proper valuation.

  • February 17, 2026

    Navajo Nation Supports NM Bill For Native ID Designation

    The Navajo Nation's tribal council members are throwing their support behind a New Mexico bill that will allow for Native American designations on state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.

  • February 17, 2026

    NY Regulators, Cannabis Biz Challenge Town's Zoning Policy

    New York cannabis regulators and a licensed cannabis business have urged a state appellate court to find that the state's marijuana law preempts localities from enforcing more stringent location policies for marijuana stores than what is found in state law.

  • February 17, 2026

    Aviation, Wireless Biz Work On 'Consensus' For C-Band

    Federal aviation experts are working closely with the wireless industry to develop a "consensus framework" for next-generation aircraft safety gear to avoid congestion of 5G and flight signals in the C-band, a carriers' group says.

  • February 17, 2026

    DC Judge Won't Halt Bidding Process For New Dulles Terminal

    A D.C. federal judge refused to stop the bidding process for a private luxury terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport, finding that a company in the running can't show that it was injured if the contract hasn't been awarded yet, undercutting its injunction request.

  • February 17, 2026

    Meeks Presses Rubio For Info On Venezuela Oil Money

    Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., demanded that Secretary of State Marco Rubio turn over documents and answer questions concerning the Trump administration's decision to place approximately $200 million in Venezuela oil revenues in an account in Qatar.

Expert Analysis

  • How Cos. Can Roll With NY's New Algorithmic Pricing Rules

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    Despite uncertainty from New York’s new ban on artificial intelligence and computer algorithms for setting rents, and efforts to further restrict individualizing prices based on consumers' personal data, property managers, software providers and merchants can take several steps to stay compliant, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • 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.

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