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Public Policy
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May 27, 2025
Judge Follows The Users And The Money In Meta's FTC Case
A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday looked for the right metrics to measure the effect that Meta Platforms Inc. has had on Instagram and WhatsApp in terms of users, growth and money spent buying the apps in deals the Federal Trade Commission says were designed to buy or bury the competition.
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May 27, 2025
FCC Mulls Adding Connected Vehicle Tech To Covered List
The Federal Communications Commission is thinking about adding more technologies to the list of those whose components are banned if they come from China or Russia, but it wants to hear what the industry thinks first.
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May 27, 2025
Expert Says DuPont Knew Of PFAS Risk At NJ Site
A former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy adviser told a New Jersey federal court on Tuesday that E.I. du Pont de Nemours knew of the risk of "forever chemicals" and failed to disclose that risk to federal and Garden State regulators despite its obligation to do so.
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May 27, 2025
Lawmakers Float Fast Patent Program For AI, Semiconductors
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House have introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to create an experimental program to prioritize patent applications for technologies like artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
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May 27, 2025
Calif. Faces Long Odds Keeping Tariff Suit In District Court
A California federal judge said Tuesday that "California has a bit of an uphill battle" keeping its lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's recent tariffs in federal district court, noting that two judges have already sent similar cases to the U.S. Court of International Trade.
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May 27, 2025
Debate Over Moratorium On State AI Oversight Goes To Senate
Before going on recess, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their budget reconciliation bill that includes a hotly debated moratorium on states' enforcement of artificial intelligence-related legislation, and the debate continues as the bill heads to the U.S. Senate, where at least a few Republicans have voiced opposition.
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May 27, 2025
DOJ Wants Google Docs Analyzing Potential Ad Tech Breakup
Enforcers are asking a Virginia federal court for access to Google documents analyzing a potential break up of the company's ad tech business, as the court considers what remedies to impose after finding Google monopolized key ad tech markets.
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May 27, 2025
Feds No Longer Advise COVID Shot For Kids, Pregnant Adults
The nation's public health agency on Tuesday pulled the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of recommended shots for healthy children and pregnant adults, a move that experts say could reduce demand for the vaccine and make it more expensive for some families.
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May 27, 2025
Mass. Pot Regulator Enters Battle Over Town's Hosting Fees
Massachusetts' cannabis regulator is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by a group of marijuana retailers in state court, alleging a town unlawfully pocketed approximately $6 million in community impact fees.
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May 27, 2025
Ill. Panel Says Man Can't Keep Guns Bought During Injunction
An Illinois man cannot possess or register assault weapons he purchased during a period of time that the enforcement of Illinois' ban on such rifles was blocked by a federal court, an intermediary appellate panel ruled Friday.
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May 27, 2025
Canada Could Use Tax System For Growth, OECD Says
While Canada's economy has been largely resilient, changes in areas like goods and services taxes and its research and development tax incentives could help protect against projected slowed growth brought on by its trade dispute with the U.S., the Organization for Economic Coooperation and Development said.
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May 27, 2025
Crypto Exec's IRS Privacy Appeal Tossed By 5th Circ.
A cryptocurrency executive who sought to quash IRS summonses for his bank records must wait at least until the U.S. government decides whether to bring legal proceedings against him before he can appeal a ruling denying his request to block the agency's demands, the Fifth Circuit said Tuesday.
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May 27, 2025
Ferry Cos. Urge Mich. Judge To Block Rate Freeze Ordinance
Ferry service companies that provide transportation into and out of a popular Michigan tourist destination are asking a federal judge to stop the city of Mackinac Island from enforcing an ordinance that the companies say would put the businesses at risk of closing.
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May 27, 2025
Trump Withdraws Biden's NEPA Greenhouse Gas Guidance
The White House Council on Environmental Quality on Tuesday said it's withdrawing 2023 National Environmental Policy Act guidance for federal agencies that are assessing the greenhouse gas and climate change effects of actions, including the approval of infrastructure projects.
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May 27, 2025
Conn. Firefighters Say Age Bias Taints Retirement Program
Connecticut's municipal employee pension system unlawfully barred a group of firefighters with over two decades of service from participating in a deferred retirement program because they're under 55 years old, the workers and their union claimed in a federal lawsuit.
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May 27, 2025
Bank Groups Agree To Pause Of Fed Stress Test Suit
Major banking trade groups and the board of governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System came together to ask an Ohio federal judge to pause their dispute over the board's big bank stress test practices, telling the court that the trade groups' concerns are being addressed.
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May 27, 2025
DC Circ. Backs FERC In NY Grid Upgrade Cost Fight
The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday upheld the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's refusal to allow New York utilities to earn investment returns from grid upgrades, saying the agency reasonably concluded that shifting from the current nonprofit approach was unwarranted.
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May 27, 2025
Wireless Mics Need Fewer Reg Restrictions, FCC Told
A group that advocates for making more spectrum available for wireless microphones has its own ideas about what regulations the Federal Communications Commission should be cutting, starting with two areas it says are hindering the wireless mic industry.
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May 27, 2025
Philly Atty Suspended 3 Years For Sexual Conduct With Client
Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Brian Dooley Kent has been suspended from the practice of law for three years for engaging in sexual conduct with a client he represented while investigating claims against the Church of Scientology.
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May 27, 2025
Texas Judge Certifies Class In Alien Enemies Act Case
A Texas federal judge has certified a class of Venezuelan nationals in custody in the Western District of Texas subject to President Donald Trump's proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to remove alleged Tren de Aragua gang members from the United States.
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May 27, 2025
Justices Will Consider Judges' Limits Under First Step Act
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear arguments in a case that could determine how much discretion trial judges have when considering whether to reduce defendants' sentences under the First Step Act.
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May 27, 2025
DOJ Pushes Back Against Agri Stats Recusal Bid
The U.S. Department of Justice told a Minnesota federal judge Friday there is no reason to recuse himself from a case accusing Agri Stats of helping meat processors exchange sensitive information because the clerk who allegedly created a conflict is not working on the case.
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May 27, 2025
Rental Co. Signs Deal With Pa. AG Over AI-Related Delays
The Pennsylvania arm of a Las Vegas-based rental management company will pay the state $45,000 — including $30,000 in refunds for tenants — to settle allegations that its artificial intelligence platform contributed to delays in repairs and rentals of unsafe housing, the Pennsylvania attorney general's office announced Tuesday.
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May 27, 2025
Calif. Bar Seeks More Remedies After Problematic Feb. Exam
The state bar of California has formally asked the state Supreme Court to approve measures including a limited provisional licensure program and a more direct pathway to admission for out-of-state attorneys, in the state bar's latest attempt to seek equitable remedies amid the fallout from the bungled February 2025 California bar exam.
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May 27, 2025
Trump, Ex-Copyright Head Duel Over Her Firing
Former U.S. Copyright Office director Shira Perlmutter on Tuesday said a Washington, D.C., federal judge should ignore the Trump administration's argument that her recent firing was legal, the latest salvo in her lawsuit against the federal government as she seeks to block her removal.
Expert Analysis
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Expect Eyes On Electronic Devices At US Entry Points
Electronic device searches are becoming common at U.S. border inspections, making it imperative for companies to familiarize themselves with what's allowed, and mandate specific precautions for employees to protect their privacy and sensitive information during international travel, say attorneys at Seyfarth.
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Big Tech M&A Risk Under Trump May Resemble Biden Era
Merger review under the Trump administration may not differ substantially from merger review under the Biden administration, particularly in the Big Tech arena, in which case dealmakers and investors should shift the antitrust discount on M&A deals upward, says Jonathan Barnett at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
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A Breakdown Of Trump's Order On Drug Pricing
The Trump administration may attempt to effectuate through rulemaking a recently issued executive order on lowering drug prices, which would likely have an adverse effect on stakeholders and trigger litigation, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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FTC Focus: Interlocking Directorate Enforcement May Persist
Though the Federal Trade Commission under Chair Andrew Ferguson seems likely to adopt a pro-business approach to antitrust enforcement, his endorsement of broader liability for officers or directors who illegally sit on boards of competing corporations signals that businesses should not expect board-level antitrust scrutiny to slacken, says Timothy Burroughs at Proskauer.
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Calif. Climate Superfund Bill Faces Legal, Technical Hurdles
California could soon join other states in sending the fossil fuel industry a massive bill for the costs of coping with climate change — but its pending climate Superfund legislation, if enacted, is certain to face legal pushback and daunting implementation challenges, says Donald Sobelman at Farella Braun.
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How Cos. Can Navigate Risks Of New Cartel Terrorist Labels
The Trump administration’s recent designation of eight drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations gives rise to new criminal and civil liabilities for companies that are unwittingly exposed to cartel activity, but businesses can mitigate such risks in a few key ways, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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Cosmetic Co. Considerations As More States Target PFAS
In the first quarter of the year, seven states introduced or passed legislation focused on banning the sale of cosmetics that contain PFAS, making it necessary for businesses to adjust their product testing and supply chain practices, product formulations, marketing strategies, and more, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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What We Lost After SEC Eliminated Regional Director Role
Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Regional Director Marc Fagel discusses the recent wholesale elimination of the regional director position, the responsibilities of the job itself and why discarding this role highlights how the appearance of creating a more efficient agency may limit the SEC's effectiveness.
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Mass. Suit Points To New Scrutiny For Home Equity Contracts
The Massachusetts attorney general’s recent charge that a lender sold unregulated reverse mortgages shows more regulators are scrutinizing mortgage alternatives like home equity contracts, but a similar case in the Ninth Circuit suggests more courts need to help develop a consensus on these products' legality, say attorneys at Weiner Brodsky.
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Unpacking Copyright Office's AI Report Amid Admin Shakeups
Though recent firings have thrown the U.S. Copyright Office into turmoil, the latest entry in its report on artificial intelligence can serve as a road map for litigants, persuasive authority for courts and input on the legislative process, say attorneys at Epstein Becker.
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Del. Bill Reflects Nat'l Tug-Of-War Between Cannabis, Alcohol
As Delaware's bill targeting hemp-derived THC beverages and ingestible products moves through the general assembly, it reads like a local regulatory fix — but in reality, it's a microcosm of a national power struggle playing out state-by-state across the cannabis frontier, says attorney Peter Murphy.
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Reading Tea Leaves In High Court's Criminal Law Decisions
The criminal justice decisions the U.S. Supreme Court will announce in the coming weeks will reveal whether last term’s fractured decision-making has continued, an important data point as the justices’ alignment seems to correlate with who benefits from a case’s outcome, says Sharon Fairley at the University of Chicago Law School.
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$38M Law Firm Settlement Highlights 'Unworthy Client' Perils
A recent settlement of claims against law firm Eckert Seamans for allegedly abetting a Ponzi scheme underscores the continuing threat of clients who seek to exploit their lawyers in perpetrating fraud, and the critical importance of preemptive measures to avoid these clients, say attorneys at Lockton Companies.
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Hints Of Where Enforcement May Grow Under New CFPB
Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has significantly scaled back enforcement under the new administration, states remain able to pursue Consumer Financial Protection Act violators and the CFPB seems set to enhance its focus on predatory loans to military members and fraudulent debt collection and credit reporting practices, say attorneys at MoFo.
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Only Certainty About FAR Reform Order Is Its Uncertainty
The president’s recent order overhauling the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which both contractors and agencies rely on to ensure predictability and consistency in federal procurement, lacks key details about its implementation, which will likely eliminate many safeguards that ensure contractors are treated fairly and that procurements are awarded in a reasonable manner, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.