Public Policy

  • June 17, 2025

    CFPB's Vought Seeks To Limit Use Of Civil Penalty Fund

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acting Director Russell Vought is proposing to restrict the agency's ability to tap its civil penalty fund for consumer education and financial literacy initiatives as part of a trio of draft regulatory changes posted online Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    Fundraising Pro Admits To Lying In Mich. 'Dark Money' Probe

    A political fundraising consultant pled guilty in Michigan state court on Tuesday to misleading investigators regarding her role in an alleged scheme to conceal the identities of donors supporting a ballot proposal campaign at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • June 17, 2025

    X Sues Over NY Social Media Law, Citing Trimmed Calif. Law

    A New York law requiring social media companies to divulge whether they define and moderate hate speech, extremism and misinformation or face fines is unconstitutional, Elon Musk's X Corp. claims in a federal lawsuit Tuesday, noting the law mirrors a California statute that the platform got trimmed earlier this year.

  • June 17, 2025

    HHS Says Trump Orders Merit Ending Trans Health Rule Case

    The federal government urged a Mississippi federal court to end a lawsuit challenging a Biden-era rule that protected gender-affirming care under the Affordable Care Act, arguing the Republican attorneys general leading the case can't show imminent harm given the Trump administration's position on the definition of "sex."

  • June 17, 2025

    Pot Shops Have Rights In Federal Court, Mich. Judge Says

    A Michigan federal judge Tuesday declined to remand a lawsuit from cannabis companies alleging the city of Grand Rapids' marijuana licensure program imposes illegal fees, rejecting the companies' argument that the case belongs in state court since marijuana remains illegal under federal law.  

  • June 17, 2025

    ND Secretary Fights Tribes' 8th Circ. Voting Rights Rehearing

    North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe is urging the Eighth Circuit to deny two Native American tribes' bid for a rehearing in their voting rights challenge, arguing their petition misinterprets the appellate court's opinions and overstates U.S. Supreme Court precedent on the issue.

  • June 17, 2025

    GOP Lawmaker Praises DOL IG's Law Firm Agreements Audit

    The chair of the Republican-led U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Tuesday praised a U.S. Department of Labor watchdog for investigating the agency over allegations it shared confidential information with plaintiffs attorneys, which comes after the panel called for an investigation in November.

  • June 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Chinook Can't Get Tribal Status From Courts

    The Chinook Indian Nation can't revive its bid seeking federally recognized tribe status that would entitle it to benefits from the U.S. government after the Ninth Circuit issued an order Tuesday finding the process for federal recognition comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior, not the federal judiciary.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's FCC Nominee, Giving GOP Majority

    The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, providing Republicans a 2-1 majority on the telecom regulatory body five months after President Donald Trump named her for the seat.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ill. Increases Sports Betting, Tobacco Tax And Taxes Airbnbs

    Illinois increased its tax on sports betting and tobacco products and extended its tax on hotel operators to include short-term rentals like Airbnbs and Vrbos under a budget bill approved by the governor.

  • June 17, 2025

    FDA Unveils Voucher Program For Fast-Paced Drug Reviews

    Pharmaceutical companies that boost domestic drug manufacturing or address other national priorities will have a chance to secure speedier review and approval of new drugs under a pilot program the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ill. Toy Makers Seek Justices' Early Review Of Trump Tariff Suit

    Illinois-based toy makers challenging President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs on Tuesday requested the U.S. Supreme Court consider their case before it is reviewed by the D.C. Circuit, arguing a stay to an injunction is allowing duty collections to continue and is damaging the companies.

  • June 17, 2025

    Hemp Interests Urge Court To Halt Md. Licensing Policy

    A group of Maryland hemp interests is urging a federal court to halt enforcement of a state policy which would require retailers to obtain recreational cannabis licenses to buy and sell hemp products, which they say is impossible to do.

  • June 17, 2025

    Domestic Violence Groups Sue Feds Over Grant Restrictions

    A group of domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions is asking a federal court to block the Trump administration from imposing restrictions on grants by the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, saying the new rules make it impossible to effectively operate their programs that help victims.

  • June 17, 2025

    Democrats Probe Palantir About IRS Taxpayer Database

    Ten Democratic lawmakers demanded information Tuesday from the head of Palantir Technologies Inc. about media reports that the software company is working with the IRS to create a searchable database containing sensitive taxpayer information — claims the company denied almost immediately.

  • June 17, 2025

    Texas AG Seeks Execution In Shaken Baby Syndrome Case

    The Texas attorney general's office has asked a state court to set an execution date for a man convicted based on a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome, despite his case pending on appeal before the state's highest criminal court.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Bill Could Hike Taxes On Litigation Funding Profits

    Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released the committee's budget reconciliation proposal Monday evening, which includes proposed reforms to third-party litigation funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    Justice Jackson Tops Royalties And Trip Disclosures In 2024

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackon wasn't the only member of the high court to make a stage-related debut in the past year: Justice Sonia Sotomayor had a hand in helping a Missouri theater company create a musical adaptation of one of her children's books, according to financial disclosure forms released Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    Firms Fight To Rep End Users In PVC Pipe Antitrust Row

    Several law firms are duking it out for a lead counsel appointment representing a new class of end-user plaintiffs in consolidated litigation accusing PVC pipe companies of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and illegally fix prices, with Pearson Warshaw LLP, Kirby McInerney LLP, Fegan Scott LLC and Levin Sedran & Berman LLP making bids.

  • June 17, 2025

    DOJ Urged To Add Prosecutors Amid Threats To Congress

    Following the tragic shooting of Minnesota state lawmakers, the top Republican and Democrat on the committee that oversees the U.S. Capitol Police are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to give the force more prosecutorial resources.

  • June 17, 2025

    Mich. Court Backs County's Bid For Financial Data Access

    Elected commissioners in Macomb County, Michigan, won a state Supreme Court bid to gain access to the county's financial information, while the court also left in place a ruling that Macomb's prosecutor may turn to outside law firms for legal advice.

  • June 17, 2025

    New Acting US Attorney Tapped For Colorado

    U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed a new acting top federal prosecutor in Colorado, turning to a veteran of the agency.

  • June 17, 2025

    USPTO Unveils AI Tools To Speed Up Patent Examinations

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said Tuesday it is developing various artificial intelligence programs to help patent and trademark examiners, including tools to help them identify prior art faster.

  • June 17, 2025

    Gemini Says CFTC Enforcement Went 'Trophy-Hunting' In Suit

    The crypto exchange Gemini on Tuesday slammed the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Enforcement Division and the attorneys who pursued a now-settled case against the firm, calling the division "out of control" and accusing its attorneys of engaging in "trophy-hunting lawfare."

  • June 17, 2025

    Bunge Gets Last-Needed Approvals For $18B Viterra Deal

    Grain and seed supplier Bunge Ltd. announced that it has cleared the last antitrust regulatory hurdle to close its $18 billion acquisition of global grain trader Viterra Ltd.

Expert Analysis

  • Action Steps To Prepare For Ramped-Up Export Enforcement

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    In light of recent Bureau of Industry and Security actions and comments, companies, particularly those with any connection to China, should consider four concrete steps to shore up their compliance programs given the administration's increasingly aggressive approach to export enforcement, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Mastering Discovery

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    The discovery process and the rules that govern it are often absent from law school curricula, but developing a solid grasp of the particulars can give any new attorney a leg up in their practice, says Jordan Davies at Knowles Gallant.

  • DOJ Signals Major Shift In White Collar Enforcement Priorities

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    In a speech on Monday, an official outlined key revisions to the U.S. Department of Justice’s voluntary self-disclosure, corporate monitorship and whistleblower program policies, marking a meaningful change in the white collar enforcement landscape, and offering companies clearer incentives and guardrails, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • Understanding Compliance Concerns With NY Severance Bill

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    New York's No Severance Ultimatums Act, if enacted, could overhaul how employers manage employee separations, but employers should be mindful that the bill's language introduces ambiguities and raises compliance concerns, say attorneys at Norris McLaughlin.

  • What New Study Means For Recycling Compliance In Calif.

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    Companies must review the California recycling agency's new study to understand its criteria for assessing claims of product and packaging recyclability under a law that takes effect next year, and then decide whether the risks of making such claims in the state outweigh the benefits, say attorneys at Keller & Heckman.

  • Mergers Face Steeper Slopes In State Antitrust Reviews

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    The New York Supreme Court's recent summary judgment in New York v. Intermountain Management, blocking the acquisition and shuttering of a ski mountain in the Syracuse area, underscores the growing trend among state antitrust enforcers to scrutinize and challenge anticompetitive conduct under state laws, say attorneys at Robins Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    The IRS Shouldn't Go To War Over Harvard's Tax Exemption

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    If the Internal Revenue Service revokes Harvard's tax-exempt status for violating established public policy — a position unsupported by currently available information — the precedent set by surviving the inevitable court challenge could undercut the autonomy and distinctiveness of the charitable sector, says Johnny Rex Buckles at Houston Law Center.

  • Balancing Deep-Sea Mining Executive Order, Int'l Agreements

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    President Donald Trump's recent executive order directing exploration and exploitation of deep-sea mineral resources appears to conflict with the evolving international framework regulating such activities, so companies and investors should proceed with care and keep possible future legal challenges in mind, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • CFTC Memos Clarify When 'Sorry' Still Gets You Subpoenaed

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    A pair of Commodity Futures Trading Commission advisories released in February and April open a new path to self-reporting but emphasize that serious breaches still warrant a trip to the penalty box, prompting firms to weigh whether — and how — to disclose potential violations in the future, say attorneys at Pryor Cashman.

  • Parsing The SEC's New Increased Co-Investment Flexibility

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new co-investment exemptive orders simplify processes and reduce barriers for regulated funds — and rulemaking may evolve further to allow investors access to additional investment opportunities and increase available capital for issuers seeking to raise money from fund complexes, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Cos. Must Assess And Prepare For Cartel-Related FCPA Risks

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    Given the Trump administration’s strong signaling that it will focus on drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations when it resumes Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, global businesses should refresh their risk assessments and conduct enhanced due diligence to account for these shifting priorities, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • State AGs Shape Regulatory Dynamic In Trump's 1st 100 Days

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    With President Donald Trump's promised rollback of long-standing federal regulations and enforcement actions just beginning, alongside a flurry of executive orders, what state attorneys general do now will influence the complex state-federal regulatory landscape for years to come, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Opinion

    New Hospice Regulations Should Enforce Core Principles

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    As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General prepares to research and expand on oversight of Medicare hospice care, the OIG should keep in mind certain core principles, such as an emphasis on preventing the entry of hospices that raise red flags, says Bill Dombi at Arnall Golden.

  • AT&T Decision May Establish Framework To Block FCC Fines

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    The Fifth Circuit's recent decision in AT&T v. FCC upends the commission's authority to impose certain civil penalties, reinforcing constitutional safeguards against administrative overreach, and opening avenues for telecommunications and technology providers to challenge forfeiture orders, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Opinion

    Int'l Athletes' Wages Should Be On-Campus Employment

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security should recognize participation in college athletics by international student-athletes as on-campus employment to prevent the potentially disastrous ripple effects on teams, schools and their surrounding communities, says Catherine Haight at Haight Law Group.

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