Public Policy

  • May 14, 2026

    Meta Starts NM Defense As Midtrial Win Bid Fails

    A judge denied Meta a midtrial win Thursday morning over harm to underage social media users, prompting the social media giant to call an executive to begin building a defense case that platform changes requested by New Mexico's attorney general are unnecessary or even counterproductive.

  • May 14, 2026

    Creek Nation Wins Injunction Blocking City Prosecutions

    The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has won a bid in Oklahoma federal court for a preliminary injunction against a city that has challenged the tribe's sovereignty by arresting tribal citizens on reservation land.

  • May 14, 2026

    Legislative Update: Cannabis And Psychedelics Bill Roundup

    Members of Congress approved language in a funding bill that would block the rescheduling of marijuana, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval to a bill to fund research into the psychedelic ibogaine and authorize the establishment of licensed treatment centers, and Rhode Island lawmakers introduced legislation to eliminate geographic criteria from the state's cannabis social equity program.

  • May 14, 2026

    NC Republicans Want Fetal Personhood Question On '26 Ballot

    Two Republicans in the North Carolina House who have a history of advancing so-called fetal personhood bills have made another attempt to put a constitutional amendment to voters in November to decide if life begins at fertilization.

  • May 14, 2026

    EPA Floats Relaxation Of Coal Plant Waste Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to relax Biden-era rules requiring coal-run power plants to treat toxic wastewater so it doesn't seep into waterways, saying the move would reduce the cost of electricity by more than $1 billion a year.

  • May 14, 2026

    Squires Walks Back 5 More IPR Grants Over Inconsistent Args

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has reversed earlier decisions granting five petitions for patent review, citing what he called the challengers' inconsistent positions in parallel proceedings and explaining that four petitions he denied in previous bulk orders were also rejected for the same reasons. 

  • May 14, 2026

    Squires Ends IPR After Railway Co. Surrenders Patent Claim

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has de-instituted a Patent Trial and Appeal Board review after National Steel Car Ltd. disclaimed the only parts of its patent the board thought could be invalid, saying they should "be treated as though they never existed."

  • May 14, 2026

    Boulder Tent Ban Survives Colo. Rights Challenge Appeal

    A Colorado Court of Appeals panel unanimously found that two city of Boulder ordinances that ban sheltering in public spaces don't violate the Colorado Constitution, shooting down constitutional challenges from a now-defunct nonprofit and several Boulder residents, according to an opinion announced Thursday.

  • May 14, 2026

    Newsom's Budget Change Targets Credits, SaaS, LLC Tax

    California would make permanent its business tax credit limit, apply the sales tax to digital prewritten software and cut in half the $800 minimum tax for limited liability companies under a revised budget announced Thursday by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

  • May 14, 2026

    States Eye AI Ownership Laws To Fill Federal IP Gaps

    States are beginning to test whether they can fill a gap left by federal copyright and patent law for works created with artificial intelligence, with Arkansas adopting a first-of-its-kind ownership rule for generative content and lawmakers elsewhere weighing their own proposals.

  • May 14, 2026

    Farmworkers Lose Early Bid To Halt DOL H-2A Wage Rule

    A California federal judge declined Thursday to block a U.S. Department of Labor regulation reducing wages for H-2A seasonal farmworkers, ruling that United Farm Workers failed to show there is an immediate injury that warrants court intervention now.

  • May 14, 2026

    Verizon's Array Buy Gets Green Light From FCC Staff

    Verizon secured approval Thursday from the Federal Communications Commission to buy up spectrum assets of the former rival UScellular, now known as Array Digital Infrastructure Inc.

  • May 14, 2026

    Voting Maps, Ballot Deadline Teed Up For Ga. Special Session

    Georgia lawmakers will reconvene for a special session in June to redraw the state's electoral maps in the wake of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling and to address a fast-approaching deadline to find a replacement method for tabulating votes that does not involve QR codes.

  • May 14, 2026

    Algorithms In Senate Spotlight After Social Media Suit Losses

    Lawyers and parents on Wednesday urged lawmakers to strengthen protections for children online, focusing on the addictiveness of social media algorithms after two recent trial losses for Big Tech.

  • May 14, 2026

    House Passes Bill To Narrow Biofuel Blending Exemption

    The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would lift summertime restrictions on the sale of higher-ethanol fuel and tighten requirements for a biofuel blending exemption for small refineries.

  • May 14, 2026

    Fla. Property Manager To Pay Evicted Sailor $60K In DOJ Deal

    A Florida property management company will pay $60,000 to a U.S. Navy sailor to settle allegations by federal prosecutors that the company used a false affidavit to win an eviction that forced the sailor to live apart from his wife — at times on a Navy ship with no heat.

  • May 14, 2026

    House Panel Backs Bill To Recast Copyright Office Oversight

    A U.S. House committee Thursday unanimously advanced a bill that would change how the Copyright Office chief is selected, requiring congressional leaders to recommend candidates while allowing the president to make the final selection — a shift that would give both branches of government a more direct role in choosing the agency's leadership.

  • May 14, 2026

    EPA Proposes Delaying Biden-Era Vehicle Emissions Regs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a two-year extension on Thursday for the compliance deadline for Biden-era vehicle emissions standards, saying the policy was based on an overestimation of electric vehicle demand.

  • May 14, 2026

    Florida AG Subpoenas NFL Over Diversity Hiring Rules

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier expanded his inquest into the NFL and subpoenaed league officials after they pushed back against the threat of a lawsuit for allegedly using discriminatory hiring practices in violation of state law. 

  • May 14, 2026

    Senate Bill Would Require Network Outage Refunds

    A Democratic senator filed legislation that would require cable, satellite, internet and phone providers to refund customers for service outages lasting longer than four hours.

  • May 14, 2026

    Conn. Mayor Given Gag Order For Talking To Press About Trial

    A Connecticut mayor placed the integrity of a wrongful conviction trial "at grave risk" by speaking to the media, a judge said in issuing a gag order this week, also noting that the jury will be instructed on the importance of ignoring news stories.

  • May 14, 2026

    Mich. Court Freezes $2.5M In Grants Meant For Baseball Parks

    A Michigan court has granted a preliminary injunction ordering the state Department of Labor and Economic Development to halt disbursements of $2.5 million in community enhancement grants to two minor-league baseball stadiums pending the outcome of a Mackinac Center for Public Policy suit claiming earmark funds were illegally appropriated.

  • May 14, 2026

    Ex-Immigration Judge Says DOJ Targeted Dissenters, Others

    A former immigration judge in Massachusetts said in a lawsuit brought Thursday that he was fired in a purge of those with "political ideologies contrary to those held" by the Trump administration in violation of his First Amendment rights.

  • May 14, 2026

    Ill. Rep.'s Ex-Aide Pleads Not Guilty To COVID Relief Fraud

    An Illinois congressman's former deputy district chief accused of securing fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits through a COVID-19 pandemic relief program pled not guilty to the charges Thursday in federal court.

  • May 14, 2026

    High Court Must End Colo. Climate Suit, Oil Cos. Say

    Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil urged the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday to reverse a Colorado Supreme Court ruling allowing local communities to pursue state law tort claims for climate change damages, arguing their claims are "avowedly interstate and international in scope."

Expert Analysis

  • As Justices Mull Suncor, Cos. Face New Climate Suit Realities

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to hear Suncor Energy v. Boulder County — its first case analyzing the litigation impact of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rescission of its 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding — companies must consider new preemption questions surrounding climate lawsuits after the rescission, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • 7 Steps For Gov't Contractors In Post-IEEPA Tariff Landscape

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    In response to U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down tariffs issued by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, there are several actions federal contractors should take to preserve their place in any refund waterfall, and to manage audit, overpayment and False Claims Act risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How DExit, Mandatory Arbitration Could Alter IPO Outlook

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    As companies continue to leave Delaware and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission begins allowing companies to implement mandatory arbitration provisions, these developments could have a major impact on the initial public offering, securities class action, and directors and officers insurance landscapes, says Walker Newell at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

  • How High Court Recast State Sovereign Immunity In Galette

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in Galette v. New Jersey Transit, asserting that the state-chartered transit agency has independent corporate personhood and sole obligation to pay judgments against it, turned on substance rather than form — and its analysis should be carefully reviewed in courthouses and statehouses, say attorneys at McCarter & English.

  • Get Smart: Navigating The Genius Act's Regulatory Gaps

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    While some recent Genius Act rulemaking has covered consumer protection issues within the stablecoin market, the context is generally narrow and the final outcome remains uncertain for financial institutions or companies in the evolving landscape, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Opinion

    Ga. HOA Reform Bills Risk Undermining Local Governance

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    Lawmakers considering several bills in Georgia that would centralize regulation of homeowners associations should acknowledge that effective reform needs to protect homeowners’ rights while preserving the financial and governance structures that allow communities to function, says Julie Howard at NowackHoward.

  • Why Prediction Market Regulation Is At Major Inflection Point

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    As prediction markets experience tremendous growth and rapid mainstream adoption, regulators have begun to exercise enforcement authority to ensure market integrity and protect participants, though forthcoming guidance will shed light on how aggressively the agencies will police the fast-changing landscape, say attorneys at Latham.

  • How Cos. Should Prepare For NY RAISE Act Compliance

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    With the New York Responsible AI Safety and Education Act taking effect March 19, state regulators will expect subject artificial intelligence governance policies to understand whether appropriate safeguards and protocols are in place to prevent or mitigate discriminatory or adverse outcomes by frontier models, says Michael Paulino at Gordon Rees.

  • Compliance Takeaways Amid Increased Auto Finance Scrutiny

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    Recent supervisory focus on consumer protection in auto finance by agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. provides meaningful signals regarding areas of heightened regulatory scrutiny for lenders, including data accuracy, AI risk management and vendor oversight, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • The Benefits Of Choosing A Niche Practice In The AI Age

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    As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly accessible, lawyers with a niche practice may stand out as clients seek specialized judgment that automation cannot replicate, but it is important to choose a niche that is durable, engaging and a good personal fit, says Daniel Borneman at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • How PBMs Can Adapt To Plan Sponsors' Disclosure Demands

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    As federal reforms, growing state regulation and litigation threats push plan sponsors to expect visibility into revenue streams, pharmacy benefit managers should leverage transparency strategically, including by simplifying how they get paid, offering clients audit-ready data and co-designing contracts that are easy for fiduciaries to explain and defend, says Kristie Blase at Frazer + Blase.

  • Section 122 Tariffs Show Shift In Strategy, Not Trade Policy

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    By imposing temporary tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act as a stopgap measure while it pivots to less transitory statutory authorities, the Trump administration sent a clear message that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Learning Resources v. Trump, invalidating duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, will not precipitate a change in policy direction, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • What New Animal Welfare Enforcement Push Means For Cos.

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    The Trump administration's recently announced multiagency focus on violations of the Animal Welfare Act and related laws will likely lead to broader enforcement actions across industries, heightened scrutiny of compliance standards and a need for businesses to adopt effective risk management practices, says Shennie Patel at Crowell & Moring.

  • The Practical Implications Of New FDIC Stablecoin Measures

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposal to create a formal process for issuing payment stablecoins arrives with several practical implications for FDIC‑supervised banks pursuing digital asset strategies, including a safe harbor for early applicants and a focus on ownership and governance, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Antitrust Crime Enforcement May Escalate Under New Chief

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    While the recent departure of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division chief created uncertainty about enforcement priorities, the debut speech from the new acting division head revealed that companies can only expect the division’s focus on vigorous criminal prosecution and offender deterrence to grow, say attorneys at Sidley.

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