Public Policy

  • June 24, 2025

    State AGs Sue Trump Admin To Stop Billions In Grant Cuts

    A coalition of 21 states and the District of Columbia filed suit Tuesday in Massachusetts federal court, accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully using a single clause "buried in federal regulations" to nix billions of dollars in federal grant funding to the states.

  • June 24, 2025

    E-Verify Restrictions Are Not Preempted, Illinois Argues

    The federal court handling the U.S. government's lawsuit targeting a recent Illinois statute restricting the use of electronic employment verification systems on prospective hires should reject the government's injunction request and dismiss the case instead, because the statute steers clear of federal immigration law, the state asserted.

  • June 24, 2025

    Ex-Inmate's Debit Fee Class Action Cleared For Trial

    A jury should decide if a former jail inmate was forced to accept a prepaid debit card and pay related fees when his money was returned to him upon release, a Washington federal magistrate judge said on Tuesday, advancing a class action against Central Bank of Kansas City.

  • June 24, 2025

    Mich. Pot Shops Cut Constitutional Claims In License Fee Suit

    A group of pot shops agreed Monday to drop their constitutional claims alleging Grand Rapids' marijuana licensure program imposes illegal fees, a few days after a Michigan federal judge said the case belongs in her court because the pot companies' claims had federal interest.

  • June 24, 2025

    5th Circ. Says EPA Ignored Cos. To Push Efficiency Testing Rule

    The Fifth Circuit has thrown out part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule for determining measures for fuel efficiency, finding Tuesday that the agency used a faulty methodology to justify tightening standards and outright ignored comments when creating the rule.

  • June 24, 2025

    GOP Senators Unveil Crypto Market Framework Principles

    Senate Republicans on Tuesday morning released a set of principles to guide the development of digital asset market structure legislation, their latest push toward regulating the cryptocurrency space following their passage of stablecoin legislation last week.

  • June 24, 2025

    AST Seeks FCC OK For Big Expansion Of Satellite Fleet

    AST SpaceMobile is seeking permission to launch hundreds of low-earth orbit satellites by the end of July to roll out its space-based cellular broadband network, which it says will eliminate coverage gaps and connect to standard smartphones across the country.

  • June 24, 2025

    Submarine Cable Cos. Seek Cautious FCC Reg Approach

    Companies that run undersea telecommunications cables said they're worried the Federal Communications Commission might burden them with even more regulation than they already have to deal with, urging the agency to have a light touch when regulating the industry.

  • June 24, 2025

    4th Circ. Tosses Trans Man's Appeal Over Canceled Surgery

    The Fourth Circuit declined to revive a transgender man's constitutional claims against a religious hospital run by the University of Maryland Medical System over a canceled hysterectomy for gender dysphoria, concluding Tuesday that it couldn't grant further relief, and refused to consider a "late-breaking" argument for emotional distress damages.

  • June 24, 2025

    Motorola Fights Fintiv Memo Withdrawal At Fed. Circ.

    Motorola is urging the Federal Circuit to reverse the decision of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's acting leader to not have the Patent Trial and Appeal Board review the company's challenges to a series of Stellar Inc. patents on glasses equipped with cameras.

  • June 24, 2025

    NC Senate Backs $700M Boost For Hurricane Helene Recovery

    The North Carolina Senate has signed off on a proposal to allocate another $700 million to the state's Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Fund, including $75 million for road and bridge repairs and $70 million to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency's state matching requirements.

  • June 24, 2025

    8th Circ. Rolls Back Block On Arkansas Hemp Law

    An Eighth Circuit panel on Tuesday overturned a lower district judge's decision blocking enforcement of a new Arkansas policy restricting hemp-derived intoxicating products, delivering a blow to the hemp industry's campaign to challenge state-led efforts to rein in its wares.

  • June 24, 2025

    NTSB Flags Boeing Failures In 737 Max 9 Door Plug Blowout

    Poor training and persistent quality control lapses on Boeing's manufacturing and assembly lines, along with the Federal Aviation Administration's ineffective oversight of the plane-maker, led to the January 2024 door-plug blowout aboard a 737 Max 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

  • June 24, 2025

    Connecticut AG Seeks $7.7M Penalty For Ghost Gun Supplier

    A supplier of ghost gun parts that promised customers "extreme discretion" should pay nearly $7.7 million in penalties to Connecticut for continuous violations of the state's unfair trade practices law, the attorney general's office told a state court Tuesday.

  • June 24, 2025

    Key House Republican Calls For Telecom Law Reforms

    A top House Republican called Tuesday for reform of the 1992 Cable Act and for loosening the Federal Communications Commission's limits on broadcast media ownership, which he says would help modernize telecommunications law.

  • June 24, 2025

    NY Denies School District's Bid To Delay Mascot Ban

    The New York State Education Department denied a deadline extension request by a Long Island school district to comply with the state's ban on the use of Indigenous mascots, telling the district's superintendent that the district has shown no good cause toward the law's compliance.

  • June 24, 2025

    Medical Pot Backers Urge Neb. High Court To Scrap Challenge

    The campaign behind a successful effort to decriminalize and regulate medical marijuana in Nebraska is urging the state's highest court not to revive a legal challenge backed by state officials seeking to void the voter-approved legalization policies.

  • June 24, 2025

    Visa Can't Duck DOJ's Debit Card Monopoly Case

    A New York federal court has refused to throw out the U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing Visa of illegally maintaining a monopoly over debit card networks, rejecting arguments about the market at issue, discounts offered and the scope of deals with would-be competitors.

  • June 24, 2025

    Green Group Sues Forest Service Over NH Logging Project

    A green group on Monday asked a New Hampshire federal court to strike down the U.S. Forest Service's approval of a White Mountain National Forest logging project that the group said didn't get the proper environmental review.

  • June 24, 2025

    Judge Slams Feds' Grant Terms In Sanctuary Funding Fight

    A California federal judge said federal grants that condition funding on states' cooperation with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown flout a court order blocking the administration from withholding funds from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with federal immigration officials.

  • June 24, 2025

    Texas Narrows Discovery Allowance In Property Tax Appeals

    Texas district courts can't order discovery in property tax cases unless the discovery is requested by the appealing party under a bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. 

  • June 24, 2025

    GOP Budget Would Protect US From OECD Taxes, Rep. Says

    Senate tax writers working on the $3.8 trillion budget reconciliation bill should support its international tax provisions intended to protect U.S. multinationals from paying higher taxes under the OECD's framework, a House Ways and Means Committee member said Tuesday.

  • June 24, 2025

    Bloomberg 2020 Staffers Say Campaign Broke Pay Pledge

    Former workers on Michael Bloomberg's 2020 presidential campaign said in a proposed class action filed in Massachusetts state court Tuesday that the media magnate and former New York City mayor reneged on a promise to keep them on the payroll through the general election.

  • June 24, 2025

    Judge Torn On Afghan, Cameroonian TPS Removal

    A Maryland federal judge appeared torn on how much — if anything — of the Trump administration's move to strip temporary protected status from Afghans and Cameroonians he could review Tuesday, with the government insisting that the termination was unreviewable and immigrant rights advocates claiming that the decision was arbitrary and capricious.

  • June 24, 2025

    Oakland County Prosecutor Jumps Into Michigan AG Race

    Karen McDonald, a county prosecutor best known for charging the parents of a teenage school shooter, is running for Michigan attorney general, according to a Tuesday campaign announcement.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Areas Contractors Should Watch After 1st 100 Days

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    Federal agencies and contractors face challenges from staff reductions, contract terminations, pending regulatory reform and other actions from the second Trump administration's first 100 days, but other areas stand to become more efficient and cost-effective, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Planning For Open Banking Despite CFPB Uncertainty

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    Though pending litigation or new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau leadership may reshape the Biden-era regulation governing access to consumer financial data, companies can use this uncertain period to take practical steps toward an open banking strategy that will work regardless of the rule’s ultimate form, says Adam Maarec at McGlinchey Stafford.

  • Crunching The Numbers Of Trump SEC's 1st 100 Days

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    During the first 100 days of the second Trump administration, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought significantly fewer stand-alone enforcement actions than at the beginning of the Biden and the first Trump administrations, with every one of the federal court complaints including allegations of fraudulent conduct, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Charging A Separate Tariff Fee May Backfire For Retailers

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    In the wake of the Trump administration's newly imposed tariffs, retailers facing significant supply chain cost increases may be considering adding a tariff fee to offset these costs, but doing so risks violating state drip pricing bans, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Independent Contractor Rule Up In The Air Under New DOL

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    In several recent court challenges, the U.S. Department of Labor has indicated its intent to revoke the 2024 independent contractor rule, sending a clear signal that it will not defend the Biden-era rule on the merits in anticipation of further rulemaking, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Why Trade Cases May Put Maple Leaf Deference On Review

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    When litigation challenging the president’s trade actions reaches the Federal Circuit, the court will have to reevaluate the Maple Leaf standard in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 Loper Bright decision limiting Chevron-like deference to cases involving statutory provisions in which Congress delegated discretionary authority to the executive branch, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Risk Control Tips For Banks With Cryptocurrency Customers

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    Given federal policy shifts, cryptocurrency's presence within the U.S. banking system will doubtless increase, so banks should keep in mind key risk control considerations when accepting funds related to cryptocurrency transactions — and make sure they know their customers and the crypto industry, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.

  • How The USPTO Might Find A Path Forward After Job Cuts

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    Recent layoff plans and other cost-reduction initiatives at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office call for a corresponding adjustment to improve operational efficiency, such as adding post-filing examination request procedures and artificial intelligence enhancements, says James Gourley at Carstens Allen.

  • How Trump Orders Affect Health Orgs.' Care For Trans Minors

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    Two recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump regarding gender-affirming care for minors have put healthcare organizations in a precarious situation, and these institutions should prepare for various implications and potential scenarios, say attorneys at ArentFox.

  • FDIC Rules Rollback Foretells More Pro-Industry Changes

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s March withdrawal of Biden-era proposals to tighten brokered deposit rules and impose new corporate governance standards shows that acting chair Travis Hill’s commitment to reviewing regulations that may restrict growth and innovation for financial institution and fintech companies is unlikely to flag soon, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Trump DOE's Plan On AI Offers Challenges, Opportunities

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    The Trump administration's push to make federal land available for development of artificial intelligence data centers follows a similar Biden administration proposal — but a new request for information from the U.S. Department of Energy envisions a rapid timeline that may prove challenging for both the DOE and industry stakeholders, say attorneys at HWG.

  • NY Tax Talk: Sourcing, Retroactivity, Information Services

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    Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland examine recent decisions by New York’s Tax Appeals Tribunal, Division of Taxation and Court of Appeals on location sourcing of broker-dealer receipts, a case of first impression on the retroactive application of Corporate Franchise Tax regulations and when fees for information services are excluded from taxation.

  • DOJ Memo Maps Out A Lighter Touch For Digital Assets

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    A recent memo issued by the Justice Department signals a less aggressive approach toward the digital asset industry, with notable directives including disbandment of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, a higher evidentiary bar for unlicensed money transmitting, and prosecutions of individuals rather than platforms, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • SEC Update May Ease Accredited Investor Status Verification

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently opened a new avenue to verifying accredited investor status, which could encourage more private fund sponsors and other issuers to engage in a general solicitation with less fear that they will lose the offering's exemption from registration under the Securities Act, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

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