Public Policy

  • August 12, 2025

    Maryland Says It's Immune To Hemp Cos.' Challenge To Regs

    The state of Maryland and its regulators are urging a federal court to toss hemp companies' challenge to a state regulation requiring licenses for intoxicating hemp-derived products, saying the claims are blocked by sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment.

  • August 11, 2025

    Utah Gov. Cox Escapes Ute Tribe's Bidding Scheme Suit

    Utah's governor and other state officials won't have to face a challenge by the Ute Indian Tribe accusing them of a racist bidding scheme to prevent a land purchase, a federal judge ruled, finding the tribe failed to provide specific allegations tying them to the supposed conspiracy.

  • August 11, 2025

    Army Brass Grilled On Trump's Calif. Troop Deployment

    A San Francisco federal judge overseeing a bench trial over California's claims that President Donald Trump unlawfully deployed military troops in the state dug into a U.S. Army commander's testimony Monday that soldiers were sent to help enforce immigration laws, even when the military's own assessment showed a low risk of violence or damage.

  • August 11, 2025

    GCI To Pay $10K To End Fed Probe Over Alaska Cable Permit

    Alaska telecom GCI Communication Corp. will have to pay $10,000 for letting the cable landing licenses for one of its undersea cable systems expire, the Federal Communications Commission has announced.

  • August 11, 2025

    'Flipping NJ' Developer Fights Charges, Citing Habba's Role

    A New Jersey real estate developer and influencer, who is accused of running a Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme and laundering drug money, on Monday became the latest defendant to seek dismissal of his indictment over what he says was the illegal appointment of Alina Habba as acting U.S. attorney for the Garden State.

  • August 11, 2025

    Wash. AG Sues Feds For Pulling Climate Resiliency Grants

    Washington launched a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of abruptly canceling grants awarded to the Evergreen State to address climate change impacts, including about $9.3 million approved last year for a collegiate-tribal partnership to prep more than 2,100 students for sustainability-focused careers.

  • August 11, 2025

    Ohio Justice's Suit Over Partisan Label Rule Moves Forward

    Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner's challenge to a state law requiring judicial candidates to list their political party affiliations on general election ballots will go on after a federal judge ruled the justice sufficiently alleged that her First Amendment rights were violated.

  • August 11, 2025

    11th Circ. Rejects Speedy Trial Claim In MetroPCS Robberies

    The Eleventh Circuit will not overturn the conviction of a man arrested in a string of MetroPCS store robberies in Miami, saying that even though the government may have violated the Speedy Trial Act, the man missed the window to challenge the charges.

  • August 11, 2025

    Paxos Is Latest Crypto Firm To Seek OCC Bank Charter

    Stablecoin issuer Paxos Trust Co. LLC said Monday that it has applied to become licensed and supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, joining a wave of digital asset firms that are now pursuing U.S. banking charters from the agency.

  • August 11, 2025

    GTCR Says Sale, Market Nix FTC Med Tech Merger Concerns

    Private equity firm GTCR BC Holdings urged an Illinois federal judge not to block its planned $627 million purchase of a medical device coatings company, arguing in a brief made public Friday that a planned divestiture fully resolves Federal Trade Commission concerns.

  • August 11, 2025

    Trump's DC Takeover Highlights Local Judicial Vacancies

    President Donald Trump's announcement Monday on the federal takeover of D.C. law enforcement and deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., has drawn attention once again to the vacancy crisis plaguing the local D.C. court system.

  • August 11, 2025

    Hospital Groups Back Challenge Of Merger Notice Overhaul

    A pair of hospital trade associations threw their support behind a U.S. Chamber of Commerce case challenging the Federal Trade Commission's new premerger filing requirements, telling a Texas federal court the agency was wrong to invoke the hospital industry when justifying the changes.

  • August 11, 2025

    Texas AG Says Trans Care Decision Limits Investigative Power

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office told the state's high court Friday that a lower court's decision severely diminished its ability to investigate violations of the state's deceptive trade practices statute, and stalled an investigation into an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

  • August 11, 2025

    Rural Health Providers Say FCC Subsidy Rules Unclear

    Rural healthcare providers still don't know what is and isn't covered by the Universal Service Fund and could use some clarification and guidance from the Federal Communications Commission, a group has told the agency.

  • August 11, 2025

    FCC Subsidy Foes Again Attack Fund's Quarterly Fees

    Groups that fell short in their drive at the U.S. Supreme Court to have the revenue mechanism for the Universal Service Fund declared unconstitutional are again fighting the quarterly rate at the Federal Communications Commission.

  • August 11, 2025

    CRE Fintech Firm Securities Paused For Possible Arbitration

    A proposed class action accusing real estate platform CrowdStreet of enabling a $63 million fraud was paused Monday to allow individual arbitration to decide if the investors' claims can proceed.

  • August 11, 2025

    What To Watch In Mega Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Tie-Up

    Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern's bold plan to create the nation's first transcontinental railroad owned by a single firm would transform freight transportation in the U.S., but it must first clear a heightened standard for reviewing mega rail mergers that hasn't yet been tested since the standard was set 24 years ago.

  • August 11, 2025

    NC Legislator's Judicial Campaign Scrutinized Over Donations

    The former director of a voting rights nonprofit has filed a complaint with the North Carolina State Board of Elections challenging certain donations to a Republican state lawmaker's campaign for a seat on the state Supreme Court that he says flout state campaign finance laws.

  • August 11, 2025

    DOJ Touts Merger, Rental Algorithm Deals, Eyeing More

    The head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division on Monday touted two recent settlements, in a merger case and in the RealPage algorithmic rent-fixing litigation, as indications that Trump administration enforcers will focus on algorithm-based price-fixing and are willing to "negotiate favorable settlements."

  • August 11, 2025

    Hawaiian Judge Vacates Letter Allowing Monument Fishing

    Commercial fishing cannot legally continue in the waters of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument under a National Marine Fisheries Services letter that tribal and environmental groups claim authorized the endeavor, a Hawaii federal court judge said, arguing evidence shows that the directive harmed the plaintiffs in the dispute.

  • August 11, 2025

    Chicago Suburb's Ex-Mayor Gets 4 Years For Extortion, Bribery

    A former mayor of McCook, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, was sentenced to four years in federal prison Monday for accepting more than $250,000 in bribes and extortion payments.

  • August 11, 2025

    Paxton Seeks Calif.'s Help With Quorum-Breaker Warrants

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked a California state court on Friday to enforce arrest warrants against six members of the Texas House of Representatives who are among more than 50 Democrats who left the state in protest of a Republican redistricting plan.

  • August 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Says LA Men Have Ammo In Gun Rights Class Action

    The Ninth Circuit found Monday that a Los Angeles gun licensing policy that allowed only judges or law enforcement agents to carry concealed weapons was unconstitutional in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, reviving a proposed class action brought by three men who were arrested for violating the policy.

  • August 11, 2025

    AGs Target Voice Providers In 'Operation Robocall Roundup'

    A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general from across the U.S. is sending warning letters to 37 voice service providers to demand action against illegal robocalls, alleging they flouted Federal Communications Commission rules, according to an announcement Monday.

  • August 11, 2025

    Amazon Must Reveal Research Funding Info In Antitrust Suits

    A Washington federal judge is forcing Amazon to provide a group of consumers with information regarding the company's alleged ties to antitrust researchers, saying the plaintiffs have presented records suggesting it "has communicated with or funded" various academic authors cited by its expert economist in three related cases.

Expert Analysis

  • High Court ACA Ruling May Harm Preventative Care

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood last week, ruling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary has authority over an Affordable Care Act preventive care task force, risks harming the credibility of the task force and could open the door to politicians dictating clinical recommendations, says Michael Kolber at Manatt.

  • Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges

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    In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

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    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

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    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Assessing New Changes To Texas Officer Exculpation Law

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    Consistent with Texas' recent modernization of its corporate law, the recently passed S.B. 2411 allows officer exculpation, streamlines certificate of formation amendments, authorizes representatives to act on shareholders' behalf in mergers and makes other changes aimed toward companies seeking a more codified, statutory model of corporate governance, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Rising Enforcement Stakes For Pharma Telehealth Platforms

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    Two pieces of legislation recently introduced in Congress could transform the structure and promotion of telehealth arrangements as legislators increasingly scrutinize direct-to-consumer advertising platforms, potentially paving the way for a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy with bipartisan support, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Justices' NRC Ruling Raises New Regulatory Questions

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    In Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the NRC's authority to license private, temporary nuclear waste storage facilities — and this failure to reach the merits question creates new regulatory uncertainty where none had existed for decades, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • 3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Navigating Antitrust Risks When Responding To Tariffs

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    Companies should assess competitive perils, implement compliance safeguards and document independent decision-making as they consider their responses to recent tariff pressures, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • Breaking Down Part 3 Of The Copyright Office's AI Report

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    On May 9, the U.S. Copyright Office published a prepublication version of the third and final part of its three-part report on artificial intelligence, offering key insights on the unauthorized use of copyrighted material by AI systems, says Courtney Sarnow at CM Law.

  • 8 Insurer Takeaways From Sweeping Georgia Tort Reform

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    Insurers should take note of several critical components of Georgia's tort litigation overhaul — including limitations on damages anchoring, procedural rules governing dismissals, and liability standards in negligent security cases — and adapt claims-handling strategies to reduce litigation risk, says Lucy Aquino at Cozen O'Connor.

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