Public Policy

  • April 22, 2026

    Cruise Ship Wi-Fi Plan Could Skew Ocean Data, NAS Says

    A plan to expand wireless device access on cruise ships might cause rough sailing for those who study the oceans from afar using the 6 gigahertz spectrum band, the National Academy of Sciences has warned.

  • April 22, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Calif. Can't Force Federal Agents To Display ID

    A Ninth Circuit panel temporarily blocked California from enforcing part of a law requiring law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, to visibly display identification, ruling it is likely unconstitutional.

  • April 22, 2026

    330+ Groups Urge DOJ To Restore Immigration Aid Staff

    More than 300 legal services providers, faith-based institutions and community groups are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to fully restore a program that allows nonlawyers to assist low-income and indigent persons in immigration proceedings.

  • April 22, 2026

    FCC Asks If Shows With Trans People Need Higher Rating

    The Federal Communications Commission is wondering whether it should update the TV rating system to warn people when a program may include transgender or nonbinary characters or themes related to gender identity, so parents could "make informed choices for their families."

  • April 22, 2026

    NC Auditor Criticizes Oversight Of IOLTA Grants

    Legal assistance grants awarded under the North Carolina Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts program were given to qualified groups, but weren't adequately monitored afterward to ensure the tens of millions of dollars were spent as intended, a state watchdog has said.

  • April 22, 2026

    11th Circ. Says Everglades Detention Center Can Stay Open

    The Eleventh Circuit has vacated a preliminary injunction halting the operations of an Everglades-based immigration detention center for bypassing federal environmental laws, ruling two environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida challenging the detention center failed to show that it is under federal control.

  • April 22, 2026

    Va. Lawmakers Enact Updated Family Leave Program

    Virginia's Legislature greenlighted a law Wednesday that will allow workers to take paid family and medical leave through a statewide insurance program, approving Gov. Abigail Spanberger's proposed changes.

  • April 22, 2026

    2nd Circ. Amends Revival Of Mortgage-Backed Securities Suit

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday pulled back from a holding that mortgages underlying a union pension fund's mortgage-backed securities investments that tanked during the financial crisis were plan assets under federal benefits law in a proposed class action that the appellate court revived in March against Wells Fargo and Ocwen.

  • April 22, 2026

    Justices Would Back Vax Law Challenge, 2nd Circ. Told

    The U.S. Supreme Court's March 2 decision in a California gender-related school policy case requires the Second Circuit to advance a 2023 challenge to Connecticut's preschool and daycare student vaccine mandates, an attorney for a Constitution State congregation told a three-judge panel on Wednesday.

  • April 22, 2026

    Kash Patel's Suit Over Pundit's 'Nightclubs' Quip Gets Axed

    A Houston federal judge has tossed Kash Patel's defamation suit against news analyst Frank Figliuzzi, who during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" quipped that the FBI director is more often seen in nightclubs than in his office, saying Patel's claims include an "'unreasonably literal interpretation'" of Figliuzzi's remark.

  • April 22, 2026

    NY Gov. Bans State Officials Using Inside Info For Online Bets

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Wednesday blocking state officials from trading on prediction markets using insider information they obtained during the course of their official duties, citing recent reports of bets related to the U.S. military action within Venezuela and the war in Iran.

  • April 22, 2026

    11th Circ. Mulls Whether High Court Ruling Backs Book Ban

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday pressed Florida on its argument that a landmark 1988 U.S. Supreme Court case supported its defense of a state law barring books with sexual content from school libraries, with two judges hinting that the high court's decision might not be directly on point.

  • April 22, 2026

    4th Circ. Won't Rehear Spat Over DOGE's Agency Data Access

    The Fourth Circuit has declined to reconsider a split panel's decision to vacate an injunction that blocked the Department of Government Efficiency's access to personal information held by three federal agencies.

  • April 22, 2026

    5th Circ. Bars Dead Veteran's VA Surgery Suit As Untimely

    The estate of a dead veteran who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit 18 years after an unauthorized operation at a Veterans Affairs hospital didn't bring the suit within Mississippi's seven-year deadline for medical malpractice claims, the Fifth Circuit ruled Wednesday.

  • April 22, 2026

    Justices Lean Toward Parole For Charged Green Card Holders

    The U.S. Supreme Court appeared unconvinced on Wednesday that returning green card holders with pending criminal charges must be admitted rather than paroled into the country, with one justice suggesting it could backfire on lawful permanent residents and might be impractical.

  • April 22, 2026

    Split 6th Circ. Lets Brewer Challenge Tax Code's Distilling Ban

    An Ohio brewery owner has standing to challenge the constitutionality of the federal tax code's ban on distilling whiskey at home, but the ban is necessary for the government to collect taxes on distilled spirits, a split Sixth Circuit panel ruled.

  • April 22, 2026

    CIT Backs Expanded Scope For Chinese Cabinet Duties

    Certain wooden cabinets and vanities completed in Vietnam and Malaysia with components manufactured in China were correctly found to be in-scope of duty orders on such products from China, the U.S. Court of International Trade said Wednesday, sustaining two U.S. Department of Commerce determinations.

  • April 22, 2026

    Oklahoma Sports Betting Bill Wins Thunder, Tribal Backing

    Two Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma have amended a version of a bill to legalize sports betting in the state with the backing of the Oklahoma City Thunder that will allow wagers to be placed through platforms operated in partnership with the state's tribal nations.

  • April 22, 2026

    USTR Seeking 'Outcomes' On DSTs, Stronger USMCA Rules

    U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a U.S. House of Representatives panel Wednesday that efforts to eliminate digital service taxes implemented by jurisdictions across the world continue to be prioritized by President Donald Trump's administration, and potential tariff actions are ready in waiting.

  • April 22, 2026

    Retailers Ready To Fight FCC Over Call Center 'Onshoring'

    Large retail chains aren't happy with the Federal Communications Commission's plan to "onshore" customer service call centers, saying that even though it's geared toward communications companies, the proposal risks being foisted onto retailers as well.

  • April 22, 2026

    EEOC 'Delayed Its Own' Antisemitism Probe, Penn Says

    The University of Pennsylvania has pushed back on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's implication that it is delaying the agency's probe into antisemitism on campus by seeking a pause of a subpoena's enforcement, saying the EEOC's previous lack of urgency in the case undermines its argument.

  • April 22, 2026

    Acting DOJ Inspector General Tapped For Permanent Post

    President Donald Trump has nominated the U.S. Department of Justice's acting inspector general, who investigated the FBI's probe into Trump's links with Russia, to remain in that role on a permanent basis, according to a White House announcement.

  • April 22, 2026

    FCC Boosts Mobile Service From Space With AST Exemptions

    The Federal Communications Commission's staff approved some rule exemptions for AST & Science LLC to launch a 248-satellite constellation, which they said would encourage the growth of mobile services from space.

  • April 22, 2026

    Federal Agencies Hit With FOIA Suit Over Palantir Records

    A transparency-focused nonprofit has asked a Washington federal court to order federal agencies to respond to its Freedom of Information Act request regarding their involvement with technology company Palantir after President Donald Trump called for maximal interagency information sharing.

  • April 22, 2026

    Va. Lawmakers Reject Governor's Changes To Pot Bill

    Virginia legislators on Wednesday rejected Gov. Abigail Spanberger's proposed changes to a bill that would create a regulated cannabis market.

Expert Analysis

  • A Tale Of 2 Self-Disclosure Policies: How SDNY, DOJ Differ

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    Though the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s recently announced corporate enforcement and voluntary self-disclosure policy shares many similarities with that of the U.S. Department of Justice, the two programs differ in meaningful ways, including subject matter scope and timeline to declination, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Aligning Microsoft Tools With NYC Bar AI Recording Guidance

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    The New York City Bar Association’s recently issued formal opinion, providing ethical guidance on artificial intelligence-assisted recording, transcription and summarization, raises immediate questions about data governance and e-discovery for companies that use Microsoft 365 and Copilot, say Staci Kaliner, Martin Tully and John Collins at Redgrave.

  • What Employers Should Know About Calif. PAGA Proposal

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    Recently proposed regulations concerning the Private Attorneys General Act evidence an intent by California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency to play a greater role in the prosecution of PAGA actions, including more oversight over the exhaustion notices and settlement process, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • FTC Focus: Antitrust Spotlight On 'Acqui-Hires,' Noncompetes

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    A recent Federal Trade Commission focus on labor issues, like 'acqui-hire' deals, in which only a company's workforce is acquired, and noncompetes, shows that the agency is scrutinizing these issues on a case-by-case basis, necessitating a meaningful look at these transactions, particularly in the technology and artificial intelligence industries, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • FDA's Biosimilarity Guidance Holds Uncertain Implications

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new draft guidance aimed at simplifying the biosimilarity demonstration process may not be enough to overcome the barriers that have historically constrained biosimilar competition, and could affect biosimilar access in unexpected ways, say analysts at Analysis Group.

  • Unpacking Key Themes From NY's New Healthcare Strategy

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    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2026 State of the State agenda, read together with the state's fiscal year 2027 executive budget, reflect a clear framework to utilize Medicaid as the state's operating platform for healthcare reform, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • A Single DOJ Corporate Enforcement Policy Raises Questions

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's soon-to-be-released uniform corporate criminal enforcement policy could address the challenges raised by the current decentralized approach, but it will need to answer a number of potential questions amid scant details, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • WTO Most‑Favored‑Nation Reform May Hold Promise

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    When the World Trade Organization meets this month, it is expected to debate changing the most-favored-nation rule, a carefully calibrated loosening of which may be justified if it enables deeper liberalization and regulatory cooperation, says Alan Yanovich at Akin.

  • Navigating Exclusion Decisions After SEC's No-Action Change

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    Following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's November changes to the Rule 14a-8 no-action letter process, shareholder proponents have turned to litigation if companies excluded their proposals under the new framework, with three recent cases offering useful lessons for companies navigating exclusion decisions this proxy season, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • 5 Different AI Systems Raise Distinct Privilege Issues

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    A New York federal court’s recent U.S. v. Heppner decision, holding that a defendant’s use of Claude was not privileged, only addressed one narrow artificial intelligence system, but lawyers must recognize that the spectrum of AI tools raises different confidentiality and privilege questions, says Heidi Nadel at HP.

  • Fed's Abbreviated Supervisory Statement Packs A Big Punch

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    Language used in a recent three-page statement from the Federal Reserve Board charts a very clear shift in the supervision of banks and bank holding companies, departing from traditional "Fed speak" and emphasizing material financial risks in exams, says Joseph Silvia at Duane Morris.

  • After Learning Resources: A Practical Guide For US Importers

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Feb. 20 decision in Learning Resources v. Trump, U.S. importers and consumers on whom tariffs were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act can seek relief through existing administrative procedures or a yet-to-be-determined bespoke refund mechanism, and should plan for more changes in the tariff landscape, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • State, Federal Policies Complicate Fuel And Carbon Markets

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    As federal and state regulators advance a complex web of mandatory and voluntary programs and incentives that shape how transportation fuels are produced, traded and valued, new compliance obligations present both risks and opportunities for fuel market and carbon market participants alike, says Sarah Grey at Arnold & Porter.

  • Opinion

    AI-Assisted Arbitration Needs Safeguards To Ensure Fairness

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    As tribunals and arbitral institutions increasingly use artificial intelligence tools in their decision-making processes, ​​​​​​​clear disclosure standards and procedural safeguards are necessary to ensure that efficiency gains do not erode the fairness principles on which arbitration depends, says Alexander Lima at Wesco International.

  • Paramount-WBD Deal Would Widen Net For Antitrust Scrutiny

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    The fresh likelihood of a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery raises the prospect of added intervention from the U.S. Department of Justice due to the companies' overlaps in key markets, and may signal expanded DOJ scrutiny of potential anticompetitive effects on supply chains, says Shubha Ghosh at the Syracuse University College of Law.

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