US Eyes Deal With China On Rare Earths, Chips, Official Says

By Kevin Pinner

The U.S. government hoped to reach an agreement Monday with China's government to loosen export controls on rare earth elements in exchange for the U.S. relaxing controls on semiconductors, the White House National Economic Council director said. 

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Squires Dodges Trump Questions, Emphasizes AI For Backlog

By Dani Kass

The Trump administration's nominee for U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director avoided answering whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election, how to describe defendants in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and whether he would follow an illegal directive from the president, along with addressing concerns about USPTO resources and artificial intelligence in post-hearing responses to senators.

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Businesses Warn Fed. Circ. Against Pausing Block On Tariffs

By Natalie Olivo

Thousands of businesses will suffer "irreparable harm" if the Federal Circuit halts the U.S. Court of International Trade's order that struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, a wine importer told the appellate court, urging against a long-term pause.

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2nd Circ. Affirms Dechert's Victory Over Hacking Suit

By Rae Ann Varona

The Second Circuit on Monday refused to revive a North Carolina trade executive's lawsuit alleging hacking by a private investigator on Dechert LLP's behalf, ruling in a nonprecedential opinion that a district judge's failure to review disputed portions of a magistrate judge's recommendation to dismiss the suit was ultimately harmless.

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Treasury Warns Of Iranian 'Shadow Banking,' Oil Smuggling

By Sarah Jarvis

The Treasury Department has laid out red flags that financial institutions should monitor for identifying and reporting possible sanctions evasion schemes and other suspicious activity tied to the Islamic Republic of Iran, including illicit oil smuggling and the use of "shadow banking" networks.

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Trump Executive Order Revamps US Cybersecurity Policy

By Allison Grande

President Donald Trump has moved to "reprioritize" the nation's cybersecurity efforts by issuing an executive order scrapping the provisions of prior directives issued by the past two Democratic administrations while focusing on measures such as mandating more secure software development and the latest encryption protocols. 

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Chinese Student Accused Of Smuggling Roundworms To US

By Gina Kim

A Chinese student pursuing a doctoral degree in Wuhan has been charged with smuggling roundworms to recipients associated with a University of Michigan laboratory and lying to federal agents about it, according to an announcement Monday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. 

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Russian Crypto CEO, Charged With $530M Fraud, Can't Get Bail

By Dorothy Atkins

The Russian CEO of Miami-based cryptocurrency firm Evita was arrested and charged Monday with 22 criminal counts for allegedly orchestrating a $530 million scheme to dodge U.S. sanctions and export controls and launder funds, prompting a New York federal judge to deny him bail given his incentive to flee.

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German Court Convicts 1 In €23M Platinum Coin VAT Fraud

By Jack McLoone

A German court has convicted one of the leaders of a criminal organization responsible for more than €23 million ($26.3 million) in evaded value-added taxes through its trade of platinum coins, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said.

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2nd Circ. Weighs Menendez Bail Bid Over Evidence Mishap

By Cara Salvatore

The Second Circuit questioned Monday whether providing excluded evidence to the jury in former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial is the type of error that can justify bail pending appeal.

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Nadine Menendez Says Counsel Shake-Up Erases Conviction

By Carla Baranauckas

Former Sen. Robert Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, has asked a Manhattan federal judge to vacate the jury's guilty verdict in her bribery case, arguing that her Sixth Amendment rights were violated when she was denied her choice of legal representation.

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Bitcoin Platform Parataxis Eyes Public Listing Via SPAC Deal

By Tom Zanki

Bitcoin-focused investment startup Parataxis Holdings LLC plans to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company SilverBox Corp IV, both parties announced Monday, marking the latest crypto-related foray into public markets.

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Max Pressure On Iran May Raise Secondary Sanctions Risk

New sanctions designations announced June 6 are the latest in a slew of actions the administration has taken to put pressure on Iran’s military programs and petroleum exports that will likely increase non-U.S. businesses’ secondary sanctions risk, says John Sandage at Berliner Corcoran.

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In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

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ABA 'Surprised And Disappointed' By DOJ Shunning

By Courtney Bublé

The American Bar Association on Tuesday defended its long-standing process for reviewing judicial nominees and said Attorney General Pam Bondi was wrong to call the group an "activist organization."

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Analysis

Feds Reboot FCPA Agenda With Narrower Enforcement Focus

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday released new and tightened guidelines for enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act after a four-month pause on such prosecutions, centering prospective investigations on situations that affect U.S. competitiveness and national security as well as transnational cartels.

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Top CFPB Enforcer Quits Over 'Devastating' Agency Pullback

By Jon Hill

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's top enforcement official resigned Tuesday, saying she can no longer effectively do her job under leadership that "has no intention to enforce the law in any meaningful way."

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Wis. Judge Can't Wield Immunity For Obstructing ICE, DOJ Says

By Lynn LaRowe

The U.S. Department of Justice has urged a Wisconsin federal judge to reject a state court judge's argument that judicial immunity blocks her prosecution for allegedly obstructing an ICE arrest at a Milwaukee courthouse, saying that while judges may be immune from civil liability for official acts, they are not shielded from prosecution for supposedly criminal conduct.

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State Chief Justices Blast Plans To Cut Legal Services Corp.

By Hailey Konnath

A coalition of 37 state Supreme Court chief justices have asked federal lawmakers to reject President Donald Trump's plans to eliminate the Legal Services Corp., arguing that the "justice system is hobbled when citizens are deprived of legal counsel."

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Mass. Court-Appointed Attys Hit 'Boiling Point' Over Low Pay

By Julie Manganis

Hundreds of private attorneys in Massachusetts who are paid by the state to represent indigent defendants and others have stopped accepting new court-appointed cases over complaints about low pay, putting the system on what one veteran advocate called "the verge of imploding."

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House Conservatives Push Senate To 'Rein In' Judges

By Courtney Bublé

House conservatives are imploring their Senate counterparts to do more to "rein in" federal judges with the budget reconciliation package.

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SEC's Investment Management Chief Greiner To Leave Agency

By Tom Zanki

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission veteran Natasha Vij Greiner is stepping down as the director of the agency's investment management division, ending a nearly 24-year career serving the SEC in multiple roles, regulators announced Tuesday.

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Analysis

Key Insights On Looming Fair Use Rulings In AI Cases

By Ivan Moreno

Two California federal judges have indicated they are inclined to find that using copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence systems is transformative, which usually means that copying a work is fair, but that may not let Meta Platforms and Anthropic off the hook in separate lawsuits.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Katryna Perera and Jeff Montgomery

Delaware's Court of Chancery showed new resistance to suits alleging corporate weaponizing of advance notice bylaws, and a new report highlighted the high fees that attorneys are cashing in on in Delaware courts compared to the federal court system. Several new suits were also filed concerning allegedly under- or overvalued sales and acquisitions being pushed through.

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