Public Policy

  • July 22, 2026

    DC Judge Wary Of Tribe's Bid To Halt Border Wall In Arizona

    A D.C. federal judge appeared reluctant Wednesday to hand the Tohono O'odham Nation a preliminary injunction blocking the construction of 62 miles of border wall within what the tribe claims are its lands, saying that what the tribe was asking him to do was unprecedented.

  • July 22, 2026

    Sen. Warren Urges Watchdog Probe Of CFTC Staff Cuts

    U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on Wednesday urged the Government Accountability Office to investigate the impact of staffing cuts at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, saying the reductions come as the CFTC faces increased responsibilities in overseeing prediction markets and implementing cryptocurrency market legislation.

  • July 22, 2026

    Reps. Hit With Robocalls As They Discuss How To Stop Them

    Robocalls were the thing on everyone's mind Wednesday morning as a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee heard from witnesses about a half dozen bills that lawmakers hope will protect the nation's telecommunications networks.

  • July 22, 2026

    Migrants Seek Stay Of DHS' 'Life-Altering' Fines

    Lawyers for noncitizens challenging steep fines on people who remain in the U.S. after a final removal order urged a Massachusetts federal judge Wednesday to halt the fines now, citing crippling effects on immigrants seeking lawful status.

  • July 22, 2026

    GOP Sens. Unveil Crypto Bill With New Gov't Ethics Provision

    U.S. Senate Republicans released an updated draft of a bill to regulate digital asset markets Wednesday that includes an ethics provision limiting President Donald Trump's and other officials' involvement with crypto, but a coalition of Democrats said the text "falls short" on several issues.

  • July 22, 2026

    EPA 'Defying' Order Reviving $2.8B Grant Program, Judge Says

    A South Carolina federal judge Wednesday told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency it must comply with the court's prior order and continue administering a $2.8 billion environmental and climate justice grant funding program that was authorized by Congress in 2022.

  • July 22, 2026

    Mamdani Taps Lina Khan, McKinsey Partner For EDC Roles

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday named former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan board chair of the ​New York City Economic Development Corp. and Anthony E. Shorris, a partner at consulting giant McKinsey & Co., as its president.

  • July 22, 2026

    NY Stablecoin Rule Update Advances Amid Genius Act Rollout

    New York's Department of Financial Services moved Wednesday to formally propose rules that would align its existing stablecoin oversight framework with federal standards, advancing a fresh draft following a so-called preproposal version released last month.

  • July 22, 2026

    Judge Won't Pause Bison Plan Fight For New NEPA Review

    A Montana federal judge says the U.S. Department of the Interior can't pause challenges to its Yellowstone National Park bison management plan while the agency prepares a supplemental environmental impact statement, finding the conservation group plaintiffs would suffer a hardship if the proceedings were put on hold.

  • July 22, 2026

    States Seek Win Over Trump Admin In DEI Contracts Dispute

    Nineteen states and the District of Columbia are urging a Maryland federal judge to vacate federal agencies' implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order requiring government contractors to agree that they won't engage in "racially discriminatory" diversity, equity and inclusion activities.

  • July 22, 2026

    Writers Guild Wants Paramount-Warner Bros. Block Extended

    The Writers Guild of America asked a California federal judge Wednesday to extend the two-week injunction against Paramount Skydance's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, warning that permitting the deal to close while challenges proceed would allow the companies to shut down projects and share negotiation information.

  • July 22, 2026

    11th Circ. Mulls Forcing Board To Testify In Book Ban Suit

    Members of a Florida school board on Wednesday told the Eleventh Circuit they shouldn't be forced to testify on their reasons for banning library books about people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, arguing their actions are protected by legislative privilege. 

  • July 22, 2026

    FCC Overhauls 'Nutrition' Labels For Broadband Services

    Consumers can expect to soon see a change in broadband "nutrition" labels detailing the metrics of high-speed services after the Federal Communications Commission voted to overhaul the labeling rules Wednesday.

  • July 22, 2026

    Exxon Convinces 5th Circ. To Scrap OSHA Mental Illness Reg

    The Fifth Circuit nixed an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule requiring employers to keep track of employees' work-related mental illnesses, concluding that Congress didn't give the agency authority to regulate mental health in the workplace.

  • July 22, 2026

    NJ Judge Says ICE Can't Detain Man Leaving Voluntarily

    A New Jersey federal judge Wednesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release a Colombian man it continued to detain after it had prevented the man from voluntarily leaving the country in line with an immigration judge's order.

  • July 22, 2026

    Bipartisan Bill Would Tax And Regulate Hemp THC Products

    Members of Congress on Wednesday unveiled a bipartisan bill to legalize, regulate and tax the manufacture and sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, while a federal ban on virtually all consumable hemp products is still due to take effect in less than four months.

  • July 22, 2026

    Federal Judge Blocks NYC Uber, Lyft Driver Deactivation Law

    A New York federal judge has blocked New York City from enforcing a new ordinance prohibiting Uber and Lyft from "deactivating" drivers without formal notice and investigation, saying the ride-hailing companies have made a strong showing that the regulation unconstitutionally interferes with their contractual rights.

  • July 22, 2026

    Illinois Crypto Tax Unfairly Targets Traders, Suit Says

    Illinois' new tax on cryptocurrency, the first in the nation, discriminates against those who trade in crypto and is illegal, a trade group argued in a complaint in a state court.

  • July 22, 2026

    Bipartisan Bill To Speed Broadband Permits Clears Committee

    A bipartisan bill aimed at making federal agencies accelerate reviews of broadband permit applications passed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.

  • July 22, 2026

    FCC Clears Way For Upper C-Band Auction To Sell 160 MHz

    The Federal Communications Commission voted Wednesday to set up an auction to sell exclusive licenses in the upper C-band airwaves, getting the process moving at what FCC Chair Brendan Carr called an "unprecedented" speed following Congress' order last year to expedite the sale long awaited by wireless carriers.

  • July 22, 2026

    Retired Judges Rip Bid To Ban Foreign-Born Federal Judges

    A group of 58 retired federal judges, appointed by presidents of both parties, on Wednesday came out strongly against recent proposals from Republican lawmakers that would require federal judges to be natural-born U.S. citizens and relinquish any citizenship that is not of the United States.

  • July 22, 2026

    DOL IG Says Info-Sharing Pacts Lacked Safeguards

    U.S. Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony P. D'Esposito testified Wednesday before a U.S. House subcommittee that during the Biden administration, the department shared confidential information with plaintiffs' attorneys without notifying the Wage and Hour Division or the Employee Benefits Security Administration.

  • July 22, 2026

    Commerce Opens Probe Into Canadian Spray Foam Imports

    The U.S. Department of Commerce will determine whether spray foam systems assembled in Canada with Chinese components and then exported to the U.S. are circumventing duties placed on a foam-making chemical, the department said Wednesday.

  • July 22, 2026

    2 Charged In Alleged $52.7M COVID-19 Tax Scheme

    Two men have been indicted in Pennsylvania on allegations that they participated in a multistate conspiracy to bilk the government out of $52.7 million in a COVID-19-related false tax return scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

  • July 22, 2026

    States Say Nielsen Ruling Backs Claims In Live Nation Suit

    A recent Second Circuit ruling in a data-tying case was invoked Wednesday to support a motion by more than a dozen state attorneys general opposing Live Nation's attempt to overturn a federal jury verdict against the company.

Expert Analysis

  • 'Skinny Label' Arguments Spotlight Induced Infringement Risk

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    Recent oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in Hikma Pharmaceuticals v. Amarin Pharma highlight the uncertain boundary between lawful generic competition through so-called skinny labels and induced patent infringement, with potential implications for patent holders’ communication, enforcement and causation strategies across industries, says Anton Hopen at Trenam.

  • What Jury Holdouts Can Teach Trial Lawyers About Strategy

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    Though a hung jury can be a disappointment, a psychological understanding of jury holdouts can help trial lawyers shape their damages arguments and understand leadership and group composition as a function of jury selection, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation.

  • 'Mobile' Sources For On-Site Generation May Be A Risky Bet

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering treating large on-site generators used at data centers as mobile rather than stationary sources under the Clean Air Act, a significant policy change that would leave developers that adopt this solution at risk of regulatory reversals, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • AI Investment Advice May Fail Investor Protection Rules

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    Based on an ongoing study of artificial intelligence platforms' investment advice given to retail investors, direct access to AI may not yield recommendations for typical households that are suitable under relevant securities rules, raising new and important issues in the regulation of financial markets, says Bruce Carlin at Rice University.

  • Startup Founder Disputes Increasingly Turn On Governance

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    Recent Delaware developments suggest that as courts place increasing emphasis on board process, independence and oversight in founder-led startups, the growing intersection of governance, technology risk and investor oversight is accelerating both the emergence and escalation of founder disputes, says mediator Frank Burke.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • AG Watch: Reconciling 2 Maryland Data Privacy Statutes

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    In-house counsel should map the interplay between the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act's strictly necessary standard to deliver a requested service, and the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act's exemption of consent-based pricing within loyalty programs, before the state attorney general begins enforcement on the latter in October, says Erek Barron at Mintz.

  • EPA Listing Signals New Scrutiny Of Drugs In Drinking Water

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    The recent publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest draft drinking water contaminant list highlights pharmaceuticals as a category of concern, marking the start of a process that could shape future research priorities, monitoring requirements, and federal and state actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • New Cuba Sanctions Raise Risks For Foreign Banks, Cos.

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    President Donald Trump's bold move leveling secondary sanctions against Cuba expands enforcement risk for foreign banks and companies with no U.S. nexus, signaling that non-U.S. businesses should reassess related transactions, counterparties and exposure as regulators test this broader authority, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • SEC Clarifies 'Baby Shelf' Restrictions For Small Cos.

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    For smaller public companies looking to access the capital markets, the so-called baby shelf requirements can be a significant limitation, but recent guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission helps to alleviate the effect of subsequent baby shelf restrictions on an at-the-market facility, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Nexstar Offers A Cautionary Tale On State-Level Deal Scrutiny

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    State-enforcement challenges to the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger remind legal practitioners that federal approval isn't always sufficient to deliver certainty on closing, integration and timetable assumptions, says Brett Story at Britehorn Securities.

  • How 'Bundling' Enforcement Is Parsing Efficiency, Access

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    Recent antitrust enforcement actions have taken a selective view of companies' bundling of products or services — challenging it when it shuts out rivals, but tolerating it when it creates efficient scale — making the real test now less about lower prices than about whether competition is being blocked, says attorney Alan Kusinitz.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • How Treasury's Stablecoin Test Will Shape State Oversight

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    The Treasury Department's recently proposed principles for judging whether state stablecoin regimes are "substantially similar" to the federal framework signal that issuers should expect stricter benchmarking against the bank agencies' standards, limited state flexibility and heightened pressure to reassess compliance as rules take shape, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

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