Public Policy

  • August 07, 2026

    Shippers, Rivals Want UP, Norfolk Southern Deal Rejected

    Rival railroads and several associations of major freight customers are urging the Surface Transportation Board to reject the planned $85 billion merger between Union Pacific Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp., saying the rail giants have failed to show the deal is in the public interest.

  • August 07, 2026

    Novig Says NY, Mass. Laws Threaten CFTC-Regulated Trades

    Sports betting app Novig, which is suing Massachusetts and New York over their gambling and sports wagering laws, says emergency relief is needed for the company to continue carrying out its operations in New York.

  • August 07, 2026

    Immigrant Groups Seek 1st Circ. Stay On TPS Work Limits

    A coalition of immigration advocacy groups, a union and its affiliate asked the First Circuit to step in after a Massachusetts federal judge declined to freeze a one-year work authorization cap for those with temporary protected status, arguing that its members will suffer irreparable harm without immediate relief.

  • August 07, 2026

    Trump Renews Bid To Oust Fed's Cook Over Mortgage Claims

    The White House has notified Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook that President Donald Trump is "considering" moving again to oust her from the central bank, setting up another potential legal battle after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked her removal in June.

  • August 07, 2026

    Judge Irked By Trump Admin's Bid To Delay Mail Ballot Ruling

    A Massachusetts federal judge appeared frustrated Friday by the Trump administration's argument that a mail ballot executive order is not ripe for judicial review, saying she and other voters are already being asked to decide if they will vote by mail in the midterm elections.

  • August 07, 2026

    Del. Senator Sues To Stop Permanent Absentee Voting System

    A Delaware state senator has sued the state's election commissioner and the Department of Elections in the Delaware Chancery Court to strike down the state's permanent absentee voting system as unconstitutional.

  • August 07, 2026

    Coinbase Can't Dodge Michigan Rules On Sports Contracts

    Federal law does not preempt Michigan's authority to regulate sports-based derivatives, a Michigan federal judge said in a Thursday order denying Coinbase Financial Markets' request for a preliminary injunction against Michigan state officials.

  • August 07, 2026

    NY Court Says Town's Cannabis Zoning Rule Preempted

    A New York intermediate appellate court has found that the state's marijuana law preempts localities from enforcing more stringent location policies for marijuana stores than what is found in state law.

  • August 07, 2026

    Former NTIA Acting Chief Confirmed To Cyberspace Post

    The U.S. Senate Friday confirmed a former acting chief of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as the U.S. Department of State's ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy.

  • August 07, 2026

    Senate Clears Russia Sanctions Bill With New Tariff Authority

    The U.S. Senate approved legislation Friday that would enhance President Donald Trump's economic tools to pressure Russia, including new tariff authorities that raised concerns for Democratic lawmakers.

  • August 07, 2026

    DC Courts Add 8 Judges, But Funding Crunch Persists

    Eight judges for local Washington, D.C., courts were confirmed Friday, significantly easing the courts' vacancy crisis. Nevertheless, a top court official says funding is still a problem.

  • August 07, 2026

    Fla. Justices Say They Can't Force Gov.'s Judge Picks

    The Florida Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a former state appellate judge's petition to appoint a successor is moot because the vacancy was filled while the case was pending, adding that only the governor has the power to pick replacements. 

  • August 07, 2026

    Ghost Gun Supplier Dodges $7.7M Penalty In Conn. AG Battle

    The Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act only applies to trade and commerce conducted in the state, and not to entities operating websites that are merely accessible in Connecticut, a state court judge has ruled in declining to impose a $7.7 million civil penalty against a Florida-based company that sells ghost gun parts online.

  • August 07, 2026

    Senator Considers Ethics Complaint Against 3rd Circ. Judge

    Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., has indicated he is weighing whether to pursue ethics charges against U.S. Circuit Judge Jennifer Mascott of the Third Circuit in the wake of a news report stating she operated a public affairs agency from the bench.

  • August 07, 2026

    Nat'l Science Org. To Review Judiciary's Nixed Climate Chapter

    The National Academy of Sciences will review the process used to develop a controversial chapter on climate science that has been removed from the federal judiciary's guide to scientific evidence, according to a Friday announcement.

  • August 07, 2026

    US Bancorp Is Latest To Flag Debanking Scrutiny From Feds

    U.S. Bancorp has become the latest big bank to formally disclose to investors that multiple federal authorities are scrutinizing it in connection with President Donald Trump's push to crack down on so-called debanking, or account closures perceived as politically biased.

  • August 07, 2026

    Trump Orders Polysilicon Tariffs, Price Floor For December

    President Donald Trump has ordered a 15% ad valorem tariff on polysilicon and derivative products to start in early December, along with the implementation of minimum prices for imports of these products, which are most closely associated with semiconductors and solar power.

  • August 07, 2026

    18 State AGs Urge Feds To Block OppFi's BNC Bank Acquisition

    A coalition of 18 state attorneys general led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul urged federal regulators to block Opportunity Financial's proposed acquisition of BNC National Bank, saying the deal would allow the online lender to sidestep state interest rate limits and expand its high-cost lending nationwide.

  • August 07, 2026

    Confirmations To Labor Board Set Up Policy Shift

    The National Labor Relations Board is set to begin rethinking a pile of union-friendly precedents set under former President Joe Biden after the U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed two nominees, including a third Republican member.

  • August 07, 2026

    Hanford Site Caused Delivery Driver's Cancer, Son Claims

    The son of a delivery driver who died of cancer hit the U.S. government with a $10 million suit claiming it negligently failed to protect his father from radiation and toxic substance exposures at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington.

  • August 07, 2026

    Trump Picks FCC Lawyer As Agency's 3rd Republican

    President Donald Trump on Friday picked Danielle Thumann Severs, an in-house lawyer at the Federal Communications Commission, to fill an open seat on the regulatory board.

  • August 07, 2026

    Commerce Kicks Off Duty Probe Into Pipes From 3 Countries

    The U.S. Department of Commerce is investigating claims that stainless line and pressure pipes from India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are being sold at unfair prices in the U.S., it said Friday.

  • August 07, 2026

    DHS Increases Screening Fees For Larger H-1B Employers

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that businesses with more than 50 employees, at least half of whom are H-1B or L-1 visa holders, must pay a biometric screening fee anytime they file an application to extend the workers' visas.

  • August 07, 2026

    Key Senator Backs Blanche, Likely Securing AG Confirmation

    Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears to have locked down the votes needed for his bid to be attorney general after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Friday that he would support the nomination.

  • August 06, 2026

    Updated 'Slush Fund' Suit Challenges Trump's Audit Immunity

    The IRS workers' union Thursday joined litigation in Virginia federal court challenging what the plaintiffs call President Donald Trump's proposed $1.8 billion "slush fund," adding claims that a side-order granting Trump, his family and businesses immunity from federal audits could expose IRS workers to criminal liability.

Expert Analysis

  • How Montgomery Ruling Will Affect Cos. Across Supply Chain

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court's May 14 decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, the immediate focus has been on freight brokers and negligent carrier-selection claims, but the ripple effects may extend to shippers, logistics providers, insurers, transportation managers and other participants in the supply chain, say attorneys at Quintairos Prieto.

  • High Court's FCC Fine Ruling Reframes Agency Enforcement

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T sweeps aside uncertainty about what kinds of regulatory enforcement trigger a Seventh Amendment right, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • How Maine's Expanded Health Deal Reviews Complicate M&A

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    A pair of recently approved Maine competition laws establish notice and approval requirements for certain healthcare transactions and expand state antitrust oversight, creating new hurdles for dealmakers as states take a more aggressive role in policing healthcare consolidation, especially involving private equity, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Resolve Growing Subchapter V Uncertainty

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    Congress must pass a bill to permanently restore the Subchapter V debt limit and clarify several other key points of the law to prevent a practical restructuring tool from becoming a costly procedural morass, says Ted Gavin at Gavin Solmonese.

  • CFTC Policy Substantially Expands Self-Reporting Incentives

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    A recent U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission policy moves from a mitigation-centered model to prioritizing declination for early self-reporting and full cooperation, reflecting a deliberate effort to harmonize voluntary self-disclosure incentives across the federal enforcement authorities, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Opinion

    Exxon Shareholders Were Right To Save New Voting Program

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    Following Exxon shareholders’ recent vote that rejected a bid to dismantle the company’s new retail voting program, other companies should replicate it as a way to lower the friction for shareholders who already vote with the board to keep doing so without wrestling a ballot every spring, says J.W. Verret at the Antonin Scalia Law School.

  • Series

    Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

  • What Ratings Overhaul May Mean For Banking Industry

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    Proposed revisions to the bank rating system commonly known as CAMELS could constrain examiner discretion and tie supervisory outcomes more closely to measurable financial risk, potentially saving compliance costs, reducing the frequency of ratings downgrades and spurring a more growth-oriented banking system, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The last three months were particularly consequential for Illinois banking law, with a federal court ruling reshaping the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, the state filling enforcement gaps, significant legislative activity and a revision to the community bank leverage ratio, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

  • Attorney Mental Health Is An Ethical Obligation In The AI Era

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    As attorneys cope with the increasing unpredictability that artificial intelligence and constant policy changes have created, particularly in practice areas where they carry the emotional weight of clients’ most consequential life events, otherwise soft discussions about self-care are a matter of professional competence, says attorney Jack Jrada.

  • Md. Ruling Reflects Classic Administrative Law Principle

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    A Maryland federal court's recent decision in Columbus v. Kennedy significantly limits how far the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services can go in reshaping the Affordable Care Act through regulation, highlighting a principle that will likely be applied in similar Administrative Procedure Act challenges, says Michael King at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • DOJ China Container Indictments Signal Global Cartel Risk

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent announcement that it had indicted Chinese manufacturers for conspiring to drive up the price of shipping containers sold in the U.S. illustrates the Antitrust Division's interest in pursuing overseas cartel conduct, especially in China, signaling that multinational companies with employees abroad should strengthen antitrust compliance to avoid running afoul of U.S. national security policy, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • More Cos. Will Copy SpaceX's Shareholder Proposal Opt-Out

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    For more than 80 years, the shareholder proposal looked like a federal right guaranteed to all public company investors, but after SpaceX opted out before its recent initial public offering, other companies are likely to follow, says Mohsen Manesh at the University of Oregon School of Law.

  • How DOJ Is Approaching Monitorship After Signaling Limits

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice keeps more monitors in place than expected, a look at the matters in which prosecutors are maintaining oversight reveals the sort of companies enforcers might trust to self-remediate, and also those that may receive independent supervision, say attorneys at Kendall Brill.

  • Opinion

    DHS' World Cup Influencer Warning Overreads Visa Law

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s reported position that foreign influencers covering the 2026 World Cup need work visas if their content is monetized runs contrary to both legislative intent and long-standing precedent that structure the visa inquiry around labor market substitution, says Jun Li at Reid & Wise.

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