Public Policy

  • September 16, 2026

    Philly Says DraftKings Suit Seeks To Block Consumer Probe

    Philadelphia has urged a Pennsylvania federal judge to throw out DraftKings' suit challenging the city's consumer protection ordinance, telling the court that although it's investigating how the online betting platform markets its product to residents, the complaint is premature since the city hasn't taken any enforcement action.

  • September 16, 2026

    Senate Committee OKs Free Speech Bill Despite AI Worries

    A bipartisan bill aimed at preventing the government from leaning on media companies to suppress the speech of third parties made it through committee Wednesday morning, but not until the leadership of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee went head-to-head with each other on the matter.

  • September 16, 2026

    FCC Members See Progress On Opening Gov't Spectrum

    Federal Communications Commission leaders on Wednesday touted progress toward the government's goal of transitioning unused federally held airwaves to the private sector to spur wireless industry growth.

  • September 16, 2026

    Okla. Mothers Contest Abortion Ban In Fatal Fetal Cases

    A pair of mothers urged an Oklahoma state court Wednesday to bar the state from criminalizing abortion care for pregnant individuals who learn their fetus won't survive birth, arguing that doing so violates fundamental rights under Oklahoma's constitution.

  • September 16, 2026

    FIU Students Say Administrators Knew About Protest Rights

    Florida International University administrators aren't immune from claims they violated student's speech rights by disciplining them for protesting against federal immigration enforcement tactics because they were well aware of U.S. Supreme Court precedent protecting students' speech rights, the students said Tuesday.

  • September 16, 2026

    Conn. Agency Rejects Avangrid Units' Bids For Higher Rates

    Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority decreased rates for Avangrid Inc. subsidiaries Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. and Southern Connecticut Gas in a pair of decisions issued after a state judge remanded prior decisions on their rate amendment applications for additional proceedings.

  • September 16, 2026

    WSU Says It Had No Duty To Stop Idaho Murders

    Washington State University urged a federal judge Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit from families of four University of Idaho students killed by a WSU teaching assistant, arguing that the university had no obligation to stop Bryan Kohberger from committing the murders while he was off duty and across state lines.

  • September 16, 2026

    Utah Tribe Loses Repeated Bids To End Water Suit In Its Favor

    A Utah federal court has denied a Native American tribe's motion for default judgment and motion for entry of default against a group of farm companies in a water-use lawsuit, ruling the tribe's separate bid for summary judgment conflicts with the other two motions.

  • September 16, 2026

    State Farm Plans Calif. Return For Fire-Hardened Homes

    More than three years after announcing it would no longer sell new homeowners insurance policies in California, State Farm has filed plans to begin writing new policies for Golden State homeowners who have made their properties more resilient to wildfire, according to news releases issued Wednesday.

  • September 16, 2026

    War In Iran Has Cost Pentagon $38B, CBO Report Says

    The Congressional Budget Office said in a report that the ongoing armed conflict between the United States and Iran has cost the U.S. Department of Defense an estimated $38 billion and contributed to inflation in the first half of 2026.

  • September 16, 2026

    Texas Justices Press Mall Owner On Mass Shooting Liability

    The Texas Supreme Court justices wanted the owner of an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, that saw a devastating mass shooting to explain why a case brought by the victims should be tossed, saying Wednesday that dismissal might remove incentives for businesses to protect customers.

  • September 16, 2026

    State Bank Supervisor Group Issues AI Exam Framework

    The Conference of State Bank Supervisors on Wednesday unveiled a new oversight framework for artificial intelligence at financial firms, rolling out resources aimed at giving state examiners a common roadmap for reviewing how their regulated institutions are deploying the technology.

  • September 16, 2026

    Tenn. Must Face Adult-Entertainment Groups' Age-Check Suit

    A federal judge in Tennessee has ruled that the state must face a suit from free speech advocates, an individual adult-content creator and adult-entertainment industry groups claiming a state law requiring age checks violates their First Amendment rights.

  • September 16, 2026

    Calif. AI Law Requires Ads To Disclose 'Synthetic Performers'

    Advertisements shown in California that feature artificial intelligence-generated actors must explicitly disclose that such "synthetic performers" were used under a new SAG-AFTRA-backed bill that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Wednesday.

  • September 16, 2026

    9th Circ. Greenlights Blocking Kalshi Contracts On Tribal Land

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday reversed an order denying California tribes' request for a preliminary injunction seeking to block Kalshi and Robinhood from offering sports-event contracts on tribal lands, finding the tribes will likely win their Indian Gaming Regulatory Act claims, and "this is the 'stuff' of sports betting."

  • September 16, 2026

    DTE Faces Suit Alleging Retaliation Over Fermi 2 Safety Data

    A longtime employee of utility DTE Electric Co.'s Fermi 2 nuclear energy plant has said he was forced out of his job because he reported safety data discrepancies to upper management and human resources, accusing the company of retaliation in Michigan federal court.

  • September 16, 2026

    House Clears Russia Sanctions Bill With New Tariff Powers

    The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday that would enhance President Donald Trump's economic tools to pressure Russia and Iran, including new tariff authorities to impose duties on imports from countries found to economically support Russia, sending the bill to his desk.

  • September 16, 2026

    EPA's Policy Repeals May Spell Exit From Climate Regulation

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest move to undo Biden-era greenhouse gas emissions rules lays legal groundwork for the agency to completely abandon climate change regulation, though it remains to be seen whether courts will endorse a full-blown retreat.

  • September 16, 2026

    Kroger Faces Skepticism In Bid To Slash Wash. AG's Fee Win

    A Washington appellate judge expressed skepticism Wednesday at Kroger's bid to dismiss or reduce the state's $28.4 million fee award for successfully challenging the proposed merger with Albertsons, saying Kroger doesn't know how the Washington State Attorney General's Office split the work with the lead law firm that handled the bench trial.

  • September 16, 2026

    Judge Extends Supervision Over Migrant Teen Detention

    A D.C. federal court has said it'll continue to supervise the federal government after finding it repeatedly failed to make individualized determinations on whether certain migrant teenagers should be placed in a less restrictive alternative to adult immigration detention upon turning 18.

  • September 16, 2026

    AP Sues Courts Over Rule Blocking Habeas Records Access

    The Associated Press, in a new lawsuit, is fighting the federal courts for digital access to habeas filings, arguing that a rule curtailing electronic access to the records is unconstitutional and has hampered coverage of the tens of thousands of such cases filed since President Donald Trump's second term began.

  • September 16, 2026

    Newman Saga Prompts Bill To Limit Judicial Suspensions

    The long-running saga over Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's fitness to remain on the court has exposed "major flaws" in the judicial accountability system, according to a Republican member of the House who introduced a bill Wednesday to reform it.

  • September 16, 2026

    House Panel Advances Digital Asset Tax Framework

    Congress would create parity between the tax treatment of digital assets and traditional financial assets, as well as institute safeguards against abuse, under a bipartisan digital asset tax framework package passed by the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.

  • September 16, 2026

    Zillow Must Arbitrate MLS Claims, Compass Claims Paused

    An Illinois federal court has refused Zillow's request for an injunction in its case accusing a Chicago-area multiple listing service of working with Compass to block access to home listings and sent the claims against the MLS to arbitration.

  • September 16, 2026

    1st Circ. Hints Trump Admin Sought To Skirt Review Of Cuts

    The First Circuit on Wednesday repeatedly suggested that the Trump administration had sought to evade court review by intentionally failing to issue written guidance before it began shuttering federal programs targeted by the president in an executive order last year.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Shareholder Derivative Litigation Needs A Better Framework

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    Uncoordinated, multiforum shareholder derivative litigation is a growing issue for corporate defendants that have little to no recourse for organizing and consolidating actions, but several commonsense steps should be utilized to preempt such disputes, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • How Justices' TPS Ruling Affects Workforce Planning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent holding in Mullin v. Doe that courts lack jurisdiction to review temporary protected status determinations greenlights the end of TPS for thousands of Syrian and Haitian nationals, and means employers must reevaluate TPS-designees' employability while avoiding discriminatory document practices, says attorney Richard Herman.

  • How State, Local Rules Are Expanding Debt Collection Reach

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    Consumer protection rules recently enacted by several states signal that the rules of debt collection are being rewritten at a pace that should command the attention of every creditor, servicer, debt buyer, collection agency and collection law firm operating across state lines, says Weldianne Scales at Reed Smith.

  • How Nixing Trade-Through Rule Would Alter Equity Markets

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent proposal to rescind the trade-through rule and the locked-and-crossed-markets prohibition represents one of the most significant potential changes to U.S. equity market structure in two decades, affecting exchanges, broker-dealers, and institutional and retail investors alike, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Reviving Prize Law Would Reshape Maritime Seizure Risks

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    Recent U.S. maritime interdictions of sanctioned tankers and shadow fleet vessels raise urgent questions about whether civil forfeiture or prize law — a framework that has not been meaningfully tested since the Spanish-American War — governs and the potential impacts on vessel owners, charterers and insurers, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • The Nuance Between The Atkins, Gensler SEC Strategic Plans

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent draft strategic plan is a marked departure from that of former Chair Gary Gensler, portraying an intention to leave decisions to the market rather than steering corporate behavior through expansive disclosure mandates and regulatory enforcement, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Future Of Fed Independence Shaky After Justices' Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. Cook preserved the Federal Reserve's formal independence but could invite the president to remove board members with just modest protections, leaving the central bank's autonomy uncertain and potentially setting up fresh clashes over other agencies, says Steven Schwinn at the University of Chicago.

  • Series

    Mich. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter brought several notable financial services law developments to Michigan, including a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on state tax foreclosures, progress on a money transmission modernization bill package, and continued legislative momentum on cryptocurrency and mortgage lending, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • How New FERC Orders Are Prepping Grid For Large Loads

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    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent show-cause orders to grid operators to justify how their rates and regulations account for the interconnection of large and colocated loads like data centers may be just the first step in FERC's efforts to address anticipated reliability and affordability challenges in the coming years, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.

  • FDA Moves Leave Peptides In A Legal Gray Zone

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    While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken a concrete step forward on reclassifying certain peptides, the practical consequence of their interim status cannot be overstated — these substances are no longer designated as posing a significant safety risk, but they have not been affirmatively authorized for compounding, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Series

    Bass Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Landing a trophy striped bass and closing a big deal both require cultivating the patience to finesse — not force — your way to desired outcomes, changing course when your old approach isn’t working and learning from the ones that got away, says Jon Ruiss at Alston & Bird.

  • What Consent Decree Trends Mean For Deal Clearances

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    With merger remedies back on the table under the current administration, an analysis of recent Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice consent decrees reveals that prior approval and prior notice provisions are no longer a foregone conclusion, and companies may be able to negotiate narrowly tailored obligations, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The year's second quarter brought several notable banking law developments to New York, including a proposal to align state stablecoin rules with the federal Genius Act, fresh fair lending and cybersecurity guidance from state regulators, and a significant Second Circuit holding on preemption, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins Coie.

  • How Reincorporating In Texas May Alter Earnout Disputes

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    While the DExit debate has focused on shareholder suits, far less attention has been paid to what reincorporating in Texas means for M&A disputes, making it particularly important to understand the nuances between Delaware and Texas earnout jurisprudence, say attorneys at Selendy Gay.

  • What To Know If DOL Raises Overtime Salary Floor

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    With the U.S. Department of Labor recently rescinding a 2024 rule that increased the minimum salary for the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime exemptions, employers should assess how a future increase would affect their workforce, paying particular attention to job duties requirements and state laws, says James Coleman at Constangy.

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