Public Policy

  • September 08, 2026

    Kik App Is 'A Parent's Worst Nightmare,' Conn. AG Says

    The mobile messaging app Kik is "a cesspool of sexual abuse, exploitation and bullying" and "a parent's worst nightmare," Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Tuesday in announcing his office would investigate allegations that inadequate privacy and content moderation measures endanger children.

  • September 08, 2026

    DOL Issues Mental Health Parity Enforcement Guidance

    The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm issued guidance Tuesday on how to comply with federal laws that require employer health plans to produce an analysis of their mental health and substance use disorder coverage, which remains subject to litigation in D.C. federal court.

  • September 08, 2026

    SEC Sues Proxy Adviser Firm ISS For Client Voting Records

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a Pennsylvania federal court to enforce a subpoena against Institutional Shareholder Services, alleging the proxy advisory firm is improperly withholding information about the voting advice ISS gives institutional investors due to fears of retaliation.

  • September 08, 2026

    'Resilience,' Scale Up For Changes In EU Merger Overhaul

    With major European Union merger reforms due for finalization by the end of the year, the EU's top competition official said Sunday that enforcers plan to add more clarity to the draft merger guidelines, including by spelling out how improving environmental "resilience" can push transactions across the finish line.

  • September 08, 2026

    ITC Seeks Input On Long-Dormant Trade Bias Program

    The U.S. International Trade Commission is working to redevelop a practice for identifying potentially discriminatory trade actions against the U.S. as required under the dormant Great Depression-era statute President Donald Trump used to launch recent tariffs against Canada, the commission said.

  • September 08, 2026

    Ed. Dept. Says It Will Fund Research But Opposes Court Order

    A lawyer representing the government told a Massachusetts federal judge Tuesday the U.S. Department of Education intends to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding before it expires at the end of this month but urged the court not to order the department to do so.

  • September 08, 2026

    Humboldt To Pay FTC $12M Over 'Sham' Merchant Payment Biz

    Payment processing company Humboldt Merchant Services has agreed to pay $12 million and be permanently banned from processing payments for merchants with a higher risk of fraud to resolve Federal Trade Commission claims that it processed payments for more than 1,000 merchants that defrauded customers.

  • September 08, 2026

    Idaho Supreme Court OKs Revised Abortion Ballot Language

    The Idaho Supreme Court has agreed to revised ballot language for an abortion amendment scheduled to be in front of voters this November. 

  • September 08, 2026

    Comcast, APCo At Odds Again Over Pole Replacement Rates

    Comcast has doubled down on its call for the Federal Communications Commission to direct Appalachian Power Co. to assume more of the cost for replacing damaged utility poles to allow for broadband gear attachments.

  • September 08, 2026

    3rd Circ. Revives Firearm Group's Challenge To NJ Gun Law

    The Third Circuit on Tuesday held that the National Shooting Sports Foundation can challenge New Jersey's law allowing the state to sue firearms manufacturers for endangering public safety, also reversing a lower court's decision to put the case on hold.

  • September 08, 2026

    Top LA Prosecutor Faces New DQ Attempt After 9th Circ. Ruling

    A criminal defendant has renewed his attempt to disqualify top Los Angeles federal prosecutor Bill Essayli from overseeing his case, following a Ninth Circuit decision that upheld a similar ruling against Nevada's lead federal prosecutor, saying the government is "playing shadow games" with prosecutorial powers.

  • September 08, 2026

    Makers Of Meta Glasses Won't Provide Repair Parts, Suit Says

    A Denver electronics repair shop has sued the makers of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in Colorado state court, alleging they refused to provide the repair parts, software and technical documentation that state law now requires manufacturers to make available to independent repair businesses.

  • September 08, 2026

    W.Va. AG Calls Pa. Alternative Energy Laws Unconstitutional

    West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey has filed a federal lawsuit over Pennsylvania laws that limit most of the Keystone State's "alternative energy credits" to in-state power producers, arguing that shutting out sources from other states violates the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.

  • September 08, 2026

    Ex-Conn. Lawmaker Is Denied New Trial, Slips 3 Fraud Counts

    Former Connecticut state Sen. Dennis A. Bradley Jr. will not receive a new trial on charges that he improperly collected public campaign funds, but a federal judge has reversed his convictions on three counts in a wire fraud case centered around a 2018 party that he claimed was hosted by his law firm.

  • September 08, 2026

    Canada Defends Retaliatory Tariffs Against US As Necessary

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney defended Canada's retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. as they went into effect Tuesday, saying they are needed to protect Canadian workers and industries from President Donald Trump's latest trade war action.

  • September 08, 2026

    Calif. Urges Justices To Let Paramount Merger Case Play Out

    California and other state enforcers that are challenging Paramount Skydance Corp.'s planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery have urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to expedite Iowa and Montana's case seeking to block the merger challenge.

  • September 08, 2026

    CIT Backs Commerce's Reworked Korean Wind Tower Rate

    The U.S. Department of Commerce properly justified revised antidumping duty rate calculations for certain Korean wind tower imports, according to a U.S. Court of International Trade opinion that blessed a new rate for the products over stakeholder objections.

  • September 08, 2026

    DC Circ. Affirms Injunction Against IRS-ICE Data Sharing

    The D.C. Circuit affirmed a lower court's preliminary injunction Tuesday barring the IRS from sharing taxpayer data with immigration authorities, finding that the coalition challenging the deal has standing and that the arrangement likely violates the law.

  • September 08, 2026

    DOJ, Pinnacle Reach RealPage Rent-Fixing Settlement

    The federal government wants to settle its antitrust claims against Cushman & Wakefield unit Pinnacle Property Management Services LLC, which was accused in North Carolina federal court of using property management software company RealPage Inc.'s revenue management technology to fix rental prices, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • September 08, 2026

    Hemp Cos. Win Block Of New Ohio THC Regulations

    An Ohio federal judge has agreed to block enforcement of a new state law classifying any product with more than 0.3% THC as cannabis, finding the hemp companies have sufficiently shown that the law violates the dormant commerce clause by unfairly discriminating against out-of-state actors.

  • September 08, 2026

    Ed Martin Joins Trump Ally's Think Tank

    Ed Martin, the recently departed White House pardon attorney, has joined a conservative policy think tank started by a key ally of President Donald Trump.

  • September 08, 2026

    Asian Plywood Imports Harming US Industry, ITC Finds

    The U.S. International Trade Commission said Tuesday that hardwood and decorative plywood imports from China, Indonesia and Vietnam determined by the Commerce Department to be sold at unfair prices are harming domestic industry, setting up Commerce to issue duty orders against the products.

  • September 07, 2026

    Missouri Asks Justices To Prevent Election 'Disaster'

    Missouri has implored the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the state high court's ruling prohibiting the use of a new congressional map drawn to help Republicans in this year's midterms and requiring the map be submitted for voter approval, claiming the decision will create an unconstitutional "disaster." 

  • September 07, 2026

    USPS Asks High Court To Allow 'Modest' Mail Ballot Rules

    The Trump administration has once again asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a Massachusetts federal judge's order barring the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new mail-in ballot regulations ahead of this year's midterms, arguing the "modest" changes are well within USPS' authority and don't affect election administration. 

  • September 04, 2026

    Feds Can't Force NJ To Assist ICE Efforts, Judge Says

    A New Jersey federal judge Friday tossed the Trump administration's suit challenging Gov. Mikie Sherrill's February executive order limiting immigration officials' access to state property without a warrant, saying the federal government cannot commandeer state resources.

Expert Analysis

  • How State Actions Are Reshaping Surveillance Pricing Risk

    Author Photo

    Amid heightened state enforcement activity and expanding legislative action to curb surveillance pricing concerns related to transparency, fairness and discrimination, businesses should closely examine how consumer data is used in pricing decisions, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • State Of Insurance: Q2 Notes From Illinois

    Author Photo

    The second quarter of 2026 featured a trio of auto insurance opinions from Illinois' appellate courts, addressing a notice requirement, narrowing insurers' exposure for delayed payment of underinsured motorist claims, and creating a district split on coverage for employee-drivers under employers' policies, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

  • Tips For Issuers Left In Lurch Without Genius Act Final Rules

    Author Photo

    The compliance runway envisioned by the Genius Act is steadily shrinking after regulators failed to finalize all the required implementing regulations by July 18, so stablecoin issuers should begin implementing "no-regrets" compliance measures and securing outside vendors before the law takes full effect in January, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Why Courts Are Pushing Back On Greenwashing Laws

    Author Photo

    Recent Fourth Circuit and California federal court decisions blocking state greenwashing statutes on First Amendment grounds reveal a tension at the heart of environmental marketing regulation — while states want clarity, courts aren't prepared to let legislatures flatly ban categories of truthful commercial speech, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • What NYC Bridge Crash Signals About Micromobility Liability

    Author Photo

    A recent fatal crash between a cyclist and a man riding a high-powered electric scooter on New York City's Queensboro Bridge highlights how litigation over accidents involving micromobility devices may increasingly shift away from ordinary negligence and toward product liability, says Jeff Korek at Gersowitz Libo.

  • 3 Ways Tokenization Is Moving To Traditional Finance

    Author Photo

    Recent initiatives reflect efforts to integrate distributed ledger technology into existing regulatory frameworks for securities, banking and payments settlements while preserving the underlying rights and obligations of market participants, say attorneys at Hughes Hubbard.

  • At The Intersection Of Right-To-Repair Laws And IP Rights

    Author Photo

    Right-to-repair legislation passing through Congress highlights a broad tension between manufacturers' security measures and consumer autonomy, with important repercussions for the automotive industry's intellectual property rights, says Keith Noe at Lando & Anastasi. 

  • Opinion

    States Should Reconsider Forced PBM Divestiture Laws

    Author Photo

    State legislatures are attempting to enact policies intended to force pharmacy benefit managers to divest from pharmacies, but these laws would have the practical effect of reducing patient access and competition, potentially violating the U.S. Constitution in the process, says former Utah Attorney General John Swallow.

  • HSR Deals Proceed More Steadily Than Narratives Suggest

    Author Photo

    The most recent Hart-Scott-Rodino Act data show that transaction volume remained relatively stable, transaction values continued to increase and enforcement activity remained low, suggesting that enforcement rates have been relatively consistent across presidential administrations despite widely differing public rhetoric regarding merger enforcement, says Amanda Wait at Michael Best.

  • Assessing The Benefits Of Fla.'s Newest Business Structure

    Author Photo

    As of July 1, Florida business owners can create protected series LLCs to shield assets from liability while avoiding increased costs and wasted time, but burdensome recordkeeping obligations are crucial to maintaining the very protection that makes them attractive in the first place, says Gregory Ritter at Moritt Hock.

  • Key Post-Proposal Shifts Likely In CFPB Loss Mitigation Rule

    Author Photo

    Mortgage servicers, borrowers and consumer advocates should prepare for a likely narrowed version of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's loss mitigation rule, which is likely to permit sequential reviews, defer to investor guidelines, extend compliance timelines and preempt conflicting state standards, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Series

    Teaching SEC Investigations Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Instructing a law school course on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigations has made me a more thoughtful, deliberate practitioner because it requires me to continually reassess and challenge what I know about securities law enforcement, how I know it and how best to explain it, says David Chase at Miami Law.

  • Noncompete Laws Show States Focusing On Bans, Healthcare

    Author Photo

    The first half of 2026 confirms that state legislatures are driving the most consequential changes in noncompete law, including a few state bans and several healthcare-specific laws, making a one-size-fits-all approach increasingly untenable for multistate employers, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's Inside Proposed, Expanded NY Stablecoin Regulations

    Author Photo

    New York's recently proposed regulations for payment stablecoin issuers would, if adopted, increase the regulatory burdens of a state license, and midsize issuers considering a conversion to a federal charter should weigh the associated costs of both options, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Justices' Tax Sale Ruling Tees Up Auction Fairness Battles

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan, that taxpayers are not entitled to fair market value of real property seized to satisfy a tax debt shifts attention to the fairness of state and local auction procedures, and whether taxpayers claiming surplus proceeds face unwarranted hurdles, say attorneys at Miller Canfield.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.