Public Policy

  • September 16, 2026

    Protesters Say Feds' Fight Shows Need For Misconduct Probe

    The U.S. government's opposition to a special investigation of prosecutorial misconduct that "poisoned" a now-dismissed criminal conspiracy case suggests Chicago prosecutors are still shielding critical details regarding the extent of official communications preceding the prosecution, underscoring the probe's necessity, protesters argued Tuesday.

  • September 16, 2026

    CFTC Probing Carbon Credit Markets, Enforcement Chief Says

    U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Enforcement Director David Miller said Wednesday that the division is investigating carbon credit markets as part of his agency's commitment to policing fraud in emerging markets.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing For Next Congress With Eye On Investigation Risk

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    Rod Rosenstein, Brian Whisler and Bruce Linskens at Baker McKenzie offer advice for organizations seeking to build a proactive response plan to potential congressional oversight as the election looms.

  • Asylum Ruling Signals Larger Separation Of Powers Battle

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that border officials may turn away asylum-seekers without inspection is part of a broader conversation about the reach of institutional safeguards that subject governmental authority to legal constraint, says Dree Collopy at American University's Washington College of Law.

  • Solar's Momentum At Mid-2026 Will Help It Overcome Snags

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    The rapid expansion of U.S. solar development in the first half of 2026 is likely to continue its pace, even amid ongoing shifts in federal trade policy and supply chain regulations, obstacles to permitting reform, and an increasing divide between states enacting policies to encourage or stymie project development, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • The Debanking Minefield: Navigating Fair Access In 2026

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    Federal regulators' recent elimination of reputational risk from bank supervision, alongside a growing patchwork of state fair access laws, is reshaping how banks make account and service decisions and ushering in a new compliance era requiring individualized, objective and risk-based access determinations, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • Carbon Health Settlement Highlights Why Evidence Is Key

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    The California Attorney General's Office's first-of-its-kind settlement with Carbon Health, imposing penalties for alleged corporate practice of medicine violations, shows that friendly professional corporation challenges usually hinge not on the parties' management services agreement, but on whether the operational record matches it, says Ben Dubin at VC Expert Services.

  • What PE Practitioners Need To Know About New Del. ABC Act

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    Delaware's new Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors statute represents a structural shift in how companies backed by private equity can be wound down and provides a more streamlined tool for managing sponsor liability without the public visibility of a bankruptcy proceeding, says Evelyn Meltzer at Troutman Pepper.

  • How To Brace For A Potential Democratic Oversight Push

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    With the possibility of a shift in congressional control after the November midterm elections, companies and their general counsel should prepare now by mapping oversight exposure, reviewing government interactions, preserving records and developing coordinated communications strategies, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Opinion

    Labor Contract Bill Would Introduce Sweeping Risks For Cos.

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    The House-approved Faster Labor Contracts Act would force rapid first-contract bargaining, subject businesses to binding arbitration over key workplace terms, and create major uncertainty for nonunion companies, making it crucial for employers to assess their exposure and mitigate the risks now, say attorneys at FBT Gibbons.

  • Fed Autonomy Rests On Narrow Exception After Justices Rule

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Cook and Trump v. Slaughter expand presidential removal power while temporarily preserving the Federal Reserve’s independence, but there is uncertainty about which of the Fed’s authorities fall within the court’s narrow monetary-policy exception, says Keith Bradley at Squire Patton.

  • Assessing New Risks After The End Of The SEC's Gag Rule

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent rescission of its long-standing no‑deny gag rule marks a transition from a regime of enforced silence to one of strategic communication, meaning the question is no longer simply whether to settle, but how to manage the narrative that follows, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • New Pipeline Repair Rules Shift Burden To Engineer Judgment

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    A proposal from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to allow operators more flexibility to make analysis-informed repair choices, rather than hew to long-standing prescriptive criteria, could make documenting the engineer’s decision-making process as important to compliance as the ultimate repair performed, says Ahuva Battams at Beatty & Wozniak.

  • Series

    Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

  • What Ga. Stablecoin Licensing Law Means For Payments Cos.

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    Georgia recently enacted one of the first state-level licensing frameworks for stablecoin issuance aligned with the Genius Act, which may appeal to eligible companies by making licensure accessible to nondepository entities and potentially offering easier access to regulatory guidance, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Illinois Audit Law Will Make AI Clauses Actually Enforceable

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    A law recently enacted in Illinois creates a first-in-the-nation requirement for artificial intelligence developers to undergo annual audits, providing objective standards that can be incorporated into private contracts and addressing the problem of defining responsible AI use, says William Tanenbaum at Moses & Singer.

  • 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.

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