Public Policy

  • August 25, 2026

    Even Dolly Could've Been Barred By Drag Ban, Judge Says

    On the same day the world lost Dolly Parton, a Texas federal judge invoked the iconic singer and philanthropist to again block a law widely seen as a ban on drag performances, saying it's so broad that her "big hair, flamboyant clothes and breast exposure" might run afoul of the measure.

  • August 25, 2026

    Md. Judge Trims Baltimore Bridge Wreck Damages Claims

    A Maryland federal judge has slashed claims from Baltimore, businesses and dockworkers seeking to recover millions in economic losses from the owner and operator of the container ship that slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, saying the nearly century-old Robins Dry Dock rule bars many of their claims.

  • August 25, 2026

    Bid For FCC Preemption 'Dead On Arrival,' Minn. City Says

    A Minneapolis suburb called on the Federal Communications Commission to reject a broadband provider's request for FCC preemption in a local franchise dispute because of court rulings declaring that broadband does not qualify as a telecommunications service.

  • August 25, 2026

    Marijuana Rescheduling Critics Assail Government's Standard

    An attorney with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration told an administrative law judge that opponents to cannabis rescheduling could not use agency hearings to challenge federal health regulators' adoption of a new standard for assessing marijuana's medical use.

  • August 25, 2026

    Ed Dept. Must Turn Over Records In Mental Health Grants Row

    A Washington federal judge Monday partly granted a group of states' bid for expedited discovery in their suit over the Trump administration's attempt to cut nearly $1 billion in funding for K-12 mental health grants, finding the information could assist the court before a hearing for a preliminary injunction.

  • August 25, 2026

    Pharmacy Asks Court To Toss Novo Nordisk Semaglutide Suit

    A pharmacy asked a Texas federal judge to toss claims brought by Novo Nordisk Inc. accusing the pharmacy of illicitly compounding a lucrative weight-loss drug called semaglutide, saying Novo Nordisk's complaint amounts to a grievance list against the compounding industry.

  • August 25, 2026

    Missouri Drops Bid To Block Minority Contracting Program

    Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway has withdrawn her attempt to block Kansas City's contracting program for minority- and women-owned businesses after the city passed an ordinance repealing the program.

  • August 25, 2026

    Texas Workers Lose Bid To Halt IRS Wage Withholding Rules

    Two workers aren't entitled to injunctive relief from IRS regulations that directed employers to overdeduct taxes from their employees' paychecks, a Texas federal court ruled, saying the pair's injury doesn't outweigh the harm that would result from enjoining the agency from enforcing wage withholding.

  • August 25, 2026

    CFTC, Kentucky Vie For Early Win In Prediction Market Clash

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Kentucky regulators dueled over whether the state's attempts to tax and limit sports-focused event contracts have harmed the federal agency in competing bids for a quick win in their ongoing dispute over prediction market regulation.

  • August 25, 2026

    Calif. County Drops Pot Fines To End Landowners' Claims

    Humboldt County, California, has agreed to settle a lawsuit with a group of landowners who complained authorities overstepped their powers in an effort to punish allegedly illegal cannabis grow operations, following a Ninth Circuit ruling in 2025 against the county.

  • August 25, 2026

    Tribe, Enviros Challenge Ariz. Copper Project Over ESA Risks

    Arizona's San Carlos Apache Tribe and two conservation groups are seeking to block an exploratory copper mine drilling project in the Galiuro Mountains and Lower San Pedro Watershed, alleging that the federal government wrongly found there were no Mexican spotted owls in the area despite photographic evidence otherwise.

  • August 25, 2026

    Feds Say Ohio Court's Arrest Rule Hampers ICE Efforts

    The Trump administration on Tuesday accused an Ohio county's municipal court of impeding its immigration enforcement efforts, contending the court's rule barring civil arrests in its facilities runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution and Immigration and Nationality Act.

  • August 25, 2026

    Mich. Judge Tosses DOJ Suit Over County Immigration Policy

    A Michigan federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit challenging Washtenaw County policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, ruling that the federal government cannot compel local officials to help carry out its immigration enforcement. 

  • August 25, 2026

    City Of Austin Backs Improving Emergency Alert System

    The city of Austin, Texas, has asked the Federal Communications Commission to improve its geolocating requirements for emergency alert systems, saying its systems are facing several challenges and require more precise location information.

  • August 25, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Congress Kept NSA Report Outside FOIA

    A Ninth Circuit panel has affirmed the National Security Agency's decision to not grant a Freedom of Information Act request to release a nearly six-decade-old report on the sinking of the USS Liberty.

  • August 25, 2026

    6th Circ. Urged To Affirm Tobacco Fee Suit Toss

    A trade group representing large employee benefit plan administrators wrote in support of insurance giant Progressive at the Sixth Circuit, asking the appellate court to back dismissal of a proposed class action alleging the insurer wrongfully charged workers more for healthcare who used tobacco and refused COVID-19 vaccination. 

  • August 25, 2026

    New Birthright Citizenship Order Defies Justices, Court Told

    A group of noncitizens and immigrant services organizations urged a Maryland federal court Monday to block President Donald Trump's new executive order targeting birthright citizenship following his loss at the U.S. Supreme Court, saying he "cannot unilaterally amend the Constitution."

  • August 25, 2026

    DC Circ. Backs Red Snapper Management Plan

    A D.C. Circuit panel denied a petition from commercial fishers and fish purchasers challenging an annual federal catch limit for South Atlantic red snapper, rejecting their claim that the plan's lack of a limit on dead discards violates federal law and could lead to overfishing.

  • August 25, 2026

    Judge Orders Action On Frozen Immigration Applications

    A California federal judge ordered the Trump administration to process immigration applications from natives of countries subject to entry restrictions under President Donald Trump's travel ban, certifying a class of noncitizens whose filings were frozen under a related policy.

  • August 25, 2026

    Elite Schools Get 7th Circ. Appeal In Aid-Fixing Case

    The Seventh Circuit has agreed to allow several private universities accused of colluding to set financial aid offerings to appeal a ruling certifying a class of students over questions about an economic expert's testimony.

  • August 25, 2026

    Florida AG Slams Bar Complaint Against DHS Counsel

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote to the executive director of the Florida Bar to criticize a recent complaint made to the bar against James Percival, general counsel of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for attacking judges.

  • August 25, 2026

    DC Circ. Says ESA Review Wasn't Needed For EPA Air Rule

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday affirmed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's determination that retaining existing air quality standards for nitrogen oxides and particulate matter would not affect animals or plants protected under the Endangered Species Act.

  • August 25, 2026

    Asbestos Firm Objects To Connecticut's New Suit Filing Plan

    A Connecticut plaintiffs firm specializing in mesothelioma litigation has asked a Superior Court administrative panel to reconsider a decision to move all asbestos cases to the Complex Litigation Docket in Hartford.

  • August 25, 2026

    NY Telecom Faces Call Traffic Blocking, FCC Warns

    A New York-based telecom has apparently been sending illegal calls from abroad over its network and faces the possibility of downstream providers blocking all of its traffic, the Federal Communications Commission said.

  • August 25, 2026

    Mich. Panel Keeps Democratic Ballot Bids Alive Despite Error

    Democratic attorney general candidate Eli Savit and secretary of state candidate Garlin Gilchrist II can remain on track to appear on Michigan's November ballot after a state appellate panel upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit seeking to disqualify them, ruling that a lower court wrongly rejected the challenger's amended complaint but that the error was harmless. 

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Roundup

    The Most Talked-About Supreme Court Decisions Of 2026

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    This term, 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions quickly became hot topics among Law360's guest writers.

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