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Public Policy
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June 10, 2024
Cut Penalties For Rural Buildout Shortcomings, FCC Urged
A trade group representing electric cooperatives is joining the chorus of industry interests calling for the Federal Communications Commission to reduce penalties for companies that withdraw from federally backed rural broadband projects, saying the commission rules should not be "punitive" when build-outs stop making sense.
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June 10, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Denies Lying About Groping In $11M Case
The wife of a south Georgia sheriff who allegedly assaulted and jailed a man after she said he groped her in a gas station denied her accusations were false in response to an $11 million-plus federal civil rights lawsuit against the couple.
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June 10, 2024
Exxon Says Activist Investor Could Still Target Core Business
Exxon Mobil Corp. sought Monday to keep alive its lawsuit against Arjuna Capital LLC in Texas federal court, arguing that the activist investor could still work behind the scenes to submit climate-related shareholder proposals despite promises in court that it will not.
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June 10, 2024
Unclaimed Property Group Backs Disney At Mich. High Court
An unclaimed property holder trade organization urged the Michigan Supreme Court to affirm that the state waited too long to demand that Disney and a restaurant company remit unclaimed property, arguing that third-party auditors' lax oversight allowed examinations to languish beyond the statute of limitations.
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June 10, 2024
USPTO Makes Filing Delist Requests Slightly Easier
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will begin to make it easier for anybody to ask the agency to delist "precedential" administrative board rulings, it announced by email on Monday.
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June 10, 2024
Split 4th Circ. Tosses Suit Over 'Forever Chemicals' In NC
The Fourth Circuit ruled Monday that environmental groups couldn't challenge in district court the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's selection of particular so-called forever chemicals for testing after the agency agreed, at the groups' request, to research the chemicals' effects in North Carolina.
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June 10, 2024
Software Alliance Urges Congress To Tackle Deepfakes
The Software Alliance, a trade group that includes Microsoft Corp., Adobe Inc. and IBM, urged Congress Monday to pass legislation that addresses the proliferation of digital replicas made possible with artificial intelligence, telling lawmakers that unauthorized deepfakes harm artists who rely on their reputation and public recognition.
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June 10, 2024
Big Tech Urges US Reprisal Over Canada's Impending DST
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative should open formal dispute proceedings with the Canadian government in response to a 3% digital services tax that is expected to soon pass in the Canadian Senate, business groups with members in the U.S. tech industry said Monday.
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June 10, 2024
3 Takeaways From Cigna's Win In 9th Circ. Rehab Claim Fight
The Ninth Circuit's recent decision finding Cigna is off the hook for $8.6 million in out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment claims against employee benefit plans administered by the insurer could discourage similar litigation, benefits attorneys say. Here are three key takeaways from the decision.
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June 10, 2024
Mass. House Omits Local-Option Tax From $6B Housing Bill
A proposal by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to allow local-option transfer fees on high-value real estate sales was left out of a housing package worth more than $6 billion passed by the state House of Representatives.
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June 10, 2024
EPA Air Compliance Rule Trumps State Powers, DC Circ. Told
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency usurped state authority when it issued a final rule changing the deadline for states to submit Clean Air Act compliance plans for power plants and other existing facilities within their borders, 25 Republican-led states told the D.C. Circuit.
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June 10, 2024
W.Va. Anti-Trans Sports Suit Stayed Amid High Court Bid
A West Virginia federal judge has temporarily paused a lawsuit from a transgender minor challenging a state law that prohibits biological males from joining girls' teams, arguing it is not in the best interest of taxpayers to proceed while the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether to take up the case.
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June 10, 2024
Menendez Likely Knew About Mercedes Bribe, Jury Told
A former New Jersey insurance broker testified Monday in New York federal court that he never spoke directly to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez about providing the down payment and monthly installments for a luxury car for his wife, but indicated that he suspected the senator knew about the arrangement.
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June 10, 2024
FTC To Fight Go-Ahead Order On Novant $320M Hospital Deal
Just days after a district court loss, the Federal Trade Commission said Monday it will ask the Fourth Circuit to step in and block Novant Health from buying two North Carolina hospitals in a $320 million deal the agency contends would harm competition.
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June 10, 2024
Trump Ally Asks If Stay Applies To All Ga. Co-Defendants
As former President Donald Trump asks the Georgia Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments in his appeal of a ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis to continue prosecuting the Georgia election interference case, one of his co-defendants asked for clarity on whether a recent stay applies to every defendant.
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June 10, 2024
9th Circ. To Hear Args In Psilocybin Right-To-Try Case
A Ninth Circuit panel will hear oral arguments in August in an appeal brought by a Seattle doctor seeking to administer psilocybin to terminal cancer patients under state and federal right-to-try laws.
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June 10, 2024
Justices Call For Do-Over In 9th Circ. Bank Preemption Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday tossed a Ninth Circuit decision rejecting federal preemption of a California state interest-on-escrow law for Flagstar Bank, ordering a do-over in the case following the high court's recent ruling on preemption standards in a similar case involving Bank of America.
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June 10, 2024
Texas Urges 5th Circ. To Prioritize DHS Parole Program Appeal
Texas has urged the Fifth Circuit to expedite its bid to revive a challenge to the Biden administration's parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, saying time is of the essence because the case has major implications on federal immigration policy.
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June 10, 2024
NY State May Allow People With Past Felonies To Sit On Juries
A New York state bill to remove a prohibition on people convicted of felonies sitting on juries following their release from prison has advanced to the governor's office, moving forward legislation that its authors say is designed to increase the racial diversity of jury pools and help former prison inmates reintegrate into society.
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June 10, 2024
Order Trims Cuomo Suit Over Harassment Probe Documents
A New York state judge has partially dismissed a petition brought by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo seeking dozens of unredacted transcripts of witness interviews as part of the state attorney general's sexual harassment investigation that led to his 2021 resignation.
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June 10, 2024
New 'Access DOJ' Aims To Nix Barriers, Boost Accessibility
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the launch of an initiative to improve access to its programs and services, including an upcoming project to make it easier to report tips about crime or other violations of law.
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June 10, 2024
Co. Says 16 Intervenors Will Drag Out Alaska Mine Dispute
A company seeking relief from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to block a mining proposal for a stretch of pristine salmon habitat on Alaska's Bristol Bay asked a federal judge to exclude more than a dozen environmental groups from joining the case.
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June 10, 2024
Pa. Bridge Collapse Victim Can Only Get $5K, Court Told
Pittsburgh Regional Transit wants to trim claims brought by a passenger aboard a bus that was on the Fern Hollow Bridge when it collapsed in 2022, telling a Pennsylvania court that as a self-insured state agency, the most it would owe her is $5,000 for medical expenses.
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June 10, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Big players and big moves dominated much of the past week in Delaware's Court of Chancery, as Tesla in particular and big corporations in general showed their pique over rulings that went toward stockholders or against conventional expectations.
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June 10, 2024
Senate Judiciary Panel Urged To Investigate High Court Ethics
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter on Monday urging the "full power" of the Senate Judiciary Committee be used to investigate the latest "ethics crisis" at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Expert Analysis
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Understanding The IRC's Excessive Refund Claim Penalty
Taxpayers considering protective refund claims pending resolution of major questions in tax cases like Moore v. U.S., which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, should understand how doing so may also leave them vulnerable to an excessive refund claim penalty under Internal Revenue Code Section 6676, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Why RWI Insurers Should Consider Excluding PFAS
As regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances escalates, carriers providing representations and warranties insurance should reconsider providing PFAS coverage on a case-by-case basis, say Dave Bartoletti and Ina Avalon at Taft Stettinius.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Don't Fall On That Hill: Keys To Testifying Before Congress
Because congressional testimony often comes with political, reputational and financial risks in addition to legal pitfalls, witnesses and their attorneys should take a multifaceted approach to preparation, walking a fine line between legal and business considerations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s spring 2024 consumer compliance supervisory report found that relatively few institutions had significant consumer compliance issues last year, but the common thread among those that did were inadequacies or failures in disclosures to consumers, says Matthew Hanaghan at Nutter.
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Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight
The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched an online portal where the public can report potentially unfair healthcare practices, effectively maximizing enforcers' abilities to police anti-competitive actions that can drive up healthcare costs and chill innovation, say attorneys at Seyfarth.
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What To Expect From The DOL's Final Overtime Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor's final overtime rule dramatically increases the salary threshold for white collar workers to be exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act, so employers should prioritize identifying the potentially affected positions and strategically consider next steps, say Leslie Selig Byrd and Deryck Van Alstyne at Bracewell.
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Data Shows H-2B Wages May Be Skewed High By Sample Size
Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics wage data from April illustrates that smaller sample sizes from less populated areas may be skewing prevailing wages for H-2B visas artificially high, potentially harming businesses that rely on the visa program, says Stephen Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.
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10b-5 Litigation Questions Follow Justices' Macquarie Ruling
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Macquarie v. Moab that pure omissions are not actionable under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b–5(b), creating a slightly higher bar for plaintiffs and setting the stage for further litigation over several issues, say Steve Quinlivan and Sean Colligan at Stinson.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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Key Issues Raised By Colorado's Brain Data Privacy Bill
Colorado recently became the first state to provide consumer privacy protections for data generated from a person's brain waves, and despite the bill’s ambiguity and open questions introduced, the new law has helped turn the spotlight on neurodata, says Sara Pullen Guercio at Alston & Bird.
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Employer Considerations Before Title IX Rule Goes Into Effect
While the U.S. Department of Education's final rule on Title IX is currently published as an unofficial version, institutions and counsel should take immediate action to ensure they are prepared for the new requirements, including protections for LGBTQ+ and pregnant students and employees, before it takes effect in August, say Jeffrey Weimer and Cori Smith at Reed Smith.
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Expect Tougher Bank Exams 1 Year After Spring 2023 Failures
With federal banking agencies still implementing harsher examinations with swifter escalations a year after the spring 2023 bank failures, banks can gain insight into changing expectations by monitoring how the Federal Reserve Board, Office of the Comptroller of Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are coordinating and updating their exam policies, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Could 'General Average' Apply To The Key Bridge Crash?
While the owner and operator of the vessel that struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge have sought legal protection under the Limitation of Liability Act, they could choose to invoke the long-standing principle of general average, if supported by the facts of the crash and the terms of their contracts with cargo owners, says Julie Maurer at Husch Blackwell.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.