Public Policy

  • August 26, 2026

    Ill. Aid-Fixing Trial Delayed As 7th Circ. Review Proceeds

    Students and several elite private universities will have to postpone their trial over an alleged financial aid fixing scheme while the Seventh Circuit reviews expert-related findings that have allowed the case to proceed as a class action, an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday.

  • August 26, 2026

    Diocese Says Religious Freedom Fair Defense To DHS Taking

    A New Mexico church argued that the federal government's eminent domain powers are not designed to override protections for religious expression, objecting to a plan that would seize part of a pilgrimage site to build a border wall.

  • August 26, 2026

    Lawmakers Press Commerce To Curb Exports To Adversaries

    A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to block U.S. citizens and businesses from working for foreign civilian intelligence and security agencies in Russia, China and other "countries of concern."

  • August 26, 2026

    Meta Judge Quickly OKs $17B Deal Over Social Media Harms

    A California federal judge overseeing a bellwether trial over claims Meta hid social media's harms to youth on Wednesday approved its $17.1 billion deal with 29 states, after a hearing in which she pressed lawyers on details of the deal and raised concerns about how Meta was handling attorney-client privilege issues.

  • August 26, 2026

    Mont. Reaches Deal To Ensure Schools Teach Native History

    A group of individuals, tribal nations and the Montana Office of Public Instruction have agreed to settle a class action challenging the state's failure to implement a mandate that requires public schools to teach Indigenous history and culture in consultation with local tribes.

  • August 26, 2026

    NTIA Has Given Final OK To All 56 State, Territory BEAD Plans

    Nearly five years after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act created the BEAD program, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration says it has approved all 56 final proposals from the states and territories.

  • August 26, 2026

    7th Circ. Holds High Court Ruling Supports Ark. PBM Rule

    The Seventh Circuit refused Wednesday to revive a union fund's challenge to an Arkansas rule making health plans disclose pharmacy compensation and pay fees, backing a lower court's holding that the rule was in line with a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permitted state cost regulations on pharmacy benefit managers.

  • August 26, 2026

    Samsung, Apple Warn Against Google Payment Ban

    Samsung and Apple told the D.C. Circuit that they are backing he district court's decision to reject a proposed ban on Google's payments to device distributors, with Samsung saying the ban would deprive it of the revenue it needs to help fund research and development in its mobile business unit and Apple saying it would only benefit Google at the expense of customers and third parties. 

  • August 26, 2026

    Mich. Appeals Court Upholds Probate Judge Candidate DQ

    A candidate hopeful for Wayne Probate Court judge will not appear on the ballot in November after a Michigan Court of Appeals panel on Tuesday affirmed a lower court's decision that her nominating petitions did not have enough signatures to garner her certification.

  • August 26, 2026

    DOJ Flags Breach Of Internal Policies In Apple Suit

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a New Jersey federal judge Tuesday that its staffers breached internal policies when they shared personally identifiable information with an outside discovery vendor that was hired not by the department, but instead by the DOJ's state attorneys general partners, in the monopolization case against Apple.

  • August 26, 2026

    FCC Seeking More Spectrum For Space Launches, Reentry

    The Federal Communications Commission is on the hunt for more spectrum that could support space launches and reentry, and is asking stakeholders to weigh in with their own ideas on how to free up the airwaves.

  • August 26, 2026

    States Renew Bid To Block New Mail-In Ballot Rule

    A coalition of 24 states and the District of Columbia again asked a Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday to block implementation of the U.S. Postal Service's rule restricting delivery of mail-in ballots, after the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for an earlier injunction to be lifted.

  • August 26, 2026

    DOJ Adds Philly Detainer Ban To 'ICE Out' Challenge

    The U.S. Department of Justice has expanded federal litigation against the city of Philadelphia over its "ICE Out" legislative package requiring immigration agents to remove their masks, now also targeting a bill prohibiting local law enforcement from holding noncitizens convicted of state crimes for transfer to federal custody for deportation.

  • August 26, 2026

    Trucking Groups Urge Full 5th Circ. To Mull Penske Liability

    Trucking industry groups contend the Fifth Circuit unjustifiably expanded liability for upstream motor carriers when it recently held that trucking services giant Penske Logistics LLC could be held vicariously liable for a fatal 2018 Texas collision caused by a motor carrier that Penske knew nothing about.

  • August 26, 2026

    Feds Urge 6th Circ. To Affirm $100M DTE Clean Air Act Penalty

    Several DTE Energy Co. entities should not be allowed to escape a $100 million civil penalty a Michigan federal judge imposed for Clean Air Act violations at a coke production facility near Detroit, the U.S. Department of Justice has told the Sixth Circuit.

  • August 26, 2026

    Feds Aim To Give Employers Clarity On Wellness Programs

    The U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies on Wednesday issued guidance on employer wellness programs that permit fees on workers' health premiums for things like tobacco use, which the agencies said was in response to legal questions raised by numerous recently filed class action federal benefits lawsuits.

  • August 26, 2026

    Ky. FM Stations Didn't Follow Licensing Rules, FCC Says

    The licensee of four Kentucky FM radio stations reached an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission to end a probe into whether it failed to file the stations' license renewals on time and left them off the air without permission.

  • August 26, 2026

    Fla. Firm Must Face Fiduciary Breach Suit Over Property Deal

    A Florida state appeals court on Wednesday reversed an order dismissing a lawsuit brought by a property company alleging that Hoffman Larin & Agnetti PA and one of its attorneys aided and abetted a breach of fiduciary duty while representing a third party claiming an interest in a property owned by the company.

  • August 26, 2026

    Ore. Homeowner Hit With $19K In Fees, Penalties By Tax Court

    An Oregon homeowner must pay $15,000 in attorney fees and $4,000 in penalties after consistently maintaining an unreasonable position in challenges to his property tax assessment, the state tax court ruled Tuesday.

  • August 26, 2026

    Former Gov't Attys Back DOJ's Challenge To DC Ethics Bodies

    Ex-Justice Department leaders are throwing their support behind the DOJ's suit challenging alleged "unconstitutional overreach" by Washington, D.C., attorney disciplinary authorities in their handling of an ethics complaint against former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark.

  • August 26, 2026

    3rd Circ. Says McIver Lacks Immunity In ICE Assault Case

    A panel of Third Circuit judges on Wednesday rejected claims from Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., that her congressional role protects her against criminal charges alleging she forcibly interfered with and obstructed federal officers at an immigration detention facility.

  • August 26, 2026

    Mass. State Rep. Charged In $700K COVID Relief Fraud

    A Massachusetts lawmaker was arrested early Wednesday on charges that he engaged in a series of schemes to fraudulently obtain more than $700,000 from COVID-19 pandemic-era relief programs, flipping some of the funds into higher-interest mortgages to others and paying campaign expenses, federal prosecutors said.

  • August 26, 2026

    Next Phase Of IEEPA Refund System 'Temporarily Delayed'

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection has "temporarily delayed" the rollout of the next portion of its system for refunds of the struck-down global tariff regime while it makes sure the system doesn't incorrectly affect other paid duties, it told the U.S. Court of International Trade.

  • August 26, 2026

    MyPillow CEO Lindell Appeals Smartmatic Sanctions Order

    MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has appealed a D.C. federal judge's sanctions order against him for filing what the court said were "frivolous" third-party claims and counterclaims against election systems company Smartmatic.

  • August 26, 2026

    Flock Surveillance Cameras Enable Stalking, Class Suit Says

    Flock's nationwide vehicle surveillance system has repeatedly been used for "personal surveillance and stalking" rather than for proper law enforcement purposes, a driver said in a proposed class action in Georgia federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • How New Counter-Drone Rule Will Reshape Event Security

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    A new interim final rule on counter-unmanned aircraft systems creates one of the most structured regulatory frameworks yet adopted for mitigating unauthorized drone activity, with implications for law enforcement, airport and stadium operators, drone companies, and public event organizers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Home Infusion Providers Can Adapt To Enrollment Pause

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    Recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services moratoria on new enrollments of home health agencies, medical equipment companies and hospices make home infusion providers' compliance obligations more complex and ambiguous, requiring new careful consideration of specific enrollment requirements and limitations, say attorneys at Quarles & Brady.

  • Opinion

    Birthright Citizenship Dissents Belie Originalist Interpretation

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    The three dissents in the U.S. Supreme Court's recent birthright citizenship decision clashed with originalist readings of the Constitution, applying the 14th Amendment more narrowly than its drafters, and by applying contemporary and living document approaches to constitutional interpretation, says Ediberto Roman at Florida International University.

  • NYDFS Swedbank Order Offers Lessons On Candor

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    The New York State Department of Financial Services' consent order with Swedbank reflects the department's broad view of its investigative authority, emphasizes transparency, and underscores the risks of intrusive investigations that can occur if a regulator believes that it was misled, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • 3 Rulings Show High Court's Transnational Litigation Stance

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's most recent term closed with three consequential decisions for transnational litigation that illustrate the court's readiness to enforce a Congress-created cause of action for overseas conduct and unwillingness to create this liability itself, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Managing Data Center Power Issues, Public Pushback

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    The many risks associated with data center construction include power availability, government regulations and public opinion, and contractual disputes — but these can be mitigated with careful project controls, planning and targeted contract drafting, say Randa Adra and Lily Geyer at Crowell & Moring, and Natasha Dahl at Ankura.

  • California FAIR Plan Is Outgrowing Last-Resort Role

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    With a recent rate increase, a litigation win and pending legislation to reshape operations, the California FAIR Plan is being regulated and reinforced as an apparent fixture of California's insurance market, rather than the temporary safety net originally intended, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Data Center Risks Include Schedules, Supply Chain, Labor

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    Managing the dynamic technical and legal risks related to data center development requires sophisticated strategies for dealing with compressed schedules and liquidated damages, supply chain and long-lead equipment challenges, and labor shortages and productivity issues, say Randa Adra and Lily Geyer at Crowell & Moring, and Natasha Dahl at Ankura.

  • How 'Markedly Different' Test Shapes Patent Eligibility Debate

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    Following last month's U.S. Senate hearing on the proposed Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, it is important to examine how courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have applied the 46-year-old "markedly different characteristics" framework to determine eligibility of composition-of-matter claims, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • 5 Antitrust Lessons On Bundled Discounts After Medtronic

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    The recent California federal court decision upholding a $381.7 million verdict against Medtronic offers practitioners a clearer road map for navigating bundled discount claims under Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and the practical implications are substantial, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Calif. OppFi Suit Outlines Key Criteria For Bank Partnerships

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    A California state court's recent ruling in OppFi v. Hewlett offers fintech-bank partnerships a blueprint for structuring lending programs to withstand future true lender challenges, while signaling that enforcement theories may face added scrutiny under the state's ban on underground regulations, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • AG Watch: Va. Auto Renewal Law Clears Enforcement Path

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    The most consequential aspect of recent amendments to Virginia's automatic renewal law is the enforcement authority it creates, giving the attorney general a clear statutory pathway to pursue cases involving subscription-related compliance failures under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, says Chuck Slemp at Cozen O'Connor.

  • A New Era Of Scrutiny For China-Linked Pharma Deals

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    As Congress considers bipartisan legislation that would heighten regulatory scrutiny for life sciences deals involving Chinese biotech entities, companies should reassess the risks and due diligence requirements that will come with using heavily China-dependent pipelines, says Jen Maki at Ankura.

  • Justices' FTC Ruling Weakens Qui Tam's Constitutional Base

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in Trump v. Slaughter, expanding presidential control over those exercising executive power, suggests that courts may be receptive to arguments challenging the constitutional foundations of the False Claims Act’s qui tam mechanism, says Daniel Passeser at Wiggin.

  • 9th Circ. Rule Block Unlikely To Deter FinCEN Cartel Focus

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    The Ninth Circuit recently blocked the Financial Crimes Enforcement Unit's border cash reporting rule, interpreting it as an impermissible use of an emergency anti-money laundering tool, but regulators are more likely to see the opinion as a road map for building a more defensible rule, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

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