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Public Policy
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July 08, 2025
Churches Can Endorse Political Candidates, IRS Says
Churches can endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status despite a ban on political activity by certain nonprofits, the IRS said in a Texas federal court document seeking to settle a suit by religious groups that claimed the prohibition on campaigning was unconstitutional.
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July 08, 2025
Feds Say Trade Group Lacks Standing In Anti-DEI Orders Suit
A Chicago-based trade group can't show that Trump administration executive orders restricting federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs infringe on its free speech rights, the federal government argued, telling an Illinois federal court it should toss the organization's suit alleging the directives are unconstitutional.
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July 08, 2025
NYC Seeks To Keep Broker Fee Ban Over Injunction Ask
New York City told a federal judge that a group of real estate interests, landlords and brokers failed to present a compelling case for blocking a law preventing landlords from passing on broker fees to tenants less than a month after the provision took effect.
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July 08, 2025
FCC Holds Off Next-Gen 911 Deadlines To Gather Expertise
The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday partially granted a request to delay deadlines for public input into next-generation 911 systems so that call center administrators can gather more expertise on the issue.
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July 08, 2025
After Conviction Upheld, Bridge Fraudster Gets Time Served
A government contractor whose wire fraud conviction was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court was resentenced to time served in Pennsylvania federal court on Tuesday.
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July 08, 2025
Calif. Justices Say Elected Officials Lack Whistleblower Shield
California elected officials are not covered by the state's whistleblower protections because they don't fall under the definition of employees, the California Supreme Court ruled, affirming a state appeals court decision to nix a retaliation suit from the City of Inglewood's former elected treasurer.
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July 08, 2025
VA Says It Plans To Have 30K Fewer Staff By October
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said it expects to have another 12,000 employees depart as a result of resignations, retirements and attrition by October, amounting to a reduction of nearly 30,000 staff this fiscal year and rendering a formal reduction in force unwarranted.
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July 08, 2025
Trade Court Judge Sworn In As USDA Deputy Secretary
Judge Stephen A. Vaden of the U.S. Court of International Trade has resigned from his judgeship to join the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the second-in-command.
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July 08, 2025
EU Gives Final Go-Ahead For Bulgaria To Switch To Euro
The Council of the European Union gave its final approval Tuesday for Bulgaria to transition to using the euro next year, with the bloc saying the change will give Bulgarians "real, everyday benefits" like easier cross-border payments and greater access to foreign investment.
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July 07, 2025
Fla. Panel Upholds Tossing Suit To Unseat Miami Official
A Florida state appellate court on Monday declined to reinstate a lawsuit two property developers filed in their effort to forcibly remove a Miami commissioner via the city's charter after a federal jury ruled he was liable for violating civil rights, saying the developers lacked standing.Â
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July 07, 2025
FTC Wants More Time To Present Case Against Amazon Prime
The Federal Trade Commission asked a Washington federal judge for 10 days to put on its case-in-chief against Amazon over alleged deceptive practices that trick customers into automatically renewing Prime subscriptions, arguing the evidence at the upcoming trial would be "voluminous and complex," and lengthening the trial won't prejudice Amazon.
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July 07, 2025
DC Judge Nixes Challenge To Immigrant Legal Services Cuts
A D.C. federal judge said nonprofit groups failed to show that the Trump administration acted beyond its authority when it decided to end or take over Justice Department programs that previously tapped them to provide legal services to immigrants.
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July 07, 2025
'Social Contracts' Over Ownership Rules A Bad Idea, FCC Told
The free-market advocacy group Free State Foundation is lobbying against a proposal to revive "social contracts" in television broadcasting regulation, saying the move would effectively impose government rate regulation disguised as "voluntary" agreements.
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July 07, 2025
AGs Urge Texas Ad Tech Judge Not To Delay Google Trial
An attorney for the Texas-led coalition of attorneys general targeting Google's advertising placement technology business urged a Texas federal judge Monday not to delay the upcoming jury trial, arguing there's no need to worry about potential inconsistencies with a Justice Department case in Virginia.
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July 07, 2025
Gun Rights Groups Sue To Overturn National Firearms Act
Multiple gun rights advocacy groups asked a Texas federal court to throw out most of the National Firearms Act, saying that because the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced the tax for certain controlled firearms to $0, the NFA could no longer pass a constitutional smell test.
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July 07, 2025
Conn. Can't Pause Tribal Land Acquisitions, Court Told
The U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs on Monday urged a Connecticut federal judge not to renew a stay on the acquisition of state land into trust for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, arguing that the state has not met the bar for blocking agency action.
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July 07, 2025
11th Circ. Backs Fla. County In Firing Over Anti-Gay Blog
The Eleventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court decision tossing a lawsuit brought by a former Miami-Dade County communications aide who was fired for authoring a transphobic and anti-gay blog post, ruling the county's interest in effectively fulfilling its responsibilities outweighed the aide's free speech rights.
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July 07, 2025
Hartford Says No Coverage For General Store's GIPA Row
A Hartford unit told an Illinois federal court that it does not owe a general store coverage for claims that the company violated the state's genetic information privacy law by conditioning employment on disclosing genetic information.
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July 07, 2025
Trump Orders Treasury To Restrain Solar, Wind Tax Credits
President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Treasury Department on Monday to begin carrying out cuts and restrictions to the solar and wind production and investment tax credits that were mandated in the budget bill Trump signed Friday.
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July 07, 2025
Biggest Illinois Decisions Of 2025 So Far: A Midyear Report
State and federal courts have handed down rulings in Illinois cases so far this year that have clarified standing for data breach actions in the state's courts, affirmed coverage for attorney fees and costs paid as part of a settlement, and deemed insufficient a jury instruction frequently given in Illinois personal injury cases. Here's a breakdown of some of the biggest decisions courts have handed down in Illinois cases so far in 2025.
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July 07, 2025
Refugee Admission Compliance Plan Is Needed, Judge Says
A Washington federal judge signaled Monday that he's not inclined to disturb an injunction requiring the government to admit a small class of refugees, despite President Donald Trump's travel ban and recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent curtailing the availability of nationwide injunctions.
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July 07, 2025
Personal Injury & Med Mal Cases To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025
The social media addiction multidistrict litigation against the biggest tech companies and a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding state medical malpractice lawsuit requirements are among the cases injury and malpractice attorneys will be following closely in the second half of 2025.
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July 07, 2025
Pregnant Doc, Medical Orgs. Sue To Block RFK's Vax Directive
A pregnant doctor who fears she will be denied a COVID-19 vaccination, along with a coalition of medical associations, sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Massachusetts federal court on Monday challenging his directive recommending against the shot for pregnant women and children.
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July 07, 2025
Planned Parenthood Wins Block of 'Catastrophic' Defunding
A Massachusetts federal judge late Monday agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration's plans to prohibit Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving Medicaid reimbursements, issuing a temporary restraining order just hours after Planned Parenthood sued, saying the consequences would be "catastrophic."
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July 07, 2025
Fed. Circ. Ponders If PTAB Developments Save 'Veto' Rule Suit
A Federal Circuit judge wondered Monday if developments concerning the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director's discretionary denial process could breathe new life into advocacy groups' fight for a "veto" for small business patent owners defending themselves at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.Â
Expert Analysis
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Platforms Face Section 230 Shift From Take It Down Act
The federal Take It Down Act, signed into law last month, aims to combat deepfake pornography with criminal penalties for individual wrongdoers, but the notice and takedown provisions change the broad protections provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in ways that directly affect platform providers, say attorneys at Troutman.
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4 Midyear Employer Actions To Reinforce Compliance
The legal and political landscape surrounding what the government describes as unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has become increasingly complex over the past six months, and the midyear juncture presents a strategic opportunity to reinforce commitments to legal integrity, workplace equity and long-term operational resilience, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.
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ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ's Guidance Withdrawal Deepens Industry Uncertainty
Following the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent withdrawal of dozens of guidance documents in a post-Chevron world, financial services providers are left to make their own determinations about the complex issues addressed in the now-revoked materials, presenting a significant compliance burden, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.
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Justices Widen Gap Between Federal, Calif. Enviro Reviews
While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent opinion in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, narrowed the scope of National Environmental Policy Act reviews, it may have broadened the gulf between reviews conducted under NEPA and those under the California Environmental Quality Act, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.
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In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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SEC Signals Opening For Private Fund Investment Reform
At SEC Speaks in late May, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission made clear that it's considering allowing registered funds of private funds to be offered broadly to true retail investors, meaning existing funds should review their disclosures focusing on conflicts of interest, liquidity and fees, say attorneys at Stradley Ronon.
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CIPA May Not Be Necessary To Protect Ad Tech Plaintiffs
A California bill designed to protect businesses from advertising technology claims under the California Invasion of Privacy Act by amending the act retroactively has been highly contested by various consumer advocacy groups, but other existing law may sufficiently protect any plaintiff who suffers actual harm from such tech, says Justin Donoho at Duane Morris.
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Parsing A Lack Of Antitrust Info-Sharing Enforcement Clarity
Information sharing among competing firms has recently faced dramatic changes in antitrust agency guidance, while courts grapple with the permissible scope of pricing algorithms, leaving companies in limbo, but potential Trump administration changes could offer some reprieve, say attorneys at Axinn.
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What FCA Liability Looks Like In The Cybersecurity Realm
​Two recent settlements highlight how whistleblowers and the U.S. Department of Justice have been utilizing the False Claims Act to allege fraud predicated on violations of cybersecurity standards — timely lessons given new bipartisan legislation introducing potential FCA liability for artificial intelligence use, say​ attorneys Rachel Rose and Julie Bracker.
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'A Deal Is A Deal': Tariffs No Excuse To Dodge Contract Terms
Tariff policy uncertainty is unlikely to be a basis for allowing a party to avoid contractual obligations, but businesses can still plan for future disputes related to pricing, operations and the supply chain, including with the addition of tariffs to any force majeure provision, say attorneys at Arnold Porter.
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Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance
A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.
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Operating Via Bank Charter Offers Perks Amid Industry Shift
As bank regulators become more receptive to streamlining barriers that have historically stood in the way of de novo bank formation, and as fintechs show more interest in chartering, attorneys at Goodwin outline the types of charters available and their benefits.
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How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity
As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.
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5 Takeaways From DOJ's Media Compulsory Process Rules
The U.S. Department of Justice’s new rules, making it easier for law enforcement investigating leaks to compel members of the media and third parties to disclose information, could have wide-ranging impacts, from reduced protections for journalists and organizations, to an expanded focus on nonclassified material, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Public Cos. Must Heed Disclosure Risks Amid Trade Chaos
Ongoing uncertainties caused by President Donald Trump's shifting stances on tariffs and trade restrictions have exponentially escalated financial reporting pressures on public companies, so businesses must ensure that their operations and accounting practices align with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's standards, say Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block and Edward Westerman at Secretariat Advisors.