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Public Policy

  • July 10, 2025

    NJ Developer Charged With Fraud, Bribing Local Official

    A New Jersey real estate investor and developer has been indicted on a raft of charges for allegedly running a Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme, conspiring to launder drug proceeds, laundering money represented to be drug proceeds as part of a sting operation and bribing a New Jersey politician.

  • July 10, 2025

    Island Community Gets NJ High Court Ruling To Switch Towns

    A barrier island community has met all legal requirements to formally separate from a Garden State township and join a neighboring borough, the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday, ending a decade-long legal battle over local governance, geography and fairness in public services.

  • July 10, 2025

    ​​​​​​​DOJ Says Calif. Animal Welfare 'Red Tape' Inflates Egg Prices

    The U.S. Department of Justice sued California and state officials over several animal welfare laws passed in the Golden State that the federal government claims has contributed to the "historic rise in egg prices by imposing unnecessary red tape on the production of eggs."

  • July 10, 2025

    Tegna To Pay $222K To Resolve FCC Probe Into Obscene Video

    Broadcast giant Tegna has agreed to pay more than $222,000 to put an end to an inquiry that began almost four years ago when an unknown party played a 13-second pornographic video clip during an evening weather report on a Spokane, Washington, news station.

  • July 10, 2025

    8th Circ. Won't Pause ND Tribes' Voting Rights Decision

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday denied a bid by two North Dakota tribes to stay its decision to vacate a challenge to two of the state's voting laws while the ruling is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • July 10, 2025

    DHS Official Walks Back Testimony On Deportation Leads

    A U.S. Department of Homeland Security official testified in Massachusetts federal court on Thursday that he was only "speculating" when he said during a deposition last month that the offices of border czar Tom Homan and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were behind a decision to use pro-Israel websites to source leads on potential deportation targets.

  • July 10, 2025

    Student Loan Lender Settles AI Bias, Fair Lending Claims

    Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell on Thursday said her office has reached a $2.5 million deal with a Delaware-based student loan company to settle allegations that it utilized artificial intelligence models that could disproportionately harm Black and Hispanic applicants.

  • July 10, 2025

    Pa. Sens. Unveil Bipartisan Plan To Legalize Marijuana

    Pennsylvania lawmakers on Thursday unveiled a new bipartisan legislative proposal to legalize and regulate the sale of recreational marijuana in the Keystone State, after a previous proposal to legalize the sale of pot through state-run stores failed in the state Senate.

  • July 10, 2025

    House Dem Says FCC Must Follow Law On DEI Probes

    A House Democrat who helps oversee the Federal Communications Commission says agency chief Brendan Carr must avoid any hint of targeting companies' diversity initiatives for political reasons rather than legal rationale against discrimination.

  • July 10, 2025

    Mass. Man Agrees To $10K Fine For Pirate Radio Stations

    The Federal Communications Commission slapped a $10,000 fine on a Massachusetts man in a consent decree for operating pirate radio stations from three locations, though it was a reduction from the nearly $598,000 fine the FCC initially proposed.

  • July 10, 2025

    4th Circ. Pauses Air Quality Suit As EPA Rethinks W.Va. Plan

    The Fourth Circuit on Thursday granted a request to pause West Virginia's ozone regulation lawsuit so the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can reconsider the state's air quality compliance plan.

  • July 10, 2025

    Okla. Gov.'s Brother Seeks High Court Review Of Tribal Ticket

    Keith Stitt, brother of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision that denied his appeal of a speeding ticket issued on tribal lands, arguing that the state never intended to accept a landmark ruling on the restoration of proper criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country.

  • July 10, 2025

    Groups Ask 9th Circ. To Sink EPA Pesticide Seed Exemption

    Green groups on Wednesday asked the Ninth Circuit to revive their lawsuit alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is violating federal law by failing to regulate pesticide-coated crop seeds.

  • July 10, 2025

    $4.4B T-Mobile, UScellular Deal Gets DOJ OK, With A Warning

    The U.S. Department of Justice gave its all-clear Thursday to T-Mobile's plan to take over most of UScellular's wireless operations, finding that T-Mobile's commitments to bolster the flagging company outweigh, at least for now, worries over the disappearance of UScellular's underdog offerings.

  • July 10, 2025

    IRS Leaker Fairly Sentenced To 5 Years, Gov't Tells DC Circ.

    The judge who sentenced an IRS contractor for leaking thousands of wealthy people's tax returns to the media, including those of President Donald Trump, kept an open mind when she decided to deliver the maximum five-year prison term, the government told the D.C. Circuit, arguing the sentence was fair.

  • July 10, 2025

    FCC Says Yes To T-Mobile's $5B Metronet Buy After Nixing DEI

    T-Mobile has received the Federal Communications Commission's blessing to go ahead with its $4.9 billion joint venture to acquire fiber company Metronet, one day after telling the agency it would end its diversity, equity and inclusion programs in furtherance of the FCC chair's goals.

  • July 10, 2025

    Ga. Sheriff Fired Deputy For Supporting Rival, Suit Says

    Fulton County, Georgia, its sheriff's office and its sheriff have been sued in federal court by a former sheriff's office employee who alleged he was fired because he supported the sheriff's political opponent in the 2024 election.

  • July 10, 2025

    Ga. Atty Avoids Sanctions In Suit Over Fatal Police Shooting

    A Georgia federal judge has rejected Savannah officials' bid to sanction attorneys suing for civil rights violations in the 2022 shooting death of a Black man by a police officer who's facing murder charges, finding Wednesday that an attorney's comments to the media weren't made in bad faith — but warned counsel to "tread carefully."

  • July 10, 2025

    Broadcast Groups Want Status Quo On AM Band Licenses

    AM broadcasters urged the Federal Communications Commission to allow them to continue dual operations in both the expanded and standard AM bands, telling the commission in a new filing that it should go ahead and shut down two AM-related dockets if it means that the status quo is maintained.

  • July 10, 2025

    Senate Tees Up 6th Circ. Nom Vote As 1st Of 2nd Trump Term

    The first judicial confirmation of the second Trump administration was readied on Thursday, with the U.S. Senate voting 51-43 to end debate on the nomination of Whitney Hermandorfer to the Sixth Circuit.

  • July 10, 2025

    DOL Urges 9th Circ. To OK Toss Of HP 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    The U.S. Department of Labor urged the Ninth Circuit to reject HP Inc. workers' bid to revive a proposed class action alleging forfeited employee 401(k) plan contributions were mismanaged, arguing a lower court properly tossed the case for failure to state a claim for violating federal benefits law.

  • July 10, 2025

    Senate Confirms Gould As OCC Head

    The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Jones Day partner Jonathan Gould as Comptroller of the Currency in a 50-45 vote along party lines, marking his return to the agency where he spent more than two years as chief counsel.

  • July 10, 2025

    Navigation Co. Says Study 'Validates' GPS Backup Plan

    Geolocation company NextNav Inc. told the Federal Communications Commission in a letter Wednesday that detractors of its proposal to use the lower 900 MHz spectrum to deploy an Earth-based backstop for the Global Positioning System have raised unfounded concerns and mischaracterized an engineering study supporting its proposal.

  • July 10, 2025

    Texas Judge Partially Voids DOL's ERISA Rollover Rule

    A Texas federal judge partially invalidated an investment advice regulation from President Donald Trump's first administration involving employee retirement savings and rollover transactions, ruling the U.S. Department of Labor exceeded its authority when it handed down a new interpretation of federal benefits law.

  • July 10, 2025

    Trump Says 50% Copper Tariff Will Begin Aug. 1

    President Donald Trump said his new 50% tariff on copper imports will take effect Aug. 1, citing national security concerns.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Key Steps For Traversing Federal Grant Terminations

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    For grantees, the Trump administration’s unexpected termination or alteration of billions of dollars in federal grants across multiple agencies necessitates a thorough understanding of the legal rights and obligations involved, either in challenging such terminations or engaging in grant termination settlements and closeout procedures, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Challenges For Fiduciaries Adding Crypto To 401(k) Plans

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    As cryptocurrencies gain popularity and their restrictions loosen, investors may become interested in adding crypto options to their retirement plans, but fiduciaries should consider how to balance the increased demand and their obligations under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Birthright Ruling Could Alter Consumer Financial Litigation

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision about the validity of the nationwide injunctions in the birthright citizenship cases, argued on May 15, could make it much harder for trade associations to obtain nationwide relief from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement of invalid regulations, says Alan Kaplinsky at Ballard Spahr.

  • FDA Commissioner Speech Suggests New Vision For Agency

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    In his first public remarks as U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Marty Makary outlined an ambitious framework for change centered around cultural restoration, scientific integrity, regulatory flexibility and selective modernization, and substantial enforcement shifts for the food and tobacco sectors, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.

  • Opportunities And Challenges For The Texas Stock Exchange

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    While the new Texas Stock Exchange could be an interesting alternative to the NYSE and the Nasdaq due to the state’s robust economy and the TXSE’s high-profile leadership and publicity opportunities for listings, its success as a national securities exchange may hinge on resolving questions about its regulatory and cost advantages, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Pace Of Early Terminations Suggests Greater M&A Scrutiny

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    The nascent return of early termination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act shows a more limited use than before its 2021 suspension under the Biden administration's Federal Trade Commission, suggesting deeper scrutiny of mergers and acquisitions across the board, says Michael Wise at Squire Patton.

  • DOJ Export Declination Highlights Self-Reporting Benefits

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent decision not to prosecute a NASA contractor, despite a former employee pleading guilty to facilitating unlicensed exports, underscores the advantages available to companies that self-report sanctions violations, cooperate with investigations and implement timely remediation, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Review Risk Is Increasing For Foreign Real Estate Developers

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    Federal and state government efforts have been expanding oversight of foreign investment in U.S. real estate, necessitating careful assessment of risk and of the benefits of notifying the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

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    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What Employers Should Know About New Wash. WARN Act

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    Washington state's Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act will soon require 60 days' notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures, so employers should understand how their obligations differ from those under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before implementing layoffs or closings, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What's At Stake As Trump Admin Targets Carbon Markets

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    Trading in greenhouse gas emissions and reductions has long been touted as a way to leverage market forces to tackle climate change cost-effectively, and that theory may be put to the test amid momentous progress and fresh challenges, particularly as the Trump administration takes aim at climate initiatives, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • What To Know About New Wash. Community Association Law

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    A series of recent legislative updates that greatly expand application of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act pose significant challenges to the volunteer board members who administer and operate condos and homeowners associations, but there are ways to lessen the newly imposed administrative burden, says Tim Feth at VF Law.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

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    Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Fledgling Crypto ATM Regs May Be Due For A Growth Spurt

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    As cryptocurrency ATM use and availability become more prevalent within the U.S. financial services ecosystem, states — only a few of which currently have a crypto ATM framework — may need to consider expanding legislation and regulation to accelerate consumer fraud protection practices, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.

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