¼«ËÙÈü³µ

Public Policy

  • June 17, 2025

    Mass. Judge Temporarily Blocks DOD Research Funding Cuts

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration's planned cuts to U.S. Department of Defense-funded research, granting the injunction just a day after a slew of institutions sued on allegations that the move would "stop critical research in its tracks."

  • June 17, 2025

    Block On Job Corps Cuts Extended As Judge Weighs Injunction

    A New York federal judge on Tuesday extended a temporary restraining order prohibiting the U.S. Department of Labor from "suspending" most of the Job Corps program, which contractors and others say is tantamount to shuttering the youth education and vocational training program and will likely result in student homelessness.

  • June 17, 2025

    Sunoco Pipeline Leak Class Claims Return To Philly Court

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has sent environmental class claims over a Sunoco pipeline leak back to state court in Philadelphia, ruling that a carveout to federal class action law where the majority of plaintiffs reside in the same place makes it a state court matter.

  • June 17, 2025

    States Say Trump Admin Can't Freeze EV Charging Funds

    An attorney for the Washington Attorney General's Office on Tuesday urged a federal judge in Seattle to issue a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to release funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects in 16 states, saying the administration cannot "go back in time" and eliminate congressionally approved funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Passes Stablecoin Legislation With Bipartisan Support

    The Senate's proposal to regulate stablecoins passed the chamber on Tuesday with support from both parties, sending it on to the House where lawmakers are still working on their own proposal.

  • June 17, 2025

    La. Law Will Make Tesla Sales Less Onerous, Justices Told

    Louisiana regulators are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will hold off on considering their request to take up a Tesla-brought case targeting the state's ban on direct sales by automakers, saying a new law is about to change things and the justices should wait until it takes effect.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ex-Low Power TV Owner Hit With $188K In Fines

    A Federal Communications Commission administrative law judge has slapped the former licensee of Hispanic Christian Community Network with $188,000 in fines, finding the man paid "utterly no attention ... to statutory and regulatory responsibilities."

  • June 17, 2025

    EPA Ordered To Rethink Enviro Justice Grant Terminations

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority by canceling certain grants without a "reasoned explanation" beyond the Trump administration's deprioritization of "environmental justice" initiatives, a Maryland federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying the grant terminations must be vacated and sent back to the EPA for further review.

  • June 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Skeptical Of Blocking National Guard Deployment

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Tuesday to striking down a temporary restraining order — currently paused — that would block President Donald Trump from sending the National Guard into Los Angeles, with two judges repeatedly citing case law suggesting the president has broad discretion to mobilize the Guard.

  • June 17, 2025

    Jeanine Pirro Formally Nominated For DC US Atty

    Former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro has been nominated for the full-time U.S. attorney role for the District of Columbia after having been tapped previously for the position on an interim basis.

  • June 17, 2025

    NYC Comptroller, Mayoral Candidate, Arrested In Courthouse

    New York City comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents outside an immigration courtroom on Tuesday after linking arms with a man about to be detained, according to numerous sources.

  • June 17, 2025

    5th Circ. Finds $37M For PPE Delivery Problems Went Too Far

    The Fifth Circuit on Monday kept partially intact a $37 million award the Federal Trade Commission secured against a drop-shipping company, but found part of the award went too far because it fully refunded customers for COVID-19 protective gear that was delivered late.

  • June 17, 2025

    Tufts Student Says Feds Can't Ax Visa Record Claim

    Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk fired back at the Trump administration's attempt to dismiss her claim in Vermont federal court challenging its termination of her student visa compliance record, saying court after court has found the government acted unlawfully in axing other students' records.

  • June 17, 2025

    FCC Says Tribe's New Radio Station Reach Can Fall Short

    The Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming will be getting a new radio station after the FCC granted the tribe a waiver that will let it bypass a requirement that it cover 50% of the reservation, which is bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island put together.

  • June 17, 2025

    CFPB's Vought Seeks To Limit Use Of Civil Penalty Fund

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acting Director Russell Vought is proposing to restrict the agency's ability to tap its civil penalty fund for consumer education and financial literacy initiatives as part of a trio of draft regulatory changes posted online Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    Fundraising Pro Admits To Lying In Mich. 'Dark Money' Probe

    A political fundraising consultant pled guilty in Michigan state court on Tuesday to misleading investigators regarding her role in an alleged scheme to conceal the identities of donors supporting a ballot proposal campaign at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • June 17, 2025

    X Sues Over NY Social Media Law, Citing Trimmed Calif. Law

    A New York law requiring social media companies to divulge whether they define and moderate hate speech, extremism and misinformation or face fines is unconstitutional, Elon Musk's X Corp. claims in a federal lawsuit Tuesday, noting the law mirrors a California statute that the platform got trimmed earlier this year.

  • June 17, 2025

    HHS Says Trump Orders Merit Ending Trans Health Rule Case

    The federal government urged a Mississippi federal court to end a lawsuit challenging a Biden-era rule that protected gender-affirming care under the Affordable Care Act, arguing the Republican attorneys general leading the case can't show imminent harm given the Trump administration's position on the definition of "sex."

  • June 17, 2025

    Pot Shops Have Rights In Federal Court, Mich. Judge Says

    A Michigan federal judge Tuesday declined to remand a lawsuit from cannabis companies alleging the city of Grand Rapids' marijuana licensure program imposes illegal fees, rejecting the companies' argument that the case belongs in state court since marijuana remains illegal under federal law.  

  • June 17, 2025

    ND Secretary Fights Tribes' 8th Circ. Voting Rights Rehearing

    North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe is urging the Eighth Circuit to deny two Native American tribes' bid for a rehearing in their voting rights challenge, arguing their petition misinterprets the appellate court's opinions and overstates U.S. Supreme Court precedent on the issue.

  • June 17, 2025

    GOP Lawmaker Praises DOL IG's Law Firm Agreements Audit

    The chair of the Republican-led U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Tuesday praised a U.S. Department of Labor watchdog for investigating the agency over allegations it shared confidential information with plaintiffs attorneys, which comes after the panel called for an investigation in November.

  • June 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Chinook Can't Get Tribal Status From Courts

    The Chinook Indian Nation can't revive its bid seeking federally recognized tribe status that would entitle it to benefits from the U.S. government after the Ninth Circuit issued an order Tuesday finding the process for federal recognition comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior, not the federal judiciary.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's FCC Nominee, Giving GOP Majority

    The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, providing Republicans a 2-1 majority on the telecom regulatory body five months after President Donald Trump named her for the seat.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ill. Increases Sports Betting, Tobacco Tax And Taxes Airbnbs

    Illinois increased its tax on sports betting and tobacco products and extended its tax on hotel operators to include short-term rentals like Airbnbs and Vrbos under a budget bill approved by the governor.

  • June 17, 2025

    FDA Unveils Voucher Program For Fast-Paced Drug Reviews

    Pharmaceutical companies that boost domestic drug manufacturing or address other national priorities will have a chance to secure speedier review and approval of new drugs under a pilot program the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled Tuesday.

Expert Analysis

  • Wash. Justices' Moonlight Ruling Should Caution Employers

    Author Photo

    The Washington Supreme Court's recent decision in David v. Freedom Vans, which limited when employers can restrict low-wage workers from moonlighting, underscores the need for employers to narrowly tailor restrictive covenants, ensuring that they are reasonable and allow for workforce mobility, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • The Potential Efficiencies, Risks Of Folding PCAOB Into SEC

    Author Photo

    Integrating the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board into the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission offers the potential for regulatory efficiencies, as well as a more streamlined and consistent enforcement approach, but it also presents constitutional and operational uncertainties, say attorneys at Hilgers Graben.

  • What To Watch For As High Court Mulls NRC's Powers

    Author Photo

    If successful, Texas’ challenges to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s authority — recently heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and currently pending before a Texas federal court — may have serious adverse consequences for aspiring NRC licensees, including potential nuclear power plant operators, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Tips For Companies Crafting Tariff Surcharge Disclosures

    Author Photo

    As the Trump administration imposes tariffs on imports, retail businesses considering itemizing tariff-related costs separately for consumers must ensure that any disclosures are both accurate and defensible to avoid regulatory enforcement or private suits, says Christopher Cole at Katten.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Reviewing Trump Admin's Rapid Pro-Crypto Regulatory Pivot

    Author Photo

    The digital asset industry has received a boost from the explicitly pro-crypto Trump administration, which in its first few months reversed Biden-era rules and installed industry proponents at regulatory agencies, marking one of the biggest regulatory about-faces by a government in recent memory, says Robert Appleton at Olshan Frome.

  • Cos. Face Enviro Justice Tug-Of-War Between States, Feds

    Author Photo

    The second Trump administration's sweeping elimination of environmental justice policies, programs and funding, and targeting of state-level EJ initiatives, creates difficult questions for companies on how best to avoid friction with federal policy, navigate state compliance obligations and maintain important stakeholder relationships with communities, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

    Author Photo

    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • A 2-Step System For Choosing A Digital Asset Reporting Path

    Author Photo

    Under the Internal Revenue Service's new digital asset reporting regulation, each type of asset may have three potential reporting destinations, so a detailed testing framework can help to determine the appropriate path, says Keval Sonecha at Sonecha & Amlani.

  • NEPA Repeal Could Slow Down Environmental Review

    Author Photo

    As the Trump administration has rescinded the Council on Environmental Quality's long-standing National Environmental Policy Act regulations, projects that require NEPA review may be bogged down by significant regulatory uncertainty and litigation risks, potentially undermining the administration's intent to streamline the permitting process, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Is Latest Signal Of Shaky Qui Tam Landscape

    Author Photo

    In his recent concurring opinion in U.S. v. Peripheral Vascular Associates, a Fifth Circuit judge joined a growing list of jurists suggesting that the False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, underscoring that acceptance of qui tam relators can no longer be taken for granted, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Foreign Countries Have Strong Foundation To Fill FCPA Void

    Author Photo

    Though the U.S. has paused enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, liberal democracies across the globe are well equipped to reverse any setback in anti-corruption enforcement, potentially heightening prosecution risk for companies headquartered in the U.S., says Stephen Kohn at Kohn Kohn.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

    Author Photo

    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • A Tale Of Two Admins: Parsing 1st Half Of SEC's FY 2025

    Author Photo

    The first half of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's fiscal year 2025, which ended March 31, was unusually eventful, marked by a flurry of enforcement actions in the last three months of former Chair Gary Gensler's tenure and a prompt pivot after Inauguration Day, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • A Closer Look At Amendments To Virginia Noncompete Ban

    Author Photo

    Recently passed amendments in Virignia will prohibit noncompetes for all employees who are eligible for overtime pay under federal law, and though the changes could simplify employers’ analyses as to restrictive covenant enforceability, it may require them to reassess and potentially adjust their use of noncompetes with some workers, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

Want to publish in ¼«ËÙÈü³µ?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.