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Public Policy
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October 09, 2024
5th Circ. Denies Extension For CFPB In Exam Policy Case
The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday denied the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's unopposed request for a short deadline extension in its appeal over an examination policy that industry groups successfully sued to block last year, prompting the agency to ask for more time again.
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October 09, 2024
Colo. Accuses Albertsons Of Competitor Flip-Flop For Merger
Colorado enforcers accused Albertsons of "saying whatever they think will get their merger," confronting the supermarket chain's CEO on Wednesday with past comments to federal regulators they said showed that Albertsons flipped who it considers a competitor ahead of a proposed merger with Kroger.
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October 09, 2024
NC AG Urges NC Justices To Ax Duke Energy Rate Hike
The North Carolina Supreme Court has been hit with a barrage of briefs urging the justices to overturn the State Utilities Commission's allegedly "unlawful" rate increase for Duke Energy Carolinas, with North Carolina Attorney General Joshua H. Stein calling the rate change "arbitrary and capricious."
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October 09, 2024
Justices Fear Harm To Atty Reputations In Death Penalty Case
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas expressed concern Wednesday about the reputational harm two former Oklahoma prosecutors were facing in light of the state's claim that they withheld evidence and presented false testimony to secure the conviction of a prisoner on death row — allegations over which the justices seem likely to order further proceedings.
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October 09, 2024
5th Circ. Asks If Drag Ban Different From Obscenity Laws
A Fifth Circuit panel wrangled with First Amendment questions surrounding a Texas law banning drag shows in front of children, with a judge asking an LGBTQ nonprofit how Texas' law was different from a law banning "sexual intercourse" or "sodomy" in downtown New Orleans during oral arguments Wednesday.
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October 09, 2024
Gensler Mum On Future As AI, Crypto Rules Await Action
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler declined to comment Wednesday on his or the agency's future should former U.S. President Donald Trump win a second term in office this November, even as questions remain about the post-election future of proposed regulations, like those that would safeguard crypto assets and crack down on the use of predictive data analytics.
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October 09, 2024
RFK Jr. Jumps Into TikTok Ban Fight At DC Circ.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has joined the fray in litigation at the D.C. Circuit challenging a federal law that could put TikTok out of business in the United States, contending in a new lawsuit that the sale-or-ban statute defies the First Amendment.
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October 09, 2024
Ga. Judge Won't Extend Voter Registration After Helene
Would-be voters in the Peach State won't get an extra week to register for the November 2024 election — at least not yet — after a Georgia federal judge said Wednesday she hadn't seen sufficient support for the claim that registrations were significantly hampered by the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
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October 09, 2024
Wash. Justices To Weigh $185M PCB Case Against Monsanto
The Washington State Supreme Court will consider school teachers' bid to reinstate a $185 million jury verdict against Monsanto in a chemical poisoning tort, marking the first in a series of cases tied to the same school to make it all the way to the state's high court.
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October 09, 2024
Atty, Claims Firm Barred From Soliciting Foreclosure Class
A Michigan law firm and a third-party claims firm agreed Wednesday not to solicit potential members to an action alleging Michigan counties kept profits from foreclosures of tax-delinquent properties, following a meeting with class attorneys who had urged a judge to bar them from attempting to poach class members.
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October 09, 2024
Another Supreme Court Term, Another Call For Ethics Reform
The new term for the U.S. Supreme Court began on Monday under a cloud of alleged ethics improprieties by several justices.
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October 09, 2024
DOJ Offers Menu Of Options For Google Search Fix
An outline of potential fixes lodged Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice in the search monopolization case against Google ranges from a ban on the default search engine pacts at the heart of the case to the forced sale of its Android operating system or other business units.
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October 09, 2024
SF Leaders Not Backing City's High Court Case Against EPA
With oral arguments just a week away, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the city attorney to drop a U.S. Supreme Court case against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over a Clean Water Act permit.
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October 09, 2024
11th Circ. Told Fla. Venue Can't Show Injury In Drag Show Law
Florida told the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday that it should be allowed to implement a law prohibiting children from attending drag shows, arguing that an Orlando bar that sued to stop the law's enforcement hasn't met its burden showing an injury traceable to the state.
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October 09, 2024
Texas Electric Co-Op Says EPA Mercury Rule Must Be Nixed
A Texas electricity co-operative on Tuesday backed a D.C. Circuit challenge to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule curbing mercury and other toxic metal emissions at some coal-fired power plants, saying the agency fudged data to saddle the co-op with unachievable emissions reduction requirements.
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October 09, 2024
Settlement Approved For DACA Loan Discrimination Suit
A California federal judge gave the green light to a settlement that will end a proposed class action accusing First Tech Federal Credit Union of denying home loans to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
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October 09, 2024
How Built Environment Interacts With Climate Risk
As worsening disasters result in skyrocketing property insurance rates, CoreLogic data shows that construction decisions can cause significant variations in climate risk, even in neighboring counties.
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October 09, 2024
European Parliament Backs Brazil's G20 Wealth Tax Plan
A majority of the European Parliament supports a 2% minimum tax on billionaires presented by Brazil at the Group of 20 nations meeting, asking the European Union to pursue the topic at the group's November summit, according to joint statements by members of Parliament on Wednesday.
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October 09, 2024
Tenn. Extends Tax Deadlines Due To Hurricane Helene
Tennessee will extend its franchise and excise tax filing deadlines to May 1 for taxpayers affected by Hurricane Helene, the state Department of Reveue announced.
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October 09, 2024
Yale Must Answer Ex-Student's 'Execution' Fears, Judge Says
A judge has ordered Yale University to respond to an expelled student's fears of execution if he is deported to Afghanistan as she mulls lifting a ban on naming a classmate who accused the ex-student of sexual assault in litigation connected to a key Title IX ruling.
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October 09, 2024
AT&T Fights Phone 'Unlocking' Rules Floated At FCC
AT&T called on the Federal Communications Commission to abandon plans to require the "unlocking" of cellphones after 60 days to let customers switch carriers, saying wireless competition is already "fierce" and the FCC's plan would only hurt consumers.
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October 09, 2024
Ag Groups Defend Farm Emissions Reporting Exemption
Agricultural industry groups called on a Washington, D.C., federal judge to toss green groups' claims alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority in exempting factory farms from pollution-reporting requirements, arguing the agency merely implemented Congress' command.
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October 09, 2024
NY Tribe Urges Court To Keep Door Open On 911 Lawsuit
The Cayuga Nation is fighting a bid by two New York counties to dismiss its lawsuit over their alleged refusals to forward 911 calls to tribal police, arguing that on its face, it's hard to deny that something is amiss in the municipalities' efforts to ensure its reservation members' protection.
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October 09, 2024
Louisiana Judge Reopens EPA's Enforcement Against Denka
A Louisiana federal judge on Tuesday reopened the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's lawsuit alleging some of a neoprene manufacturer's air emissions pose a health threat to the surrounding community.
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October 09, 2024
Unclear Road For $275M Biz Tax Plan, DC Panel Chair Says
The District of Columbia Tax Revision Commission may scrap a proposal for a business activity tax that could raise $275 million annually to reduce other business taxes, the panel chair said Wednesday.
Expert Analysis
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Illinois May Be Gearing Up To Ban E-Verify
Recently passed amendments to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act appear to effectively ban the use of E-Verify in the state, but ambiguity means employers will have to weigh the risks of continued use while also taking note of other work authorization requirements imposed by the updates, say Julie Ratliff and Elizabeth Wellhausen at Taft.
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Int'l Agreements Are Key For Safe Nuclear Waste Disposal
By replacing fossil fuels, nuclear energy has the potential to offer a major contribution to the global fight against climate change — but ensuring that nuclear power is safe and sustainable will require binding, multinational agreements for safe nuclear waste disposal, say Ryan Schermerhorn and Christopher Zahn at Marshall Gerstein.
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Mental Health Parity Rules: Tips For Plans And Issuers
Following federal agencies' release of final mental health parity rules, plan sponsors and health insurance issuers should develop protocols for preparing compliant nonquantitative treatment limitation comparative analyses, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Series
Playing Diplomacy Makes Us Better Lawyers
Similar to the practice of law, the rules of Diplomacy — a strategic board game set in pre-World War I Europe — are neither concise nor without ambiguity, and weekly gameplay with our colleagues has revealed the game's practical applications to our work as attorneys, say Jason Osborn and Ben Bevilacqua at Winston & Strawn.
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5th Circ. Shows Admin Rules Can Survive Court Post-Chevron
The Fifth Circuit's textual analysis of the Fair Labor Standards Act, contributing to its recent affirming of the U.S. Department of Labor’s authority to set an overtime exemption salary threshold, suggests administrative laws can survive post-Chevron challenges, say Jessi Thaller-Moran and Erin Barker at Brooks Pierce.
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Applying High Court's Domestic Corruption Rulings To FCPA
After the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the domestic corruption statutes in three decisions over the past year and a half, it’s worth evaluating whether these rulings may have an impact on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, and if attorneys can use the court’s reasoning in international bribery cases, says James Koukios at MoFo.
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Proposed Mortgage Assistance Rule: Tips For Servicers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent proposal to alter Regulation X mortgage servicing procedures to broadly construe requests for assistance, and stay foreclosure proceedings during loss mitigation review, will, if finalized, require mortgage servicers to make notable procedural changes to comply, says Louis Manetti at Locke Lord.
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How Multifamily Property Owners Can Plan For The EV Future
As the electric vehicle market expands, and federal and state incentives and mandates intended to promote EV use come into effect, owners and operators of multifamily residential properties should be prepared to meet the growing demand for onsite EV charging infrastructure, say Sydney Tucker and Andreas Wokutch at Frost Brown.
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New Law May Move Calif. Toward Fashion Sustainability
California’s recently signed Responsible Textile Recovery Act seeks to increase sustainability innovation in the fashion industry, but it could also create compliance hurdles for brands, especially smaller fashion houses that do not have ample resources, say Warren Koshofer and Maggie Franz at Michelman & Robinson.
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Antitrust In Retail: Why FTC Is Studying 'Surveillance Pricing'
The Federal Trade Commission's decision to study targeted "surveillance pricing" should provide greater clarity into the nature of the data aggregation industry, but also raises several issues, including whether these practices are in fact illegal under any established interpretations of U.S. antitrust law, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys
Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.
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Licensing And Protections For Voice Actors In The Age Of AI
While two recently enacted California laws and other recent state and federal legislation largely focus on protecting actors and musicians from the unauthorized use of their digital likenesses by generative artificial intelligence systems, the lesser-known community of professional voice actors also stands to benefit, says attorney Scott Mortman.
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Series
Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3
In the third quarter of the year, California continued to be at the forefront of banking regulation as it enacted legislation on unfair banking practices and junk fees, and the state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation notably initiated enforcement actions focused on crypto-assets and student loan debt relief, say Stuart Richter and Eric Hail at Katten.
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Opinion
FTC's Report Criticizing Drug Middlemen Is Flawed
The Federal Trade Commission's July report, which claims that pharmacy benefit managers are inflating drug costs, does not offer a credible analysis of PBMs, and its methodology lacks rigor, says Jay Ezrielev at Elevecon.
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Revisiting The Crime-Fraud Exception After Key Trump Cases
Evidence issues in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and classified documents cases involving former President Donald Trump offer an opportunity to restudy elements and implications of the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine, noting the courts' careful scrutiny of these matters, say Robert Hoff and Paul Tuchmann at Wiggin and Dana.