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Public Policy
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August 19, 2024
Judge Urges Throwing Out DOJ's 'Simple' Race Bias Suit
A federal judge recommended dismissing a U.S. Department of Justice suit accusing a Georgia county of firing two Black workers who complained about a slur from a white colleague, faulting the DOJ for trying to "overcomplicate" the case.
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August 19, 2024
DC Council Member Charged With Bribery
Federal prosecutors are accusing a Washington, D.C., councilmember of accepting more than $150,000 in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for pressuring government employees to extend city contracts, according to a complaint unsealed Monday in D.C. federal court.
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August 19, 2024
Calif. Lawmakers Decline To Advance Hemp THC Law
A California bill that would have imposed new THC limits on hemp consumables is unlikely to become law this year, after lawmakers declined to move it out of committee.
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August 19, 2024
DQ'd Judge Should Have Kept Quiet, Tax Challengers Say
A Michigan federal judge who disqualified himself from homeowners' challenge to a $217 million dam repair tax assessment put his "thumb on the scale of justice" by improperly commenting on legal questions as he bowed out, according to homeowners seeking to have the comments rescinded.
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August 19, 2024
Ex-NJ County Exec Loses Bid To DQ Firm In Retaliation Suit
A former Cumberland County, New Jersey, health official claiming his firing was political retaliation cannot disqualify the county's counsel in his lawsuit, Testa Heck Testa & White PA, over interactions he had with two firm attorneys around the time of his firing, a state court judge ruled Friday.
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August 19, 2024
Crypto Co. Consensys Says Texas Is Right For SEC Fight
Crypto software firm Consensys Software Inc. told a Texas federal judge that it beat the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to court when it filed a suit seeking a judgment that its MetaMask software does not offend securities laws, and the regulator cannot now "change the playing field" to New York with its later enforcement suit.
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August 19, 2024
Santos Admits Fraud: 'Betrayed The Trust Of My Constituents'
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos pled guilty in New York federal court Monday to juicing his election fundraising reports with fake donations to qualify for Republican Party support, charges that carry a minimum of two years in prison.
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August 19, 2024
Hogan Boosts DC Energy, IP Teams With A&O Shearman Atty
Hogan Lovells has hired a new global regulatory and intellectual property practice partner, who is joining the firm in Washington, D.C., after a little more than two and half years with Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, Hogan Lovells announced Monday.
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August 19, 2024
Voters Fight DeSantis Bid To Toss Prosecutor Suspension Suit
Florida voters and a partisan advocacy group have pushed back against Gov. Ron DeSantis' argument that voters have no right to see an elected official serve an entire term in a suit over the suspension of Florida prosecutor Monique Worrell, saying it doesn't matter when interference in an election occurs because the effect on the voters is the same.
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August 19, 2024
GOP Rep. Fostered Homophobic Workplace, Ex-Staffer Says
A former congressional staffer slapped a Republican lawmaker from Texas with a federal lawsuit claiming he was bullied, denied training opportunities and ultimately forced to quit because he is gay.
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August 19, 2024
H&R Block's Case On In-House Judges' Role Is Paused
A Missouri federal judge who refused to halt Federal Trade Commission proceedings accusing H&R Block of deceptive advertising agreed to pause, while the company appeals her refusal, a district court case in which the company has argued that administrative judges should be booted from the proceedings.
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August 19, 2024
FTC Says Albertsons Execs Deleted Texts About Merger
The Federal Trade Commission accused executives from Albertsons of deleting text messages about the supermarket chain's planned megamerger with Kroger, saying the messages likely contained valuable internal views about the effects of the $25 billion deal.
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August 19, 2024
Trump's Immunity Appeal May Delay Sentencing, DA Says
Prosecutors will not oppose Donald Trump's request to delay sentencing in his New York hush money case, currently set for next month, while he seeks to dismiss his conviction in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling, agreeing that an immediate appeal may upend the proceedings anyway.
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August 19, 2024
Groups Lack Standing To Challenge Asylum Rule, Texas Says
The state of Texas asked a D.C. federal judge to grant it and the federal government victory in a suit brought by two immigrants' rights organizations challenging a rule from President Joe Biden's administration limiting asylum in the U.S.
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August 19, 2024
HUD Joins 6-Year Strategy To Beat Extreme Heat
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said it's partnering with two dozen federal agencies for an initiative focused on implementing solutions for extreme heat dangers in communities.
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August 19, 2024
Israel Boycott Question Withdrawn From Pittsburgh Ballots
A proposed ballot question that would have required the City of Pittsburgh to stop doing business with or granting tax credits to entities associated with Israel during its war in Gaza will be withdrawn for lack of enough valid signatures, the parties agreed Monday — leaving unanswered whether such measures are preempted by state law.
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August 17, 2024
George Santos To Plead Guilty Before Campaign Fraud Trial
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos has agreed to plead guilty to multiple criminal charges just weeks before his scheduled campaign finance fraud trial in New York federal court, Law360 learned Saturday.
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August 16, 2024
Justices Reject Biden Bid To Reinstate Gender Identity Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday refused for now to lift lower court orders blocking the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing its new interpretation of Title IX intended to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination based on gender identity, handing a win to several Republican-led state challengers.
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August 16, 2024
9th Circ. Throws Alaska Fishers A Lifeline In Orca Food Case
Alaskan salmon fishers got the green light to continue their hunts as the Ninth Circuit on Friday said a Washington federal judge "glossed over" severe economic consequences in holding that the fishing illegally reduced a food source for endangered orcas in Washington state.
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August 16, 2024
CFPB Signals Patience As BNPL Firms Navigate New Policy
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra on Friday pledged enforcement forbearance for buy-now, pay-later firms that are working "in good faith" to comply with recent guidance holding them to certain credit card rules, saying industry efforts so far have been encouraging.
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August 16, 2024
SEC Climate Rules Backed By Wave Of Amici At 8th Circ.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has received a wave of support for its recently adopted climate disclosure rules from various consumer advocacy, environmental, investor and academic groups, which told the Eighth Circuit the measures are necessary and within the agency's authority.
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August 16, 2024
Discrimination Claim Row Becomes Party-Line FTC Slugfest
Federal Trade Commission Republicans used partial dissents Friday from the settlement of an agency junk fees enforcement action they otherwise supported to air a string of grievances with the FTC's Democratic majority and its "ongoing effort to unilaterally expand its own authority."
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August 16, 2024
Florida Unlikely To Act Quickly On Condo Law Cost Concerns
Florida lawmakers appear unlikely to take preemptive action to modify condominium safety laws enacted after the deadly 2021 building collapse in the town of Surfside, despite concerns that approaching year-end deadlines for mandated structural inspections and reserve studies will lead to overwhelming financial burdens for many residents.
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August 16, 2024
Feds Get Boost From Dem Reps In 5th Circ. PWFA Fight
The federal government's Fifth Circuit challenge to a court order blocking it from enforcing a law to protect pregnant workers in Texas got support on Friday from four Democratic lawmakers who argued the lower court ruling, if upheld, would undercut Congress' authority to set its own rules of operation.
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August 16, 2024
Chinese Router Maker Must Be Looked Into, Reps. Say
A House committee that weighs potential dangers posed by the Chinese Communist Party is raising the alarm about the routers sold by a Chinese-owned company, saying the panel believes the devices could pose a risk to national security.
Expert Analysis
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CFPB's New Registration Rule Will Intensify Nonbank Scrutiny
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recently finalized nonbank registration rule aimed at cracking down on repeat offenders poses significant compliance challenges and enforcement risks for nonbank financial firms, and may be particularly onerous for smaller firms, say Ketan Bhirud and Emily Yu at Cozen O'Connor.
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Series
After Chevron: FCC And Industry Must Prepare For Change
The Chevron doctrine was especially significant in the communications sector because of the indeterminacy of federal communications statutes, so the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the doctrine could have big implications for those regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, bringing both opportunities and risks for companies, say Thomas Johnson and Michael Showalter at Wiley.
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Series
After Chevron: Uniform Tax Law Interpretation Not Guaranteed
The loss of Chevron deference will significantly alter the relationship between the IRS, courts and Congress when it comes to tax law, potentially precipitating more transparent rulemaking, but also provoking greater uncertainty due to variability in judicial interpretation, say Michelle Levin and Carneil Wilson at Dentons.
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Series
After Chevron: Environmental Law May Face Hurdles
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning Chevron deference could prove to be as influential as the original 1984 decision, with far-reaching implications for U.S. environmental laws, including rendering recently promulgated regulations more vulnerable to challenges, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice
The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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Why High Court Social Media Ruling Will Be Hotly Debated
In deciding the NetChoice cases that challenged Florida and Texas content moderation laws, what the U.S. Supreme Court justices said about social media platforms — and the First Amendment — will have implications and raise questions for nearly all online operators, say Jacob Canter and Joanna Rosen Forster at Crowell & Moring.
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Series
After Chevron: Good News For Gov't Contractors In Litigation
The net result of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Chevron deference is that individuals, contractors and companies bringing procurement-related cases against the government will have new pathways toward success, say Joseph Berger and Andrés Vera at Thompson Hine.
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Series
After Chevron: Scale Tips Favor Away From HHS Agencies
The loss of Chevron deference may indirectly aid parties in challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' interpretations of regulations and could immediately influence several pending cases challenging HHS on technical questions and agency authority, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Series
After Chevron: FDA Regulations In The Crosshairs
The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine is likely to unleash an array of challenges against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, focusing on areas of potential overreach such as the FDA's authority under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Realtor Settlement May Create New Antitrust Pitfalls
Following a recent antitrust settlement between the National Association of Realtors and home sellers, practices are set to change and the increased competition may benefit both brokers and homebuyers, but the loss of the customary method of buyer broker compensation could lead to new antitrust concerns, says Colin Ahler at Snell & Wilmer.
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Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation
As greenwashing lawsuits continue to gain momentum with a shift in focus to carbon-neutrality claims, businesses must exercise caution and ensure transparency in their environmental marketing practices, taking cues from recent legal challenges in the airline industry, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State
On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.
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Series
After Chevron: Expect Limited Changes In USPTO Rulemaking
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Chevron deference will have limited consequences for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office given the USPTO's unique statutory features, but it is still an important decision for matters of statutory interpretation, especially those involving provisions of the America Invents Act, say Andrei Iancu and Cooper Godfrey at Sullivan & Cromwell.
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Preparing For CFPB 'Junk Fee' Push Into Mortgage Industry
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers expanding its "junk fee" initiative into mortgage closing costs, mortgage lenders and third parties must develop plans now that anticipate potential rulemaking or enforcement activity in this space, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Opinion
It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections
While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.