Public Policy

  • November 18, 2024

    11th Circ. Shelves Peanut Truck Co.'s Excise Tax Refund

    The Eleventh Circuit has overturned a decision awarding an excise tax refund to a manufacturer for selling wagons that dry and carry peanuts, saying the refund is reserved for vehicles that are specially designed for off-highway transportation — a test the peanut wagons failed.

  • November 18, 2024

    Justices Reject SC Agency's Appeal Of Google Subpoena

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to take up a South Carolina state agency's appeal of a Fourth Circuit decision requiring its compliance with a Google subpoena in a case accusing the tech giant of monopolizing key digital ad technology.

  • November 17, 2024

    Trump Names FCC's Carr As New Agency Chair

    President-elect Donald Trump has picked Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the agency's next chair, selecting a former general counsel of the agency and frequent critic of the current administration to lead the telecom regulator.

  • November 15, 2024

    Eli Lilly Says HHS Ignores Drug Discount Double-Dipping

    Eli Lilly & Co. claims the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is unlawfully blocking its efforts to crack down on hospitals the company alleges are double-dipping on medication discounts that are meant to benefit low-income patients, according to a lawsuit filed in D.C. federal court.

  • November 15, 2024

    Big Banks Still Need To Beef Up Controls, Fed Report Says

    The Federal Reserve said Friday that even as the banking system has remained "sound and resilient," large banks continue to grapple with governance and controls issues, while regional and small banks have seen increases in outstanding supervisory findings.

  • November 15, 2024

    DC Circ.'s White House NEPA Upheaval Sends Shockwaves

    The D.C. Circuit's recent decision declaring the White House Council on Environmental Quality lacks the authority to issue legally binding regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act shocked environmental attorneys and has the potential to ignite federal agency chaos, experts say.

  • November 15, 2024

    Jordan Says DOJ, FTC, CFTC Teed Up Actions Ahead Of Trump

    House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, lambasted three federal departments and their leaders, accusing them of either trying to push out enforcement actions or make last-minute hires during President Joe Biden's final days in office.

  • November 15, 2024

    Evian Wins Ax Of False Ad Suit As NY Judge Reverses Self

    A New York federal judge tossed, for now, a putative class action alleging Danone Waters of America deceptively labeled its Evian water bottles as "carbon-neutral," reversing his earlier decision that the representation could be misleading and ruling Thursday that Danone's website provided further explanation of what the term meant.

  • November 15, 2024

    X Sues To Block Calif.'s New Deepfake Political Ads Law

    X Corp. filed a lawsuit in California federal court seeking to block a new Golden State law aimed at combating artificial intelligence-generated deepfake political ads, claiming the regulation that takes effect in January is unconstitutional and violates Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

  • November 15, 2024

    Defense Policy Outlook Under The New Trump Administration

    Donald Trump's pending return to the White House is expected to bring significant changes to defense and national security policy, including a potentially larger but less diverse military, an increase in domestic sourcing and a more transactional relationship with allies.

  • November 15, 2024

    Group Sees Trend As Removals Of Mexicans Hit Record In Oct.

    October saw a record monthly number of Mexican nationals removed, reflecting an increasing trend of immigration judges issuing deportation orders for the group of immigrants, a Syracuse University data research group said Friday.

  • November 15, 2024

    HHS Likely To Limit Migrant Data After Flores Deal Ends

    A California federal judge indicated Friday that she can't force the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide human rights groups with regular data about children in low-security detention facilities now that the long-running Flores settlement has been replaced with a government regulation.

  • November 15, 2024

    Texas Staffing Co. Sues State Over Minority Contract Program

    An aerospace staffing agency has sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state's comptroller in federal court over a program that sets aside a certain percentage of contracts for minority-owned businesses, saying the program unfairly prevents the staffing agency from submitting bids because the company doesn't meet racial requirements.

  • November 15, 2024

    Malcolm X's Family Says Feds, NYPD Hid Murder Involvement

    The daughters of civil rights leader Malcolm X on Friday claimed that the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, CIA, New York City Police Department and other government agencies ignored threats against their father's life, hampered his efforts to protect himself and covered up governmental involvement in his 1965 assassination.

  • November 15, 2024

    PBMs Denied Breakup Of Combined FTC Insulin Price Trial

    The Federal Trade Commission's allegations that pharmacy benefit manager giants Caremark Rx, Express Scripts and OptumRx are artificially inflating insulin prices through unfair rebate schemes will forge ahead as a single case following an in-house agency judge's refusal to break them into separate proceedings.

  • November 15, 2024

    Colo. University To Pay $4.5M To Resolve Pay Bias Suit

    The University of Colorado Boulder has agreed to pay $4.5 million to resolve a proposed class action claiming hundreds of female faculty members were owed back pay after the school raised their salaries without making up for years of undercompensation, according to a state court filing.

  • November 15, 2024

    EPA Watchdog Flags Drinking Water Cybersecurity Risks

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's internal watchdog is sounding the alarm about cybersecurity weaknesses in the nation's drinking water systems, and said there are problems with the plans for reporting and coordinating responses to attacks.

  • November 15, 2024

    Despite Vaccine Spotlight, RFK Jr. A Health Policy 'Unknown'

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be the nation's top health official, has made clear his unorthodox and often false views on public health issues like vaccines. But there's still plenty of policy under his potential control where his stance remains opaque, attorneys say, which could stymie their efforts to prepare for the next four years.

  • November 15, 2024

    Kalshi Fires Back At CFTC's 'Futile' Election Betting Appeal

    The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is attempting to "rewrite" its governing statute by claiming that placing bets on the outcome of elections is a form of prohibited gaming, trading platform KalshiEx LLC told the D.C. Circuit on Friday as it fought to continue listing election contracts in the future.

  • November 15, 2024

    Meet Trump's Solicitor General Nominee John Sauer

    A former Missouri solicitor general who later convinced the U.S. Supreme Court that former presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for their official acts is poised to become the next U.S. solicitor general, joining other members of President-elect Donald Trump's criminal defense team who are slated to take top roles at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • November 15, 2024

    GOP Sens. Decry 'Lack Of Urgency' On FDIC Misconduct

    Six Republican senators wrote a letter to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Inspector General Jennifer L. Fain asking for a briefing on the FDIC's progress investigating claims of widespread misconduct at the agency, asserting there has been "a shocking lack of urgency."

  • November 15, 2024

    Judge Doubts Wildfire Trial Plan Would Hurt Some Plaintiffs

    A Colorado state judge was skeptical Friday that a single liability trial for the thousands of plaintiffs suing Xcel Energy over a 2021 wildfire would deprive some people of a fair day in court, pressing lawyers for individual plaintiffs to explain why his plan would infringe on due process.

  • November 15, 2024

    Calif. Justice Reformers Vow To Fight After Election Day Losses

    California voters' Election Day moves to oust progressive prosecutors and enact purportedly tough-on-crime ballot measures point to a broad conservative swing in criminal justice, a movement that San Francisco's former District Attorney Chesa Boudin and other reform proponents told Law360 they intend to fight in coming years.

  • November 15, 2024

    Pa. Top Court Snapshot: Silent Partners, Skill Games In Nov.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's November argument schedule will task the justices with determining whether a property owner's absentee partner is an "indispensable party," whether CBD oil is reimbursable under workers' comp, and whether operating legally gray "skill games" should disqualify someone from getting a gaming license.

  • November 15, 2024

    GAO Says EPA Must Act On Waste Sites' Climate Risks

    Nearly 70% of the nation's hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities are vulnerable to climate change impacts such as flooding, wildfires, storm surge and sea level rise, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs to be more proactive, a new federal report says.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Know About Latest Calif. Auto-Renewal Law Update

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    While businesses have about nine months to prepare before the recently passed amendment to California's automatic renewal law takes effect, it’s not too early to begin working on compliance efforts, including sign-up flow reviews, record retention updates and marketing language revisions, say Gonzalo Mon and Beth Chun at Kelley Drye.

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

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    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • FDIC's Cautious Approach To Industrial Banks, Reaffirmed

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    Although the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. recently approved an industrial loan company's deposit insurance application and proposed new rules regarding parent companies, these developments do not represent a liberalization or modernization of the FDIC's regulatory framework, say Max Bonici and Andrew Bigart at Venable.

  • How Lucia, Jarkesy Could Affect Grocery Merger Challenge

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    While the Federal Trade Commission is taking a dual federal court and administrative tribunal approach to block Kroger's merger with Alberstons, Kroger's long-shot unconstitutionality claims could potentially lead to a reevaluation of the FTC's reliance on administrative processes in complex merger cases, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How NLRB Memo Balances Schools' Labor, Privacy Concerns

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    Natale DiNatale at Robinson & Cole highlights the recent National Labor Relations Board advice memorandum that aims to help colleges reconcile competing obligations under the National Labor Relations Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act as university students flock toward unionization.

  • Taking Stock Of FCC's New Spectrum Rule For Drones

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    While an order recently adopted by the Federal Communications Commission is intended to provide drones with rapid access to a limited amount of spectrum in the 5030-5091 megahertz band, the commission envisions an incremental approach to full usage that will play out over the course of the coming months and years, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Basel Endgame Rules: A Change Is Coming

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    The Federal Reserve Board's recently announced recalibration of the Basel endgame proposal begins a critical chapter in the evolution of not only the safety and soundness of U.S. banks, but also of banks' abilities to lend and support American businesses and consumers, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Ruling On Foreign Dividend Break Offers 2 Tax Court Insights

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    In Varian v. Commissioner, the U.S. Tax Court allowed a taxpayer's deduction for dividends from foreign subsidiaries, providing clarity on how the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision may affect challenges to Treasury regulations, and revealing a potential disallowance of foreign tax credits, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

  • How Loper Bright Is Affecting Pending FCC Litigation

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    Pending challenges against Federal Communications Commission orders at the Sixth and Eleventh Circuits following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright highlight that counsel must be familiar with the statutes, regulations and precedent relevant to the FCC to best navigate the rapidly changing compliance landscape, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • What PCOAB's Broadened Liability Rule Means For Auditors

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent vote agreeing to lower the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's liability standard, allowing the board to charge individual auditors whose mere negligence leads firms into PCOAB violations, may erode inspection cooperation, shrink the talent pool and have anticompetitive outcomes, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • USPTO Guidance Suggests 2 Strategies For AI Inventions

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    Analyzing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent guidance, it appears that there are at least two paths for establishing that an artificial intelligence invention is eligible for protection, and that which strategy to use may turn on how broadly the invention is applied, says William Morriss at Frost Brown.

  • Employer Tips For PUMP Act Compliance As Law Turns 2

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    Enacted in December 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for employees to express breast milk, but some companies may still be struggling with how to comply, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 4 Takeaways From The FDIC's Proposed Recordkeeping Rule

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new proposed rule would impose recordkeeping and other compliance requirements on custodial deposit accounts with transactional features, and practitioners should be aware of four important factors, including who is affected and who is exempt, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • Navigating Restrictions Following Biotech Bill House Passage

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    Ahead of the BIOSECURE Act’s potential enactment, companies that obtain equipment from certain Chinese biotechnology companies should consider whether the act would restrict their ability to enter into contracts with the U.S. government and what steps they might take in response, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

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