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Public Policy
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June 27, 2024
Justices Limit SEC's Use Of In-House Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday curtailed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's use of its in-house court system, saying the accused have a right to a jury trial when financial penalties are on the table.
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June 26, 2024
5th Circ. Says SEC Must Reconsider Axing Proxy Regulations
The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday vacated the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to rescind a portion of Trump-era rules requiring proxy advisory firms to notify companies about their advice to investors, ruling that the agency didn't adequately explain the abrupt change.
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June 26, 2024
SEC Crypto Stance May Shift With Election, Rulemaking Suits
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is likely to shift its cryptocurrency posture to some degree if a new chair is installed after the coming presidential election, but firms not content to wait for a change in the guard can consider challenging the agency's rulemaking process, experts said Wednesday.
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June 26, 2024
Menendez Pals 'Generous,' Jeweler Says In Joke-Filled Testimony
A jeweler who helped Sen. Robert Menendez's wife sell gold bars that were supposedly bribes testified Wednesday the codefendants who gave Menendez the bars have always been generous, salting his testimony with so many droll comments that the New York federal judge — who initially bantered back — eventually gave a special instruction reinforcing that the trial is "very serious."
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June 26, 2024
Justices Leave Blurry Line In Place On Misinformation Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Wednesday to reverse a Fifth Circuit order prohibiting the Biden administration from joining with social media platforms to fight misinformation leaves an important First Amendment question unanswered and left Missouri's attorney general promising a continuing fight against what he called a "censorship regime."
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June 26, 2024
Design Patent Attys Wary Of Applicant Disclosure Proposal
Various intellectual property trade groups are expressing some skepticism toward a proposal over the United Nations using a new treaty to force design patent applicants to disclose more details in their applications.
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June 26, 2024
FCC Urged To Prevent Abuse Through High-Tech Cars
Privacy and abuse survivor advocates have outlined ways the Federal Communications Commission could safeguard connected car technology to mitigate domestic and sexual abuse, urging the agency to expand and adapt existing rules to limit abusers from using joint cellphone plans to stalk or harass people to apply to data in vehicles with advanced wireless connectivity.
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June 26, 2024
Justices Chide 5th Circ. In Biden Social Media Case
The Fifth Circuit relied on "clearly erroneous" facts and an overgeneralized view of standing when it ordered the Biden administration to stop working with social media platforms to combat COVID-19 and election misinformation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday as it threw out a challenge to the government's actions.
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June 26, 2024
Calif. Sanctioned $111M In 30-Year Prison Staffing Case
A California federal judge has ordered state officials to hand over more than $111 million for failing to bring prison mental health staffing up to levels set by the court in 2009 in a 30-year-old case, saying Tuesday that "given defendants' contumacy, it is for the court to effect compliance."
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June 26, 2024
State Data Privacy Law Patchwork: Midyear Report
States jumped on the consumer data privacy law bandwagon at a brisk clip in the first half of 2024, although it remains unclear if this push will be enough to encourage Congress to finally enact a nationwide framework this year.
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June 26, 2024
Chamber Backs 9th Circ. Call To Nix SEC's 'Gag Rule'
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among those calling on the Ninth Circuit to overturn a long-standing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission policy that settling parties not be allowed to deny the allegations against them, saying that the so-called gag rule threatens the free speech rights of the accused.
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June 26, 2024
VA Can't 'Short-Circuit' Racial Bias Suit With Appeal, Vet Says
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should not be allowed to challenge a Connecticut federal judge's decision to let a Black Marine Corps veteran proceed with his systemic-discrimination suit against the department because it has not met the standards for lodging an interlocutory appeal, the plaintiffs have argued.
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June 26, 2024
States Say Revised EPA Water Rule Worse Than Original
Two dozen states are seeking a quick win against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and several Native American tribes in their suit challenging a revised rule defining the Clean Water Act's reach, saying it doesn't solve many problems found in the original rule.
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June 26, 2024
FBI Beats Epstein FOIA Case Due To Ghislaine Maxwell Appeal
A New York federal judge handed the FBI a win Tuesday in gossip site Radar Online's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking the government's sex-trafficking investigation records into the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, finding that the documents could affect the ongoing appeal of Epstein's convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.
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June 26, 2024
Artists Drum Up Support For Bill To Pay Music Royalties
Congress needs to protect musical artists' intellectual property rights by requiring radio broadcasters to pay royalties for airing their sound performances, as most other countries do, the recording industry told lawmakers Wednesday.
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June 26, 2024
Bribery Ruling Could Disrupt ComEd Verdict, Madigan Trial
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Wednesday narrowing the federal bribery law long relied upon to curb local corruption is expected to make waves in two prominent Chicago cases, attorneys say, with one likening it to a "nuclear bomb" exploding prosecutors' convictions of a former ComEd executive and lobbyists.
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June 26, 2024
FCC Threatens To Yank Texas AM Station License Over Fees
A Spanish-language Christian radio station is about to have its license snatched away by the Federal Communications Commission if it doesn't do something about its delinquent regulatory fees, according to new proceedings initiated by the agency.
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June 26, 2024
'Tragic History' Can't Rewrite Law In Burial Row, Army Says
The U.S. Army says the nation's "tragic history" of injustices done to children through the Indian Boarding School system does not give a federal district court license to rewrite a law aimed at protecting Indigenous burial sites, arguing that a Nebraska tribe's challenge over the repatriation of two children should be dismissed.
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June 26, 2024
SpaceX Beach Closure Challenge Is 'Illogical,' Texas Says
Texas is asking its high court to review a decision that forces several government entities to face an environmental group's challenge to the closure of a beach for SpaceX activities, writing that the appellate court's adoption of the group's theory of open beach access "clashes" with state law and court precedent.
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June 26, 2024
Texas Moves To Bar DOJ Witness In Rio Grande Barrier Fight
Texas has moved to disqualify one of the Biden administration's witnesses in litigation over the Lone Star state's 1,000-foot barrier in the Rio Grande to keep out migrants, arguing the witness has no relevant or reliable opinions to offer.
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June 26, 2024
FCC To Finalize Funding For School Wi-Fi Hot Spots
The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote in July on final rules to help schools pay for Wi-Fi hot spots, part of a Democratic effort to address off-campus connectivity gaps through federal aid.
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June 26, 2024
Ex-Worker Says NC Justices Needn't Review Carcinogen Test
A former graduate student worker for North Carolina State University has told the Tar Heel State's highest court that the school is trying to delay a potential lawsuit by continuing its fight to keep the ex-employee and cancer patient from investigating a campus building for carcinogens.
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June 26, 2024
NHTSA Declines Calls For 'More Robust' Truck Safety Guards
Roadway safety advocates are chiding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after it rejected requests for stricter requirements on rear impact guards on semitruck trailers, used to protect passenger vehicles that crash into the back of trailers, calling the decision "indefensible."
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June 26, 2024
Unfinished Glycine Factory Supports Evasion, Says US Co.
A U.S. glycine producer urged the U.S. Court of International Trade on Wednesday to affirm the government's renewed finding that importers dodged tariffs, pointing to photographs of an Indonesian factory still under construction while it was allegedly producing exports for the suppliers.
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June 26, 2024
Supreme Court Bribery Ruling Limits Government's 'Arsenal'
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Wednesday limiting the reach of a federal bribery law has removed a "novel" tool that prosecutors employed in a wide range of public corruption cases and could result in fewer prosecutions of state and local officials, experts say.
Expert Analysis
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How Cos. Can Comply With New PFAS Superfund Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous substances" under the Superfund law will likely trigger additional enforcement and litigation at sites across the country — so companies should evaluate any associated reporting obligations and liability risks, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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How EB-5 Regional Centers Can Prepare For USCIS Audits
In response to the recently announced U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services guidelines that require EB-5 regional center audits every five years to verify their compliance with immigration and securities laws, regional centers should take steps to facilitate a seamless audit process, say Jennifer Hermansky and Miriam Thompson at Greenberg Traurig.
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Social Media Free Speech Issues Are Trending At High Court
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision examining what constitutes state action on social media can be viewed in conjunction with oral arguments in two other cases to indicate that the court sees a need for more clarity regarding how social media usage implicates the First Amendment, say attorneys at Kean Miller.
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Opinion
CFPB Could, And Should, Revise Open Banking Rulemaking
In light of continued global developments in open banking, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should evaluate whether it actually should use its proposed rule on Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act to amplify personal financial data rights in the U.S., says Brian Fritzsche at the Consumer Bankers Association.
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How Cos. Can Protect IP In Light Of FTC Noncompete Rule
While several groups are challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s recently approved rule banning noncompetition agreements, employers should begin planning other ways to protect their valuable trade secrets, confidential information and other intellectual property, says Thomas Duston at Marshall Gerstein.
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Understanding The IRC's Excessive Refund Claim Penalty
Taxpayers considering protective refund claims pending resolution of major questions in tax cases like Moore v. U.S., which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, should understand how doing so may also leave them vulnerable to an excessive refund claim penalty under Internal Revenue Code Section 6676, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Why RWI Insurers Should Consider Excluding PFAS
As regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances escalates, carriers providing representations and warranties insurance should reconsider providing PFAS coverage on a case-by-case basis, say Dave Bartoletti and Ina Avalon at Taft Stettinius.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Don't Fall On That Hill: Keys To Testifying Before Congress
Because congressional testimony often comes with political, reputational and financial risks in addition to legal pitfalls, witnesses and their attorneys should take a multifaceted approach to preparation, walking a fine line between legal and business considerations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s spring 2024 consumer compliance supervisory report found that relatively few institutions had significant consumer compliance issues last year, but the common thread among those that did were inadequacies or failures in disclosures to consumers, says Matthew Hanaghan at Nutter.
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Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight
The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched an online portal where the public can report potentially unfair healthcare practices, effectively maximizing enforcers' abilities to police anti-competitive actions that can drive up healthcare costs and chill innovation, say attorneys at Seyfarth.
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What To Expect From The DOL's Final Overtime Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor's final overtime rule dramatically increases the salary threshold for white collar workers to be exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act, so employers should prioritize identifying the potentially affected positions and strategically consider next steps, say Leslie Selig Byrd and Deryck Van Alstyne at Bracewell.
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Data Shows H-2B Wages May Be Skewed High By Sample Size
Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics wage data from April illustrates that smaller sample sizes from less populated areas may be skewing prevailing wages for H-2B visas artificially high, potentially harming businesses that rely on the visa program, says Stephen Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.
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10b-5 Litigation Questions Follow Justices' Macquarie Ruling
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Macquarie v. Moab that pure omissions are not actionable under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b–5(b), creating a slightly higher bar for plaintiffs and setting the stage for further litigation over several issues, say Steve Quinlivan and Sean Colligan at Stinson.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.