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Public Policy
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October 17, 2025
Ex-Official Enforced Fee Deal With Job Threat, Jury Hears
Connecticut school construction director Kosta Diamantis on Friday admitted during cross-examination that he threatened to yank a masonry subcontractor from jobs in Tolland and Hartford if it didn't pay him what he claimed was a legitimate, agreed-upon $70,000 fee for lining up an introduction to a general contractor.
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October 17, 2025
NJ Parents Keep Fighting State Over Storage Of Babies' DNA
Across the U.S., health departments draw small blood samples from newborns' heels to test for metabolic and genetic disorders. After a new mother discovered that New Jersey police had used DNA extracted from such samples in criminal investigations, she signed on as plaintiff in a suit that says parents have a right to refuse these blood draws.
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October 17, 2025
An Unseen Epidemic: Correctional Officers Dying By Suicide
It's not news that there are problems in America's prisons, including mass incarceration and forced labor, but another crisis in those same prisons doesn't always garner the same attention: the number of correctional officers dying by suicide.
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October 17, 2025
Trump Commutes Ex-Rep. Santos' 7-Year Fraud Sentence
President Donald Trump announced on social media Friday that he has commuted the seven-year prison sentence of former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who admitted to falsely inflating fundraising reports to qualify for National Republican Congressional Committee funding during the 2022 election.
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October 17, 2025
Feds Say Immigration Dismissal Policy Suit Now Moot
The Trump administration has urged a New York federal judge to find a lawsuit challenging ICE arrests at courthouses moot since the Executive Office for Immigration Review withdrew a May email at the heart of the litigation.
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October 17, 2025
Texas Readies $1.3B Spending Plan For Broadband Access
Texas, which was originally allocated $3.3 billion under the Biden administration, is about to submit its plans for using the $1.3 billion in federal broadband funding that was eventually awarded after a Trump administration revamp of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
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October 17, 2025
Texas Appeals Court Clears River Authority Of Flood Claim
A Texas appeals court found that the San Jacinto River Authority had governmental immunity when it decided to release water from its Lake Conroe reservoir during a hurricane, saying it took a good faith action even though the decision damaged some properties.
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October 17, 2025
NM Medical Cannabis Co. Tells Tax Court 280E Does Not Apply
A New Mexico medical marijuana company said Friday that a federal policy barring cannabis enterprises from taking ordinary business deductions should not apply, and the company is entitled to a refund for overpayment.
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October 17, 2025
Georgia Justices Affirm Stormwater Charge Is Fee, Not Tax
A stormwater utility charge levied by a local government in Georgia is a fee, not a tax, the state Supreme Court said, upholding a trial court's finding that the charge did not violate the state constitution's uniformity provision on property taxation.
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October 17, 2025
Idaho Asks Justices To Reject Mootness In Trans Ban Case
The state of Idaho has again encouraged the U.S. Supreme Court to proceed with its review of whether the state's ban on transgender women in sports is unconstitutional after a lower court earlier this week rejected the plaintiff's efforts to voluntarily dismiss the suit.
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October 17, 2025
Bolton Pleads Not Guilty To Mishandling Documents
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton pled not guilty to charges that he illegally retained and shared classified national defense information Friday, a day after federal prosecutors unsealed an 18-count indictment against the former appointee of President Donald Trump who has become a critic of his administration since.
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October 17, 2025
Electronic Co. Tells Justices Trump Tariffs Are The Emergency
Emergency tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are creating extraordinary economic threats under a law that was intended to protect U.S. retailers from such harm, a Virginia-based electronics company told the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.
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October 17, 2025
Congressional Dems Push For No Layoffs At Interior And EPA
Democratic lawmakers are demanding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior halt any plans to reduce staff as the federal government shutdown continues into its third week.
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October 17, 2025
Man Arrested In Mistaken ID Case Can Sue, 11th Circ. Says
A Florida police officer cannot escape a lawsuit alleging the officer violated the Fourth Amendment when he entered a home without a warrant and then tasered and arrested the father of a suspect in a case of mistaken identity, the Eleventh Circuit has ruled, while remanding related claims for further review.
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October 17, 2025
Federal Courts To Scale Back Operations Amid Shutdown
The federal court system has run out of money and will scale back operations beginning Monday as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, possibly leading to case delays.
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October 17, 2025
Native Policy Roundup: $128M Protects Tribal, Farm Lands
Despite the U.S. government moving into its third week of a shutdown, state and federal lawmakers continue to introduce — and approve — legislation toward advancing Native American rights and sovereignty. Law360 examines some of the state, federal and tribal legislation and policies introduced in the past week
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October 17, 2025
Lawmakers Press DOD To Undo Weapons Testing Office Cuts
Two Democratic lawmakers pushed the U.S. Department of Defense to explain and reverse funding, staff and program cuts for an independent office that evaluates weapons systems, saying they are concerned the cuts will waste tax dollars and put service members at risk.
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October 17, 2025
Texas Farm Bureau Suit Alleging USDA Discrimination Stayed
A Texas federal judge on Thursday opted to stay the Texas Farm Bureau's suit against the USDA over the agency's alleged preferential treatment of minority farmers while a similar case plays out.
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October 17, 2025
USPTO Head To Take Over Patent Review Institution Decisions
John Squires, director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, said Friday that he will now make all decisions on whether to institute America Invents Act reviews of patents, including on the merits of the challenge and discretionary issues, in a major overhaul of the review system.
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October 17, 2025
NC Justices Say Doctor Can't Appeal Dismissal Denial
The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday denied a doctor and hospital's attempt to reverse an appeals court order upholding the denial of their requests to dismiss a malpractice suit, saying they did not have the right to appeal the denial in the first place.
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October 17, 2025
Industry Calls On Policymakers To Tackle Telecom Vandalism
Growing theft and vandalism of telecom lines can trigger not only immediate costs, but broader economic and social ripple effects from network shutdowns, a wireless infrastructure group warned in a pair of new reports issued to support the group's call for stepped-up law enforcement.
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October 17, 2025
UN Shipping Agency Delays Carbon Price Opposed By US
The United Nations' shipping agency agreed Friday to postpone for one year its plan to introduce a global carbon price, which the U.S. government opposes, having called it a "global carbon tax."
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October 17, 2025
Va. Judge Orders Bond Hearing For Detained Salvadoran
A Virginia federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide a bond hearing before an immigration judge for a Salvadoran man who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained in August, rejecting the government's argument that he is subject to mandatory detention.
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October 17, 2025
9th Circ. Upholds Nigerian's Asylum Denial For Marriage Fraud
An immigration judge reasonably denied a Nigerian man's application for asylum after finding him not credible based on a prior marriage fraud admission, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled.
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October 16, 2025
Proposed New Rules Would Cut Off Many PTAB Challenges
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office proposed rules Thursday that would prevent inter partes reviews challenging patents from being instituted in many scenarios, and attorneys said implementing the plan would significantly reduce challenges and make them far less appealing to accused infringers.
Expert Analysis
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Lessons From 7th Circ.'s Deleted Chat Sanctions Ruling
The Seventh Circuit’s recent decision in Pable v. Chicago Transit Authority, affirming the dismissal of an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, highlights the importance of properly handling the preservation of ephemeral messages and clarifies key sanctions issues, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.
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Adapting To USPTO's Tighter Inter Partes Review Rules
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent pivot regarding how it will address general knowledge in inter partes review petitions presents immediate strategic implications for petitioners, patent owners and litigants watching the contours of Patent Trial and Appeal Board practice, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.
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Opinion
Aviation Watch: Liability Lessons From 737 Max Blowout
The National Transportation Safety Board's recently released report on the 2024 door plug blowout on board a Boeing 737 Max airliner helps illuminate how a company's strategic mistakes can lead to flawed decision-making and supply chain oversight failures, ultimately increasing regulatory and legal exposure, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.
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Genius Act Sets Stablecoin Standards — Without Regulation E
While the Genius Act expressly requires payment stablecoin issuers to be treated as financial institutions for purposes of the Bank Secrecy Act, it is notably silent as to whether they are to be treated as such under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, as implemented by Regulation E, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.
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Breaking Down The Proposed Hemp Bill
A proposed bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, recently approved by the House Appropriations Committee, contains a rider that would significantly change the definition of hemp and dramatically reshape the current hemp-derived product market, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
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Opinion
Sometimes Int'l Competition Should Trump Antitrust Concerns
The U.S. Justice Department's approval of HPE's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks shows that a merger that significantly enhances innovation and competitiveness may serve consumer and national interests despite marginally increasing industry concentration, says John Reeves at Reeves Law.
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Divest Order Shows How Security Fears Extend CFIUS Scope
A recent White House order forcing a Chinese company to divest its 2020 acquisition of a U.S. audiovisual supplier demonstrates the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ growing power to sink foreign transactions over national security concerns — and the enormous risks to U.S. companies from such reviews, say attorneys at Bass Berry.
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Art Market Must Prepare For More AML Scrutiny
Calls for art market regulation continue to grow, as evidenced by a recently introduced bill that would subject it to the Bank Secrecy Act’s anti-money laundering requirements, so participants should consider adopting basic, risk-based controls, says Jane Levine at The ArtRisk Group.
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NY Tax Talk: ALJ Vacancy, Online Sales, Budget
Among the most notable developments in New York tax law last quarter, an administrative law judge vacancy continued affecting taxpayers, a state court decision tested the scope of the Interstate Income Act, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the 2025-2026 fiscal budget containing key tax-related provisions, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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Series
Quilting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Turning intricate patterns of fabric and thread into quilts has taught me that craftsmanship, creative problem-solving and dedication to incremental progress are essential to creating something lasting that will help another person — just like in law, says Veronica McMillan at Kramon & Graham.
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Lessons Learned 3 Years After First CCPA Enforcement Action
Three years after the first public enforcement action under the California Consumer Privacy Act, Attorney General Rob Bonta has pursued a steady stream of enforcement actions across industries, providing a clearer picture of how the law is being interpreted and enforced, says Tatum Andres at Kilpatrick.
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Utility Agency Suits May Rise As Calif. Justices Nix Deference
A recent California Supreme Court ruling rejecting the uniquely deferential standard of review accorded to California Public Utilities Commission decisions interpreting the Public Utilities Code will incentivize more litigation against the agency, as long as litigants can show their challenges meet certain requirements, says Thaila Sundaresan at Davis Wright.
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2 Appellate Rulings Offer Clickwrap Enforcement Road Map
Two recent decisions from the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits in cases involving Experian signal that federal appellate courts are recognizing clickwrap agreements' power in spite of their simplicity, and offer practical advice on how companies can sufficiently demonstrate notice and assent when attempting to enforce contractual terms, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.
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How Tariffs Can Affect Event Studies In Securities Litigation
When the control period is calm and the event window is stormy — often the case with breaking political or economic developments, like President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements — traditional event study methodology can increase the risk of misleading conclusions in securities litigation, say economic consultants at NERA.
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A Look At Robinson-Patman Enforcement In The MLM Industry
The Federal Trade Commission's recent focus on price discrimination in high-profile speeches and litigation suggests a renewed interest around Robinson-Patman Act enforcement, particularly in multilevel marketing, making it an apt time for direct sellers to audit their pricing, say Katrina Eash at Winston & Strawn and Juliet Belling Warren and Branko Jovanovic at Edgeworth Economics.