Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Biden filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio interview, arguing the release would be improper. The action has sparked political commentary, including remarks from former President Trump.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
US Bill Would Require Warrants for Digital Surveillance, Biometric Searches
The House introduced the Surveillance Accountability Act (H.R. 8470), a bipartisan bill that would require a warrant for virtually all government searches of digital and biometric data, including facial recognition, license‑plate readers, cloud storage, and data‑broker records. The legislation amends Title 18 to treat third‑party data as protected, overturning the longstanding third‑party doctrine unless a warrant is obtained. It also creates a civil cause of action allowing individuals to sue federal employees for Fourth Amendment violations. The proposal arrives alongside Senate efforts to reform Section 702 of FISA, reflecting a broader congressional push to modernize privacy protections.
Paper Manufacturer that Allegedly Fired Worker Who Obtained Protective Order Settles with EEOC
Sofidel America Corp., a U.S. paper manufacturer, agreed to pay $80,000 to settle EEOC claims that it tolerated sexual harassment and retaliated against a 22‑year‑old employee who obtained a protective order. The settlement, part of a three‑year consent decree, requires...
SPLC Tipped Off Feds to Charlottesville Risks and Planned 'Terrorist Attack,' Filings Reveal
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed motions revealing it supplied the FBI with a 45‑page dossier on extremist participants ahead of the 2017 Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally and a tip that neo‑Nazi Conor Climo was planning a major terrorist...
China’s Environmental Contradiction: Regulating PFAS and Microplastics While Expanding Coal Power and Waste Incineration
China’s Environmental and Ecological Code, effective 15 August 2026, introduces a monitoring and control system for PFAS and microplastics, marking the country’s first comprehensive downstream regulation of these persistent pollutants. At the same time, China commissioned 78 GW of new coal‑power capacity in...
CFTC Accused of Aggressive Forum‑shopping Across Districts
The CFTC filed its federal lawsuit vs. Wisconsin in the ED WI even though the 3 removed PM lawsuits are in the WD WI (home of the state capital). It's almost as if the CFTC is forum-shopping to ensure two...
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Argue Over Expert Witnesses as Trial Looms
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are headed to trial next month over a dispute stemming from their 2024 film *It Ends With Us*. At a pre‑trial conference, Lively’s lawyers pushed to admit expert testimony estimating her reputational and economic losses...
Drone Pilot Makes US Rescind No-Fly Zones Around Unmarked, Moving ICE Vehicles
After a series of protests in Minneapolis, the FAA issued a sweeping temporary flight restriction in January 2026 that barred drones from flying within 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet vertically of any moving Department of Homeland Security vehicle, even if unmarked....
The Fiduciary Vacuum: AI Adoption, Trust Law Erosion, and the Governance Gap in Family Enterprise Succession
The article coins the term “fiduciary vacuum” to describe the emerging gap where AI‑driven decision‑making collides with eroding fiduciary duties in U.S. trust law. Surveys show over 80% of single‑family offices plan AI investments within three years and AI usage...
My AI Obsesses Over Elon‑Sam Courtroom Drama
It's always interesting to see what my AI wants to focus on after reading thousands of posts from AI community here three times a day. Right now it is seeping in the courtroom drama between Elon and Sam: https://t.co/8L5xphk0qQ I might...
US Drops Probe Into WhatsApp‑Meta Chat Visibility Claims
The US has abruptly ended its investigation into claims that WhatsApp chats were visible to Meta. https://t.co/f1WXpQz58J
FCC Orders Early Review of Disney’s ABC Licenses Amid Trump-Kimmel Feud / Netflix Renews Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 /...
The Federal Communications Commission has ordered an accelerated review of the eight ABC broadcast licenses owned by Disney, a move that comes amid President Trump’s public feud with late‑night host Jimmy Kimmel. The FCC says the review focuses on ABC’s...
State AGs Question ESG Influence on Credit Downgrades
A group of state attorneys general wrote to the US SEC and major credit-rating firms, raising concerns about the use of environmental, social and governance factors in downgrade decisions https://t.co/YAjBFb3EC0
Is Termination Pay Required? Worker Leaves Before End of Working Notice
An Alberta Labour Relations Board hearing concluded that a worker who gave one‑week notice, failed to return on Monday and emptied his locker had abandoned his job, eliminating the employer’s obligation to provide termination pay. The board overturned a July 31, 2025...
Court Won't Revive Lawsuit Against Meta Over Rohingya Genocide
A three‑judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to revive a class‑action lawsuit that accused Meta’s Facebook platform of fueling the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar. The appellate court dismissed the case on the basis that Section 230 of the...
Vail Resorts Under Investigation by New Hampshire for Charging Sales Tax
Vail Resorts is facing an investigation by New Hampshire after the state learned the company plans to add a sales‑tax surcharge to its multi‑resort Epic and Northeast Value passes. New Hampshire, one of the few U.S. states without a sales...
Alpine to Appeal Latest Defeat in Challenge of FINRA's Constitutionality
Alpine Securities lost a federal court ruling that rejected its constitutional challenge to FINRA, and the firm announced it will appeal the decision to the D.C. Circuit. Judge Beryl Howell emphasized that FINRA is a private self‑regulator whose disciplinary actions...
Commission Opens In-Depth Investigation Into Proposed Joint Venture Between UPM and Sappi
The European Commission has launched a Phase II in‑depth investigation into the proposed joint venture between Finland’s UPM‑Kymmene and South Africa’s Sappi. Both firms are the EU’s largest producers of communication paper, and the merger would create a market leader in...
Fair Scheduling Laws Give Workers Real Protections
Recent fair‑scheduling legislation in New York, California, and Illinois is delivering tangible benefits for low‑wage workers. A landmark $2 million settlement in New York City under the Fair Workweek Law forced a major retailer to back‑pay missed shift notices and provide...
Cannabis Rescheduling: What Does It Mean for Your Intellectual Property
The U.S. Department of Justice has reclassified FDA‑approved and state‑licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, following President Trump’s 2025 executive order. This shift removes the “unlawful use” barrier that previously blocked trademark protection for cannabis‑related...
EPA and HHS Signal a Federal Shift on Microplastics, by Sarah J. Morath
On April 2, 2026 the EPA announced that microplastics will be listed as a priority contaminant group in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List under the Safe Drinking Water Act, while HHS unveiled a $144 million ARPA‑H program (STOMP) to develop...
Supreme Court Case Could Broaden Vascepa Generic Labeling
Vascepa "skinny label" generic case at the Supreme Court. The generic label is only for hypertriglyceridemia, while Vascepa label is much broader. But gets promoted as a generic for Vascepa. Impact might be substantial. https://t.co/xtGWtscXkc
Texas Man Who Ran Cryptocurrency Scam Supposedly Backed by Blue-Chip Art Worth $1bn Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison
Robert Dunlap, a Texas entrepreneur, orchestrated a five‑year cryptocurrency fraud that promised investors a token called “Meta‑1 Coin” allegedly backed by $1 billion in fine art and $44 billion in gold. The scheme attracted nearly 1,000 victims and siphoned more than $20 million, wiping...
T.I. Hits Cinq Music With Lawsuit Over Catalog Deal
Rapper T.I. has filed a lawsuit against Cinq Music, alleging the label breached a 2017 contract that gave him an option to repurchase his recorded‑music masters at a low price. He claims Cinq artificially inflated the buyback price, demanding nearly...
Florida Attorney Who Battled His HOA Is Jailed Over Refusing To Name Disgruntled Neighbors
Florida attorney Bruce Burtoff, who represented two anonymous homeowners in a failed HOA lawsuit, has been held in Orange County jail since March 4 for civil contempt. A court ordered him to disclose the plaintiffs' names, addresses, and phone numbers,...
The GSA AI Clause Clock Is About to Start: What Schedule Holders Must Do Before Refresh 32 Drops
The General Services Administration (GSA) has closed the comment period and confirmed that its proposed AI clause, GSAR 552.239‑7001, will be incorporated into MAS Solicitation Refresh 32. When Refresh 32 is issued, all existing Schedule holders will receive a mass modification and have...
Big Tech Killed California's Anti-Self-Preferencing Bill in a Month
California's BASED Act, aimed at prohibiting self‑preferencing by platforms like Apple and Google, was killed in the state Senate privacy committee after just a month. Major tech firms and trade groups launched a coordinated lobbying blitz, flooding Capitol Hill with...
James Comey Indicted Again
The Justice Department filed a second indictment against former FBI director James Comey, this time alleging that an Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to spell “8647” constitutes a death threat against former President Donald Trump. The DOJ argues the numeric...
New Bill Would Autofill Tax Forms
Rep. Bill Foster (D‑Illinois) introduced the “Autofill Act,” a bill that would let taxpayers download tax forms already filled with data the IRS receives from employers, the Social Security Administration and financial institutions. The pre‑populated forms would be available both...
Taylor Swift Voice Trademarks, T.I. Catalog Lawsuit, D4vd Murder Case & More Top Music Law News
Taylor Swift has filed three trademark applications with the USPTO to protect the spoken phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor” and “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift,” as well as a stage‑image of herself. The filings aim to block AI‑generated deepfakes that could misuse...
Pasadena Clinic Received $34 Million in Medicare Skin Graft Scam, Court Documents Say
Federal prosecutors seized over $2 million from Expert Wound Care, a Pasadena clinic accused of billing Medicare $34 million for skin‑graft procedures that patients never received. The scheme involved 78 beneficiaries, with a single patient billed more than $6 million. Medicare’s spending on...
Capito Bill Tightens FCC Vetting of Broadband Providers
Congress approved the Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025, directing the FCC to vet broadband providers before awarding high‑cost universal service funds. The FCC must issue a rulemaking within 180 days requiring applicants to demonstrate technical, financial and operational capability...
Disney Asserts FCC Record Proves Continued Licensing Qualifications
Disney on FCC licenses: 'We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels....'
FCC Forces ABC to Renew License After Kimmel Joke
Trump’s FCC Orders ABC to File Broadcast TV License Renewals Within 30 Days in Wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania Joke https://t.co/XAtl8VE6ko via @variety
Implant Trade Secrets Are Not Protectable Due to Disclosure in Patents
The Federal Circuit ruled that trade secrets disclosed in patents are unprotectable under the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act, reversing a district court decision in International Medical Devices, Inc. v. Cornell. The court found three of IMD’s alleged secrets “generally...
Nexstar's Antitrust Timing Raises Questions on Power Flex
Not sure why I am not allowed to reply to @brianstelter post, but I think Nexstar/Tegna and Sinclair silence has more to do with pending antitrust case. Is this really the time for Nexstar to flex and demonstrate its power...
AI Can Boost Lawyers, Judges, and Justice Access
if we do AI right, we should have more human lawyers, more human judges and much more access to justice
Florida Fight Continues over Tax Collection for PACE Bonds
The Florida Supreme Court will consider a dispute between the Florida PACE Funding Agency and 42 county tax collectors over whether the collectors must enforce assessments that back $5 billion of authorized PACE bonds. PACE seeks a writ confirming that the...
Students Injured in Brown University Shooting Sue School over Alleged Security Failures
Three injured Brown University students have filed lawsuits alleging the Ivy League school ignored warnings about the shooter and failed to provide adequate security. The Dec. 13 shooting left two students dead and nine wounded, and the plaintiffs claim campus police...
Penn Wins Temporary Court Block on Turning over Jewish Employee Data to EEOC
U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert issued a stay on his earlier order compelling the University of Pennsylvania to provide the EEOC with extensive data on its Jewish employees. The pause gives Penn time to appeal the March ruling that set...
Treasury Warns Banks: Chinese Refineries Buying Iranian Oil Risk Sanctions
US Treasury publishes an "alert," warning banks about the sanctions risks of dealing with independent Chinese oil refineries ('teapot') due to their purchases of Iranian oil. (I have my doubts about the efficiency of the alert, considering yuan-based payment for Iranian...
Musk Testifies He’s Suing OpenAI to Stop Altman’s ‘Looting’
Elon Musk testified that he is suing OpenAI and co‑founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, alleging the company’s pivot from a charitable nonprofit to a for‑profit entity amounts to “stealing a charity.” The lawsuit was presented to a federal jury...
Bear Markets Fuel Drama; Push for Universal Crypto Access
The amount of drama around Bitcoin this week really shows that bear markets play on people's emotions We should be coming together to advocate for the removal of the accredited investor law and work with the CFTC & SEC towards...
FCC Summons Disney for Early License Renewal, Cites Public Interest
FLASH: The FCC is officially calling in Disney's broadcast licenses for early renewal, citing the public interest standard and "the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination."
What Auditors Are Actually Looking For — And the Psychology Behind How They Find It
In a recent interview, Quality Compliance Manager Sneha Saggurthi explains that audit failures often stem from poor logistics and mindset, not weak quality systems. She distinguishes compliance—having the right documents—from audit‑readiness, which requires a coordinated plan, defined roles, and rapid...
Broadcast Law Surge Revives FCC Veterans Like Y2K
I am doing more broadcast law in one day than I have done for the last 15 years. @BrendanCarrFCC is doing for FCC lawyers what Y2K did for programmers. Make old-timers relevant again.
Property Tax Compliance Tops Six Figures Annually for Most Large Enterprises, Avalara Research Finds
Avalara’s new report reveals that property‑tax compliance consumes a massive share of large enterprises’ resources, with 60% of firms logging 81‑160 hours each month and 22% spending between $250,000 and $500,000 annually. Despite this investment, only 3% of respondents have...
Florida Court Denies Comp Immunity for Contractor in Fatal Fall Case
A Florida appeals court affirmed a partial summary judgment against Willis A. Smith Construction, ruling the firm could not claim workers‑compensation immunity in the wrongful‑death suit of subcontractor part‑owner Phillip Scott Keathley. The court held that Willis A. Smith never...
License Renewals Are Tedious, but FCC Revocation Is Rare
And during that entire time, the licensee keeps the license. BUT -- needing to drop everything to do all your license renewals early is a major, expensive time-consuming pain in the butt. And you are under the microscope. You can get...
5 Laws and Standards That Require the US Cut Off Weapons to Israel
A congressional memo from the Institute for Middle East Understanding outlines five U.S. laws and international standards that compel the United States to halt weapons sales to Israel. The memo arrived after a record‑setting effort by 40 senators to block...
Form 990 Revisions Aimed at Cracking Down on Fraud by Tax-Exempt Groups, Treasury and IRS Say
The Treasury Department announced that the IRS will revise Form 990 to tighten reporting on government contracts, grants, and fiscal sponsorships, aiming to expose fraud in tax‑exempt organizations. The "Form 990 transparency initiative" follows a recent IRS whistleblower alert seeking...