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
Proposal Will Require Federal Grant Recipients to Certify DEI Compliance Requirements to Register with System for Award Management
The federal government proposes adding new certifications to the System for Award Management (SAM) registration, forcing grant recipients to attest compliance with antidiscrimination laws and to certify they will not recruit illegal aliens or fund terrorism. The change expands the existing “Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations” to include explicit DEI compliance language drawn from prior Trump‑Era guidance. Entities that provide false information could face criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. §1001 and civil liability under the False Claims Act. The proposal reflects a broader administration push to tie federal funding to strict DEI and security standards.
'The Wall Street Journal' Trumps Trump In Defamation Case-Pending Appeal
A federal judge dismissed former President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, finding no evidence of actual malice in the paper’s reporting on a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s media arm, Trump Media & Technology Group,...
NAB Makes Its Case to Gomez Advisors
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) met with Commissioner Anna Gomez’s staff on April 9 to argue for eliminating FCC market caps on radio ownership. NAB highlighted that AM/FM’s share of listening time has dropped to 32%—a 40% decline since 2014—and...
Incoming From Delaware: Unclaimed Property VDA Program Invitation Notices Have Been Sent Out
On April 10, 2026 the Delaware Secretary of State mailed Voluntary Disclosure Agreement (VDA) invitation notices to businesses identified as potentially non‑compliant with the state’s unclaimed‑property law. Holders have a strict 90‑day window to enroll; failure triggers a referral to the Department...
EXCLUSIVE: Alberta to Ban Vapes if New Bill From UCP MLA Passes
Alberta United Conservative Party MLA Chelsae Petrovic has tabled Bill 208, the Vaping Reduction Act, which would prohibit single‑use vaping products across the province. The proposal arrives amid Health Canada data showing that roughly one‑fifth of Canadians who quit smoking...
GOP Lawmaker Threatens Lawsuit Over NY Voter Rolls
An election-denying Republican member of Congress is targeting New York’s voter registration process — demanding records and threatening legal action over familiar, unproven narratives about voter fraud. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/election-denying-gop-lawmaker-anti-voting-group-target-new-yorks-voter-registration-system/
NZXT Agrees to Let Customers Keep Their Rental PCs in Class-Action Settlement
NZXT and its billing partner Fragile have agreed to a $3.45 million settlement to resolve a class‑action lawsuit over the Flex PC rental program. The deal covers 19,322 customers and includes a cash fund, a $923,117 debt‑forgiveness pool, and the option...
SEC Grants DeFi Frontends Temporary Safe Harbor
The SEC just gave DeFi frontends a meaningful signal: if you're not custodying assets or executing orders, we won't come after you. Most detailed safe harbor yet. But it's not a rule, it expires in 5 years, next administration can...
Why Has Marijuana Not Been Rescheduled? The Answer Is Obvious, Kinda
President Trump issued an executive order to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, yet the Department of Justice has not finalized the rule after more than three months. A senior Trump adviser and GOP operative Roger Stone has publicly urged...
BIS Imposes $1.6 Million Civil Penalty in Enforcement Action Involving Unlicensed Exports to Entity List Parties
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed a $1.6 million civil penalty on Solventum Corporation for exporting EAR99 liquid‑cel membrane contactors to Entity List firms without the required licenses. The violations involved shipments to Semiconductor Manufacturing...
Trump Media Company Drops Lawsuit Against the Guardian
Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) has voluntarily dismissed its defamation lawsuit against The Guardian and two other defendants. The claim stemmed from a March 2023 Guardian report that federal prosecutors were probing $8 million in payments TMTG received from entities...
CFPB Hiring Litigation Attorneys While Cutting Enforcement
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced new attorney‑advisor positions in its Office of Litigation, offering salaries up to $255,000. At the same time, the agency’s reduction‑in‑force plan seeks to cut 620 employees, shrinking the workforce by about 53 percent. Enforcement...
The Outlook for the Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Landscape
In this episode of The Decision Advantage, senior analyst Beth Seeger breaks down the 2026 Legal, Regulatory and Compliance (LRC) outlook, focusing on how President Trump's second‑term agenda is deepening federal‑state and international regulatory divergence, especially around tariffs. She explains...
When the President Sues the Press for $10 Billion and Loses Before the Ink Dries
President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a story linking him to a Jeffrey Epstein birthday album. A federal judge in Florida dismissed the case, finding Trump failed to meet the high "actual...
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Address Revised Merger Application at NEARS
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern plan to file a revised $85 billion merger application with the Surface Transportation Board by April 30, after the Board rejected their initial filing for lacking required data. The companies highlighted a $2.1 billion integration budget aimed at...
Iran War; US-China; Xi Meets KMT Chair; Li on the Economy; Countering Unlawful Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Measures
China has expressed strong displeasure over the United States’ blockade of Iranian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, warning that a prolonged restriction could exacerbate stress on its own economy as many of those ships carry Chinese cargo. The Crown...
Banks Follow the Money to Cut Off Illicit Tobacco After Crackdown Call
Australian regulators have pressed the country’s major banks to clamp down on illicit tobacco financing, prompting a wave of suspicious‑activity reports and customer exits. AUSTRAC logged 337 tobacco‑related SARs using a new reference code and referred 76 cases to law‑enforcement,...
AI Powers 52% of Chicago Rentals, Triggering Regulatory Scrutiny and Faster Vacancy Turnover
AI-driven pricing and tenant‑screening platforms now power more than half of Chicago’s rental listings, driving vacancy rates down to 4.2% and prompting state legislators to introduce oversight bills. The surge reflects a $2.1 billion Q1 venture‑capital influx into Midwest proptech, but...
Commvault Launches AI‑driven Security Suite to Protect Legal Data Workflows
Commvault Systems unveiled three AI‑powered features—Data Activate, AI Protect and AI Studio—to secure agentic workflows and privileged data. The tools let legal departments classify, govern and recover AI‑driven datasets, tackling the compliance concerns that 60% of AI leaders cite as...
FCC Waiver Rule May Keep 71% of US Households Stuck with Outdated ISP Routers
The FCC’s new waiver requirement for non‑U.S.‑made routers could trap the 71% of American households that receive equipment from ISPs, leaving them with aging, less secure hardware. Analysts warn the rule may delay adoption of newer Wi‑Fi standards while the...
Virginia Enacts First AI Governance Law Creating Independent Verification Organizations
Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB 384/HB 797, making Virginia the first state to establish an Independent Verification Organization (IVO) framework for AI. The bipartisan legislation cleared the House 84-14 and the Senate 40-0, signaling strong political consensus on new AI...
Nevada Man Sues Reno Over AI Facial‑Recognition Arrest, Citing Systemic Misuse
Jason Killinger, a Nevada resident, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Reno after an AI facial‑recognition camera mistakenly identified him as a banned casino patron, resulting in a 12‑hour detention. The suit adds the city as a defendant,...
Driver Charged After Fatal Ohio Crash Killing Family
"During his court hearing, Ngom was given a $50,000 cash surety bond and was ordered to not drive. State prosecutors said they anticipate more charges to be filed. Ngom has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 21 at 3 p.m....
DOJ Is Using A Grand Jury To Force Reddit To Unmask An Anonymous User
The Department of Justice is leveraging a grand jury to compel Reddit to disclose the identity of an anonymous user targeted by ICE. The initial ICE subpoena, mistakenly based on the 1930 Smoot‑Hawley Tariff Act, sought personal data for a...
ChatGPT and Claude Roll Out Enterprise Dashboards with Usage Controls
OpenAI and Anthropic have introduced enterprise‑grade plans for ChatGPT and Claude that embed administrative dashboards, role‑based access, audit logs and spend‑limit tools. The move responds to a 97% survey finding that most firms will run generative AI at scale by...
UAE CMA Unveils Comprehensive Virtual Assets Framework, Expanding Regulated Activities to Eight
The United Arab Emirates' Capital Market Authority (CMA) released a new regulatory framework for virtual assets, introducing five core modules and widening the scope of regulated activities from three to eight. The move aims to provide a clear licensing and...
IRS Warns Preparers About Misappropriating Refunds
The IRS Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) issued a reminder that tax preparers may not endorse or negotiate federal refund checks, as prohibited by Circular 230 Section 10.31. The guidance targets the common practice of splitting refunds with unbanked or cash‑strapped clients,...
FDA Reminds More Than 2,200 Sponsors and Researchers to Disclose Trial Results
The FDA has sent reminders to more than 2,200 medical‑product companies and researchers, covering over 3,000 registered trials, to file required results on ClinicalTrials.gov. An internal analysis shows that 29.6% of studies likely subject to mandatory reporting still have no...
Meta Is Warned That Facial Recognition Glasses Will Arm Sexual Predators
Meta plans to embed a facial‑recognition feature called “Name Tag” in its Ray‑Ban and Oakley smart glasses, allowing wearers to pull up information on anyone they see. The technology could identify people the wearer is connected to or any public...
From Competence to Judgment: How AI Compresses Litigation Work and Why That Makes Judgment More Important
Artificial intelligence is rapidly compressing litigation workflows, turning labor‑intensive tasks like document review, chronology building, and issue identification into algorithmic processes. This shift reduces the advantage of sheer scale, allowing small, disciplined teams to achieve analytical results that previously required...
One Battle After Another: Broad Institute Wins at PTAB in CRISPR Dispute
On March 26, 2026 the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled that the Broad Institute, not the University of California‑Vienna team led by Emmanuelle Charpentier, was the first to invent a CRISPR‑Cas9 system that works in eukaryotic cells. The board found CVC’s lab...
IDenfy Integrates Reusable Digital IDs to Help Businesses Avoid Onboarding Fails
iDenfy has launched a reusable digital ID (eIDV) workflow that lets users complete KYC verification with electronic IDs instead of physical documents. The platform now supports more than 60 digital ID types, including Sweden’s BankID and the UK’s OneID. Since...
NAR Closes the Other Loop
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) agreed to a $52.25 million settlement to resolve the Tuccori buyer‑side class action, which alleges homebuyers indirectly funded buyer‑agent commissions through inflated prices. The deal, unlike the earlier $418 million seller‑side Sitzer‑Burnett settlement, is opt‑in and...
Trans Worker Fired for ‘Bringing Morale Down’ Can Proceed with Case, Court Says
An Alabama district court denied Federal Injury Center of Birmingham’s motion to dismiss a transgender employee’s discrimination lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed. The plaintiff, a physical therapist assistant, disclosed her transgender status and was terminated within a week for...
HYBE Moves to Crack Down on Bootleg BTS Merch Ahead of US Tour Dates
HYBE, the parent of BTS, filed a federal lawsuit in Florida to obtain a temporary restraining order and seizure authority against unnamed bootleggers selling counterfeit BTS merchandise around the group’s U.S. tour dates. The complaint targets T‑shirts, posters and other...
Google Faces Mass Arbitration by Advertisers Seeking Billions
Google’s advertising arm is confronting a wave of mass arbitration claims as advertisers allege the company’s search‑ad platform operates as an illegal monopoly. The lawsuits follow 2024 antitrust rulings that declared Google’s ad‑tech business anti‑competitive. Contracts with Google require mandatory...
FDA Regulation and Quality Considerations for Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Compounds
The FDA issued final guidance titled “Cannabis and Cannabis‑Derived Compounds: Quality Considerations for Clinical Research,” clarifying how sponsors can use both hemp and cannabis with THC levels above 0.3% in human drug trials. The guidance outlines source options—including the NIDA...
Twitch Adds Advertiser Data‑sharing Clause to Streamer Agreement
Twitch has updated the Monetized Streamer Agreement to include new language on how it shares user data with Advertisers.
Seeking Objective Breakdown of AB 2624 and Its Influences
.@grok please explain AB 2624 objectively; as well as who proposed it and their base of donors and the impact that might have
![[Guest Post] Oh My Influencer! Italian Rules on Influencer Marketing](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbukFTTXZ_lirnKeLQfYtdXLaQZwhq_ApfkRJlwRPzhvz75qNO61xIradk9HnPM2b9JLlvzzBGVScNdmC9KikjhE8zW_bXySI092agCrhiE1pOTyNmXq90sjPZ9zhL6iPwCg5pwjL60VdcBhmazaYo1NZZyzwkAE1koRxcdp3d6jbGwnXZX8JCg/s72-c/Screenshot%202026-04-13%20at%2021.27.09.png)
[Guest Post] Oh My Influencer! Italian Rules on Influencer Marketing
Italy has formalized influencer marketing under a multi‑layered legal regime. Effective July 24 2025, AGCOM’s Regulation No. 197/25/CONS classifies qualifying influencers as audiovisual media services, invoking the TUSMA framework. The rules demand explicit commercial disclosures, protection of minors, and strict respect for trademark...
FMCSA Instability: 12 Administrators Since 2020
For those wondering why the FMCSA has been ineffective, just look at this list. They have changed acting administrators 12 times since 2020 and 8 times since 2024 https://t.co/cCRMOoSqoP
Wealth Taxes Replace Estate Taxes—Use Proper Gift/Estate System
Wealth taxes are stupid because they're replacing estate taxes. Just have a gift/estate tax schema that works you lazy asses.
Bond Attorney Patricia Eichar Jumps to Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth
Patricia "Trish" Eichar, a longtime public‑finance partner at Orrick, will join Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth as a partner on April 15. The move positions her in Sacramento, where she will focus on California state and local government bond work,...
Delaware Chancery Court Allows One Woman to Hijack Companies
⚖️ DE Chancery Court I am mad. Mad that one woman can hold a company hostage for so many years. And here is my warning to Companies incorporated in Delaware, to fund managers and financial analysts. And to Delaware's Governor @MattMeyerDE, who missed a...
World Liberty Investor Justin Sun Claims Trump Crypto Venture Secretly Installed Tool to Freeze User Holdings
Investor Justin Sun accused Trump‑linked World Liberty Financial of embedding a hidden "backdoor blacklisting function" that can freeze WLFI token holdings. Sun, who has invested at least $75 million in the token, says his holdings were frozen in September, but provides...
UK Public Mostly Happy with ‘Age Verification’ Laws, Campaigners Less So
A YouGov poll conducted eight months after the UK Online Safety Act shows 75% of Britons still support age‑verification for adult or harmful‑content sites, though only 31% think the checks will actually stop children from accessing pornography. Campaign group Big...
![[Podcast] The Great Patent Pivot: How Recent USPTO Policy Shifts Made Challenging Patents Harder – and Enforcing Them Easier](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://jdsupra-static.s3.amazonaws.com/profile-images/og.14750_4752.jpg)
[Podcast] The Great Patent Pivot: How Recent USPTO Policy Shifts Made Challenging Patents Harder – and Enforcing Them Easier
The USPTO rolled out sweeping policy reforms in 2025 that make post‑grant challenges harder while giving patent owners stronger enforcement tools. Higher filing fees, stricter standing requirements, and tighter claim‑construction standards raise the cost and risk of contesting patents. At...
GCs See Merits of Data-Driven Outside Counsel Selection but Also Its Limitations
General counsel leaders are increasingly turning to data‑driven tools to choose outside law firms, praising cost transparency and performance metrics while acknowledging gaps in data quality and contextual nuance. The trend coincides with heightened political risk, as recent Trump‑era executive...
A Small Character Becomes a Big Win for Creative Freedom in California
The California Court of Appeal reversed a lower‑court ruling in Hara v. Netflix, granting Netflix’s anti‑SLAPP motion and dismissing a right‑of‑publicity claim by drag‑queen performer Vicky Vox. The court held that a fleeting character resembling Vox in the series “Q‑Force”...
States Target Sweeps, Sportsbooks, and Prediction Markets
There are 3 major categories of gaming bills still being discussed in statehouses this legislative season (a non-exhaustive list): - Sweeps bans: MD, MN, OK, TN - Sportsbook restrictions: CO, CT, MA (plus long-shot bills in NJ, NY, OH) - Prediction Market bans:...