Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
Trump Admin. Terminates Several Agreements to Protect Transgender Students
The U.S. Department of Education has terminated five civil‑rights agreements that previously required school districts and a college to protect transgender students under Title IX. Those settlements, reached during the Obama and Biden eras, extended anti‑discrimination safeguards to gender identity and created a predictable compliance framework. The Trump administration framed the move as a correction to a “radical transgender agenda,” ending its enforcement role and leaving schools to follow state‑level rules. The affected districts span Delaware, Washington, Pennsylvania and California, along with Taft College.
Kansas Law Trims Requirements for Nursing Instructors
Kansas Senate Bill 334, now law without Governor Laura Kelly's signature, eliminates the requirement that nursing faculty hold a credential one level higher than the program they teach. The change targets the chronic shortage of nursing educators by allowing instructors...
ICAO Council Condemns Iran for Unlawful Airspace Violations Affecting Civil Aviation Safety
On 31 March 2026 the ICAO Council formally condemned Iran for breaching the territorial airspace of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The council highlighted Iran’s use of unmanned aircraft systems for military strikes...
Florida Virtual School Taps Texas Voucher Program via Loophole
Florida’s NFC Academy, a K‑12 Christian virtual school, was approved by the Texas Comptroller on March 13 to participate in the state’s $1 billion Education Freedom voucher program. The school entered as a “private school acting as a vendor,” exploiting a...
3 Carriers and Kroger Blocked Hiring of Ex-Quickway Drivers: Lawsuit
Three former Quickway Transportation drivers have filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Ohio against Kroger and three major carriers—Swift, U.S. Xpress and Werner—alleging they were instructed not to hire former Quickway employees. The plaintiffs claim the carriers acted...
Kenya Dispatch: High Court Suspends Automated Traffic Fines System, Testing Due Process Rights
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority launched an AI‑driven Instant Fines Traffic Management System on March 9, issuing automated penalties of KSh 500–10,000 ($3–$67) via SMS. Within days, civil‑society groups filed a petition alleging the system breaches constitutional rights to fair trial...
Dr. Oz Says 221 Hospice Providers Were Suspended in Los Angeles. How Did It Get This Bad?
Dr. Mehmet Oz highlighted that 221 hospice providers have been suspended in the Los Angeles area, underscoring an unprecedented scale of abuse. Federal and state officials, including the California Attorney General, announced arrests and a coordinated crackdown on the alleged...
Does QSBS Avoid Washington’s New 9.9% Income Tax? (Yes — For Now)
Washington’s ESSB 6346, effective 2028, imposes a 9.9% income tax on household AGI above $1 million. Because Section 1202 excludes qualifying small‑business stock gains from federal gross income, those gains never enter AGI and thus escape the state tax. The article illustrates...
FTC Shifts to Divestiture‑First, Settlement‑Driven M&A Policy
On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission published its 5-year strategic plan under Chair Andrew Ferguson The most notable change is the FTC's strategy to reasonably regulate M&A from an antitrust perspective, highlighting their new policy to "prioritize divestitures" and "engage in...
The Tortoise and Pam Bondi with Anna Bower
In this chaotic episode of Dog Shirt TV, host Dan (presumably) chats with guest Anna Bauer about the bizarre saga of Jonathan, the world’s oldest giant tortoise from St. Helena. They recount how Jonathan was falsely reported dead in an April‑Fool’s...
Mesa County Clerk Sentence Violated First Amendment by Relying on "Her Protected Speech Regarding Allegations of Election Fraud"
Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was convicted of multiple felonies for using a security badge to grant a Mike Lindell associate access to Dominion voting equipment. The Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction but ruled that the trial court’s...
UK Government Confirms Commitment to Introduce Mandatory Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gap Reporting for Large Employers
The UK government will make ethnicity and disability pay‑gap reporting mandatory for large employers (250+ staff) from 2027, extending the existing gender‑pay framework. Employers must publish the same six calculations, use identical snapshot dates, and file through the current online...
Stablecoins Lack Reversibility, yet Can Be Frozen and Seized
"With stablecoins, we may not have reversibility, but we have freeze and seize." -- @perkinscr97 https://t.co/VNSrIijPwz
With TRO Hearing Tuesday, DirecTV Chimes In On TEGNA Sale
DirecTV has filed a 15‑page petition in Sacramento federal court requesting a modification of the order that currently blocks Nexstar Media Group from fully integrating the assets it acquired from TEGNA. The request, signed by at least twelve attorneys, aims...
FCC Can Ensure Market Reciprocity Amid EU Draft Concerns
Commercial space to @FCC: Calm down. Draft @defis_eu #SpaceAct & #DigitalNetworksAct have issues, but they'll wash out & FCC already has power to assure market reciprocity. @SpaceX @EutelsatGroup @SESSpaceDefense @leaf_space @MyriotaGlobal @Viasat.https://t.co/Q69bFtNufa https://t.co/d9hjU9GOmL
Judge Grants Bond for Man Acquitted of Jam Master Jay Murder, Issues Warning: ‘I Don’t Play’
A federal judge granted a $1 billion bond for Karl Jordan Jr., the man whose 2024 murder conviction for hip‑hop legend Jam Master Jay was overturned after the court found the government failed to prove a drug‑related motive. The ruling leaves...
Waffle House Not Liable for Worker Stabbing Customer in Face, 11th Circuit Says
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that Waffle House is not liable for a Florida employee who stabbed a customer after leaving his shift. The court held the stabbing was not reasonably foreseeable and occurred outside the scope...
Nike Can Appeal Court Ruling on Flyknit Patent Claims Against Lululemon — But Will It?
A Manhattan federal judge declared Nike’s Flyknit utility patents obvious, overturning a March 2025 jury verdict that had awarded the company a $355,450 fine against Lululemon. The ruling nullifies the damages and gives Nike a 30‑day window to file an...
US Bankruptcy Filings Jump 14% in Q1 2026 as Debt Burdens Deepen
Total U.S. bankruptcy filings surged 14% year‑over‑year to 150,009 in the first quarter of 2026, with consumer Chapter 7 cases up 17% and small‑business Subchapter V elections jumping 67%. Analysts link the spike to lingering inflation, high interest rates and growing consumer...
OpenAI Asks California, Delaware to Investigate Musk's 'Anti-Competitive Behavior' Ahead of April Trial
OpenAI has sent letters to the attorneys general of California and Delaware urging investigations into alleged anti‑competitive behavior by Elon Musk and his associates. The company’s strategy chief, Jason Kwon, claims Musk is coordinating attacks with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg to...
STAT+: Pharma Companies and Patient Groups Seek to Exempt Orphan Drugs From Colorado Pricing Limits
Colorado lawmakers are advancing a second bill in two years that would carve out orphan drugs—medicines for rare diseases—from any price caps imposed by the state Prescription Drug Affordability Board. The board, created to curb soaring prescription costs, could otherwise...
Chapter of the Day: Recognition of Foreign Judgments and Arbitral Awards
MCLE has released the fourth edition of *Federal Civil Litigation in the First Circuit*, edited by Francis D. Dibble Jr. The volume adds a new chapter on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. The chapter draws...
Former ADM CFO Denies SEC’s Accounting Fraud Allegations
Archer‑Daniels‑Midland (ADM) settled SEC charges in January, paying a $40 million civil penalty for inflating its nutrition segment performance. The SEC’s complaint alleges former CFO Vikram Luthar directed retroactive intersegment sales adjustments to shift profit and meet fiscal‑2021/2022 targets. In a...
Trump Team Calls Iran Power Plants ‘Legitimate Military Targets,’ Law Prof Calls That Theory ‘Idiocy’
The Trump administration’s senior advisers argued that Iran’s power plants qualify as legitimate military targets, claiming that their destruction could spark civil unrest and impede Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. NYU law professor Ryan Goodman dismissed the argument as legally unfounded, labeling...
Banks, Crypto Firms Optimistic on Stablecoin Compromise
CLARITY ACT UPDATE: Industry sources say banks and crypto reps reviewed the new stablecoin compromise and are hopeful a workable deal has been reached Source: Crypto in America https://t.co/DyIBLI9qjS
Stopping for a Carnegie Librarie
The Carnegie Corporation of New York recently mailed $10,000 checks to roughly 1,500 historic Carnegie libraries, a surprise outreach that underscores the organization’s renewed commitment to the institutions Andrew Carnegie built a century ago. President Dame Louise Richardson framed the...
AI Redefines Compliance: Leaders Must Adapt Now
#AI Has Changed The Rules Of Compliance. Are Your Leaders Ready? by Krishnaveni Palanivelu @Forbes Learn more: https://t.co/9puQaFJXp3 #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ML https://t.co/rIGzgiNevM
Apple Will Again Appeal to the Supreme Court in Battle with Epic Games
Apple has filed a petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower‑court ruling that could limit the commissions it charges developers who use third‑party payment systems. The request follows a prior appeal—rejected by the Court—over Apple’s obligation to...
Texas AG Probes Residential Solar Sales Practices
Texas attorney general launches investigation into residential solar sales practices #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/xIMAuvvih3
Court Strikes HRSA 340B Policy Restricting Initial Hospital Drug Purchases Through GPOs
On March 31, a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. vacated the Health Resources and Services Administration’s 2013 rule that barred disproportionate‑share hospitals from making initial outpatient drug purchases through both the 340B Drug Pricing Program and a group purchasing...
Too Little, Too Late: GAO Dismisses Z SofTech’s SEWP VI Protest
The Government Accountability Office dismissed Z SofTech Solutions' protest against NASA’s decision to remove the firm from the SEWP VI competition. NASA had already rejected the company in July for failing to meet past‑performance requirements, and Z SofTech’s agency‑level protest was dismissed as...
Texas Attorney General Launches Investigation Into Residential Solar Sales Practices
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened a formal investigation into residential solar sales practices after more than 100 consumer complaints. Civil investigative demands were issued to Freedom Forever, Sunrun, Lone Star Solar Services and CAM Solar, alleging violations of...
B.C. Moves to Speed up Employment Standards Complaints
British Columbia is introducing amendments to the Employment Standards Act and the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act aimed at accelerating the resolution of workplace complaints. The changes require employers to deposit the amount owed before filing an appeal, make early‑resolution...
Relive Nintendo's Wild Donkey Kong Court Case From 1983
Nintendo’s 1983 Universal vs. Nintendo lawsuit documents have been released as a complete archive, courtesy of Gaming Historian’s final YouTube upload. The trove includes design sketches, deposition transcripts of Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, and courtroom evidence that proved Donkey Kong...
New Mexico’s Meta Ruling and Encryption
A New Mexico judge ruled that Meta’s 2023 addition of end‑to‑end encryption to Facebook Messenger created liability because predators could use the shielded platform to groom minors. The state is seeking court‑mandated changes that could force Meta to weaken or...
DeSantis Signs Florida Law to Label Groups as Terrorists and Expel Student Supporters
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a Florida law that lets the state label organizations as domestic or foreign terrorist groups and expel university students who support them. A senior Florida Department of Law Enforcement official initiates the designation, which must be...
Crafting Effective KYC Policies: A Manager’s Guide
Effective Know‑Your‑Customer (KYC) policies are now a non‑negotiable safeguard against fraud, money laundering, and reputational damage. By systematically gathering and analyzing client data, firms can spot high‑risk behaviors early and act decisively. Continuous monitoring, regular staff training, and the integration...
A Default Judgment Should Be Entered in the Case, Says Court: EDiscovery Case Law
A Texas magistrate judge recommended a default judgment against Alyssa Trinidad for intentional destruction of electronically stored information in a trademark infringement case. The court found that Trinidad repeatedly deleted messages despite a clear preservation order, constituting intentional spoliation under...
U.S. Financial Regulatory Week Ahead
SEC Chair Paul Atkins will unveil a proposal this April to let public companies file semi‑annual instead of quarterly reports, a move that has drawn opposition from major asset managers such as BlackRock and Fidelity. Meanwhile, House Financial Services Chair...
Supreme Court Clears Path to Overturn Conviction of Ex-Trump Aide Steve Bannon
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an unsigned order that vacated the appellate ruling upholding Steve Bannon’s conviction for defying a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6 attack, and sent the case back to the trial judge. Bannon, who served four...
California AG Files Lawsuit Against Individuals and Charities for Allegedly Operating and Profiting From Fraudulent Fundraising Opportunities
The California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit on March 26, 2026 against six individuals and three sham charities that allegedly raised about $3.8 million through youth softball fundraisers at San Diego stadiums and diverted the proceeds for personal use....
Liberating the Department of Homeland Security From the Democrat-Caused Shutdown (Trump EO Tracker)
President Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to reallocate existing funds so that all DHS employees receive pay and benefits despite the ongoing government shutdown. The order frames the shutdown as a Democratic‑caused emergency that...
Preferred and Structured Equity in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: Key Opportunities and Issues for Investors
Preferred and structured equity are gaining traction in Gulf private‑equity deals, but the legal environment differs sharply across jurisdictions. The DIFC and ADGM, governed by English common law, allow sophisticated instruments such as convertible and redeemable shares with familiar protections....
Oversight of Digital Forensics and eDiscovery and Governance Structure
Effective digital forensics and eDiscovery require a robust governance framework anchored by the board of directors. Senior executives such as the CISO, CRO, CTO, and compliance officers form committees that set policies, oversee audits, and manage financial crime investigations. In...
Borrower Defense to Repayment Guidance Issued by U.S. Department of Education Prompts Strategic Considerations for Higher Education Institutions
The U.S. Department of Education issued an electronic announcement on March 30, 2026 clarifying its borrower defense to repayment (BDR) process. The guidance confirms that current BDR claims are unrelated to the 2022 Sweet settlement and will be adjudicated based...
Proposed FDA Budget Sets Makary up to Boost US Biotech
The White House’s FY budget proposes a sizable increase for the FDA, positioning Dr. Robert Makary to spearhead regulatory reforms aimed at accelerating U.S. biotech development. The plan includes policy changes that would shorten clinical‑trial timelines, lower fees for early‑stage...
Athens, Ohio, Claws Back Half of $700,000+ Phished Away in Cyber Fraud
City of Athens, Ohio, recovered more than half of the $722,000 lost to a phishing scheme that mimicked a Pepper Construction invoice. The fraud exploited a simple typo—swapping “U” and “C” in the contractor’s email address—to divert payment to a...
White House Budget Bans COVID Air Travel Mask Mandates — Four Years After They Already Ended
The White House’s FY2027 budget proposal for the Department of Transportation includes a provision that bars any federal funds from being used to enforce COVID‑19 mask mandates on aircraft. The federal mask requirement, which was struck down by a judge...
Drake Appeal in ‘Not Like Us’ Case Slammed by Legal Scholars: ‘It Is Dangerous’
Drake is appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy‑winning diss track “Not Like Us.” The track labeled Drake a “certified pedophile,” prompting Drake to claim UMG spread false, harmful narratives. Yale...
Role of TBML Reporting Officer or TBMLRO
The Trade‑Based Money Laundering Reporting Officer (TBMLRO) is a senior compliance role tasked with designing and enforcing controls that detect and prevent illicit trade transactions within financial institutions. The officer ensures rigorous customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence for high‑risk...