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
Myths and Facts About Section 702 Backdoor Searches: A Reply to George Croner
The Brennan Center released a concise "Myths and Facts" brief on Section 702 backdoor searches, directly countering George Croner’s Just Security response. It underscores that regular federal courts—including the Second and Tenth Circuits—have ruled that such searches constitute separate Fourth Amendment events requiring a warrant, contrary to the FISA Court’s position. The Center also argues that the 2024 RISAA reforms are insufficient because FBI reporting remains incomplete and oversight mechanisms have been weakened. Finally, it contends that a warrant requirement would not overwhelm the judiciary and that existing certifications would sustain Section 702 surveillance even if the statute lapses.
Chintels India Ordered to Pay $480K to Gurgaon Flat Buyer After Collapse
Chintels India Private Limited has been ordered by the Haryana real‑estate regulator to pay Rs 4 crore (≈$480,000) to a buyer of a flat in the collapsed Chintels Paradiso tower in Gurgaon’s Sector 109. The decision follows a tragic building failure that killed...
SpaceX Files FCC Complaint Over Amazon Kuiper Altitude Violations
SpaceX has lodged a formal complaint with the FCC accusing Amazon’s Project Kuiper of launching satellites above authorized altitudes, creating unmitigated collision risks for Starlink. The dispute pits the two largest low‑Earth‑orbit broadband operators against each other and could reshape...
CFTC Labels Prediction Markets as Derivatives, Starts Insider‑Trading Crackdown
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced that all prediction‑market platforms will be classified as derivatives and subject to insider‑trading rules beginning April 1, 2026. Enforcement chief David Miller warned that traders using misappropriated information will face federal prosecution, signaling a sweeping...
SEBI Plans Joint Initiative to Strengthen Independent Directors
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced a collaborative initiative to boost the pipeline and effectiveness of independent directors, partnering with corporates, academia, and professional bodies. Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey emphasized that the program will focus on continuous...
Ontario Labour Board Refuses to Reopen Withdrawn Reprisal Case
The Ontario Labour Relations Board denied a former Triple M Metal worker’s request to reopen a withdrawn Section 50 occupational health and safety reprisal claim. The worker alleged a senior HR representative made threatening statements that prompted his June 2025 withdrawal, but the...
Ontario Court Narrows Pizza Nova Driver Class Action
Ontario’s Divisional Court largely upheld the certification of a class action by Pizza Nova delivery drivers who claim they were misclassified as independent contractors, confirming that the employment‑status issue can be tried as a common question. However, the court struck the...
Alberta Ruling Shows How 1 Week's Employment Can Make Big Difference to Termination Pay
Alberta’s Employment Standards Appeals Board affirmed an officer’s order granting a former Landale Signs account manager only two weeks’ termination pay of about $2,020 USD and rejecting his claim for four weeks and unpaid commissions. The decision hinged on a one‑week...
In One Day (Mar. 31), 17 U.S. Court Decisions Noting Suspected AI Hallucinations in Court Filings
On March 31, seventeen U.S. court decisions cited suspected AI hallucinations in submitted filings, according to Damien Charlotin's AI Hallucination Cases Database. The rulings, spanning both federal and state courts, highlight that AI‑generated text can produce inaccurate or fabricated statements...
Walmart Appoints Cox As Chief Legal Officer
Walmart announced that Erin Nealy Cox will become executive vice president of global governance, chief legal officer and corporate secretary on April 13. Cox arrives from Kirkland & Ellis, where she led the Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations practice, and...
A Lawsuit over AI Notetakers Should Be on Every HR Leader’s Radar
A class‑action lawsuit against Otter.ai alleges the AI transcription service recorded meetings without securing consent from all participants and used the data to train its models. The case highlights a clash between federal one‑party consent wiretap rules and the roughly...
Regulators Draw Tight Limits Around Prediction Market Event Contracts
Canadian regulators CSA and CIRO have confined prediction‑market event contracts to a narrow framework, authorizing only two investment dealers to offer them. The approved contracts fall into three categories—economic, environmental and financial indicators—and must have a maturity of at least...
Once‑dominant Toy Chain Gambles on a Quick Sale to Outpace Mounting Claims
Toys “R” Us Canada, under creditor protection since February, has secured court approval to solicit bids for a sale or investment, with a timeline that targets bids in May, a buyer selection in June and a likely closing in July. The...
Supreme Court Shrugs Off Opportunity To Save The First Amendment From The Fifth Circuit’s Antipathy
The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in the case of independent journalist Priscilla Villarreal, who was arrested in Laredo, Texas, after asking police questions about a Border Patrol officer’s suicide. The Fifth Circuit, after multiple reviews, upheld qualified immunity for...
FinCEN, the SEC, and FINRA Assess an $80 Million Penalty Against a Broker-Dealer for Anti-Money Laundering Failures
On March 6, 2026 FinCEN announced an $80 million civil money penalty against broker‑dealer Canaccord Genuity LLC for extensive Bank Secrecy Act violations, the largest BSA fine ever imposed on a broker‑dealer. The SEC and FINRA also imposed $20 million penalties each,...
A Writ Challenging Qui Tam and D&O Implications
Eli Lilly has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to declare the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions unconstitutional, arguing that private relators exercise executive power without presidential oversight. The challenge stems from a $60 million government loss and $600 million revenue gain verdict in...
Posts Such As "Every Ice Gestapo Needs Too Be Shot" May Be Constitutionally Unprotected True Threats
A federal judge in *U.S. v. Murfin* allowed the prosecution of a social‑media user who repeatedly called for ICE agents to be shot, finding the posts to be “true threats” under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c). The court emphasized that intent to act is...
A Japanese Indie Developer Is Seeking Legal Action over Alleged Missing Funds From a Crowdfunding Campaign, Says the Funding Platform...
Japanese indie studio Skeleton Crew Studio, the creator of Shibuya Scramble Stories, raised 55 million yen on the Ubgoe platform. The platform transferred only 27.75 million yen, saying the rest was mistakenly wired to another client. After Ubgoe missed the September 1 deadline and provided...
![[Whitepaper] Chemicals on the Edge: Bringing Danger Outside the Production Floor Into Compliance](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/c0fa029fdac0323d0223564bfeb9a767.webp)
[Whitepaper] Chemicals on the Edge: Bringing Danger Outside the Production Floor Into Compliance
The whitepaper from US Chemical Storage highlights that chemical hazards in food and beverage plants often originate outside the production line, in maintenance shops, labs, utility rooms and storage areas. These peripheral zones house flammables, corrosives, sanitation chemicals and increasingly...
Why Do Employers Demand Notice When They Fire At-Will?
Employers often require employees to give two weeks’ notice, yet under at‑will employment they can dismiss staff instantly. The article explains why immediate terminations are common—protecting morale, preventing sabotage, and managing costly transitions. It also outlines best‑practice recommendations: pay employees...
Supreme Court Rules on ISPs and Copyrights
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Cox Communications, holding that internet service providers are only liable for copyright infringement if they intend their service to be used for that purpose. The decision overturns earlier rulings that found...
219. Drunks, Lampposts, and the Birthright Citizenship Case
The Supreme Court’s recent rulings spotlight a shift toward rigorous First Amendment scrutiny, as seen in the 8‑1 Chiles v. Salazar decision that subjects Colorado’s conversion‑therapy ban to strict scrutiny. Simultaneously, the Court’s handling of the birthright citizenship case has...
Two Data Security Incidents Affected Immigration Law Firms and Their Clients
Immigration case‑management platform DocketWise disclosed a data breach that exposed personal information of 116,666 individuals, including Social Security numbers, passports, medical records, and payment details. The breach stemmed from compromised credentials to a third‑party partner, allowing attackers to clone repositories...
Lawyer Rick Jaffe Is Doing What the Government Won’t Do; Challenge an Insane Court Ruling on Vaccine Policy
On April 4, 2026, attorney Rick Jaffe filed a massive 903‑page appeal challenging Judge Brian Murphy’s injunction that freezes all CDC childhood vaccine schedule changes. The judge ruled that only the agency’s advisory committee could originate policy, effectively paralyzing the CDC’s...
EXCLUSIVE: BLAKE LIVELY URGED TO DROP LAWSUIT — “ENOUGH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE”
Blake Lively’s lawsuit, framed as a stand against digital violence, has been sharply narrowed after a judge dismissed most of her claims. Insiders report that friends, family, and even her partner are urging her to settle, fearing the case now...
Wis. Law Helps Fire Departments Buy Soy-Based, PFAS-Free Foam
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed legislation allowing fire departments to use state grant funding for soybean‑based, PFAS‑free fire‑suppression foam. The law expands the Department of Natural Resources grant program, covering up to 50% of the cost for soy‑derived suppressants and...
Wearables Are Getting Messy. That Is Exactly What Should Be Happening
The wearable tech sector is entering a turbulent phase as lawsuits and patent disputes surge, highlighted by Whoop’s suit against Bevel and Meta’s alleged EMG‑input infringements. Companies are converging on similar biometric data streams, leading to overlapping designs and “trade‑dress”...
Texas Is Using Consumer Protection Law to Police Chinese Supply Chain Ties
In February 2026 the Texas attorney general filed a coordinated series of lawsuits under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act against companies alleged to have Chinese affiliations, accusing them of misrepresenting product origin, concealing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and omitting foreign data‑access...
The AI Future of Law Is Already Here — It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed
Lawyer Zack Shapiro argues that off‑the‑shelf large language models like Claude and ChatGPT now eclipse specialized legal AI tools. By building custom "skills" and feeding the models 2,000‑word prompts, he reduced contract drafting from hours to minutes, creating a self‑reinforcing...
‘A Surrender to Special Interests’: Alarm as Utah Shields Fossil-Fuel Companies
Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed HB 222, a climate‑liability shield that bars most civil and criminal actions against fossil‑fuel producers unless a court finds a specific permit violation. The bill, drafted by Rep. Carl Albrecht and modeled on the Energy Freedom...
The DOJ Misled a Judge About How It’s Using Voter Roll Data
The Justice Department’s voting section told a Rhode Island judge it had not accessed nonpublic voter‑roll data, but later admitted it had already pooled and begun analyzing the information to flag duplicate or deceased registrations. The data, collected from at...
VOA’s Legal Fight for Independence
Voice of America journalists, joined by PEN America and Reporters Without Borders, have filed a lawsuit alleging that the Trump‑appointed USAGM leadership violated the 1994 editorial firewall by censoring coverage, especially of Iran protests. A March court order had allowed...
EU Deadlock Halts Child‑Abuse Scanning Rules, Tech Firms Continue Voluntarily
Meta, Google, Snap Blast EU Deadlock Over Child Protection Rules Lapse The EU failed to renew CSAM scanning rules before Apr 3, leaving platforms in legal limbo Major tech firms have warned the lapse could let child abuse material spread undetected Google, Meta,...
DOL Recovers $95K for Employees Denied Overtime Pay
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered $95,095 in back wages for 33 nonexempt cooks at an IHOP franchise operating in North and South Carolina. The investigation found the franchise paid straight time for all hours, including...
Federal Parity Rule Takes Effect, Mandating Equal Mental‑Health Coverage
On April 1 2026 the Department of Health and Human Services began enforcing an updated Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act rule that compels insurers to provide mental‑health and substance‑use benefits no more restrictive than medical benefits. The regulation targets group...
Insider Sales at EverCommerce and Liquidia Total $2.76 Million, Prompting Trader Scrutiny
EverCommerce President Matthew Feierstein sold 20,000 shares for about $229,000 and Liquidia Chairman Stephen Bloch sold 70,234 shares worth roughly $2.53 million. Both filings were made via SEC Form 4 and suggest routine portfolio adjustments rather than a shift in confidence, but...
Court Halts RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Critique—For Now
https://youtu.be/zEoMQZsg2Ck?si=42IeGRta0t_Et_E1 A recent court ruling has limited RFK Jr.'s war on vaccines. At least for the moment.
FAA Drone Ban Targets ICE Filming, Not Safety
FAA Drone Ban Looks Like An Attempt To Stop People Filming ICE [Roundup] - View from the Wing https://t.co/IEcYftVX73
California Presses On With ‘Lithium Valley’ Amid Lawsuits, Water Dispute
California is moving forward with its “Lithium Valley” initiative in the Imperial Valley, aiming to tap geothermal lithium deposits that could support millions of electric‑vehicle batteries and create up to 12,000 jobs. The effort is now tangled in environmental lawsuits,...
NY AG Threatens to Collapse Prediction Markets Nationwide
‘Like a house of cards’: How the @NewYorkStateAG could make prediction markets go bust, via @alasdair_macdh (with insights from me) The lead story in @TimesUnion examines the AG's ability to seek nationwide disgorgement and officer personal liability. https://t.co/fLOiG3dbDq
WebinarTV Accused of Mass Scraping Online Meetings
Zooming Out: WebinarTV’s Rampant Scraping of Online Meetings https://t.co/sDq56ibG5w -> There are so many unethical business practices wrapped up in this lawsuit-waiting-to-happen it's hard to know where to begin...
UK Immigration Judges Deploy Microsoft Copilot Chatbot to Draft Decisions
Hundreds of immigration tribunal judges in England and Wales have begun using a restricted version of Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot to generate case outlines, bundle summaries and draft decision templates. The Ministry of Justice hopes the tool will speed up a...
Blind WVU Students File Lawsuit Over Inaccessible Online Courses as New ADA Rule Takes Effect
Blind graduate students Miranda Lacy and Harold Rogers sued West Virginia University, claiming the school’s online coursework is not compatible with screen‑reader software. The lawsuit arrives as a new Americans with Disabilities Act rule, effective end‑April, mandates public colleges to...
ACA Subsidy Recipients Face Unexpected Tax Repayments as Caps Loom to Vanish
A new KFF analysis reveals that millions of Americans who received Affordable Care Act premium subsidies in 2025 could owe the Treasury as much as $1,625 per person after reconciling income. The report warns that a recent law signed by...
Family Files Lawsuit Over Alleged Abuse of 3‑Year‑Old in Federal Immigration Custody
A Texas father has sued the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the Department of Health and Human Services after his 3‑year‑old daughter allegedly suffered sexual abuse in a foster home while detained for five months. The case spotlights rising detention...
Waymo Faces Senate Probe over Opaque Remote‑assistance Use in Autonomous‑vehicle Testing
Senator Ed Markey sent letters to seven autonomous‑vehicle firms, including Waymo, demanding data on how often remote operators intervene. All companies refused to answer, leading the senator to label the silence a “stunning lack of transparency.” The episode could trigger...
Rosen Law Urges PMI Shareholders to Lead $0‑Cost Securities Fraud Suit
Rosen Law Firm is urging investors who purchased Picard Medical (PMI) stock during a Sep‑Oct 2025 window to step forward as lead plaintiffs in a securities‑fraud class action. The firm says defendants overstated 2027 growth prospects while hiding sales‑force weaknesses,...
RBA’s October Ban on Card Surcharges Threatens Cash Shoppers and Strains Aussie Retailers
The Reserve Bank of Australia will prohibit merchants from adding card surcharges starting in October, forcing cafés, restaurants and retailers to absorb transaction fees into base prices. Cash‑preferring shoppers and cash‑centric merchants warn the rule will shift costs onto all...
Paid Sick Leave Laws Protect Employees Who Follow the Rules. This Fox News Producer Didn’t.
A D.C. federal court ruled that a Fox News producer who failed to give timely notice of a sick‑day was not protected under the D.C. Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act. The employee knew he would be absent the night...
RESPA Cases Are Rising as States Fill CFPB Void
State attorneys general and private litigants are intensifying enforcement of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau scales back its oversight. Recent actions include a Maryland title company’s $1 million settlement and at least five...