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
FERC Urged to Reject TeraWulf’s Power Plant Purchase Due to Undisclosed Google Ownership Stake
Public Citizen, the NAACP and other groups have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to block TeraWulf’s purchase of the 216‑MW Morgantown power plant in Maryland, alleging that the seller failed to disclose Google’s 14% ownership stake obtained through cheap warrants. Under FERC rules, any affiliate controlling more than 10% of a buyer must be disclosed, a requirement the applicants say was violated. TeraWulf plans to redevelop the site with two 500‑MW gas‑fired units, 250‑MW of battery storage and data‑center load, while opponents question the company’s financial health and market impact. The transaction also raises concerns about gas supply, as the nearest pipeline is 20 miles away and already at capacity.
FTC and Maryland Attorney General Secure Refunds and Penalties Against Auto Group for Alleged Deceptive Pricing Practices
The FTC and Maryland Attorney General announced a settlement with an automotive group for deceptive pricing practices. The group must refund over $75 million to affected consumers and pay a $3.1 million civil penalty. The order also mandates clear disclosure of the...
FDA Proposes Expanding Permissible Ingredients in Dietary Supplements
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal to broaden the list of ingredients allowed in dietary supplements, including peptides and certain probiotics. The move, driven by industry pressure, has ignited a clash between manufacturers seeking flexibility and consumer...
Fidelity and AARP Warn of 10% Penalty for Early 401(k) and IRA Withdrawals
Fidelity and AARP are urging workers to avoid early withdrawals from 401(k)s and IRAs, warning that the IRS imposes a 10% penalty on top of ordinary income tax. The alert comes as research shows 32 million retirement accounts sit idle, holding...
U.S. Courts Impose Record $109,700 Sanction on Lawyer for AI‑Generated Filing Errors
A federal court in Oregon ordered a lawyer to pay $109,700 in sanctions for filing AI‑generated citation errors, marking the largest penalty to date. The ruling follows a rapid rise in sanctions—over 1,200 worldwide, about 800 in the U.S.—as courts...
'Monkey Business': Pentagon Sued for US Taxpayer-Funded Primate Labs
The Pentagon faces a lawsuit filed by watchdog White Coat Waste for allegedly ignoring Freedom of Information Act requests about multi‑million‑dollar primate experiments in the United States, Thailand and Peru. The suit alleges that hundreds of monkeys are subjected to...
Flutterwave Secures Full Banking, Microfinance and Microlending Licences in Nigeria
Flutterwave has been granted a full banking licence, a micro‑finance bank (MFB) licence and a microlender licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The regulatory approvals let the payments giant accept deposits, issue loans and run end‑to‑end financial operations for...
Navigating Data Privacy and Compliance Challenges in Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is accelerating adoption of cloud, automation, and AI, but it also amplifies data‑privacy and compliance risks. Organizations must juggle regulations such as GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, and emerging AI oversight rules across multiple jurisdictions. Strategies like privacy‑by‑design, comprehensive data...
David Protein Lawsuit: Plaintiffs Home in on Calories From Protein in Final Bid to Make Antitrust Case
Three snack manufacturers—OWN Your Hunger, Lighten Up Foods, and Defiant Foods—have filed a third amended antitrust complaint against David Protein, alleging the company monopolized the low‑calorie fat replacer EPG after acquiring Epogee. The plaintiffs claim they invested $449,000 in R&D,...
Can Trump Pull Out of NATO?
In this episode, host Jack talks with University of Chicago Law School professor Kurt Bradley about whether a U.S. president can unilaterally withdraw the United States from NATO. They examine the constitutional silence on treaty termination, the historical practice of...
Papers, Please
Age‑verification laws are rapidly spreading across the United States, now covering roughly half the states and forcing adult‑content sites to verify users' identities. The measures have slashed traffic on major platforms—Pornhub saw an 80% drop—and triggered a sharp income decline...
Penguin Random House Sues OpenAI for Copying Children's Books
Another AI lawsuit, this time for OpenAI (again) -> Penguin Random House sues OpenAI for copyright infringement, alleging its LLM "memorized" a popular German children's book series and can reproduce the content "In response to the prompt “Can you write a...
CMS Finalizes Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Overhaul, Sending Billions of Dollars More to Insurers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a rule overhauling Medicare Advantage star ratings, cutting 11 administrative metrics and scrapping the health‑equity index while reinstating a bonus system for high‑scoring plans. The changes shift the rating methodology toward clinical...
Apollo Hospitals Gets NCLT Nod for Corporate Restructuring Plan
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise has secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal’s Chennai bench for its proposed composite scheme of arrangement, which involves restructuring its digital health, pharmacy and related businesses across four entities. The plan calls for spinning off...
Executive of Indian Chemical Company Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Smuggling Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals
Bhavesh Lathiya, founder of India‑based Raxuter Chemicals, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to smuggling more than 50 pounds of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the United States and Mexico. The plea marks the first felony conviction of an Indian supplier of...
Executive Finds Lying on His Resume Can Add up to Just Cause
An Alberta vice‑president falsely claimed an ongoing MBA and was dismissed after 6.5 months when his lack of Excel expertise and credential fraud surfaced. The court ruled the misrepresentation went beyond a simple error, constituting a breach of trust that...
SEC Charges Former Executive and His Friend with Insider Trading
The SEC has filed civil charges against Michael A. Smith, former President and COO of PetIQ, and his associate Douglas Joshua Dalton for insider trading ahead of the August 7, 2024 announcement that Bansk Group LP would acquire PetIQ. Smith...
Trump Wants the SEC to Relax Quarterly Reporting. Wall Street Could Be a Problem. – POLITICO
President Trump is urging the SEC, led by Chair Gary Atkins, to relax the mandatory quarterly reporting requirement for public companies. Business leaders argue that the current cadence forces a short‑term profit focus and generates costly legal compliance burdens. The SEC...
Coercive Sanction Ordered for Non-Party for Failing to Comply with a Subpoena: EDiscovery Case Law
In Guadalupe v. Chase Auto Fin. Corp., U.S. District Judge James M. Wicks held non‑party Sol Enterprise Transport (SET) in civil contempt for ignoring a subpoena duces tecum for employment and payroll records. The judge ordered a coercive sanction of...
Renewable Energy Company BlueWave Hires Former US Department of Energy Lawyer as GC
BlueWave, a Boston‑based developer of solar and battery storage projects, has appointed Becky Limmer as its new General Counsel, succeeding retiring chief legal officer Deborah Collum. Limmer previously served as chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan programme,...
CAB3 Passes with Public Support, Opposition Irrelevant
CAB3 is being IMPLEMENTED, it doesn’t need to be defended… The people spoke, Parliament is implementing it… Chivero is just like any other confused person opposing a good Bill, we won’t waste time on NOTHINGBURGERS… all ZANU PF people who...
Overstating Charitable Deductions Can Trigger 40% Penalty
If your charitable donation is worth $2 million, you probably shouldn’t try to take a $180 million deduction. Otherwise, as Hancock County Land Acquisitions discovered in Tax Court, you could face a 40% gross valuation misstatement penalty. https://t.co/o1C0zoX0lj
Musk-Targeted Judge Uses Scrabble Tiles to Reassign Two Cases
Delaware Chancery Court chief judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, accused of bias by Elon Musk and Tesla attorneys, used a board‑game method to reassign two pending cases. Lawyers blindly selected Scrabble tiles from a bag, each tile representing one of...
Crypto Firms, Banks to Review Revised Stablecoin Yield Bill
CLARITY ACT: 🚨 Senators Tillis and Alsobrooks’ revised stablecoin yield proposal is being reviewed by crypto firms and banks (starting April 2–3) to resolve their dispute and advance stalled legislation https://t.co/lh5xkx0lLG
Kentucky Set to Tax Event Prediction Markets in First for States
Kentucky is poised to become the first U.S. state to levy a tax on event‑prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket. The measure is embedded in HB 757, an omnibus tax bill that cleared the Republican‑controlled General Assembly and now awaits...
Italy’s CONSOB Orders Blocking of 32 Unauthorized Investment Websites
Italy’s securities regulator CONSOB has ordered the blocking of 32 unlicensed investment websites, adding to a cumulative total of 1,654 takedown orders since July 2019. The sites, many offering forex and crypto‑asset services, were identified under powers granted by the...
AI and ADR Neutrals: When Should Its Use Be Disclosed? Three Emerging Approaches to Transparency in Mediation and Arbitration Practice
Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering mediation and arbitration, prompting a debate over whether neutrals should disclose its use. Practitioners are considering three emerging approaches: treating AI as a routine professional tool with no disclosure, offering limited transparency about its administrative...
DC Lawyers Claim FCC Can Still Change 39% Cap
There are lawyers in DC making $1600 an hour who argue before the @FCC and the DC Circuit that this language was structured in a way to preserve the FCC’s ability to alter the 39% cap. The current FCC Chairman...
It’s Time for a Prediction Markets MNPI Policy | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Debeoise & Plimpton urges firms to extend material non‑public information (MNPI) policies beyond traditional securities to include prediction‑market contracts. Current insider‑trading rules often omit these platforms, leaving a compliance blind spot. The firm recommends revising firm‑wide codes of conduct to prohibit...
Workable Launches Built‑In I‑9 and E‑Verify to Streamline U.S. Hiring Compliance
Workable announced integrated Form I‑9 and E‑Verify capabilities for U.S. customers, embedding federal hiring verification into its onboarding workflow. The move eliminates separate PDFs and manual steps, aiming to cut compliance risk and accelerate new‑hire processing.
SpaceX‑linked Lawsuit over $843 M Stake Could Shape Profit Split for Upcoming IPO
Trellis Software is suing ClearList Holdings over a disputed $843 million stake in SpaceX shares, arguing the investor is trying to squeeze it out before the rocket maker's anticipated IPO. The case could set a legal benchmark for how minority owners...
DOJ Privacy Chief Quits as Agency Moves to Share Voter Data with DHS
Kilian Kagle, the Justice Department’s chief FOIA and privacy officer, resigned amid the department’s effort to collect and share sensitive voter‑registration data from 17 states with the Department of Homeland Security. The move has already faced dismissals in three federal...
RBI Allows Rupee Exchange at Airport Departure Halls, Boosting Traveler Convenience
The Reserve Bank of India has lifted a long‑standing restriction, allowing both residents and non‑residents to exchange Indian rupee notes at foreign‑exchange counters inside international airport departure halls. The move, announced in a circular, aims to give travelers last‑minute access...
Books & Records: Courts May Consider Post-Demand Evidence in “Credible Basis” Assessment
The Delaware Supreme Court, in Paramount Global v. Rhode Island Office of the Treasurer, affirmed that courts may consider post‑demand evidence and reliable anonymous news reports when assessing a stockholder’s credible‑basis claim under Section 220. The ruling emphasizes that such evidence...
Marriage Is the Biggest Financial Risk You’ll Take — with James Sexton
In this episode, host Ed Elson chats with James Sexton about the financial risks of marriage, exploring how partnership decisions intersect with personal economics and broader societal trends. Sexton highlights the hidden costs of divorce, the impact of shifting cultural...
Brazil Rejects U.S. Push to Change Pix Instant Payment System
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the government will not alter the Pix instant‑payment platform after a U.S. report accused it of distorting trade. The stance highlights Brazil’s commitment to a state‑run fintech model that serves over 120 million...
Coinbase Legal Chief Says Senate CLARITY Act Stablecoin Yield Clause Near Passage
Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal told Fox Business the Senate Banking Committee is moving toward a markup of the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act’s stablecoin‑yield provision, putting the bill "very close" to a floor vote. The comment marks the...
Coworker Says the N-Word. Employer Fires Him Within a Week. Court: No Liability.
The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a Pennsylvania packaging plant that fired a coworker who used the n‑word and later terminated a Black employee for exceeding attendance points. The court held that a single, non‑supervisory slur, followed by swift...
Finance of America Faces Early Data Breach Class Action
A Texas federal court received a class‑action lawsuit alleging Finance of America suffered a data breach two weeks ago. Consumer Melanie Place claims the ransomware group Word Leaks accessed customers’ personal data, including Social Security numbers. The suit is notable for...
'Amateur Hour at the U.S. Attorney's Office': L.A. Prosecutors Face More Losses in Protest Cases
Los Angeles federal prosecutors suffered a string of setbacks in immigration‑related protest cases, with U.S. District Judge André Birotte dismissing two trials after finding undisclosed discovery violated defendants' rights. In the high‑profile assault case of Luis Hipólito, who punched an...
Ireland Tests Digital ID to Verify Age of Social Media Users
Ireland has begun a pilot of its government‑run digital wallet that includes an age‑verification function for social media users. The test, launched on April 3, 2026, aims to confirm users’ ages before they can access platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and...
EU Lawmakers Press China on Unsafe Products and Market access...China Takes Spot From Japan as Australia’s Top Auto supplier...China’s EV...
EU lawmakers confronted Chinese officials in Beijing over a wave of unsafe, non‑compliant products and limited market access for European firms, highlighting consumer safety and forced‑labour concerns. In February, China overtook Japan as Australia’s top source of imported vehicles, capturing...
Friday: Three Morning Takes
President Trump attended a Supreme Court hearing on his attempt to end birthright citizenship, a move most analysts expect to be ruled unconstitutional. Meanwhile, defense firms Anduril and Palantir announced a partnership with the Department of War to build the...
How Much Should Government Try to Shape the Digital Economy?
Congress is weighing a rewrite of the Communications Act, prompting a philosophical debate over how far government should steer the digital economy. A recent House Energy and Commerce hearing highlighted divergent views on universal service subsidies, broadband regulation, and content...
Center for Food Safety Opposes Monsanto–Bayer Legal Efforts to Preempt State Pesticide Warnings
A coalition led by the Center for Food Safety filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case Monsanto v. Durnell, urging the Court to preserve state authority to require pesticide health warnings. The brief challenges Bayer’s effort to preempt...
Appeals Court Eliminates Gulf Council’s Pocket Veto, but Keeps Amberjack Regulations in Place
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s pocket‑veto authority is unconstitutional, but it left Amendment 54 – which sharply reduces commercial amberjack quotas in favor of recreational anglers – intact. The decision follows...
Case Against 7 From Indore for 'Cheating' BPCL by Not Returning Wrongful Recharge
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) discovered that its Smart Fleet digital wallets were erroneously recharged with a total of ₹129.55 crore (≈ $15.6 million) affecting over 1,000 customers. Seven Indore‑based users allegedly retained ₹5.7 crore (≈ $0.69 million) despite BPCL’s repeated requests for repayment. Police filed...
Senegal's Regulator Issues Formal Warning on Illegal Wi-Fi Services
Senegal’s telecom regulator, the Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP), issued a formal warning to operators of illegal “community Wi‑Fi” services. The warning targets networks that frequently rely on Starlink satellite antennas to provide unauthorised broadband. ARTP...
US Lawmaker Proposes New Framework for Culling Cormorants to Protect Fish Stocks
U.S. Representative Tim Walberg introduced the Responsible Cormorant Management and Control Act to establish a science‑driven, regional framework for culling double‑crested cormorants that threaten Great Lakes fisheries. The bill would task the Interior Secretary with working alongside Regional Flyway Councils...
World’s Largest Food Companies Call on EU to Include Novel Foods in Regulatory Sandboxes
The EU’s Biotech Act created regulatory sandboxes for food‑tech but left novel foods—such as cultivated meat and precision‑fermented proteins—out. Eight leading food and biotech groups, including FoodDrinkEurope’s members like Nestlé and Danone, issued a joint statement demanding that novel foods...