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
When Intelligence Fails: A Legal Targeting Analysis of the Minab School Strike
On Feb. 28, 2026 a U.S.-launched Tomahawk missile struck the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing at least 165 civilians, mostly children. A preliminary U.S. military inquiry attributes the tragedy to a targeting error caused by outdated Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) data that still listed the school as part of an adjacent IRGC naval base. The strike occurred in three rapid succession, and investigators are probing whether human oversight, AI‑assisted geospatial tools, or both failed to verify the site’s civilian status. International condemnation has sparked calls for stricter targeting safeguards.
House Democrats Accuse CMS Official of Misleading Congress Under Oath
House Democrats allege CMS COO Kimberly Brandt gave misleading testimony under oath about the agency’s efforts to engage Minnesota before withholding Medicaid funds. Brandt claimed litigation blocked a hearing, yet she later asked the hearing to be stayed, prompting Rep....
Los Angeles Jury Orders $6 Million Against Meta and Google in Social Media Addiction Case
A Los Angeles jury held Meta and Google-owned YouTube liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young woman, awarding $6 million in total damages. The verdict, the first of its kind in the United States, could open the floodgates for...
Marathon Settles $9M Class Action over Unpaid On-Call Refinery Shifts
Marathon Refining Logistics Services settled a $9 million class action over unpaid on‑call “Primary Relief” shifts affecting 748 operators and lab workers at its Los Angeles refinery. The practice required employees to stay available for two‑hour windows without pay unless called in,...
Growing RIAs Face Class-Action Lawsuits Over Cyber Breaches
As 'mega-RIAs' get bigger for growth, they're becoming a bigger target for lawsuits. Now a data breach incident isn't just a complaint for clients, it's a movement to band together and seek class-action status. Advocates have made the case that RIAs...
Crypto’s FATCA: Can CARF Close Tax Loopholes If IRS Can’t Keep Up?
The OECD’s Crypto‑Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) will extend automatic exchange of cryptocurrency data to nearly 50 jurisdictions, aiming to mirror FATCA’s offshore‑account transparency. At the same time, the IRS’s crypto‑focused investigative staff fell 33% in 2025, reaching its lowest level...
EEOC Sues Nonprofit for Allegedly Rejecting Deaf Applicant over Disability
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on March 24 against Indiana nonprofit Damar Services, alleging it rejected a deaf applicant for a housekeeping role after learning of his disability. The EEOC claims Damar’s phone‑screen guide asked about hearing and...
EPA Issues Temporary Nationwide E15 Waiver to Lower Gas Prices Amid Iran Conflict
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a May 1‑May 20 emergency waiver permitting the sale of E15 gasoline across the United States. The move targets soaring pump prices—now near $4 per gallon—linked to the Iran war and seeks to boost domestic...
Michigan Spent $82M on Medicaid Contract With Little Oversight, Audit Finds
A Michigan state audit uncovered that the Department of Health and Human Services failed to adequately monitor an $82 million contract with Prime Therapeutics State Government Solutions, a pharmacy‑benefits manager for Medicaid. Over a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year period, oversight relied heavily on the...
Cubs’ 150th‑Season Launch Leverages Cookie Data Up to 750 Days
The Chicago Cubs have teamed with at least ten advertising‑technology vendors to harvest fan data through cookies that can persist for up to 750 days. The extensive collection of IP addresses, device identifiers, browsing behavior and precise location data raises...
Law and Security Merge as Supply Chain Regulations Multiply: RSA Panelists
At RSA 2026, security and legal leaders warned that digital‑heavy supply chains are expanding the attack surface, citing a recent breach of the open‑source tool Trivy used in AI pipelines. They highlighted hardware visibility gaps and the growing complexity of...
Settlement Bars Federal Threats to Social Media Platforms in Missouri V. Biden
The New Civil Liberties Alliance secured a settlement in Missouri v. Biden that bars the surgeon general, CDC and CISA from threatening social‑media firms for not removing or down‑ranking protected speech. The consent decree, pending Judge Terry Doughty’s approval, curtails...
Chicago Delivery Robots Damage Bus Shelters, City Moves to Regulate
Chicago officials are responding after several autonomous delivery robots repeatedly collided with and damaged public bus shelters this week. The incidents have sparked a debate over urban robot safety and regulatory oversight.
An Expanding Problem: Fraud and Compliance Challenges in Bone Growth Stimulators
Bone‑growth stimulators, classified as Class III devices, sit at a volatile crossroads of reimbursement rules, medical necessity, and aggressive marketing. Recent enforcement actions reveal kickback schemes disguised as personal service agreements and template‑billing practices that generated over $1.1 million in fraudulent claims...
Morgan Lewis's Chief AI Officer: Firm &Lsquo;Staffing Models Will Evolve to Reflect Hybrid Skill Sets'
Chief AI and Knowledge Management Officer Colleen F. Nihill says Morgan Lewis will redesign staffing models to blend legal expertise with AI and data skills. She emphasizes that AI will foster deeper collaboration between clients and firms but will not...
Head of Weil Dealvision360: Innovation Should Be &Lsquo;Key Emphasis in Law Firm Culture'
Arnie Fridhandler, private‑equity partner and head of Weil Dealvision360, argues that innovation must become a core cultural priority for law firms. He stresses that clear communication, a compelling business case, and senior‑leadership buy‑in are essential to embed technology into everyday...
First Draft, Final Say: Why In-House Litigation Begins Inside
In‑house legal departments are increasingly drafting the first version of litigation documents rather than relying on external partners. Advanced AI and legal‑ops platforms enable faster, more strategic creation of complaints, motions and discovery plans. This shift gives corporations tighter control...
Morning Docket: 03.26.26
The legal landscape saw a flurry of high‑profile moves on March 26. Donald Trump’s housing chief floated new criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, while big‑law firms reported a reduced share of litigation‑funding revenue in 2025. The...
2026 PAW: Decision-Making Beyond Facts and Law at the 10th ICC European Conference
Paris Arbitration Week’s 10th edition gathered 288 partners and roughly 40,000 registrants, spotlighting the growing influence of the ICC European Conference. Sessions examined how cognitive biases—especially myside bias and overconfidence—distort lawyers’ case assessments and settlement prospects. Diversity and inclusion were...
Live From LegalWeek with Jaeger Glucina
In this Legal Speak episode recorded at Legal Week, Chief of Staff Jacob (Jaeger) Glucina of Luminance discusses how the company’s AI-driven platform has evolved from M&A due diligence to a full‑stack contract lifecycle solution for in‑house legal teams. He...
Live Science Today: Meta and Google Fined for Causing Social Media Addiction and How Dogs Were Our Friends for Millennia
A California court held Meta and Google liable for deliberately engineering addictive social‑media features, awarding the plaintiff $3 million in compensatory damages. The ruling follows a recent New Mexico decision that forced Meta to pay $375 million for failing to protect children, signaling...
Ex-Mayor of Indiana City Appeals Probation Sentence for Obstructing the IRS
Former Portage Mayor James Snyder filed an appeal on Monday to overturn his three‑year probation for obstructing the IRS. The March 10 sentencing required him to repay $78,111.57 in restitution, of which he has already paid $18,000. Prosecutors say Snyder...
Trusts Direct Assets Autonomously, Wills Require Permission
A will tells people what to do with your assets. A trust tells your assets what to do without needing anyone's permission. That's the difference most people miss.
Apple Leads Push for Child Safety with UK Age Verification
There's growing momentum behind holding tech companies to account for protecting children, as Apple adds age verification in the UK. https://t.co/plAktPdYdC
The Importance of Compliance by Design in the Remote Work Era
Compliance by design has become essential as workforces become increasingly mobile and geographically dispersed. Shifting regulations across state, city and local levels mean that employee relocations instantly trigger new legal obligations. HR leaders are urged to embed location‑tracking, automated alerts...
WSJ Warns: Social Media Shakedown Is Starting
Can't believe I'm saying this but here's a sensible WSJ editorial. The Social-Media Shakedown Begins https://t.co/lwayFcwcCW
Supreme Court 9-0 Crushes Paul Clement’s Sony Case
D.C. Memo: Cox Wins Supreme Court Copyright Fight over Sony in a Crushing 9-0 Wipeout for Famed Conservative Litigator Paul Clement -- Clement has been hired by six cable broadband associations to fight @FCC approval of the @NXSTMediaGroup - @TEGNA...
Lawsuit Delays DC Bike Lane Closure Until at Least April
A lawsuit filed by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has forced the District of Columbia to postpone the planned removal of a protected bike lane on 15th Street until at least April 1. The legal challenge alleges the National...
Florida AG Threatens NFL over Illegal Rooney Rule
'Raising concerns' is putting it mildly. @AGJamesUthmeier said @NFL Rooney Rule "brazenly violates Florida law" and told the @nflcommish Goodell he faces enforcement action if he does not drop the hiring rule by May 1, 2026.
Housing Finance Chief Pulte Makes Insurance Fraud Allegations Against NY AG James
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte wrote letters to the Justice Department urging new fraud investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging she misrepresented occupancy on homeowner‑insurance applications. The referrals were sent to U.S. attorneys in Florida...
Compliance Emerges as Competitive Differentiator Amid Rising Data Sovereignty Scrutiny
Data sovereignty has moved from a niche compliance checkbox to a core business priority, expanding beyond traditional sensitive records to include email addresses, logs, and metadata. Executives now demand real‑time visibility into where data originates, travels, and resides, as illustrated...
Payday Super Readiness
On 25 March 2026 the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and the Australian Taxation Office sent a joint letter to Registerable Superannuation Entity (RSE) licensees outlining the launch of Payday Super on 1 July 2026. The new rules require RSEs to receive and allocate or...
Menopause Claims Back Under the Spotlight Following ASA Review
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has flagged three menopause‑focused supplement brands—Lunera, Minerva Wellness and Nova—for making unauthorized health claims in paid social media ads. The advertisements suggested the products could treat menopause symptoms such as weight gain, hot flushes,...
Preserving Shareholder Rights Protects Workers, Retirees, and the Integrity of American Capital Markets
Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner warned SEC Chair Paul Atkins that proposed rule changes could weaken shareholder rights, jeopardizing pension beneficiaries and market integrity. She highlighted Oregon's $148 billion public‑pension portfolio and its active proxy voting—5,333 meetings covering over 50,305 agenda...
Will the Iran War Become the Poison Pill for Proxy Contests This Season?
The ongoing Iran war is adding a layer of geopolitical risk that could deter shareholder activists from launching new proxy contests this season. Activists must commit capital for months while markets remain volatile, limiting liquidity and increasing the cost of...
The 'Blame Game' In Private Credit Begins
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has opened a formal inquiry into Egan‑Jones, a niche credit‑rating firm that underpins much of the private‑credit market, questioning whether its ratings are produced with integrity. At the same time, a wave of redemption...
Meta, Google Lose Social Media Addiction Trial & NASA’s $20B Moon Base
The episode covers three main stories: a landmark California jury verdict holding Meta and YouTube liable for a teen's social‑media‑induced mental‑health crisis, the ripple effects of rising oil prices on plastic‑based food packaging and inflation, and NASA’s detailed $30 billion, decade‑long...
Book Review: Debra Austin’s the Legal Brain: A Lawyer’s Guide to Well-Being and Better Job Performance
Debra S. Austin’s new book, The Legal Brain, presents a neuroscience‑based framework for improving lawyer well‑being and job performance. Drawing on research into memory, stress, and habit formation, the guide offers concrete strategies such as sleep, exercise, and nutrition, plus...
Improving Trust Through Judicial Transparency : Building Public Confidence Through Open Government Initiatives
North Macedonia is tackling deep public distrust in its courts through two low‑cost transparency initiatives. In June 2024 the Judicial Council adopted a five‑year Communication Strategy that standardizes proactive, two‑way information sharing and upgrades the unified court portal. Since 2018...
Jury Verdicts on Social Media Addiction Shape Legislation
For those tracking the landmark social media addiction jury verdicts, this may be a timely read from DCN’s Chris Pedigo on how this gets carried into legislation, good and bad, nuance matters. 1/2 https://t.co/xF0PTet2Wq
Property Rights in Bitcoin
A UK High Court case, Ping Fai Yuen v Fun Yung Li, pits Mr Yuen against his ex‑wife over roughly £160‑180 million (about $200‑$230 million) in Bitcoin and related crypto assets. The dispute spotlights the newly enacted Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025,...
SEBI Confirms Interim Directions Against Par Drugs Chemicals over Slump Sale Plan
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has confirmed its interim order preventing Par Drugs and Chemicals Ltd from completing a slump sale of its core business. The transaction, valued at Rs 95 crore (approximately $11.5 million), was slated for a promoter‑related...
Researchers Push FDA to Adopt Simpler “High‑In” Front‑of‑Package Labels
A new UC Davis study of more than 13,000 U.S. adults shows that simple “high‑in” front‑of‑package labels help consumers spot added sugar, sodium or saturated fat faster than the FDA’s proposed low/medium/high rating box. The findings intensify calls for the agency...
USPS Requests Temporary 8% Package Surcharge to Offset Fuel Costs
The United States Postal Service has filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission for a temporary 8% surcharge on its Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select services. The increase, slated to start on April 26...
Remote Workers Hit by Unexpected State Tax Bills as 22 States Tax From Day One
Cross‑state remote employees are being hit with surprise tax bills as 22 states can levy income tax from the first day of work, and five states apply a “convenience of employer” rule that taxes wages in the employer’s state. The...
Legal AI Startup Harvey's $1 B Fundraising Sparks Debate over Capital Use
Harvey, a legal‑tech AI startup, announced a fundraising round that brings total new capital to almost $1 billion, prompting both excitement and scrutiny over how the money will be deployed in contract and litigation automation.
Progressives Push Federal Moratorium on AI Data Center Construction
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez are introducing companion bills that would halt construction and upgrades of AI‑focused data centers until federal AI safety, climate and equity laws are passed. The proposal targets facilities over 20 MW and comes as...
Bernie Sanders Introduces AI Safety Bill That Could Freeze New Data Center Builds
Senator Bernie Sanders has unveiled a legislative proposal to curb AI risks by banning the construction of new data centers, yet the bill’s text and funding details were not disclosed. The move arrives amid a wave of progressive activism and...
U.S. House Financial Services Committee Holds Tokenization Hearing – Details Not Disclosed
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee convened a hearing on tokenization and the future of securities, a development that could reshape investment banking advisory services. No specific figures or participant statements were provided in the available sources.
Meta's AI Ray‑Ban Glasses Stalled in EU Over Battery, AI and Supply Rules
Meta Platforms' AI‑powered Ray‑Ban smart glasses have hit a trio of EU obstacles—mandatory removable batteries by 2027, strict AI regulations, and supply shortfalls from partner EssilorLuxottica—forcing the company to seek an exemption and postponing a European rollout.