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
$5K Sanctions for Repeated Mis-Citation in Coomer V. Lindell / My Pillow Election-Related Libel Suit
A Colorado federal judge imposed a $5,000 sanction on attorney Matthew Kachouroff and co‑counsel Jennifer DeMaster for repeated mis‑citations in the defamation case Coomer v. Lindell, which involves alleged election‑related libel by My Pillow’s Mike Lindell. The sanction follows earlier $3,000 penalties for similar citation errors that the court linked to the use of generative AI. The judge found the errors—mis‑attributing district‑court decisions as appellate authority—were not simple typos but a pattern of careless or AI‑generated hallucinations, violating Rule 11’s duty of candor. The order also requires a public version of Kachouroff’s health affidavit while limiting disclosure of private medical details.
Fuutura Responds to IMF Stablecoin Concerns with Compliance-First Infrastructure for Emerging Markets
The IMF’s April 2026 Global Financial Stability Report warned that cross‑border stablecoin flows to emerging economies surged from roughly $12 billion in early 2020 to $316 billion by early 2025, outpacing Bitcoin and Ethereum. It cautioned that unchecked growth could spur currency...
Meta Defeats Two More Account Termination/Content Removal Lawsuits
Two recent Northern District of California rulings—Tate v. Meta and Ligon v. Meta—affirmed that Meta’s Instagram and Facebook account terminations are insulated by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The courts held that the platforms’ decisions to remove or...
The Nobitex Dilemma: How Iran's Biggest Crypto Exchange Stays Off the OFAC Blacklist
Iran’s leading crypto exchange Nobitex processes roughly $5 billion in digital‑asset volume and serves about 11 million users, or 12% of the population. Investigations link the platform to state‑backed stablecoin purchases, payments for Strait of Hormuz shipping, and wallets tied to sanctioned...
CFTC Orders New York Based Trader to Pay $200K Fine for Spoofing in Treasury Futures Market
On May 6, 2026 the CFTC ordered New York‑based trader Sidney Lebental to pay a $200,000 civil fine for spoofing Ultra U.S. Treasury Bond futures. The enforcement action covered roughly 50 deceptive order‑cancellation incidents between January and September 2019 and added a...
AT&T Opens New PTAB Challenge in IPR2026-00349
AT&T Services, Inc. filed inter partes review IPR2026-00349 on May 5, 2026, marking another major operator’s use of the PTAB to challenge a patent. The petition will likely rely on anticipation and obviousness grounds, seeking a reasonable likelihood of invalidity. While...
Sports Betting Should Be Regulated as a Financial Product, Not Gambling, Aspiring Prediction Market Provider Says
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky announced the platform will transition this summer from a 35‑state sweepstakes model to a federally regulated Designated Contract Market, enabling operation in all 50 states. He argued that sports‑event contracts function as binary financial instruments and...
Justice Alito Finally Snaps on Ketanji Brown Jackson — Calls Her Dissent ‘Baseless, Insulting, and Reckless’
Justice Samuel Alito publicly rebuked Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s solo dissent in a Louisiana redistricting case, calling it “baseless, insulting, and reckless.” The Court’s unsigned majority order allowed the new congressional map to be implemented immediately, a move that could...
The Invisible Disability: An Employer’s Guide to Mental Health and the ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) explicitly covers mental health conditions such as major depression, PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, and autism, treating them as disabilities when they substantially limit major life activities. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations that enable...
Senate Banking Hearing on the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act of 2025 Scheduled for May 14th
The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on May 14 to discuss the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act of 2025, after a delay caused by banks fearing revenue loss from stablecoin yield products. A compromise allowing modest rewards for stablecoin...
Kash Patel Is Coming Undone - His Paranoia Is Eating Him Alive
Former Trump aide Kash Patel, now a senior DOJ official, filed a $250 million defamation suit against journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic. Simultaneously, he pressed the FBI to launch a criminal leak investigation and ordered polygraph tests for over two...
Free-Range Parenting Movement Fades as Parents Struggle to Grant Independence
Advocates of the free‑range kid movement, led by Lenore Skenazy, see their once‑vibrant push for independent play eroding. Legal victories like Utah’s 2018 free‑range law are being offset by growing parental fear, social‑media‑driven surveillance tools, and research linking reduced independence...
FCC Enforces New Pole Attachment Rules to Speed U.S. Broadband Buildout
The Federal Communications Commission rolled out revised pole‑attachment regulations on Thursday, mandating utilities to answer broadband providers within 30 days or face automatic contractor approval. The rules also add tighter survey and make‑ready timelines for projects up to 6,000 poles,...
DocuSign Teams with Harvey to Embed AI Legal Reasoning in E‑Signature Platform
DocuSign has partnered with Harvey to integrate the AI platform’s legal‑reasoning engine directly into its e‑signature suite. The joint solution lets legal teams pull contracts from DocuSign, have Harvey analyze them against jurisdictional law, and trigger workflow actions without leaving...
SEC Expands Insider‑Trading Indictment to 30 Biglaw Lawyers in Multi‑Year Scheme
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued two M&A attorneys and 19 others, while the Department of Justice unsealed charges against 30 lawyers from premier law firms for a decade‑long insider‑trading operation. Prosecutors allege the scheme used confidential deal information...
NHTSA Launches Probe Into Uber‑Partner Avride After 16 Robotaxi Crashes
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation into Avride, Uber's robotaxi partner, after 16 crashes were reported, one of which caused a minor injury. Regulators say the incidents stem from deficiencies in Avride's autonomous driving system,...
Broadcasters Ask Congress to Rewrite 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act as Streaming Paywalls Rise
The National Association of Broadcasters and major TV networks have pressed Congress to revisit the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act, citing the shift of games to subscription streaming services. A letter from Rep. Tony Wied and a poll showing 72% of...
Banking Trade Groups Push Senate for Stronger Stablecoin Yield Guardrails
Six U.S. banking trade groups sent a joint letter to Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren urging tighter language in the CLARITY Act to bar interest‑like payments on stablecoins. The groups warn that yield‑bearing stablecoins...
Psychonauts Developer Double Fine Are the Latest Microsoft-Owned Studio to Unionise
Double Fine Productions, the Microsoft‑owned studio behind Psychonauts, filed a petition with the NLRB on May 7 to form a union with the Communications Workers of America. The petition covers all 42 regular full‑time and part‑time employees, seeking voluntary recognition from...
Interpol Seizes 6.42 Million Counterfeit Drug Doses Worth $15.5 M
Interpol coordinated a worldwide crackdown that confiscated 6.42 million doses of unapproved and counterfeit medicines, valued at $15.5 million. The operation, spanning 90 countries, resulted in 269 arrests and the dismantling of 66 criminal networks, underscoring persistent threats to pharmaceutical safety.
82-Year-Old Says Seatmate Beat Him On American Airlines — While Flight Attendant Watched From Arm’s Reach
An 82‑year‑old Florida man filed a lawsuit against American Airlines after a fellow passenger violently attacked him on a May 16 flight from West Palm Beach to Charlotte, while a flight attendant stood nearby without intervening. The woman was arrested on...
Swiss Central Bank Bitcoin Reserve Push Fails over Signature Shortfall
Swiss campaigners abandoned their bid to force the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to hold Bitcoin in its reserves after gathering only about half of the 100,000 signatures required for a referendum. The constitutional amendment would have mandated BTC alongside gold...
First Amendment Lawyer Warns FCC's Disney Attack Violates Constitution
Famed First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams told @passantino that the FCC's attacks on Disney are "so clearly politically rooted" that basic Constitutional protections should protect the company from the agency's attacks. More in @statusnews: https://www.status.news/p/the-mouse-bites-back
Florida Walks Into Instant Lawsuit Appeasing Trump
In this episode, Melba Pearson (the resident legal diva) and Florida attorney Dave Ehrenberg dissect Governor Ron DeSantis' newly signed, heavily gerrymandered congressional map and the immediate lawsuit filed by voting-rights lawyer Mark Elias. They explore how the map conflicts...
Virginia Supreme Court Not A Fan Of Redistricting, Democracy
The Virginia Supreme Court struck down a voter‑approved referendum that would have redrawn the state’s congressional districts to favor Democrats, potentially giving them 10 of 11 House seats. The majority ruled that early voting, which began before the amendment’s first...
White Shoe Law Firms Are Haggling Over London’s Distressed Experts
London’s elite law firms are locked in a hiring war for restructuring specialists as corporate defaults rise across Europe. Firms are offering salary premiums of up to 30 % and sign‑on bonuses exceeding £200,000 to lure senior talent. Boutique experts command...
Maine and Oregon Decouple From QSBS Exemption, Threatening Wealth‑Management Strategies
Maine and Oregon enacted legislation this month that severs their tax codes from the federal Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exemption, forcing investors to pay state capital‑gains tax on startup exits. The move follows a wave of state‑level attempts to...
Ontario Pension Plan Seizes Westbank Tower to Recover $80 Million
Ontario's public pension plan has placed a newly built Vancouver residential tower into receivership to recover C$109 million ($80 million) from developer Westbank Holdings. The move highlights mounting distress in Canada’s high‑end condo market and raises questions about institutional exposure to real‑estate...
Tesla Recalls 173 Rear‑wheel‑drive Cybertrucks over Brake‑rotor Flaw
Tesla announced a recall of 173 rear‑wheel‑drive Cybertruck models built between 2024 and 2026 because brake‑rotor studs can crack and separate, potentially causing loss of wheel control. The fix will replace rotors, hubs and lug nuts at no charge, highlighting...
All‑in‑One Tool for Contracts, Invoices, Meetings, Rem
I am building a web application that allows individuals to generate business contracts, invoices, set up meetings and get reminders. I hope y’all will like it.
Justin Pearson Breaches TCPA with Spam Donation Texts
Justin Pearson is violating TCPA laws by sending spam text messages to me across multiple phone numbers with Act Blue donation links https://t.co/QTO1pTPFi7
MyPropOps Debuts NVIDIA‑Governed Compliance Platform for HUD and Section 8 Rentals
Ali Morgan, founder of Jonomor, introduced MyPropOps, a compliance‑centric property‑operations platform governed by NVIDIA’s NemoClaw AI framework. The service, built for HUD‑audited and Section 8 housing, starts at $99 per month and promises immutable audit trails for every AI action.
Four States Rapidly Pass Anti‑Sweepstakes Casino Bills
“Pressure on sweepstakes casinos is no longer coming one state at a time. In just a matter of weeks, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Iowa have all pushed anti-sweepstakes casino bills through their legislatures and sent them to their governors’ desks.”...
Leaders Must Stop Ceding Power to Vendors
Leaders are agreeing to clauses that give vendors ultimate decision-making authority, a false sense of security akin to a child's security blanket. It's time for leaders to develop a stronger backbone. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy https://t.co/jFijnrKUD5
DOJ, FBI, and Global Partners Arrest 276 in Massive Crypto Scam Takedown
The U.S. Department of Justice, together with the FBI, Dubai Police and China’s Ministry of Public Security, announced a coordinated operation that led to 276 arrests and the shutdown of at least nine cryptocurrency scam centers. The crackdown targets “pig‑butchering”...
AI Meeting Transcripts Threaten Legal Discovery, Companies Warned
Most companies should be banning AI note takers from video meetings - good luck on your depositions and discovery otherwise. All Those A.I. Note Takers? They’re Making Lawyers Very Nervous. https://t.co/N4ieeW9xtN
China's NDRC Calls for Tighter Coordination and Oversight of AI Development
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced a directive for stronger coordination and top‑level planning of artificial intelligence, warning that rapid AI integration into the real economy demands tighter oversight. The move signals Beijing's intent to close regulatory gaps...
Shell Companies Legal Yet Strategic, Polymarket Hides Panama HQ
"Corporate law experts say while there is nothing illegal about housing a business inside a shell company, the practice is often a strategic move..." NPR went looking for Polymarket's Panama headquarters. It's elusive https://t.co/nHVzQkkbDk
Figma IPO Price Isn’t Proof Merger‑blocking Fuels Wealth
Remember when some antitrust folks were using Figma’s successful IPO as evidence that merger-blocking was also great for capitalist wealth creation? This isn’t to say the block was wrong based on the law. But the (initial) high share price was never...
Insider Trading Case Exposes Gaps in Law Firm Security | Reuters
A recent insider‑trading prosecution has revealed that law firms’ internal data controls are still vulnerable, despite heavy investment in cyber defenses. The case shows that a partner’s access to confidential client files can be leveraged for illicit market activity. Firms...
US State Department to Revoke Passports of Parents Owing $2,500+ in Child Support
The U.S. State Department announced it will begin revoking passports of Americans who owe more than $2,500 in child support, using a 1996 law to enforce payments. The policy, set to start Friday, partners with Health and Human Services to...
Village Roadshow Pays Warner Bros $57 Million to End Matrix Resurrections Dispute
Village Roadshow has agreed to pay Warner Bros Discovery $57 million, ending a four‑year legal battle over its co‑financing share of 2021’s Matrix Resurrections. The payment wipes out the Australian studio’s remaining stake in the franchise and resolves a contested $125 million judgment.
ABC Sues FCC Over ‘The View’ Free‑Speech Dispute, Citing First Amendment Violation
ABC has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission, claiming the agency’s scrutiny of its daytime talk show “The View” breaches First Amendment rights. The petition, filed by an ABC Houston station, seeks a declaratory ruling that the program...
A Principled Decision In An Unprincipled Game
The Virginia Supreme Court struck down a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed a redistricting plan to eliminate congressional districts deemed safely Democratic. The court ruled the amendment unconstitutional because it was adopted without satisfying the constitutional requirement that...
ABC Sues FCC Over ‘The View’ Equal‑Time Rule, Claims First Amendment Chill
ABC has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission, asserting that the agency’s recent inquiry into the talk‑show “The View” breaches the network’s First Amendment rights. The petition seeks a declaratory ruling that the program still qualifies for the...
L Suite Unveils Lloyd AI, a Peer‑Powered Assistant for In‑House Legal Teams
The L Suite has launched Lloyd AI, an artificial‑intelligence assistant available exclusively to members of its legal community. Built on a dataset that includes input from more than 2,500 General Counsels, the tool promises to surface peer‑derived insights for complex...
Former L3Harris Exec Ordered to Pay $10 Million for Illegal Sale of Hacking Tools
Peter Williams, the former general manager of L3Harris' Trenchant division, was ordered by a U.S. judge to pay $10 million in restitution for stealing and selling advanced hacking tools to Russian broker Operation Zero. The ruling follows his guilty plea and...
North Carolina Medicaid Autism Therapy Billings Surge 47,000%, Sparking Fraud Probe
North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek has uncovered a 47,000% increase in Medicaid autism therapy billing, from $1.4 million to over $660 million, prompting a statewide audit and calls for stricter oversight. Similar billing explosions in Ohio and other red states are...
The SEC Looks at a 1990s Fix for Crypto Markets to Allow True “Innovation Pathway”
In a May 8 speech, SEC Chair Paul Atkins outlined a two‑step “innovation pathway” that could give on‑chain trading systems conditional access to the regulatory perimeter before a full rulemaking defines their status. The approach mirrors the 1998 Regulation ATS framework,...
Paramount Skydance Pushes $111 B Warner Bros. Discovery Deal as Press Groups Allege Political Favors
Paramount Skydance is pressing regulators for clearance of its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Press‑freedom investors have sent a formal demand for the company’s books, citing reports that Larry and David Ellison promised sweeping changes at CNN to secure...