Today's Legal Pulse
DOJ says Title VII disparate impact liability is unconstitutional
The Office of Legal Counsel concluded that disparate impact liability under Title VII violates the Constitution. The Department of Justice echoed this view, declaring employment disparate impact rules unconstitutional.
Also developing:
Kids Are Using Fake Mustaches, VPNs, and Their Parents' Accounts to Get Around Age Verification
A recent UK‑focused survey of 1,270 children aged 9‑16 and their parents found that roughly 32% bypass age‑verification checks, most often by entering a fake birthdate. Other tactics include using an adult’s device or login, VPNs, and even fake mustaches to fool facial‑scan software. While the Online Safety Act has trimmed exposure to harmful content, enforcement gaps remain, and one‑sixth of parents admit helping their kids evade restrictions. The trend mirrors Australia’s social‑media bans, which sparked a surge in VPN downloads and creative circumvention tools.
CFTC Denied Front-Row Seat in SDNY Prediction Market Cases
CFTC loses battle to jump "to the front of the queue" in SDNY prediction market cases, as Judge Marrero grants the NYAG's request for a 30-day extension of time to respond to the CFTC's motion for preliminary injunction, putting it...
Elon Waived Cash Award, Damages Go to OpenAI Nonprofit
Folks, AFAIK this is *literally not a possible outcome of the trial*, as Elon has waived the right to any cash payment to him, instead assigning any monetary damages to OpenAI’s nonprofit.
TGA Updates Australian Manufacturing Licences with New Approvals and Regulatory Actions
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released its latest licensing decisions, granting 14 new manufacturing licences for therapeutic goods while suspending two and revoking eight existing licences. The approvals cover a diverse set of entities, including pharmaceutical firms, biotech innovators, logistics...
Pillsbury Debuts in Boston with Latham Litigation Hire
Pillsbury is opening its 17th U.S. office, the 25th worldwide, in Boston with a five‑partner team that includes former Latham litigator Robert Gilbert. The launch brings together leaders in intellectual property, insolvency, tax, and patent‑infringement litigation. Pillsbury cites Boston’s vibrant...
CISA and Allies Publish First‑Ever Agentic AI Security Guidance for Critical Infrastructure
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, together with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and other allies, issued a new guidance document on Friday outlining concrete security controls for the deployment of agentic AI in critical infrastructure. The guidance warns...
Vietnam Proposes Revised Power Decree to Improve Financial Viability of LNG Projects
Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has drafted amendments to Decree 56/2025 to improve the financial viability of LNG‑fired power projects. The proposal raises the minimum contracted electricity output (Qc) from 65% to 75% and extends the guarantee period to...
Kanye West ‘Hurricane’ Copyright Infringement Trial: ‘Snubbed’ Musicians Ask for Half a Million Dollars
Ye, formerly Kanye West, faces a federal trial in Los Angeles over an alleged unauthorized sample used in an early version of his Grammy‑winning track “Hurricane.” Four musicians claim the one‑minute instrumental “MSD PT2” was incorporated into the Donda listening...
Physician‑Owned Hospitals Seek Voice in Medicare’s New TEAM Model
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened a public comment period through June 9 for physician‑owned hospitals to weigh in on the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM). Advocates say the move could give doctors more control over payment...
General Dynamics Land Systems Secures $716 Million Abrams Sustainment Contract
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has been awarded a $716.2 million cost‑plus‑fixed‑fee contract to provide sustainment, maintenance, and training for the Army’s Abrams family of tanks and related engineering vehicles. The five‑year effort, ending April 30 20231, reinforces the Army’s modernization roadmap and...
How Small Law Firms Can Create a Financial Dashboard That Drives Decisions
Small law firms can turn static spreadsheets into decision‑making engines by building financial dashboards in three phases—starting with revenue and collections, adding efficiency metrics like realization and utilization, then layering strategic ratios such as expense‑to‑revenue. The key is to organize...
Tenora Wins FCA Licence as Macquarie Boosts Stake to 33%, Fueling UK Digital Lending Expansion
Tenora Financial Group’s UK subsidiary, Tenora Financial Solutions Ltd., has been authorised by the FCA as an Electronic Money Institution, and Macquarie Group has increased its equity stake to 33%. The dual milestones give Tenora a regulated foothold to issue...
Brazil Central Bank Bars Crypto Settlement on Regulated Cross‑Border Payment Rails
Brazil's central bank issued Resolution BCB No. 561, prohibiting regulated cross‑border payment providers from using cryptoassets to settle eFX transactions. The rule, effective immediately, forces fintechs and remittance firms to rely on traditional foreign‑exchange channels, with a May 31 2027 deadline for transitional...
EU Moves to Drop Leather From Deforestation Law After Industry Lobbying
The European Commission has proposed removing leather, hides and skins from the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) via a delegated act, following a concerted lobbying effort by the leather industry. The amendment would amend Annex I, which lists commodities subject to strict...
When the Map Changes Mid-Election
The U.S. Supreme Court’s *Louisiana v. Callais* ruling invalidated the state’s congressional map and weakened a core enforcement tool of the Voting Rights Act. In response, Republican Governor Jeff Landry abruptly halted the May 16 congressional primary, triggering a wave...
Sawlog Residues Locked Out of US Biomass 216 to 210 on House Floor
The House rejected Congressman Cliff Bentz's amendment to expand the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to include sawlog residues and other wood processing leftovers, voting 216‑210 on April 30. The amendment aimed to create a domestic market for low‑value wood by...
Australia’s Building Code Is Failing – Report
Australia’s interim report on the National Construction Code (NCC) modernization finds the code has become overly complex, inconsistent across states, and is eroding industry confidence. The code’s length has expanded 8.5‑times since 1988, and divergent state interpretations are driving up...
US Regulator Revamps Rules for Next‑gen Nuclear Reactors
Top US nuclear regulator is rewriting its rules for new era of reactors #energysky -- via Canary Media: https://t.co/mMeoJsGiWI
Boy's Mother Speaks Publicly as Ontario Foster‑care Murder Trial Nears Verdict
The mother of a 12‑year‑old Indigenous boy who died while in the care of a Burlington couple spoke to CBC Hamilton for the first time, urging the public to see her family beyond the headlines. The trial of Becky Hamber...
USACE Introduces System for Assessing Pre-Construction Notifications
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has added a self‑verification module to its Regulatory Request System, allowing users to determine instantly whether a pre‑construction notification is required for activities covered by nationwide permits. The step‑by‑step questionnaire provides immediate correspondence when...
FCC Updates Starlink Spectrum Rules, Targeting Up to Seven‑Fold Capacity Boost
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced on May 4, 2026 that it is revising its spectrum rules for SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, a change that could raise the system’s capacity by as much as seven‑fold. The policy shift is the latest...
“Looming Waste Crisis”: NSW Businesses Must Separate Food Waste From 1 July
From 1 July 2026, New South Wales businesses that sell or handle food must separate food waste from other refuse, targeting restaurants, cafes, pubs and similar venues. The law applies to sites handling six or more 660‑litre bins, 16 or more 240‑litre...
Egyptian Developer Hisham Talaat Moustafa Warns New Fees Could Raise Costs 15%
Hisham Talaat Moustafa, chief executive of Egypt's largest listed developer, warned that a new levy by the New Urban Communities Authority could lift project costs by as much as 15 percent. The fee—up to EGP 1,000 per square metre—arrives amid soaring...
The Metals Company Wins NOAA Approval for Pacific Deep‑Sea Mining Permit
The Metals Company (TMC) secured a regulatory green light from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its deep‑sea mining application covering 65,000 square kilometres in the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone. The approval advances TMC’s timeline to begin commercial recovery of...
FDA Launches Real‑Time Clinical Trial Initiative, AstraZeneca and Amgen Lead First Pilots
On April 28, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled a two‑step plan to roll out real‑time clinical trials, launching two proof‑of‑concept studies and issuing a Request for Information on a summer pilot. AstraZeneca and Amgen are already running...
Widows Targeted by Fraudulent Life‑Insurance Calls; Data Brokers Urged to Tighten Opt‑Outs
Consumer advocates are pressing data‑broker firms to improve opt‑out mechanisms after a wave of life‑insurance scams preyed on grieving widows. Research shows 52.5% of crimes reported by Americans over 60 in 2023 were enabled by personal data online, highlighting a...
Fourth Circuit Bars Contractual Shortening of Title VII and ADEA Filing Deadlines
The Fourth Circuit held that employers cannot require employees to waive or compress the statutory filing windows for Title VII and ADEA discrimination claims. The March 4, 2026 decision in Thomas v. EOTech overturns a district‑court dismissal and forces companies in...
Senate Introduces Clinical Trial Modernization Act to Cut Patient Costs
Senators Tim Scott (R‑SC) and Mark Warner (D‑VA) unveiled the Clinical Trial Modernization Act (S.4440), a bipartisan effort to remove financial and geographic obstacles for patients in clinical trials. The legislation would permit sponsors to reimburse up to $2,000 annually...
Tonight in Your Rights: A Shadow Docket Surprise
The Supreme Court’s shadow docket, led by Justice Samuel Alito, issued a one‑week administrative stay that temporarily restores nationwide mail‑order access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The stay halts a Fifth Circuit ruling that had blocked remote dispensing after Louisiana...
ENDING "NO JAB, NO PAY" COERCIVE KIDS VACCINATION
An amendment to the NSW Public Health Act, introduced by Libertarian MLC John Ruddick, seeks to repeal the "No Jab, No Pay" scheme that ties child support and school enrollment to vaccination status. The proposal is backed by former pharmaceutical...
Revolut Pushes for US Banking Licence and IPO Amid Global Expansion
Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky announced the neobank’s bid for a US banking licence, filed in March and expected to be granted within four months, while also confirming plans for an IPO no sooner than two years. The move follows a...
Gomez Speaks Out on Paramount-WBD Foreign Investment
FCC Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez called for a rigorous review of foreign investment in the proposed Paramount‑Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Paramount and Skydance have asked the FCC to approve indirect foreign ownership of about 49.5% at closing, and up to...
Stop the PCI DSS 4.0 Audit Toil: A Guide to Inherited Controls
PCI DSS 4.0, now mandatory for all payment‑data handlers, moves audits from point‑in‑time checks to continuous, automated evidence. Fintechs that build on raw cloud primitives spend months gathering OS‑hardening, patch‑management and network‑segmentation documentation, a burden known as audit toil. Upsun’s platform...
NRC Amends and Expands NEPA Categorical Exclusions for Routine Licensing Actions
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a final rule amending 10 CFR Part 51 to broaden and reorganize NEPA categorical exclusions for routine licensing, regulatory and administrative actions, effective April 29, 2026. The rule adds new exclusion categories—including spent‑fuel storage cask certifications, fire‑protection, cybersecurity,...
QSBS Stacking: Leveraging Gifts and Trusts for Additional Section 1202 Exclusions
Section 1202 lets each taxpayer exclude up to $10 million (or $15 million for post‑July 4 2025 issuances) of QSBS gains. Because the exclusion is per‑taxpayer per‑issuer, shareholders can “stack” exclusions by gifting shares to other individuals or placing them in separate trusts. Outright...
Nexstar Takes DIRECTV’s Fight over TV Fees to Supreme Court
Nexstar Media Group has filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in DIRECTV’s antitrust lawsuit over distribution fees for about three dozen local stations operated through Mission and White Knight. A lower court dismissed the case, but...
Grateful Brother's Recovery, Wondering Settlement Amount
How much do you think this will settle for ? Thank god bro is ok 🙏🏼
Use an LLC Business Account to Avoid Crypto Freezes
Moving large crypto proceeds to a personal bank account will get flagged and frozen. It happens. The fix is an LLC with a seasoned business bank account and a private banker who knows a liquidity event is coming. Through DWP,...
Oklahoma Amends Medical Marijuana Law: Employers Lose Discretion to Designate ‘Safety-Sensitive’ Positions
Oklahoma’s medical‑marijuana statute has been amended by House Bill 3127 to impose a zero‑tolerance drug and alcohol standard for employees in designated “safety‑sensitive” positions. The amendment removes employer discretion in defining those roles, limiting the definition to nine specific duties...
Major Conveyancing Firm Enters Administration After Sale Collapse
BLB Solicitors, a regional conveyancing firm with six offices in Bath, Bristol, Bradford‑on‑Avon, Swindon, Almondsbury and Trowbridge, entered administration on May 5, 2026 after a proposed sale fell through. The practice, employing over 40 lawyers, ceased trading at midday Thursday and urged...
DOJ Moves Certain Marijuana Products to Schedule III, Sets June Rescheduling Hearing
The U.S. Department of Justice issued an order on April 22, 2026 moving FDA‑approved and state‑licensed medical marijuana products into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. A separate order sets a June 29, 2026 hearing to consider broader rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to...
Are You up to Speed with the Renters’ Rights Act?
Rightmove is hosting a live Q&A webinar on the Renters’ Rights Act, scheduled from 10 am to 11 am on its Rightmove Hub. More than 1,000 UK lettings agents have already registered to learn how the new legislation impacts day‑to‑day operations. The...
California Seeks ‘Historic’ Fine Against State Farm: Just $2 Million
California’s Department of Insurance announced it will seek a record $2 million penalty against State Farm, the state’s largest homeowner insurer, for mishandling wildfire claims from the 2025 Los Angeles fires. A market‑conduct exam of 220 claims uncovered 398 statutory violations across...
Solicitor’s Failure to Redeem Charges “a Warning to Profession”
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal suspended London‑based solicitor Maame Adjoa Doku Djan‑Krofa for 12 months (suspended for two years), fined her £20,000 (≈ $25,400) and ordered her to hire an independent finance director. The sanction stemmed from her failure to verify that three property charges...
CAT Approves £1.7bn Microsoft Action Despite Funder “Uncertainty”
The Competition and Appeals Tribunal (CAT) has certified a £1.7 bn (≈ $2.16 bn) opt‑out collective action against Microsoft, despite lingering doubts about the solvency of its funder, Litigation Capital Management (LCM). LCM disclosed a £58 m (≈ $73.7 m) loss and relies on a $75 m...
Stop Counting Tickets; Measure Legal Value, Not Volume
If your legal ops function is measured on ticket volume, you've already lost. Volume measures activity, not value. A high-volume legal function with bad routing is a hamster wheel with a Lexis subscription. Measure decisions delivered, time-to-clarity, risk averted. Volume is vanity.
Justice Kafker Says Lawyer Is Swimming Upstream
“I just feel like you’re swimming upstream here,” Justice Scott Kafker told the lawyer arguing for federal preemption.
Mazur: When Regulators Make Simple Things Complicated
The Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s Mazur ruling, confirming that non‑authorised staff may lawfully carry out litigation tasks when genuinely supervised by an authorised solicitor. The decision ends six months of uncertainty for law centres, paralegal teams and...
$3.425 Billion. One Year. A Wake-Up Call for Every Business Operating in the United States.
Gartner reports U.S. states imposed $3.425 billion in privacy‑related fines in 2025, eclipsing the total of the previous five years. Enforcement has shifted from guidance to hefty penalties, with California alone fining Disney $2.75 million for opt‑out violations. Twenty‑two states already have...
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released
The White House is drafting an executive order to create an AI working group that would vet new artificial‑intelligence models before they reach the market. The proposal marks a sharp reversal for the Trump administration, which previously championed a hands‑off...