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Public Policy
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January 14, 2025
DOL Finalizes ERISA Voluntary Correction Program Changes
The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm has finalized changes to a program allowing retirement plan managers to voluntarily self-correct when they fail to forward employee contributions on time or make other transaction errors, according to a notice the agency posted online Tuesday.
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January 13, 2025
CFPB Eyes Rule To Rein In 'Forced' Financial Contract Terms
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday floated a new rule that calls for banning financial companies from using contractual fine print to limit consumers' legal rights or restrict their free expression.
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January 13, 2025
Special Counsel Slams Biden's Critique Of Son's Prosecution
The special counsel who oversaw the investigation into Hunter Biden, which was wiped out by a presidential pardon, released a report published Monday criticizing President Joe Biden's "baseless accusations" that his son was "selectively" prosecuted and warning that such comments threaten "the integrity of the justice system as a whole."
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January 13, 2025
On Cross, Madigan Says He Merely Helped Job-Seekers
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan distanced himself Monday from political allies who prosecutors say bribed him for jobs and other benefits, saying his recommendations were just that, and that he thought he was effective in shutting down a former alderman's quid pro quo suggestion.
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January 13, 2025
Judge Spikes Challenge To Ga. Utility Commish Elections
A federal judge on Monday tossed a lawsuit that challenged the extension of terms for members of Georgia's utility regulatory commission while its elections were suspended by voting rights litigation, clearing the way for its members to return to the ballot next year.
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January 13, 2025
Texas Judge Urged To Halt CFPB Medical Debt Reporting Rule
Trade groups suing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over its new rule banning medical debt from credit reports have asked a Texas federal judge to put a court-ordered hold on the measure while they proceed with their challenge to its legality.
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January 13, 2025
Bannon Must Explain Atty Swap As NY Wall Fraud Trial Looms
A New York state judge on Monday ordered Steve Bannon to appear in court to explain why he switched counsel a month before he faces trial on charges of defrauding donors to a fundraiser to build a U.S. southern border wall.
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January 13, 2025
Amid Claims Of Agency Bias, DEA Judge Nixes Pot Hearings
A Drug Enforcement Administration tribunal on Monday canceled planned hearings on the merits of a proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana so that pro-rescheduling parties can bring their allegations of agency bias straight to the DEA's administrator.
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January 13, 2025
FERC Defends Limited Review Of Cross-Border Gas Pipeline
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told the D.C. Circuit it properly confined its review of a gas pipeline that crosses the Texas-Mexico border to a 1,000-foot segment known as a border facility, arguing that regulating the entire U.S. segment would exceed the agency's authority.
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January 13, 2025
Texas Justices Probe State's Bid To Shutter Refugee Nonprofit
The Texas Supreme Court appeared skeptical Monday that the state's attorney general has broad power under an anti-harboring law to shut down a religious nonprofit it claims illegally shelters unauthorized immigrants, with the justices probing how far that power extends.
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January 13, 2025
Colo. Justices Reject Co.'s Challenge To Storm Gas Bill
Colorado's highest court on Monday rejected a building materials company's challenge to charges on its electric bill related to extra natural gas purchased ahead of a 2021 winter storm, finding the company presented no facts to back its claim that the charges amounted to an unconstitutional taking.
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January 13, 2025
Rail Group Rips FRA In 8th Circ. Waiver Battle
The rail industry has told the Eighth Circuit that the Biden administration is flouting federal law by intentionally delaying decisions on waiver applications from railroads seeking to use new brake and track inspection technologies.
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January 13, 2025
Google Says Sanctions Bid In Texas Ad Tech Case Too Late
Google has urged a Texas federal court to reject a bid for sanctions in the ad tech monopolization case being brought by state enforcers over the company's prior policy for retaining internal chats, arguing that the bid comes too late.
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January 13, 2025
Judge Says California Tribe Can't Block Casino Land Decision
A California tribe can't block the Interior Department from taking 65 acres into trust for a fellow state tribe's proposed casino project, a federal district judge said, arguing that it has not satisfied the burden to prove an immediate threat of irreparable harm.
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January 13, 2025
Newsom Waives Permits, Enviro Rules To Rebuild LA Faster
California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an executive order Sunday suspended state environmental rules and permitting in coastal areas, a move intended to help rebuild from wildfires causing extensive destruction in Los Angeles.
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January 13, 2025
Dissuading A Witness Is Grounds For Removal, 9th Circ. Says
Immigration courts correctly ruled that an El Salvador citizen's conviction for dissuading a witness by force or threat in California qualified as an aggravated felony and grounds for removal, a Ninth Circuit panel said Monday.
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January 13, 2025
GPS Backup Would Serve Larger 'Ecosystem,' FCC Told
A public safety tech company is throwing its weight behind a plan to license a chunk of the lower 900 megahertz band to launch a network that would back up the Global Positioning System, calling on the Federal Communications Commission to "advance this critical initiative."
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January 13, 2025
NY's $15 Broadband Price Cap To Take Effect Wednesday
Internet service providers in New York won't be allowed to charge low-income households more than $15 for basic broadband service come Wednesday, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in on a ruling upholding the Empire State's right to cap internet costs.
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January 13, 2025
FHWA Ends 'Buy America' Waiver For Manufactured Products
The Federal Highway Administration on Monday finalized a rule ending a decades-long exception to "Buy America" domestic sourcing requirements for manufactured products used in federally funded highway projects, a change the agency said was intended to boost domestic manufacturing.
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January 13, 2025
NJ Groups Sue To Revoke Offshore Wind Farm Approvals
A group of environmental and business organizations are alleging in New Jersey federal court that federal approvals awarded to a Shell-backed developer's offshore wind projects violate a number of environmental statutes, and they are looking to halt the construction of two offshore wind facilities located just under nine miles off the Garden State coast.
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January 13, 2025
NY Dispensaries Say Pot Agencies Broke Proximity Rules
A group of four adult-use marijuana dispensaries are suing New York's cannabis regulators, aiming to vacate the issuance of licenses for four competing dispensaries that they say violate the state's 1,000-foot buffer between outlets.
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January 13, 2025
Manufactured Housing Groups Seek Early Win Against DOE
Two manufactured-housing trade groups pushed for an early win in Texas federal court in their suit against the U.S. Department of Energy over an energy conservation rule for manufactured housing that the groups claimed failed to hit "a rational balance between energy conservation and affordable housing."
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January 13, 2025
Uber Says Colo. Pay Disclosure Law Infringes Free Speech
Uber is suing Colorado state officials in Denver federal court, contending new driver earnings and service fee disclosure requirements violate the First Amendment by forcing commercial speech, adding that they will ultimately mislead the public about how much in fares the company retains.
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January 13, 2025
T-Mobile, UScellular Say Tie-Up Will 'Greatly' Amp Up Service
T-Mobile and UScellular defended their $4.4 billion deal to combine wireless operations, telling the Federal Communications Commission that expanding the T-Mobile footprint will improve consumers' experiences around the country.
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January 13, 2025
FCC Monitoring For Wireless Outages Caused By LA Fires
The Federal Communications Commission said Monday it was closely monitoring the effect of the Los Angeles wildfires on telecommunications networks and was granting tentative authority for providers to fill any gaps in service.
Expert Analysis
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$3B TD Bank AML Settlement Is A Wake-Up Call For All Banks
TD Bank’s historic settlement over anti-money laundering violations, resulting in over $3 billion in penalties, reminds banks of all shapes and sizes why they need to take financial crime compliance seriously, and highlights three areas that may be especially vulnerable to enforcement, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.
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What Trump Presidency May Mean For Climate Reporting
While the Trump administration will likely take a hands-off approach to climate-related disclosures and rescind regulations promulgated under the Biden administration, state and international ESG laws mean the private sector may not reverse course on such disclosures, say attorneys at Seyfarth.
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Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin
Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Timing Of An NLRB Power Shift Hinges On Biden Nominees
President-elect Donald Trump seems certain to shake up the National Labor Relations Board's prounion Democrat majority, but the incoming president's timing depends on whether the current Senate confirms two pending nominees to board positions, say attorneys at Fox Rothschild.
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Opinion
The Right Kind Of Deregulation In Commercial Airline Industry
Similar to the economic deregulation that occurred more than four decades ago during the Carter administration, the incoming Trump administration should restore the very limited federal regulatory role in the economics of the airline industry, says former U.S. transportation secretary James Burnley at Venable.
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Medicare Overpayment Rules Are A Mixed Bag For Providers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' updated rules for handling agency overpayments adopt a more reasonable definition of what it means to have "identified" an overpayment, which is a win for providers, but their new time frame for investigating related overpayments is unrealistic, says Susan Banks at Holland & Knight.
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FERC's Reactive Power Compensation Cutoff Is No Shock
While the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent final rule ending compensation for reactive power provided within the standard power factor range will mean less revenue for some generators, it should not come as a surprise, since FERC has long signaled its interest in this shift, says Linda Walsh at Husch Blackwell.
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Navigating Decentralized Clinical Trials With FDA's Guidance
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recently finalized guidance on conducting decentralized clinical trials, while not legally binding, can serve as a road map for sponsors, investigators and others to ensure trial integrity and participant safety, say attorneys at Phillips Lytle.
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Unpacking The CFPB's Personal Financial Data Final Rule
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's personal financial data rights rule includes several important changes from the proposed rule, and hundreds of pages of supplementary information that provide important insights into the manner in which the bureau will enforce the final rule, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Opinion
Feds May Have Overstepped In Suit Against Mortgage Lender
The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit against Rocket Mortgage goes too far in attempting to combat racial bias and appears to fail on the fatal flaw that mortgage lenders should be at arm's length from appraisers, says Drew Ketterer at Ketterer & Ketterer.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors
On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.
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Foreclosing Lenders Still Floating In Murky Legal Waters In NY
The New York foreclosure landscape remains in disarray after the state's highest court last month declined to weigh in on whether legal changes from 2022 that severely curtailed lenders' ability to bring successive foreclosure cases were retroactive, says Brian Rich at Barclay Damon.
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What's Next For The CFTC After The Election
While much of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's enforcement actions in line with its traditional priorities will continue as usual in the near term, postelection leadership changes at the CFTC and new congressional priorities may alter the commission's regulatory framework in 2025 and beyond — particularly its oversight of crypto, say attorneys at WilmerHale.
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Expect More State-Level Scrutiny Of Noncompetes Ahead
Despite the nationwide injunction against the Federal Trade Commission’s noncompete ban, and the incoming Republican administration, employers should anticipate that state legislatures will continue to focus on laws that limit or ban noncompetes, including those that target certain salary thresholds or industries, says Benjamin Fryer at FordHarrison.