All articles tagged with #law and policy
Tom Fornelli argues that college football isn’t dying, it’s evolving amid NIL, the transfer portal, and legal uncertainty. While more lawsuits and regulatory debates are likely, the sport has always changed, and time—not doom—is what’s needed to figure out revenue sharing and governance. The piece urges fans to stop panicking and focus on enjoying the games this season while the system works toward clearer rules and potential federal involvement.
A Texas federal judge struck down SB 12, the state’s drag-show ban, ruling it unconstitutional as a restriction on speech, noting that a single erotic moment could trigger penalties and citing Dolly Parton’s cultural influence; the decision came the same day Parton died.
The Justice Department announced the first resolution in its national probe into alleged federal-law violations tied to pediatric gender-affirming procedures, with Texas Children’s Hospital agreeing to stop such procedures for minors, pay $10 million in damages and penalties, and fund a detransitioner care clinic; the settlement also involves alleged false billing, the hospital cooperated, and there has been no admission of liability as the investigation continues.
The Department of Justice filed civil denaturalization actions in multiple districts against 12 naturalized U.S. citizens who allegedly concealed criminal histories and ties to terrorism, including cases involving al-Qaida, war crimes, sexual abuse of a minor, and other offenses, seeking to revoke their citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act and restore integrity to the naturalization process.
Blake Lively's sexual harassment claim against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni was dismissed, underscoring gaps in federal workplace protections for freelancers and fueling advocacy for updates as gig work becomes more common.
New Hampshire has enacted over 300 new laws effective in 2026, including bans on gender-affirming care for minors, restrictions on sanctuary city policies, fee increases, bans on ambulance surprise billing, regulations on AI use involving minors, and enhancements to voting and public records access, among others.
Illinois is implementing over 400 new laws in 2026, covering areas such as victims' rights, education, property, gun safety, and employment, with resources available to help residents understand and navigate these changes.
Several significant laws will take effect in 2026, including tax increases and adjustments, social media restrictions for minors, new labor protections, and transgender rights regulations, impacting various aspects of American life from finances to social media use and workplace safety.
Colorado is implementing about 20 new laws starting January 1, including expanded repair rights for electronics, additional neonatal care leave, stricter gun show security requirements, rent and fee transparency, and enhanced protection for wild bison, reflecting a broad range of policy updates across various sectors.
Starting January 1, 2026, Michigan will implement new laws including a 24% wholesale tax on recreational cannabis, a raise in minimum wage to $13.73, increased unemployment benefits up to $530 per week, and measures to crack down on ticket bots, along with various safety, education, and infrastructure reforms.
A California federal judge allowed the federal government to share basic Medicaid participant information with ICE, but blocked sharing of more sensitive data, citing unclear policies and privacy concerns. The ruling permits sharing of minimal data like citizenship, location, and contact info, while safeguarding more detailed health data, amid ongoing legal disputes over immigration enforcement and data privacy.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can share Medicaid data with ICE only for certain basic personal information about unlawfully present immigrants, blocking access to sensitive health records and emphasizing the protection of health privacy laws, marking a setback for efforts to use Medicaid data for immigration enforcement.
A federal judge in San Francisco has blocked ICE from making civil arrests at immigration courts in Northern California, citing concerns over the chilling effect on noncitizens' participation in removal proceedings and the potential for arbitrary detention. The ruling challenges recent policy reversals by the Biden administration and sets the stage for possible appellate and Supreme Court battles over courthouse arrests, with the decision currently limited to Northern California.
Nineteen states and D.C. sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that labels gender-affirming treatments for youth as unsafe, aiming to restrict access and challenge federal policies, amid ongoing legal and political battles over transgender healthcare rights.
Starting January 1, 2026, Washington state will implement new laws including a minimum wage increase to $17.13, updates to paid family leave, expanded child support guidelines, strengthened victims' rights, and changes in tax and property laws, reflecting legislative efforts to modernize and improve economic and social protections.