“When the company refused to franchise to [the plaintiff], who is an ethnic and religious Jew, [he] sued for racial discrimination under 42 U.S.C. § 1981.” Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation, a “faith-based auto-repair business that franchises only to Christians,” did not engage in unlawful race discrimination under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 when it refused to grant a franchise to a man who is an ethnic and religious Jew, the Fifth Circuit held. The plaintiff argued that discrimination against…

The no-action positions will remain until the end of 2027 unless the CFTC enters an order to replace them in the interim. The CFTC’s Division of Market Oversight and Market Participants Division have extended no-action positions related to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, also known as Brexit. This no-action letter supersedes CFTC Letter No. 24-11, which was amended by CFTC Letter No. 26-10. CFTC Letter No. 26-28, dated October 1, accords with a Joint Statement by…

Federal agencies would be barred from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) or data collected by ALPRs under bicameral legislation unveiled today. The Ban Flock Act (H.R.10691 , 119th Cong. (2026)), which is named after Flock Safety, a leading ALPR vendor, was introduced in the House by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.). A Senate version will be introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.). The legislation would prohibit “the head of any Federal agency and…

The states filed a second lawsuit in the Western District of Louisiana against 30 individuals and entities that “have flooded illegal abortion pills into pro-life states.” Three Republican states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the shield laws in New York, Massachusetts, and California, arguing that the “sole purpose” of the laws is “to facilitate abortion by mail in pro-life states.” The states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama allege that they “invested in the promise of…

The report highlights the Bureau efforts in transforming its fair lending program “by refocusing its regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement activities on its statutory authority and identified consumer harm.” The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s September 2026 Fair Lending Report for 2025 describes a shift toward matters involving proven, intentional racial discrimination with identifiable victims and away from disparate-impact liability. Consistent with an April 2025 executive order,…

A subsequent acquirer can be liable under Florida trade secret law when it has reason to know that another party obtained the information improperly. A Florida appellate court upheld findings that an auto rental company, its owner, and affiliated automotive businesses misappropriated a competitor’s confidential customer list, rejecting their argument that Florida’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act (FUTSA) limits acquisition-based liability to the person who initially obtains a trade secret…

Among other rulings in the Google Digital Advertising Antitrust MDL, the court granted Google’s summary judgment motions on Gannett and Daily Mail N.Y.G.B.L. claims and Inform, Inc.’s Sherman Act claims. In long-running multidistrict (MDL) antitrust litigation about Google advertising practices, the federal district court in New York City court granted Google’s motion for summary judgment against publishers Gannett and Daily Mail only as to those plaintiffs’ New York General Business Law…

The court declined to preclude plaintiff’s expert testimony and granted summary judgment only on warranty claims. The federal district court for the Eastern District of New York denied Petco and a leash seller’s motion to preclude expert testimony and granted in part and denied in part their motion for summary judgment. The products liability case was by a woman whose fingers were severed when her dog’s leash wrapped around her fingers. Her second amended complaint alleged design defect,…

The appeals court left it to the district court to determine whether Ohana and the Ellison Trust’s employer status may be decided as a matter of law or must be submitted to a jury. Following the bankruptcy filing of Hawaii Island Air, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling that the owners of two-thirds of the airline’s stock—the Au Defendants—were an “employer” under Hawaii’s Dislocated Workers Act. However, the appeals court reversed the lower court’s rulings as to employer…