Category:Regulation
Sports Gambling in the Post-Murphy Landscape
Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Murphy v. NCAA, which struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, the sports betting industry has expanded at an extraordinary rate. Sports wagering is now legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C. In 2024, licensed sportsbooks handled nearly $150 billion in bets and generated more than $14.2 billion in operator revenue. State and local governments collected roughly $2.9 billion in taxes, and the federal government received over $375 million through the federal excise tax. This expansion, however, has also produced a complicated and evolving set of regulatory and compliance challenges.
Is Texas the Most Business Friendly State in America?
With its low tax burden on businesses, no state income tax, a large and diverse economy, and a strong work force, Texas has hosted an exceptionally business friendly environment for decades. The state is home to over 50 Fortune 500 companies (the most in the United States), has the 8th largest economy in the world and the second largest in the United States, and has one of the fastest growing populations. In recent years, Texas has been making its case as the most business friendly environment in the United States.
On the Clock: Exploring the TikTok Sale
The world of social media has rapidly evolved from a way to connect with friends to an integral component of global communication, commerce, and culture. Since 2010, social media platforms have consistently shaped daily life with individuals spending countless hours on their favorite platforms. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have amassed billions of users. With such influence comes heightened regulatory scrutiny over data privacy, national security, and corporate accountability. TikTok has drawn intense regulatory oversight due to its ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance, which has prompted fears of foreign influence and national security risks among U.S. regulators. The culmination of these concerns resulted in the passing of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA). Under the PAFACA, ByteDance is required to sell off TikTok’s U.S. operations. This compelled sale has sparked a debate over the balance between corporate autonomy, data governance, and national security. It has also raised broader questions about future industry-wide regulations, indicating that social media platforms may soon face heightened scrutiny and standardized requirements for data handling and corporate transparency.
NHTSA’s New Rule Expands Seat Belt Compliance
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently finalized a rule requiring seat belt alarms for drivers and front seat passengers. The new rule became effective on March 4, 2025, with ongoing expansion in years to come. This is an amendment to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, or “Occupant crash protection” which required seat belt warnings for drivers seats only. FMVSS No. 208 originally went into effect in 1968 and has had major improvements since its enactment. This particular improvement will require manufacturers to install front seat belt warnings in all new vehicles by September 1, 2026, but manufacturers can begin implementing the new rule before September 1, 2026. FMVSS No. 208 will apply to cars, trucks, multipurpose vehicles and certain kinds of buses. The change comes after the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which required NHTSA to regulate rear seat belt warnings in vehicles.
Power Without Process: Federal Enforcement in Chicago Tests the Rule of Law
The Trump administration’s decision to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and National Guard troops in Chicago has sparked nationwide debate over the boundaries of lawful enforcement. Federal officials describe the move as a necessary step to protect agents and restore order. State and local leaders, however, have accused the federal government of ignoring the legal limits that govern both immigration and military authority. Beneath the political clash lies a deeper legal concern: whether federal agencies are operating within the procedural safeguards and statutory frameworks that legitimize their power.
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: Data Privacy and Protection in a Post-Pandemic Reality
Today, the exponential growth and mass adoption of information technology tools and the constant exchange of user data presents an ongoing challenge for regulators seeking to protect data and privacy rights. Particularly from the Covid-19 pandemic onward, a dramatic increase in both demand and dependency has caused a tectonic shift across both public and private sectors. As a result of this ongoing IT and data revolution, the legal and regulatory landscape faces new opportunities and challenges, in terms of providing clarity and stability to regulated industries, entities, and individuals. One notable area of concern is data privacy and protection. Unfortunately, the U.S. Federal system currently lacks a centralized regulatory framework for protecting user data and privacy. However, other nations offer clear models, case studies from which the U.S. could greatly benefit. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is an established, globally recognized regulatory framework. If adopted by U.S. regulators, the GDPR could provide clear regulatory guidance for individuals and entities seeking to navigate an increasingly high-risk era of data protection and management.
Who Owns the Airwaves? FCC Compliance and the Fight for Free Expression
The struggle to balance government oversight, corporate power, and free expression has placed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the heart of America’s media debate. The FCC plays a central role in U.S. media regulation, overseeing licensing, national ownership limits, and broadcasters’ statutory “public interest” obligations. The FCC’s national television ownership rule prevents any one company from controlling stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. households. This mandate was designed to ensure that no single corporation could dominate the public airwaves. Yet, as recent events surrounding FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Nexstar Media Group’s proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., and the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live reveal, these safeguards are under mounting pressure. What began as a technical question of regulatory compliance has evolved into a broader confrontation over free speech, political influence, and the fragility of democratic guardrails in American broadcasting.
America’s Fractured Approach to AI Regulation
Federal efforts to promote artificial intelligence (“AI”) innovation by avoiding comprehensive regulation has prompted state legislatures to fill the regulatory void, creating a fractured regulatory landscape. This threatens the very innovation AI was meant to create in a global race towards general AI. Today’s AI systems are examples of Artificial Narrow Intelligence, trained to perform specific tasks but are unable to operate outside their defined parameters. In contrast, Artificial General Intelligence, or Strong AI, is a theoretical form of AI capable of apply prior knowledge and skills to new contexts, enabling it to learn and perform any intellectual task a human can without additional human training of the underlying models. This pursuit has driven unprecedented investment, technology corporations have poured billions of dollars into AI capital expenditures with this number only continuing to rise. Compliance teams are left scrambling to manage an increasingly complex regulatory environment that is evolving faster than legal departments and regulators can effectively manage.
Administrative Agencies and the Fight Over Regulatory Control
The regulatory state has expanded from the time of our founding. After the growth of industry and the expansion of interstate trade, the government understandably sought new ways to address increasingly complex problems. New agencies were created, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission (EPA, FDA , and FTC) who were charged with regulating different areas of commerce. This outgrowth was necessary to address changes in American markets. Over recent years, however, this expansion has become overly complex and has given too much authority to administrative agencies. In 2022 the state of West Virginia sought to rein in the regulatory powers of administrative agencies in the landmark Supreme Court case West Virginia v. EPA.
Regulating Artificial Intelligence in the World of Insurance: Illinois’ Stalled Legislative Effort
The rapidly growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in corporations having to find the balance between regulation and efficiency, and the world of insurance is no exception. As part of this transformation, insurance companies such as UnitedHealth Group and Humana have integrated AI into their claims evaluation system as a tool to process claims efficiently. UnitedHealth Group states that AI can better analyze data, process claims, detect fraud and provide more effective customer service. However, critics challenge this assessment, citing bias and privacy concerns. During the 2025 legislative session, Illinois pushed to regulate insurance agencies operating in the state through Illinois House Bill 0035. However, the legislation stalled in the Illinois Senate and did not advance during the 2025 legislative session.