Federal Court Halts Key Iowa Pharmacy Law, Citing First Amendment and ERISA Violations

Des Moines, Iowa — A federal court has temporarily blocked the enforcement of significant elements of a new state law designed to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and health plans in Iowa. On July 21, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa issued a preliminary injunction, citing potential conflicts with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the First Amendment’s protection of commercial speech. This ruling follows a temporary restraining order issued by the court on June 30, a day before the law was set to take effect. … Read more

"First Amendment Clash: Producers of Retrograde Fight Lawsuit Over Afghan Subject’s Fatality Amid Complex Ethical Dilemmas"

Washington, D.C. — Producers of the documentary Retrograde, which chronicles the concluding months of the United States’ two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, are invoking First Amendment rights in response to a lawsuit regarding the death of one of its featured subjects. The lawsuit alleges that the Taliban tracked and killed Omar, an Afghan minesweeper, after he appeared in the documentary. Omar was part of a group tasked with ensuring the safety of Green Berets and was depicted in a segment expressing fears of Taliban retribution upon his return to civilian life. A clip from this part … Read more

Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Union Rollback, Citing First Amendment Concerns Amid National Security Claims

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting collective bargaining rights across a significant portion of the federal government. The order targeted around 1 million federal employees, preventing unions from representing workers in 21 agencies primarily involved in national security and public safety. The decision by U.S. District Judge James Donato comes after he determined that the executive order imposed an unprecedented limitation on collective bargaining by labeling entire cabinet departments as essential to national security. Judge Donato stated that Trump … Read more

Proposed Amendment to Controversial Bill Aims to Address First Nations’ Concerns on Economic Zones

Victoria, Canada — A proposed bill has raised significant concern among First Nations and Indigenous stakeholders due to its lack of explicit language addressing the government’s obligation to engage in consultations regarding regulatory impacts. Discussion of the amendment is anticipated today, which aims to clarify that regulations under the new Act must align with the acknowledgment and affirmation of existing Aboriginal and treaty rights as outlined in Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982. This includes the government’s duty to conduct consultations with Indigenous communities. Critics, including legal representatives for Indigenous groups, argue that … Read more