If you are the general counsel of a Fortune 500 company, you might be excused if you express bewilderment in response to reports about the successes of U.S. “tort reform.” In the past 5-8 years, both the plaintiffs’ bar and governmental authorities seem to have added an extra digit to many mass tort and product…

On November 6, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and MAHA Caucus, introduced the highly anticipated “Better Food Disclosure Act” (the “Better FDA Act”). The bill aims to close the so-called “GRAS loophole.” Although the bill, which was developed with input from industry stakeholders…

On October 31, 2025, the Ninth Circuit struck down certain parts of USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, including the exemption for highly refined foods in which modified genetic material is undetectable. The decision remands the invalidated portions of the regulations to USDA for revision and could result in a significant expansion in the range…

In the lead-up to COP30 in Brazil, the newly created Task Force for Corporate Action Transparency (TCAT) launched two comprehensive greenhouse gas reporting frameworks designed to fill an important gap in how companies measure, report on, and verify their corporate climate actions.  TCAT leadership has indicated that the frameworks will be formally launched at COP30…

On October 30, 2025, California Attorney General Bonta announced a $530,000 settlement related to allegations that Sling TV, an internet-based live TV service, violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and the California Unfair Competition Law. This is the first enforcement action arising from the California Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) investigative sweep of streaming services and connected TVs, which was announced in January 2024.

In 2023, a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, sparking a class action lawsuit against the railway company and others involved in the derailment.  In re: East Palestine Train Derailment, — F. 4th –, 2025 WL 3089606, at *1 (6th Cir. November 5, 2025).  The class-action lawsuit concluded with a $600 million settlement,…

Massachusetts aims to be the “cornerstone of the defense industry,” with Governor Maura Healey announcing nearly $47 million in government funding for defense-related projects.  Last year, the Department of Defense ranked Massachusetts ninth out of the top ten states in total Defense spending in FY2023, and the state is aiming to expand its investment in…

This is the seventh blog in a series of Covington blogs on cybersecurity policies, executive orders (“EOs”), and other actions of the Trump Administration.  The sixth blog is available here and our initial blog is available here.  This blog describes key cybersecurity developments that took place in August, September, and October 2025. 

NIST Publishes…

In late October, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (“GHG Protocol”) proposed updated Scope 2 guidance for companies quantifying and reporting their greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions.  If finalized as proposed, the guidance would have significant impacts on how companies plan their renewable energy investments and measure progress toward their climate goals.  The main changes proposed to the…

As part of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s “Space Month” initiative, the FCC has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) designed to overhaul the existing framework for space and earth station licensing.  The FCC’s stated goal is to create the “friendliest regulatory environment in the world” for the space industry.

The proposed framework would…