Podcasts about Senior counsel

The SpaceX IPO generated enormous attention for obvious reasons. It was the largest IPO in history, and the company's stock price initially surged after trading began. But an important legal development associated with the IPO has received considerably less attention: SpaceX adopted an unusually comprehensive shareholder dispute-resolution regime (the "Regime") in its bylaws. In our Consumer Finance Monitor podcast released today, our host, Alan Kaplinsky (founder, former leader for 25 years, and now Senior Counsel of our Consumer Financial Services Group) spoke with Professor Mohsen Manesh of the University of Oregon School of Law about the Regime and the significant legal questions it raised.  Manesh is an authority on corporate, contract, and LLC law and has written extensively about arbitration provisions in corporate charters and bylaws. This was his second appearance on our podcast to discuss shareholder arbitration and the SEC's changing position on the subject. Key Topics Discussed: ·                 Why the SpaceX provisions are notable ·                 How the SpaceX dispute-resolution regime works ·                 The distinction under the federal securities laws ·                 The importance of the class action waiver ·                 The distinction between the two waivers ·                 Shareholder consent ·                 Broader competition between Delaware and Texas for corporate charters ·                 Professor Manesh's theory for why the FAA may not preempt Delaware's restrictions As Professor Manesh and I discussed, SpaceX's Regime is about much more than arbitration. It presents a novel test of the intersection between corporate law, federal arbitration policy, federal securities law, forum selection, and class action practice. The litigation that eventually tests these provisions could shape the development of shareholder dispute resolution for years to come. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

Rantz Exclusive: Seattle police say man freed from jail on a plea deal raped a woman a few days later. Guest: Senior Counsel with the Alliance Defending Freedom Ryan Tucker on Washington state's targeting of a homeless ministry for hiring employees that adhere to its Christian faith. // LongForm: GUEST: Angela Rosen, owner of Penelope and The Beauty Bar at the Fairmont Hotel, on impact of new minimum wage. // Quick Hit: Trump put an end to the Biden-era “EV mandate.”

Recent litigation has resurfaced longstanding debates over the scope of First Amendment protections for members of the armed forces. While service members retain constitutional rights, the unique demands of military service have long permitted restrictions on speech and conduct that would not be permissible in civilian life. This panel will examine the historical development of First Amendment protections in the military context and discuss how that history informs current legal disputes and policy debates.Featuring:Prof. Antony Kolenc, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of LawChristopher J. Motz, Senior Counsel, First Liberty InstituteIain Pedden, Chief Defense Counsel, U.S. Marine Corps(Moderator) Thomas Wheatley, Special Counsel, Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense

Recent litigation has resurfaced longstanding debates over the scope of First Amendment protections for members of the armed forces. While service members retain constitutional rights, the unique demands of military service have long permitted restrictions on speech and conduct that would not be permissible in civilian life. This panel will examine the historical development of First Amendment protections in the military context and discuss how that history informs current legal disputes and policy debates.Featuring:Prof. Antony Kolenc, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of LawChristopher J. Motz, Senior Counsel, First Liberty InstituteIain Pedden, Chief Defense Counsel, U.S. Marine Corps(Moderator) Thomas Wheatley, Special Counsel, Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense

The cloud is not in the sky. It is poured concrete, cooling towers, and a draw on the grid that a neighborhood can feel when the bill arrives. Tonight, Jonathan Alexandre, Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Senior Counsel at Liberty Counsel, sits in the nation's capital with Marty Dannenfelser, Vice President for Government Relations and Coalitions at the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Dannenfelser has spent four decades on Capitol Hill and inside the Department of Energy. The hour is about artificial intelligence—and the buildings that make it run. Every search, map, family photo, hospital chart, and Pentagon order now moves through rooms most viewers will never see. Those rooms need electricity first and water second. Communities hear the rumble of construction and ask a kitchen-table question: who pays when the plant is larger than the town? Alexandre and Dannenfelser take that question seriously. They look at a presidential pledge that the companies, not the household, will carry the cost, and at a rare House vote sending the same instruction to state utility commissions. They do not treat Washington as the last word. The people who have to live beside the fence still have to decide whether the jobs, the revenue, and the promised upgrades are worth the strain on the wires.  The technology itself is the other half of the story. The same executives who built it now warn that it can identify a vulnerability and hand that map to a hostile state. Credit files. Faces stolen and used. Networks opened from the inside. Biochemical misuse in the wrong hands. China, they argue, will not observe an American caution flag. When the largest firms invite Congress to regulate them, Star Parker's column sits in the conversation as a warning of its own: is the aim safety, or a barrier a startup cannot climb? Slow the field so the wreck can be cleared—or watch another circuit ignore the rules and take the lead.  Scripture is not an afterthought. Genesis 11 is the picture of a tower raised so that man might become like God, followed by confusion of speech and dispersion. Alexandre and Dannenfelser ask what happens when the end of the project is no longer healing or abundance, but the hope that machines can replace the limits God placed on the creature. Technology is not neutral in its use. It can search for a cure. It can also erase the face of a neighbor or put a weapon in the hands of someone who does not share this country's moral restraints.  The Senate is still in session after the House has gone home. On the table is the SAVE America Act: citizenship to register, a photograph to prove it, a 53–47 vote merely to proceed, and a filibuster that would require seven Democrats to yield. Alexandre reminds the viewer that the ballot was once a demand of the civil rights movement. It is not a privilege to be diluted by those who never took the oath.  The choice left standing is not theoretical. Affordable power. Local consent. Guardrails that do not freeze invention. A moral limit that machines cannot write for themselves. Pastors, parents, and citizens will have to decide which of those they intend to keep. That is tonight on CURE America.

Psychedelic therapy is increasingly becoming a part of clinical decision making, as evidenced by Compass Pathways' announcement earlier this year of successful trial results for COMP360 psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Kimberly Chew, Senior Counsel, Husch Blackwell LLP, and L. Alison McInnes, MD, MS, Director of Psychedelic Medicine, Mindful Health Solutions, discuss the clinical realities and legal gray zones of psychedelic therapies as they move from controlled trials into real-world practice. They cover recent developments, the gap between clinical trials and clinical practice, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, and what good early adoption looks like in the clinical setting. Kimberly and Alison authored a Health Law Weekly article on this topic.Watch this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE_HTFUWbG8Read Kimberly and Alison's Health Law Weekly article: https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/content-library/health-law-weekly/2026/april/10/psychedelics-in-psychiatry-early-medical-adoption Essential Legal Updates, Now in AudioAHLA's popular Health Law Daily email newsletter is now a daily podcast, exclusively for AHLA Comprehensive members. Get all your health law news from the major media outlets on this podcast! To subscribe and add this private podcast feed to your podcast app, go to americanhealthlaw.org/dailypodcast.Stay At the Forefront of Health Legal EducationLearn more about AHLA and the educational resources available to the health law community at https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/. 

In our Consumer Finance Monitor podcast show being released today, our special guest John McNamara, Chief Growth Officer at Avtal (a fintech and software as a service (SAS) company that provides an AI-powered, white-labeled digital engagement platform to help third-party consumer debt collection agencies automate communication and process self-service payments) and a former CFPB senior official who played a significant role in developing Regulation F promulgated under the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act explained that the debt collection industry needs to distinguish genuine AI applications from the marketing hype surrounding the technology. He also emphasized that the use of AI must be accompanied by careful attention to data governance, explainability, consumer protection, and human oversight. Our show is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, founder and former leader for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of our Consumer Financial Services Group. Key Topics Discussed: ·                 Where AI is being used in debt collection ·                 Consumer-facing AI presents greater risks ·                 AI can also improve consumer outcomes ·                 Data governance may be the most important issue ·                 The "black box" problem ·                 Hallucinations and the importance of a human in the loop ·                 Vendor management remains critical ·                 AI may become infrastructure rather than a separate technology The central lesson from McNamara's discussion is that responsible deployment should begin with the use case rather than the technology. Companies should ask what they are trying to accomplish, what data is actually necessary, what legal authority they have to use that data, whether the system's output can be understood and defended, and where human oversight is required. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

What do you do with 5.3 million square feet of concrete and glass when the world it was built for no longer exists? Built in the 1970s as a corporate fortress to keep the city out, the Renaissance Center in Detroit stands today as a monument to a mid-century urban planning thesis that has completely collapsed. RenCen office occupancy sits under 10%, construction costs are up 55% over the last decade, and downtown real estate demands an entirely new model. My guests are Jennifer Stallings Dewey, the Senior Counsel, Community Engagement at General Motors; and Jake Chidester, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Bedrock. In this episode, we dive into the multi-billion-dollar proposal by General Motors and Bedrock to demolish two 39-story towers, tear down the concrete podium, and turn an isolated corporate island into a connected, walkable riverfront district. We answer a ton of listener questions, as well.  The process is ongoing for community feedback. Here's a calendar of events at their East Riverfront Community Hub: https://detroit-riverfront.bedrockdetroit.com/events And here is a link to the project survey: https://detroit-riverfront.bedrockdetroit.com/survey What do you think? Let me know, dailydetroit@gmail.com or 313-789-3211.  Thanks for your support on Patreon! That's how we're able to fund this independent work.

In September 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia preliminarily enjoined the EPA from sending four Clean Air Act waivers to Congress for potential repeal under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). These waivers have allowed California to enact its own vehicle emission standards. Judge Beryl Howell held the CRA's bar on judicial review does not reach an agency's threshold determination that its action is a "rule," and found California had standing to challenge the EPA's June 2026 press release announcing it was transmitting the rules to Congress. What may happen next in this case; and what does this litigation suggest about the limits on using the CRA as a deregulatory tool? Join us for a panel discussing the decision and the broader state of play on CRA issues under the current administration.Featuring:Michael Buschbacher, Managing Partner, Boyden Gray PLLCAndrew Ceonzo, Counsel to U.S. Senator Schmitt and the Senate Judiciary Committee(Moderator) Daniel M. Flores, Senior Counsel, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives

Toronto is a world-class city too often caught between big ambitions and everyday frustrations. From housing affordability and transit reliability to public safety, culture, and inclusive growth, the questions facing the city are immediate, practical, and deeply personal. As Toronto prepares to choose its next mayor, those questions carry even greater urgency.Building on the spirit of the Toronto Star's If I Were Mayor series and the annual City Report Card, this third annual Empire Club of Canada and Toronto Star event arrives at a defining moment for the city and the people who will shape its next chapter. Data, public sentiment, and lived experience come together to show where Toronto is performing well, where it is falling short, and what bold but realistic ideas could move the city forward.Special remarks from Jordan Bitove, Publisher of the Toronto Star, helped frame the discussion, while polling conducted by Ipsos offered a timely snapshot of how Torontonians see the city, its challenges, and its possibilities.The discussion explored not only what the numbers told us about Toronto's priorities, but also what residents are saying in their own words about the changes they want to see. Through a panel conversation moderated by Edward Keenan, Columnist and host of First Up at the Toronto Star, featuring The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Senior Counsel and Strategic Advisor at Cassels, Courtney Glen, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications at Kilmer Group and Jennifer Keesmaat, President & CEO of Collecdev Markee, the event connected city-wide sentiment with the real experiences and proposals of Torontonians.Fresh polling, audience engagement, and a curated selection of civic voices created a conversation grounded in evidence, shaped by public opinion, and animated by the stories and solutions of Torontonians themselves.What qualities should our next mayor have, and what issues matter most to you?

It's back.  WIPL is back … but with a Nashville twist.  Described as one of the "most inspiring and empowering women's conferences in the legal space," Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) offers an opportunity for unprecedented exchange with women in-house and outside counsel.   This premier legal event, gathering 900+ senior female legal leaders for top-notch networking with peers and mentors, has relocated to Nashville, Tennessee this year.  And there was no way Legal Speak wouldn't make it's way there ... bringing you all the best interviews with speakers and moderators from the amazing panels.  In this episode, Host Cedra Mayfield sat down with Jennifer Barnett, Senior Counsel, at the American Arbitration Association.    Host: Cedra Mayfield  Guest: Jennifer Barnett Producer: Charles Garnar  Be sure to look for all the episodes from this year's WIPL conference on Law.com, Apple and Spotify.    

In the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast we are releasing today, Alan Kaplinsky, founder and former chair for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group, spoke with Professor Mark Bartholomew of the University at Buffalo School of Law, co-author with Professor Samuel Becher of "The End of Shopping," a forthcoming article in the William & Mary Law Review. The article explores how autonomous shopping agents could transform consumer commerce and raises fundamental questions concerning consumer autonomy, privacy, competition and consumer protection. The implications for financial services are especially significant. Consumers could use AI agents to select credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, insurance policies, bank accounts, certificates of deposit and investment products. An agent potentially could compare thousands of offerings in seconds and execute a transaction that a consumer might otherwise never undertake because of the time and complexity involved. For banks, lenders, insurers, credit-card issuers and investment firms, agentic AI could reduce customer-acquisition costs, increase switching and intensify competition. But it also could make technology companies the principal gatekeepers between financial institutions and their customers. The company controlling the agent could determine which products consumers see, how those products are compared and whether a particular provider receives the consumer's business. Agentic AI also presents difficult legal and policy questions. Who is responsible when an AI agent makes a mistake? What happens when an agent has a financial incentive to steer a consumer toward a particular provider? Are existing disclosure, fair-lending, privacy, advertising and investor-protection rules adequate when the "consumer" making the initial decision is effectively an algorithm? Key Topics Discussed: ·                 Why Financial Services May Be an Especially Attractive Use Case ·                 Implications for Banks, Lenders, Insurers and Investment Firms ·                 Who Is Making the Decision? ·                 Conflicts of Interest and Self-Dealing ·                 Consumer Protection Law May Have to Change ·                 Fair Lending, Insurance and Investment Concerns ·                 The Need for Guardrails ·                 Competition and Data Portability ·                 Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks Will Increase ·                 What Should Financial Institutions Do Now? ·                 Do We Need a New AI Regulator? ·                 Don't Lock in the Wrong Rules ·                 What Does the Future Hold? Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

In this episode of In the Loop: Revolutionizing Public Finance, we sit down with lawyer, organizer, and policy architect Sylvia Chi to unpack the landmark passage and radical possibilities of California's AB 857, the California Public Banking Act of 2019.The conversation opens by tracing Chi's political trajectory, showing how her early activism during Occupy Wall Street and the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline developed into a structural critique of modern public finance. Witnessing public tax dollars continuously invested in mega-banks that bankroll the fossil fuel industry, Chi turned toward public banking as a practical mechanism for municipal divestment and reinvestment, reimagining finance not as an engine of extractive accumulation, but as a public utility serving social and environmental justice.From there, we examine the legal and legislative construction of AB 857. Chi walks us through the strategic compromises demanded by Sacramento, offering a candid post-mortem on what it took to get the framework signed into law. Getting into the policy weeds, we challenge conventional regulatory orthodoxies around FDIC insurance, analyzing how federal deposit insurance often functions less as an objective financial necessity for public depositories than as an ideological safety stamp and political alibi for risk-averse lawmakers. Chi outlines a democratic counter-model to this dilemma: the potential for an interstate deposit insurance institution designed explicitly to shelter and federate a nationwide public banking network.Broadening the scope to current regional efforts, we discuss the multi-municipality coalition pushing forward the East Bay Public Bank, while dissecting the aggressive misdirection deployed by corporate banking lobbies. In particular, we expose how commercial banking associations routinely deny the existence of banking deserts and underbanked communities to block democratic alternatives, and we examine the urgent need for public banking infrastructure to safely bank California's cash-heavy cannabis industry, a sector systematically shut out by Wall Street. We conclude with a look at Chi's present role as Senior Counsel for Public Grids, discussing how community organizing and public power expertise are uniting across the country to build a clean, publicly owned energy future.Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/MoLsuperstructureOriginal music by Josh Klinghoffer 

In this Season 3 episode, co-hosts A. Valerie Mirko, Partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP and leader of the firm's Securities Regulation and Litigation practice, and William Nelson, Senior Counsel at Eversheds Sutherland, are joined by Peter Chan, Partner at Baker McKenzie and former Assistant Regional Director at the SEC, for a deep dive into prediction markets. Peter draws on his expertise to break down how these markets work, key compliance considerations for in-house counsel and compliance professionals, and the evolving regulatory landscape at both the agency and congressional levels. Tune in for a timely overview of the regulatory, compliance, and investor protection issues that financial services professionals should have on their radar.Listen to recent past episodes of this series on the Brief Encounters channel, or see the whole series in one place on the show's PLAYLIST. Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

In hour 1, Mark is joined by Josh Hammer, syndicated columnist, Senior Counsel at the Article 3 Project, and author of Israel and Civilization, to discuss the evolving debate surrounding artificial intelligence, the expanding digital infrastructure of data centers, and the national security implications of AI development. They also reflect on the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, discussing his impact on free speech advocacy and the broader political climate over the past year. Mark is later joined by Rowan Jacobsen, science journalist and author of In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure, to discuss how moderate sunlight exposure benefits overall human health beyond just vitamin D production. Rowan shares research on how sun exposure can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and various non-skin cancers, while addressing the nuances of balancing skin cancer risks with sunlight's positive effects on longevity and well-being. In hour 2, Sue hosts, "Sue's News" where she discusses the latest trending entertainment news, this day in history, the random fact of the day and more. Mark is later joined by Kenny Wallace, local NASCAR legend, to break down all the action from the Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Kenny shares his experience at the track, including hosting a live show with WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, and comments on Kyle Larson's victory. The two also discuss the atmosphere created at the raceway and touch on the current state of St. Louis Cardinals baseball as they wrap up their season. In hour 3, Mark is joined by George Rosenthal, co-owner of ThrottleNet, to discuss the rapidly evolving developments surrounding artificial intelligence, major tech IPOs, and growing concerns about AI safety. George breaks down the international competition in AI development—particularly with China—and examines the motives behind recent warnings from industry leaders. They also discuss President Trump's public comments on AI regulation and preview an upcoming White House meeting featuring prominent tech executives. Mark also discusses the most recent episode of 60 Minutes and a unique story involving a gerbil. He wraps up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

In hour 1, Mark is joined by Josh Hammer, syndicated columnist, Senior Counsel at the Article 3 Project, and author of Israel and Civilization, to discuss the evolving debate surrounding artificial intelligence, the expanding digital infrastructure of data centers, and the national security implications of AI development. They also reflect on the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, discussing his impact on free speech advocacy and the broader political climate over the past year. Mark is later joined by Rowan Jacobsen, science journalist and author of In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure, to discuss how moderate sunlight exposure benefits overall human health beyond just vitamin D production. Rowan shares research on how sun exposure can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and various non-skin cancers, while addressing the nuances of balancing skin cancer risks with sunlight's positive effects on longevity and well-being.

Mark is joined by Josh Hammer, syndicated columnist, Senior Counsel at the Article 3 Project, and author of Israel and Civilization, to discuss the evolving debate surrounding artificial intelligence, the expanding digital infrastructure of data centers, and the national security implications of AI development. They also reflect on the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, discussing his impact on free speech advocacy and the broader political climate over the past year.

Special guest, Simon Hollander is Senior Corporate Counsel at Amazon Web Services and supports Products and Security Legal across Asia Pacific as AWS's regulatory expert on cloud and AI. Simon shares his interesting career path and the women lawyers who influenced every pivotal career decision he ever made. We hear about the tools coming out of leading AI models, Simon's insights on brain fry, and what lawyers should be working on in this age of AI.If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we'd love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we'd love it if you would leave us a message here!In this episode you'll hear:How nearly every pivotal legal career decision Simon has ever made was influenced by a woman lawyer. Listen in for some shoutouts to our LOA community!The “uncommon sense” lesson lawyers need to learn that no law school teachesSimon's experience from the front line of AI development and the “brain fry” phenomenon replacing “brain rot”About SimonSimon is Senior Corporate Counsel at Amazon Web Services and supports Products and Security Legal across Asia Pacific (ex-China but including Japan and New Zealand). Before joining Amazon Web Services in 2016, he was Senior Counsel at Accenture Japan. Before going in house he was in private practice on the corporate legal team at Morrison & Foerster LLP in Tokyo. He is qualified as a barrister in New Zealand and has a BA/LLB from Auckland UniversityBefore life as a lawyer Simon spent seven years working as an IT Consultant for Deloitte Tohmatsu, and later as an environmental policy consultant at Tokio Marine Risk Consulting before deciding to earn his New Zealand bar admission while living and working in Japan and to finally try out becoming a lawyer. Simon grew up - in his own words - an army brat, moving around attending 16 schools. He moved to Japan straight out of uni and has lived here for 27 years now. In his years in Japan he has been a rugby referee, managed the local French rugby club for several years, been a club DJ and his latest passion is running and is hoping he can run the Tokyo Marathon once again with the current lottery. In his free time he also has a video blog about weekly news and culture topics in Japan he has been doing for more than 15 years now.Like everyone else Simon is wrapped up in learning AI and feels very lucky to be in a position to get access to the latest models and tools, and is a trainer of how to use this tech inside Amazon Legal globally, and has given seminars for regulators inside and outside of Japan on the technology. Connect with SimonLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-hollander-9b5a3a5/  LinksPunk Doily: https://www.instagram.com/punkdoily Connect with Catherine LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair

John is joined by Hidetaka Mihara, Senior Counsel at Tokyo International Law Office. Together, they discuss three major legal developments in Japan: (1) the criminal and civil litigation arising from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, (2) the rise of shareholder activism, and (3) Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel.On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Executives at the company that operated the nuclear power plant had been warned of tsunami risks years before the event, but did not report them to the government until days before the earthquake. The trial court found the executives not guilty of criminal negligence, reasoning that tsunamis of this size were so rare and that the cost of addressing the risk, cutting off electricity to the region while repairs were made, was so high that the company's delayed report did not amount to negligence. Related civil claims against the government and management were also dismissed, with courts holding that neither breached their obligations under Japanese law. Despite some public criticism, most Japanese have moved on from the tragedy, focusing on rebuilding rather than retribution.The recent rise of shareholder activism in Japan marks a notable shift in a culture traditionally averse to corporate confrontation. This rise follows reforms in Tokyo Stock Exchange rules, greater emphasis on corporate governance, and changes in ownership thresholds that empower minority shareholders to propose changes.  One example is the Seven & i Holdings case, in which activists pushed for a corporate restructuring. While their proposal failed, their recommendations for improving the company were eventually adopted by management. Although shareholder litigation remains rare in Japan, shareholder proposals and negotiations have become increasingly effective, aided by the gradual unwinding of entrenched cross-shareholding relationships.Finally, Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel, which has been politically controversial in the U.S., is widely seen in Japan as a strategic and mutually beneficial partnership. Japan views the acquisition as a way to strengthen both nations' competitiveness against Chinese and Indian steelmakers. Ultimately, the U.S. government approved the acquisition based, in part, on its obtaining “golden share” rights, including the right to block certain potential managerial changes at the company.  The conversation reflects how Japan's legal and corporate culture is gradually adapting to global norms while maintaining its distinct approach to risk, accountability, and trust.Podcast Link: Law-disrupted.fmHost: John B. QuinnProducer: Alexis HydeMusic and Editing by: Alexander Rossi

The future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) has rarely been more uncertain. Since its creation, the CFPB has been at the center of intense political and policy debate, with its priorities changing dramatically as administrations change. The events of the past year or so under the leadership of Acting Directors chosen by President Trump, however, have taken that policy whiplash to a new level. In our latest Consumer Finance Monitor podcast released today, Alan Kaplinsky (the founder and former leader for 25 years of the Consumer Financial Services Group at our firm) was joined by two former CFPB officials with decades of experience inside the Bureau: Jason Brown, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and former CFPB Assistant Director for Research, and David Silberman, former Acting Deputy Director and longtime Associate Director for Research, Markets and Regulation. We discussed their recent Brookings commentary, "The CFPB: Where to Go From Here," which proposes a series of structural reforms designed to make the Bureau a more stable and effective financial regulator. Their recommendations are noteworthy not because they seek to preserve every aspect of the CFPB as it has operated in the past. Rather, they focus on a more fundamental question: How can the CFPB carry out its statutory mission while allowing presidential administrations to pursue different policy agendas without repeatedly dismantling and rebuilding the agency? Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

A protest will be taking place in Dublin city centre this weekend of more than 30 groups and left-leaning political parties as President Trump visits Irish shores.Joining Shane to discuss this is Criminal Defence Barrister and Senior Counsel, Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha, who is among a group of Irish lawyers who have signed a statement of objection to Trump's war policies.

National bank preemption is headed toward another Supreme Court showdown. The Second Circuit has held that New York's mortgage escrow-interest requirement is preempted, directly conflicting with the First Circuit's decision upholding a comparable Rhode Island requirement and the Ninth Circuit's decision allowing a similar California law to remain in effect. The OCC has sided with the Second Circuit, issuing final preemption regulations concluding that state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on mortgage escrow accounts are preempted. In the latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast released today, Alan Kaplinsky (founder and former chair for 25 years, and now Senior Counsel of our Consumer Financial Services Group) is joined by Professor Emeritus Arthur Wilmarth of George Washington University Law School to discuss the Second Circuit's post-remand decision in Cantero v. Bank of America, the Supreme Court's 2024 decision in the case, the conflicting decisions in Conti v. Citizens Bank in the First Circuit and Kivett v. Flagstar Bank in the Ninth Circuit and the OCC's The immediate dispute is whether national banks must pay interest on residential mortgage escrow accounts under state law. The broader question is whether state consumer financial laws (other than state usury laws) may regulate national banks and, if so, when those laws are preempted by the National Bank Act. With certiorari petitions pending in Cantero and Kivett, further proceedings in Conti potentially bringing that case back before the Supreme Court, and the OCC's regulations now under challenge by ten state attorneys general, the circuit split and the OCC's intervention make another Supreme Court review increasingly likely. Our podcast with Professor Wilmarth explores these issues in depth and provides an important perspective on what could become one of the most significant national bank preemption disputes in years. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

  Welcome to CURE America. Today our show is hosted by Jonathan Alexandre, Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Senior Counsel at Liberty Counsel.   This episode asks a question most of the culture has decided not to hear: what is a child, if not a product? Alexandre sits with Mark Wiltz of Live Action and Torrey Snow of CURE as they confront surrogacy, IVF, and the industry that sells parenthood as a transaction. Wiltz brings the fight from Capitol Hill and from Live Action's work under Lila Rose—the humanity of the preborn, the damage of the abortion pill, and the difference between welcoming a baby and ordering one. Snow brings the older claim: family is not a lifestyle accessory. It is the first institution God made, and no people stay whole once children become inventory.   At the center is McKenna West, a cardiac nurse hired to carry a child for a couple in Los Angeles. When the baby is diagnosed with a severe heart defect, the intended parents want the pregnancy ended. West will not. She takes the child to Texas, where surgeons can treat him and the law still treats him as alive. Gabriel is born. Live Action, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Erik Baptist, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stand between a contract and a killing. The episode does not present this as a curiosity. It presents it as the logic of commodification, followed all the way to the edge.   Later, Wiltz leaves and Marty Dannenfelser of CURE joins Alexandre and Snow. The same moral problem moves into policy: whether families can reach scholarship aid without waiting on a governor's permission, and whether Congress will keep delaying limits on high-THC hemp products already sold like snacks and already sending people to emergency rooms. The argument is not that government can heal a culture. It is that a culture which will not name a child as a gift will medicate everything else and call the result freedom.   Watch if you want the unvarnished case against buying and selling parenthood—and a close that refuses despair. A child is not a line item. The family, the church, and a people still able to petition their government remain older, and stronger, than the market that learned how to price a life.   We'll see you next week on CURE America.  

Disclosure has long been one of the principal tools of consumer protection. The basic premise seems straightforward: if consumers are given better information about the terms of a transaction, they should be able to make better-informed decisions. But what if better disclosure works differently for different consumers? And what if a disclosure that improves decision-making overall can, in some circumstances, actually worsen outcomes for financially vulnerable consumers? Those are among the important and provocative questions explored in the latest episode released today of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, hosted by Alan Kaplinsky (founder and former chair for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group at our firm) Alan's guest is Professor Florencia Marotta-Wurgler of NYU School of Law, a leading scholar of consumer law, behavioral law and economics. We discuss her new article, "The Distributional Costs of Effective Consumer Regulation," co-authored with Tamar Kricheli-Katz.  The article is available for free on SSRN. The article challenges the conventional way regulators and academics have evaluated consumer disclosures. Rather than simply asking whether disclosure "works," the authors ask a more nuanced question: for whom does it work, under what circumstances, and at what cost? Key Topics Discussed Include: ·                 Better disclosure can reduce mistakes, but not necessarily for everyone in the same way ·                 When salience changes the trade-off ·                 The implications for regulators ·                 What does this mean for behavioral regulation? ·                 A broader lesson about disclosure Professor Marotta-Wurgler's research is particularly compelling because it challenges the assumption that making information more effective is necessarily an unqualified good. Sometimes, a disclosure may not merely inform consumers. It may change what they focus on, how they perceive trade-offs and ultimately what choices they make. That is a lesson regulators, policymakers and industry participants should keep in mind as they design the next generation of consumer protection disclosure rules. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

In 2022, Florida enacted the Stop WOKE (Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees) Act, prohibiting indoctrination of race and gender ideology in a variety of educational and employment contexts. The law’s K-12 provisions remain in effect, but addressing a challenge to its higher education provisions, an Eleventh Circuit panel recently held “if the First Amendment offers any boundary of protection at all for public university classrooms, this statute crosses it.”What is “academic freedom?” Whose right is it? What role do taxpayers and the lawmakers working on their behalf have in funding and setting curricular decisions for state universities? How might other decisions prohibiting compelled use by faculty of preferred pronouns or preventing adverse employment actions against conservative faculty members inform the discussion? Join our panel of experts as they explore the intersection of academic freedom, free speech, and the First Amendment.Featuring:Joe Cohn, Research Scholar in Law and Executive Director, Center for Academic Freedom and Free Speech, Yale Law SchoolTyson Langhofer, Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Academic Freedom, Alliance Defending FreedomMay Mailman, Founder, MPL Strategies(Moderator) Casey Mattox, Vice President for Legal Strategy, Stand Together

Public schools across the country are increasingly the site of debates over the role of parents in their children’s education. The public school system in Loudoun County, Virginia has become one of the most visible examples, drawing national attention over disputes involving curriculum, student privacy, and gender identity policies.Join us for a panel discussion focusing on Loudoun County as a case study exploring the tension between parents and educators in public schools.Featuring:Tyson Langhofer, Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Academic Freedom, Alliance Defending FreedomIan Prior, Senior Advisor, America First Legal(Moderator) Roger Severino, Vice President of Domestic and Economic Policy, The Heritage Foundation

Joe Piscopo's guest host this morning is Col. Kurt Schlichter, Attorney, Retired Army Infantry Colonel with a Master's in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Senior Columnist at Town Hall, and the author of "American War Lord" Salena Zito, reporter for the Washington Examiner and the Washington Post, and the author of "Butler"Topic: "How a PA Loss Became Dems' Blueprint in Trump Country" Joe Piscopo Interviews Frank Preston, President of ACI Medical and Dental SchoolTopic: Monmouth/Ocean County Spotlight Ron Coleman, Commercial litigator and commentatorTopic: President's legal initiatives; Legal news of the day Liz Sheld, Editor of American GreatnessTopic: Lindsay Clancy murder trial John Ashbrook, Host of the "Ruthless" podcastTopic: Midterm election predictions Kerry Picket, White House Correspondent for the Washington TimesTopic: Latest from the Trump White House Will Chamberlain, Senior Counsel at the Anticle III ProjectTopic: Legal battle over the Trump ballroom; Lindsay Clancy; Other legal news o the daySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner are joined by Arpan Sura, Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, to discuss the current state of spectrum policy, the changing technological landscape, and the agency's plans for the future of communications in America. 00:00 Episode intro 00:24 Current spectrum auction policy 02:40 Specific auction timelines 04:59 Growing political support for spectrum 06:57 Upcoming auctions 07:20 Intermodal competition through direct-to-device 08:44 Starlink's reliability and convergence possibility 10:10 Rethinking technical limitations 11:48 Unlicensed spectrum use 12:56 Companies becoming increasingly multi-modal 13:46 Two-year outlook and agency goals 16:27 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Arpan Sura, FCC, spectrum, Brendan Carr, AWS-3, auctions, 6G, upper C-band, NTIA, BBB, satellite, FWA, direct-to-device, Starlink, rural, convergence, BEAD, fiber, cable, EchoStar, Grain

The City of Edmonds voted to keep school zone speed cameras operating around the clock. Guest: Former SPD Chief Sue Rahr is calling out Seattle city leaders over the response to the Bite of Seattle shooting. Guest: Kate Anderson is a Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing a teenage wrestler who is suing the Puyallup School District and other state education officals after she was sexually assaulted while wrestling a male. // Big Local: TikTok to lay off 75 Bellevue employees, the second consecutive year of local job cuts. Two dogs that attacked a pregnant woman in Tacoma have been ordered to be rehomed. Tacoma leaders want to address pet overpopulation after dozens of abandoned cats were rescued from a boat and shelters’ resources get stretched thin. WA DOT is asking for public feedback on potential changes to SR 99 across Snohomish County. // You Pick the Topic: A new study found that frequently consuming sugary drinks could significantly raise your risk of cancer.

In the latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast that we are releasing today, we explore a topic that is becoming increasingly important for financial services companies and virtually every other business operating in today's digital economy: how privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance can be transformed from compliance obligations into sources of customer confidence, resilience, and competitive advantage. Alan Kaplinsky (founder, founder lease for 25 years and now Senior counsel of our Consumer Financial Services Group) hosts and interviews our guests. Our guests are Amy Reeder Worley, managing director at BRG and author of a new book entitled The Confidence Advantage: Optimizing Privacy, Cybersecurity, and AI Governance for Growth, and Greg Szewczyk, chair of Ballard Spahr's Privacy and Data Security Group. Amy advises senior executives and boards on cybersecurity, privacy, and AI risk, while Greg regularly counsels clients on privacy, cybersecurity, data governance, incident response, and the rapidly evolving legal issues surrounding AI. Amy's book is available on Amazon. Key Topics Include: ·                 From "trust" to evidence-based confidence; A central concept in Amy's book is the distinction between trust and confidence. She describes trust as a feeling, while confidence is an evidence-backed belief. ·                 Breaking down privacy, cybersecurity and AI silos; discussion about the need to move away from treating privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance as separate disciplines operating in organizational silos. ·                 "Confidence by design"; Amy describes a framework she calls "confidence by design." ·                 The danger of the "FOMO" approach to AI; what Amy describes as the "FOMO" approach to AI: moving as quickly as possible to deploy AI tools and planning to establish governance later. ·                 Where should companies begin?; For organizations that are just beginning to address these issues, Amy's advice is surprisingly basic: start by determining what data the company has and where it is located. ·                 Boards need to know who owns the risk; discussion on the growing role of boards and senior management. ·                 Governance as a competitive advantage; Perhaps the most important message from the podcast is that good governance should not necessarily be viewed as a cost center. ·                 A rapidly changing legal landscape; the extraordinary uncertainty surrounding AI regulation. We encourage our readers and listeners who are interested in these issues to listen to the full episode and to consider reading Amy's book, The Confidence Advantage: Optimizing Privacy, Cybersecurity, and AI Governance for Growth. It provides a useful framework for thinking about an issue that is quickly moving from the privacy and technology departments into the boardroom. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

Part 1:We talk with Prof. Sean Freeder, Univ. of North Florida.We discuss the Florida primary. We also discuss the fake polls in Wisconsin.Part 2:We talk with Somil Trivedi, Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel, Court Accountability for the Supreme Court.We the lack of accountability for the current Supreme Court. How can this be rectified? WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls," John Prine

State legislatures across the country are taking aim at subscription traps and deceptive cancellation practices — but what does effective consumer protection actually look like at the state level? Erin Witte, Senior Counsel to the New Jersey Attorney General and former Director of Consumer Protection at the Consumer Federation of America, speaks with Anna Olson and Anora Wang about the growing wave of state click-to-cancel legislation targeting subscription traps and dark patterns. Listen to this episode to learn what makes a strong state law, how enforcement actions actually unfold, and what the patchwork of state protections means for consumers and businesses alike. With special guest: Erin Witte, Senior Counsel to the New Jersey Attorney General Related Links: New Jersey Office of Attorney General Hosted by: Anna Olson, Drake University Law School and Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter

The CFPB's June 5, 2026 statement on "Ability to Repay and Immigration Status" presents creditors with a difficult, and potentially unprecedented, compliance dilemma. The Bureau says that when creditors are required to assess a consumer's ability to repay, they may, and in some circumstances may be required to, consider information about the consumer's immigration status if that information bears on the consumer's current or reasonably expected future income. But how can creditors take immigration status into account without violating federal or state fair-lending laws that prohibit discrimination based on national origin? That was the central question explored in the latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, released today. Our host, Alan Kaplinsky (founder, leader for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of our Consumer Financial Services Group) was joined by three Ballard Spahr lawyers with complementary expertise: Dustin O'Quinn, a nationally recognized immigration lawyer; Richard Andreano, leader of the firm's Mortgage Banking Group and a leading authority on mortgage lending regulation; and John Culhane, a longtime member of Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group. The discussion demonstrates just how difficult the CFPB's guidance may be for creditors to operationalize. Key Topics Discussed Include: ·                 What exactly did the CFPB say? ·                 Credit cards and mortgages are different; John Culhane explained that the credit card ability-to-repay requirement is fundamentally a point-in-time assessment. ·                 Immigration status is anything but binary; nOne of the most important points made during the podcast was that creditors cannot sensibly divide applicants into two categories—those who are "legal" and those who are "illegal." ·                 The ITIN issue; The CFPB guidance also raises questions about lending to consumers who have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) rather than a Social Security number. ·                 The fair-lending problem; Rich Andreano described the problem succinctly: The guidance raises the risk associated with failing to consider immigration status but does not provide clear guideposts for considering immigration status without running afoul of ECOA and other civil-rights laws. ·                 Simply lending only to citizens and permanent residents is not the answer; One possible reaction might be for a creditor to adopt a bright-line policy: lend only to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. ·                 The banking agencies have entered the picture; Among the subjects addressed are credit risk and underwriting, source of repayment, collateral considerations, documentation and verification, portfolio and concentration risk, and consumer compliance. ·                 What should creditors do? The podcast participants agreed that simply ignoring the CFPB guidance is unlikely to be a satisfactory answer, particularly for banks subject to regular examination. The CFPB's immigration-status guidance sits at the intersection of ability-to-repay requirements, immigration law, fair lending, safety and soundness, and state law. It is therefore an unusually complicated issue that cannot be analyzed solely from a consumer-finance or immigration-law perspective. Our latest Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast brings those disciplines together. Dustin O'Quinn, Richard Andreano, and John Culhane provide a detailed discussion of what the guidance means, the practical problems it creates for creditors, and how lenders should begin thinking about their policies and procedures. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

Fr. Mitch Pacwa S.J. talks in socialists/communists seeking office during during Cultural Connections. Penny Nance from Concerned Women for America discusses numerous issues regarding women this election cycle. T's Two Sense examines a Texas teacher distraught over illiteracy in his high school classroom. Plus, Michael McHale, Senior Counsel at the Thomas More Society talks over a lawsuit against the State of Illinois for mandating that physicians must inform patients of assisted suicide

In today's episode of the award-winning Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, our host, Alan Kaplinsky (founder, chair for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group at Ballard Spahr LLP) is joined by Delicia Hand, a nationally recognized expert on digital civil rights, AI governance, and consumer protection who leads AI policy initiatives at Consumer Reports. The discussion centers on Consumer Reports' recently released report, AI and Consumer Finance: A Landscape Analysis of Market Forces, Evaluation Frameworks, and Regulatory Gaps, and examines how AI is reshaping consumer finance while exposing important gaps in existing regulatory frameworks. Key topics discussed are: ·        Why approximately 75% of consumers express concern that AI could result in bias or unfair treatment in financial services, while only 8% believe current laws adequately protect them. ·        Whether the rapid adoption of AI is being driven more by competitive pressures than by demonstrated consumer benefits. ·        Consumer Reports' proposed framework for evaluating AI systems used in financial services, including twelve key dimensions designed to assess whether AI systems adequately protect consumers. ·        The growing use of AI in credit underwriting and lending, including both its potential to expand access to credit and its potential to perpetuate existing biases. ·        The increasing use of algorithmic and personalized pricing and the consumer protection concerns raised by AI-driven pricing models. ·        The risks associated with consumers relying on general-purpose AI systems as financial advisors despite the absence of traditional fiduciary obligations or regulatory oversight. ·        Privacy concerns arising from AI systems that access consumers' financial account information through data aggregation services. ·        The need for meaningful consumer redress mechanisms when AI systems make mistakes, including access to human review and effective dispute resolution. ·        The absence of a comprehensive federal framework governing AI in financial services and the unresolved questions surrounding accountability among AI developers, financial institutions, and other participants in the AI supply chain. This episode will be of particular interest to banks, fintech companies, financial services providers, compliance professionals, regulators, and attorneys seeking to understand the rapidly evolving legal and policy landscape governing the use of artificial intelligence in consumer finance. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

Day Break | Election Chaos, Cyber Threats, and America Under Fire --- 00:00 - Monologue 19:25 – Lucas Vebber, Deputy Counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL). Vebber discusses a Wisconsin court ruling that voters who have already returned absentee ballots for the state primary cannot receive replacement ballots, examining the legal reasoning behind the decision and its implications for election administration and voter confidence. 28:12 – Dr. Kurt Miceli, Chief Medical Officer at Do No Harm. Dr. Miceli discusses his organization's call for major medical societies to end invasive genital surgeries on minors, examining ongoing debates over pediatric medical ethics, informed consent, and standards of care. 38:31 - Monologue 47:32 – Becky Dummermuth, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute. Dummermuth discusses a recent court victory involving Alaska Airlines flight attendants who alleged they were disciplined because of their religious beliefs, examining the ruling's implications for workplace religious liberty and employee protections. 57:42 – Chris Farrell, Director of Investigations and Research at Judicial Watch. Farrell discusses a new documentary examining documents related to the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, outlining the evidence presented and why Judicial Watch believes additional questions remain about the investigation. 1:06:47 – Dr. Andrew Fox, organizational culture expert, professor, priest, and author of the forthcoming book Truth in the Age of Applause. Dr. Fox discusses the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America within Democratic politics, examining whether the movement is evolving into a distinct political force and what that could mean for the future of American political discourse. 1:17:05 - Monologue 1:26:03 – Tim Golding, Michigan State Director for Americans for Prosperity. Golding discusses Michigan's U.S. Senate primary, examining whether the race reflects a broader shift in voter priorities and how the outcome could shape the state's political landscape heading into the general election. 1:36:10 – John Leake, author of Mind Viruses: America's Irrational Obsessions and co-author of The Courage to Face COVID-19 with Dr. Peter McCullough. Leake discusses the themes of his new book, exploring how cultural trends, public narratives, and collective beliefs can shape public opinion and influence American institutions. 1:45:09 – Jason Cabel Roe, political and communications strategist. Roe previews Election Day races across Michigan, highlighting key contests to watch, the issues likely to drive voter turnout, and what the results could signal for both parties heading into the midterm elections. --- Check out our brand new podcast, 'Forgotten America'... Episode 24 is live NOW at Steve Gruber on YouTube! Link below: https://youtu.be/UrGZQdE62jA

Last week, Ralph, along with our constitutional law expert, Bruce Fein, organized another symposium in Washington DC on impeaching Donald Trump. On today's program, we play you highlights from that symposium with eight of the participants, each of whom are going to give listeners their perspective on why Donald Trump should be impeached even before the midterm elections.The rhetoric from many Democratic leaders has not kept up with the horror and the urgency of what [Donald Trump] is inflicting on America and the American people. He has moved very, very quickly to develop a fascist dictatorship embodying a kleptocratic corporate state that is marked by non-regulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, and tax escapes for the wealthy and major corporations, as well as expanded corporate welfare in the midst of personal and institutional two-way bribery and extortion. It's very important to punctuate the seriousness of what he's already done.Ralph NaderCelinda Lake is a political strategist and president of Lake Research Partners.What I love about polling is: conventional wisdom is wrong about 90% of the time, plus or minus 5%. Beltway conventional wisdom is wrong about 100% of the time, plus or minus 5%. So, “Everybody knows impeachment is unpopular.” No, it's not. It's very popular. A majority of people support it. “Everyone knows that it'll energize the other side.” No. The other side, to the extent they're going to be energized, they're already energized. We need to energize our side. We need to get our people out to vote… “Everyone knows it's very volatile.” No, it's not. Attitudes about impeachment track with job performance… And finally, “Everybody knows that nobody understands impeachment.” Well, frankly, voters understand it better than a lot of elected officials.Celinda LakeSuparna Reddy is the Senior Counsel for Free Speech For People.Let us be clear: Congress should impeach and remove Trump for each and every one of these hundreds of offenses. And we have a duty to record his every abuse of power. But in the process, we should not miss the forest for the trees— Trump is intentionally and systematically dismantling our democratic institutions to consolidate his own power and line his own pockets.Suparna ReddyRichard Painter is the S. Walter Richey professor of corporate law at the University of Minnesota Law School and was the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007.We have seen serious, indeed, tragic financial conflicts of interest in the executive branch never before seen in the history of our country—unless we look at our very early Presidents who held vast plantations with slave labor, a clear economic conflict of interest with their official duties. A conflict of interest shared by many Senators and Representatives and Justices of the Supreme Court, and indeed a tragic conflict of interest for the first eighty years of our history that ended only with a bloody civil war. But since then, we have not had at least a President who is embroiled in financial conflicts of interest with his official duties.Richard PainterDoug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties.We need to make a persuasive argument for people, whether they like Donald Trump or not, to understand the Constitution transcends this President. The Constitution transcends future Presidents and future crises. We need to convince Americans across the political spectrum to stand with the rule of law, to stand with accountable government, to stand with an accountable executive, responsible legislatures. History tells us that one person making these decisions is not good. Plenty of authoritarians in the past have made these decisions and brought their countries to disaster.Douglas BandowErwin Chemerinsky is the Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.We're now at a moment when the federal government is a threat to our rights. The actions of the Trump administration are unprecedented in the violations of the Constitution. And so I think it's crucial that state and local governments step in so as to protect rights. It's interesting that through American history, Federalism has always been equated, states' rights have always been equated with regressive policies… But now it's time for progressives to use states' rights and look for the opportunities for states to safeguard our constitutionErwin ChemerinskyKeira Havens is a United States Air Force veteran, a former scientist, and a longtime political activist. She is the executive director of Citizens' Impeachment.Everybody has agency. Everybody has a role that they can play. Everybody can take action. As a private citizen, I can say, “Man, there are a lot of things wrong with what's happening.” In fact, I wrote several articles of impeachment: tyranny, treason, obstruction of justice, and of course, corruption, right? Members of Congress have more power than that. They need to do more than say things. They have to take action. Courage is an action. It's what you do after you say the words that really matters. And every single member of Congress is able to take action. They are able to introduce articles of impeachment, and they are refusing.Keira HavensJessica Denson is a former Trump staffer and founder of the Removal Coalition.The American people (and particularly Democratic primary voters) are looking for fighters. For God's sake, what could you do better than to exert the power that you have—this one privilege in the House, Rule 9, that gives any member of the Congress, including the minority, the ability to force a vote any time. Why would you sit on that? Why would you wait? Instead, in my activism, I've had to resort to relying on literally one Congressman. This is so pathetic. He is a dear friend, and I am so grateful for him. But to this day, I think it is pathetic that I have to rely on one Congressman to bring forth articles of impeachment and force votes, and that's Representative Green.Jessica DensonNews 7/31/26* Our top stories this week have to do with the Democratic National Committee. Several stories have recently come out about DNC Chair Ken Martin, ranging from interpersonal issues to his utter failure to raise money for the Democratic Party. The most stunning example of this comes from NOTUS, which reports that Martin “put [the DNC's] physical headquarters up for collateral last year in order to obtain a $15 million line of credit to help invest in off-year elections.” While the party has used this mechanism before, it underlines the gaping disparity between the DNC, which is currently over $2 million in debt compared to the Republican National Committee (RNC), which can boast $128.5 million cash on-hand.* Compounding the issues of the already cash-strapped DNC, the New Republic reports the Democratic National Committee was scammed out of nearly $29,000 by an email from someone pretending to be Chair Ken Martin last year. DNC spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg is quoted saying “The DNC takes seriously our duty to protect the funds provided to us by millions of patriotic Americans chipping in to fund our mission…this was a one-off mistake that was promptly caught and addressed, and no similar issues have occurred since.” That said, only $7,000 worth of this money has been recovered. As TNR puts it, “This has all been very embarrassing. Martin can't raise money, can't keep money, and can't unite the base under the big tent' he likes to talk about.” Martin may also be facing an outright rebellion led by party insiders.* One surprising proposal to this effect is coming from a very unlikely source. The Hill reports veteran Democratic strategist James Carville, while tearing into Martin, opened the door to former DNC Vice-Chair David Hogg taking the reins. Carville said the DNC appears “dysfunctional” and that the committee needs to “figure out a way maybe they could be somewhat relevant,” adding that “If David Hogg wants to take it over, I ain't stopping you…Go ahead, man, I don't really care.” This is a stark turnabout from Carville's position on Hogg when the latter was in DNC leadership; back then, Carville dismissed him as “a contemptible little twerp.” In an interview, Hogg highlighted this exact reversal, while simultaneously saying that he did not want to lead the crumbling Democratic Party organization. Ben Wikler, the former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair who challenged Ken Martin in 2025 has also resisted calls to take over the DNC, with rumors circulating that he is gearing up to run for Senate in the Badger State next cycle. While pressure continues to mount on Martin, alternative leadership remains elusive.* Speaking of lackluster leadership, Sources Say News reports Capitol CNCT has launched The Scoop which they describe as “a confidential rating system that lets current and former Hill staffers weigh in on the members and offices they have worked for.” As one might imagine, some reviews are extremely scathing. This piece cites one that reads, “Leadership is abusive. Lies about promotions and bonuses…This place will leach at your mental health like a vampire…Beware.” Sources Say highlights the fact that “Unlike most workplaces, Congress has no HR department, which means bad behavior by members and senior staff can go unreported and unchecked for years.” The new site verifies that the posters are or were real employees of these offices, but keeps their names anonymous to protect them from retaliation.* In more news from Congress, POLITICO reports Maryland Representative and House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin is launching a new investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, this time focusing on whether the deceased sex offender and financier acted as an unregistered foreign agent. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Raskin writes that “Jeffrey Epstein never registered as a foreign agent…Yet numerous recently released documents now show he acted aggressively on behalf of multiple foreign governments, including several with interests adverse to the United States, in order to influence policies of the first Trump Administration.” The declassified files reveal that Epstein “offered to serve as a conduit between Saudi Arabia and members of the Trump administration, consulted with Russian officials on engaging with the president and advised former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.” This inquiry is likely to raise fresh questions about not only Epstein's role working on behalf of foreign governments, but his possible connections with intelligence and espionage organizations including the CIA and Mossad.* Other progressive members of Congress, led by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, have issued a formal response to a new Trump administration report on Cuba. These members interpret this report – which claims that the tiny Caribbean nation of 10 million people has “waged a sustained campaign” to “conquer” the United States and is backing “left-wing terrorism on American soil” – is in fact an instrument the administration plans to use to persecute “Trump's perceived political enemies.” Omar, joined by Representatives Jim McGovern, Delia Ramirez, Rashida Tlaib, AOC and more, contend that Trump is “hell-bent on taking America back 70 years to the height of Cold War McCarthyism, when hawkish foreign policy was paired with unsubstantiated accusations of communist subversion and political repression against dissidents at home.” The administration report singled out several organizations and activists, including the National Lawyers Guild, Hasan Piker, and campus activist Isra Hirsi, daughter of Congresswoman Omar. This from Common Dreams.* In more news from the left, POLITICO reports Donavan McKinney – who is challenging incumbent Congressman Shri Thanedar in Detroit – picked up a major batch of endorsements this week from members of the Congressional Black Caucus. These new endorsers include Representatives Steven Horsford, the former chair of the CBC, along with Lateefah Simon and Ayanna Pressley. These endorsements, particularly that of Congressman Horsford, are notable because Thanedar retains the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his deputies, Representatives Pete Aguilar and Katherine Clark. McKinney said he was “honored” by these endorsements, adding that he “[looks] forward to working alongside these incredible leaders to pass critical legislation to protect voting rights, get big money out of our politics, and ensure all families have access to the resources they need to not just survive, but to truly thrive.” McKinney's primary will be held on August 4th, along with the more closely watched Senate primary between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and his moderate, establishment-backed opponent Haley Stevens.* Meanwhile, in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to fulfill campaign promises at an astonishing rate. First, Forbes reports that Mamdani has officially introduced a $124.7 billion city budget which includes funding for five city-run grocery stores which will sell staple foods at a 30% discount compared to private grocery stores. These staples are set to include produce, dairy, bread, select meat and seafood, and approximately 20 other products. Being city-owned, these stores will not have to pay rent or property taxes, ensuring they can operate more cheaply than their competitors in the private sector. This piece notes that similar experiments in smaller cities like Baldwin, Florida, and Erie, Kansas proved unsustainable financially, while proposals in Chicago and Kansas City struggled to get off the ground. There is reason to believe New York will prove a different matter entirely, but that remains to be seen. At the same time, Jacobin reports Mamdani is launching a new initiative called “Talk to Tenants,” which will “send volunteers door-to-door in buildings with chronic housing code violations, connecting renters with organizing resources, neighborhood organizations, and training on tenants' rights and how to build tenant associations.” This effort will be led by the Office of Mass Engagement in partnership with the Office to Protect Tenants. It is extremely encouraging to see Mamdani utilizing a varied array of tools at his disposal – including both direct action by the city as on grocery stores or using city resources to promote the formation of non-governmental organizing efforts – in order to achieve his vision of a just and affordable American metropolis.* In more troubling, if not surprising, news, the Wall Street Journal is out with a new report finding that the Department of Justice is giving a green light to corporate criminals. The Journal cites examples ranging from Alibaba to Boeing and EagleBank to Abbott Laboratories where the Trump DOJ “declined to charge companies even when prosecutors thought executives or managers were involved in the wrongdoing.” This follows from directives given by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has “said prosecutors shouldn't view prosecuting companies as their goal and should instead focus on holding individual wrongdoers accountable.” This piece cites a December speech by Blanche in which he stated that “Companies don't go to jail, people do.” Yet, it seems that under the Trump Justice Department, neither do.* Finally, in more corporate news, the antitrust lawsuit filed by over a dozen state attorneys general has at least temporarily succeeded in halting the mega-merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Ellisons' media conglomerate, Paramount Skydance. After the lawsuit was filed, a federal judge in Oakland ordered a pause on the deal, and since then, the Ellisons themselves have agreed to put the merger “on ice” pending the outcome of the trial, Variety reports. This piece also highlights the private sentiments of anonymous Warner Bros. executives who apparently hope that the deal hits a “legal landmine” and is ultimately “nixed.” However, in an internal memo, David Ellison maintained that “the facts and the law are on our side, and a full hearing will demonstrate why the plaintiffs' arguments should not prevail.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

It's Thursday, July 30th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Iranian Muslim authorities shut down oldest Protestant church Iranian officials recently shut down the oldest Protestant church in the country. Christians have held worship services at St. Peter's Evangelical Church in Tehran for 150 years. Authorities have now seized the property and banned church gatherings there. They also ordered 28 families living on the church compound to leave. Iran has been seizing Protestant church properties for years. Mansour Khajehpour previously served as an elder at St. Peter's Church. He told Christianity Today that the church in Iran grows despite persecution. He said, “This is the dynamic reality of the church. The church will not die. The church will grow, and we are a part of that church.” In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” United States launched strikes on Iran last night Speaking of Iran, the United States began launching strikes on Iran at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 29th, according to the U.S. Central Command. The U.S. attacks were “a powerful response to [Tuesday's] attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.” The attacks by Iran on U.S. forces did not get past U.S. defenses. And The Western Journal reports that foreign governments are taking part in the fighting now, where they hadn't before. For the first time, the Saudi Arabian military joined with the U.S. in striking Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, reports the Associated Press. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Harward, a retired SEAL and former deputy CENTCOM commander, said, “You see the Lebanese government making an agreement with Israel to undermine and try to get rid of Hezbollah.” He added, “You're seeing the pressure build on Iran on all fronts.” Ukrainian refugees have planted 160 churches across Europe Millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes since Russia invaded the country in 2022. Despite this, these refugees have planted churches across Europe.  European Christian Mission International reports displaced Ukrainians have started 160 churches in Europe in the last four years.   A report from the organization stated, “Increasingly, Ukrainian believers are refusing to see themselves only as refugees. Instead, many are embracing a different calling - missionaries sent by God into the nations of Europe.” Canadian labor board ruled in favor of COVID-shot rejecter LifeSiteNews reports that a Canadian labor board ruled in favor of a Christian man who objected to the COVID-shot mandate. The Canadian Revenue Agency suspended Steven Porter without pay after denying his religious exemption. The agency must now pay $5,000 in damages to Porter.  He wrote in his exemption request, “Christ is my supreme King and Lord and I am subject to His final authority alone in all matters of life, faith and conscience.” In Acts 5:29, the apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Senator questions CDC's billion-dollar COVID-shot contract to Pfizer The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $1.24 billion in COVID-shot contracts to Pfizer last month. Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin questioned this decision in a letter to Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  Johnson wrote, “The CDC's reported awarding of approximately $1.24 billion in new contracts to Pfizer for a vaccine linked to serious adverse events—including potentially the deaths of children—suggests [that the] CDC continues to fail to take its vaccine safety responsibilities seriously.” Pro-lifer Paul Vaughn got settlement over wrongful arrest Praise God! A pro-life, Christian father reached a $1 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The case involved his wrongful arrest under the Biden administration, reports Highlight Truth Ministries. Federal agents raided the Tennessee home of Paul Vaughn in 2022 and arrested him for his pro-life activism.  My family and I had the honor of meeting Paul Vaughn several years ago. He's an amazing Christian patriot. Steve Crampton, Senior Counsel at the Thomas More Society, said, “This settlement is not just about one family. It is a warning and a precedent. The weaponization of federal law enforcement against pro-lifers, against people of faith, against those who dare to stand for the unborn—that era is over.” Treasury has saved $99 million from going to dead recipients The U.S. Department of the Treasury implemented a new payment verification process.  The safeguard has already kept about $99 million from being sent to deceased individuals.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Treasury has delivered on a key promise of President Trump's mandate to stop improper payments and fraud before money leaves the Treasury, and strengthen the integrity of the federal payment system.” 70th anniversary of America's “In God We Trust” motto Today is the 70th anniversary of when “In God We Trust” became America's motto. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law on July 30, 1956. The resolution also required the motto to appear on all U.S. currency.   Democratic Representative Charles Bennett of Florida introduced the resolution. He said, “Nothing can be more certain than that our country was founded in a spiritual atmosphere and with a firm trust in God. ... In these days when imperialistic and materialistic communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, we should continually look for ways to strengthen the foundations of our freedom.” Texan mother shares that her kids have contributed Here at The Worldview in 5 Minutes newscast, Leticia in Blum Texas wrote, “Adam, we are so thankful for your radio newscast. It is a great encouragement to us! We listen to it on the road or when we're at home. It is great to hear stories that I know wouldn't normally make it into traditional newscasts. “The Worldview is concise and informative! Thankful for the work you are doing!  Our four children -- Fletcher (15), Halen (12), Beck (10), and Murphy (7) -- contributed some of their money to our donation.” McVeda kids' mother in Montana contemplates why sponsor this newscast And Melissa McVeda, the mother of the four kids under the age of 11 in Great Falls, Montana who have raised hundreds of dollars for The Worldview selling chocolate chip cookies, iced tea and hand crocheted puppets on their dairy farm, weighed in with her thoughts. She wrote, “Adam, there are so many ministries that I would like to donate to: earnest missionaries and people hurting from natural disasters, among others. In light of those needs, it has been difficult for me to reconcile giving to The Worldview. And I imagine I'm not alone in that. “Because of my kids' fundraiser, which naturally has come to involve the entire family, I've spent time considering if The Worldview is worth the effort and funds we're putting into it. This is the primary answer I have seen:  “I would not KNOW about many of the other needs if it weren't for The Worldview in 5 Minutes! Your newscast is a connection point -- a bridge, if you will - between Christians and people in need around the world.  “Because of this ‘bridge,' I heard about the dear brother in Uganda who lost both of his hands to his Muslim family's persecution. And God stirred me to pray for his faith not to be shaken! Because of The Worldview, I heard about the steadfast pro-life sister in Britain who recently was killed. I rejoiced to hear how God used her faithfulness and I was stirred to consider if she has family who are grieving.  “The Worldview IS an important ministry. It is connecting those who have a supply to those who have needs as 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 articulates. It is also building the Body of Christ as brothers and sisters across the world hear about each other and pray for and encourage each other as a result.  “I remember when I first heard about The Worldview in 5 Minutes back in 2018. Kevin Swanson was sharing how he had personally invested $30,000/year of his own money to fund it when it started in 2015.  He had recently reached out to this man, Adam McManus, a talk show host down in San Antonio Texas, to see if Adam would voice the newscast. Kevin, obviously, had a vision for how God would use The Worldview. “One final note. Yesterday, when my kids and I heard you cite some of the large donations coming in, where people were giving one-time donations of $500 and $1,000, I realized that those donors were not just donating for the benefit that they, themselves, receive from The Worldview. They were also donating so that someone else could have the same benefits.  I praise God for the work He's doing through this newscast.” 11 Worldview listeners gave $1,775.96 And finally, by Wednesday night at 8:00pm Central, 11 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate and invested their treasure to fund the 6-member team behind The Worldview for another year. Our thanks to Augustine in Auburn, California and Ben in Eureka, California – both of whom gave $20 as well as Carri in Oro Valley, Arizona who gave $25, and Bethany in Austin, Texas who gave $50. We're grateful to God for an anonymous donor in Oxford, New York and David in Houston, Texas – both of whom gave $100, and the McVeda Kids in Great Falls, Montana who gave another $160.96! We appreciate Steven in Ulster Park, New York and James in Lancaster, South Carolina – both of whom gave $200 as well as Leticia and her kids Fletcher, Halen, Beck, and Murphy in Blum, Texas who also gave $200. And we were touched by the generosity of Karl in Grand Rapids, Michigan who gave $700. Those 11 gifts add up to $1,775.96. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $ 81,119.96 (sound effect of people cheering) We need to raise $42,380.04 by midnight on Friday, July 31! That means in order to hit our final goal of $123,500 by tomorrow night, Friday, July 31st, God needs to prompt folks to give a seemingly impossible amount of $42,380.04 in order for the 6-member Worldview newscast team to be fully funded for another year. I see the finish line from here.  But, without God's help, we are not going to get across it! We still have matches open for the next 4 people who give a one-time gift of $500 because our friend in Naples, Florida will match your gift with another $2,000 of his own money. If those four donations come in, that would leave the difference of $38,380.  Listen. Could you be one of 38 people – just 38 -- to give a one-time gift of $1,000? Or, if that's not doable right now, would you consider a monthly pledge of $83.33? No gift is too big or too small.  We have received a $5 gift and a $2,400 gift.  If everyone does something, we can get there with the Lord's help. Just ask Him. “Lord, how has this newscast made a difference in my life?”  What is that worth to you?  We had a college student sacrificially give $500.  We've had Africans in Eswatini, who have very little funds, invest $10/month. And we've had kids raise hundreds of dollars through creative fundraisers selling cookies and hardboiled eggs and lemonade. Just go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  This newscast team champions the truth and uses the Bible as our plumbline.  Don't forget: The Worldview in 5 Minutes is commercial free. We have no sponsors. Nor do we have a pay wall.  Anyone who wants to access this newscast can get it for free. So, all we have is you! What is God prompting you to do right now? Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, July 30th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

A newly launched academic institute is seeking to influence the future direction of consumer financial services regulation by promoting a policy framework centered on consumer choice, market competition, empirical research, and innovation. In the podcast we are releasing today on Consumer Finance Monitor, our host Alan Kaplinsky (founder, former chair for 25 years and now senior counsel) interviewed Professors Todd Zywicki of George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School and Tom Miller of Mississippi State University about their newly created Institute for Consumer Financial Choice (ICFC), its mission, and its ambitious agenda. Key Topics Discussed: ·                 A Different Vision of Consumer Protection: Rather than viewing regulation and deregulation as opposite ends of a policy spectrum, the Institute seeks to identify regulatory approaches that encourage innovation, expand consumer choice, and improve market performance while still protecting consumers from genuine abuses. ·                 Beyond Research: Influencing Policy: The ICFC plans to produce peer-reviewed empirical research, file amicus briefs in important litigation, submit regulatory comment letters, educate students, policymakers, and industry participants, and serve as a resource for legislators and regulators confronting emerging consumer finance issues. ·                 Revisiting the CFPB Task Force Report: One of the Institute's earliest priorities is breathing new life into the CFPB Task Force Report issued in 2021. ·                 Research Priorities: The Institute has already identified an ambitious research agenda that includes evaluating whether the Military Lending Act has improved access to credit for servicemembers, conducting new empirical research on the pawn industry, studying ancillary financial products such as GAP insurance and extended warranties, examining payday lending regulation, investigating rural financial inclusion, exploring stablecoins, cryptocurrency, and digital payments, and assessing how existing regulatory structures can better accommodate technological innovation. ·                 Artificial Intelligence Moves to the Forefront: Professor Zywicki argued that AI presents both enormous opportunities and significant risks for consumer financial services. ·                 Policy Issues Likely to Receive Immediate Attention: Professors Zywicki and Miller identified several policy areas where they believe the Institute can have an immediate impact, including interest rate caps and usury laws, APR disclosures and widespread misunderstanding of APR as a measure of price, payment systems and interchange regulation, federal preemption and the future of dual banking, financial inclusion, stablecoin regulation; and emerging litigation involving consumer financial regulation. The Institute's long-term success will ultimately be measured not by the number of conferences it hosts or papers it publishes, but by whether its research meaningfully influences legislation, regulation, litigation, and public understanding of consumer financial services. Based on the conversation with Professors Zywicki and Miller, they have set ambitious goals and they appear determined to pursue them. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

Chris Tarbell is a leading privacy, cyber, and data strategy executive. He currently serves as the Chief Privacy Officer for VERSANT Media LLC. Prior to his current role, Chris was an associate general counsel for Fanatics and the Walt Disney Company, where he advised global businesses on compliance with domestic and international privacy, data security, and related consumer protection laws. Most recently, Chris served as Senior Counsel at the leading law firm of Kelley Drye and Warren, where he also supported clients in numerous regulatory investigations related to marketing and advertising. In this episode… Building strong privacy programs relies on human connection and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics and business goals. To be successful, privacy professionals must participate in the business rather than just focusing on meeting legal requirements. This approach enables leaders to advocate for the tools, budget, headcount, and other resources to move the program forward. Because privacy impacts many business functions, it is very much a people business, requiring strong relationships, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to build trust with stakeholders and internal teams. So, what steps can companies take to achieve this?  Putting this into practice starts with assembling a people-first privacy team and hiring individuals with the soft skills to step into unfamiliar situations, assess what is needed, and work across departments to move the program forward. By bringing curiosity and enjoyment to privacy work, they create an environment where other departments are more willing to involve privacy early and often. This approach is especially important in the media industry, where privacy pros may need to work with news colleagues to balance the right to be forgotten with First Amendment considerations or partner with intellectual property teams to protect personal information during piracy investigations. And while collaboration is essential, teams must also determine what can realistically be achieved with the time and resources available without allowing perfection to stall progress. In this episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels speak with Chris Tarbell, Chief Privacy Officer at VERSANT Media, about building effective privacy programs through relationships and collaboration. Chris explains how his experience as both in-house and outside counsel shaped his ability to understand business objectives, advocate for resources, and communicate the value of privacy. He shares insights on the cross-disciplinary nature of privacy work in the media industry, lessons from building a program during a major corporate spinoff, and the importance of creating a people-first privacy team capable of handling unfamiliar business challenges. Chris also explains why bringing some fun to privacy work can make a program more effective.

Jill sits down with Adele Abrams—attorney, safety professional, author, and nationally recognized OSHA and MSHA expert—about her unconventional journey from rock-and-roll radio and television into a career focused on OHS and law. Adele reflects on the experiences that shaped her expertise in construction and mining, her work on complex health hazards such as asbestos and silica exposure, and the mentors who helped her build a national practice while earning respected safety credentials.Now serving as Senior Counsel at Littler Mendelson P.C. and leader of the firm's MSHA litigation, Adele shares lessons from decades of handling workplace fatality investigations and regulatory cases. She discusses her commitment to “holistic settlements” that invest in training and safety improvements, offers insights on the growing politicization of workplace safety regulation, and provides practical advice for staying informed in a changing regulatory landscape. Adele emphasizes the importance of mentoring, teaching, and developing the next generation of safety professionals as part of her lasting legacy of protecting workers and saving lives.MSHA.govAdele's LinkedIn

Catherine Kirkland, Partner, King & Spalding LLP, and Baxter Morgan, Senior Counsel, Husch Blackwell LLP, discuss the landscape of Medicaid financing a year after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now known as the Working Families Tax Cut Act. They cover provider taxes and impending cuts, the hold harmless rule and litigation involving Florida and Texas, and potential alternative sources of Medicaid financing. Catherine and Baxter spoke about this topic at AHLA's 2026 Institute on Medicare and Medicaid Payment Issues in Baltimore, MD. Watch this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbYL51fGuPQLearn more about AHLA's 2026 Institute on Medicare and Medicaid Payment Issues: https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/medicaremedicaidLearn more about AHLA's 2026 Medicare and Medicaid eProgram: https://educate.americanhealthlaw.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=1759 Essential Legal Updates, Now in AudioAHLA's popular Health Law Daily email newsletter is now a daily podcast, exclusively for AHLA Comprehensive members. Get all your health law news from the major media outlets on this podcast! To subscribe and add this private podcast feed to your podcast app, go to americanhealthlaw.org/dailypodcast.Stay At the Forefront of Health Legal EducationLearn more about AHLA and the educational resources available to the health law community at https://www.americanhealthlaw.org/. 

In today's episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, we are pleased to present an audio version of the webinar we conducted on May 27, 2026 examining the CFPB's revised final rule and its practical implications for banks, credit unions, FinTech companies, and other providers of small business credit. During this comprehensive discussion, our host, Alan Kaplinsky (founder, former Practice Group Leader for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group) was joined by his Ballard Spahr colleagues Richard Andreano and John Culhane, along with two distinguished guest panelists: Bradley Blower, Principal and Founder of Inclusive-Partners, LLC, and Louis Caditz-Peck, Executive Director of the Responsible Business Lending Coalition. Key Topics Discussed: ·        The most significant differences between the CFPB's original 2023 Section 1071 rule and the revised 2026 final rule. ·        Why the Bureau substantially increased the institutional coverage threshold from 100 to 1,000 covered originations. ·        The practical implications of narrowing the definition of a "small business," reducing the required data points, and excluding merchant cash advances and agricultural loans from coverage. ·        Whether the revised rule still fulfills Congress's objectives of promoting fair lending and improving transparency in the small business lending market. ·        The operational and technology challenges lenders should begin addressing now—even though compliance is not required until January 1, 2028. ·        How institutions can use Section 1071 data not only for compliance but also as a competitive business intelligence tool. ·        The potential fair lending, supervisory, and reputational risks created by the public availability of Section 1071 data. ·        The current status of litigation challenging the original Section 1071 rule and whether additional lawsuits challenging the revised rule are likely. ·        Predictions regarding how the rule may evolve over time, including whether future administrations could expand its scope in a manner similar to the evolution of HMDA reporting. Whether your institution expects to be covered by the revised rule or not, this discussion provides valuable insight into the future direction of small business lending regulation and offers practical guidance on how lenders should prepare now for the compliance, operational, and strategic issues that lie ahead. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

0:30 - BLM Brandon on budget 15:26 - NYC DSA Co-Chair Gustavo Gordillo with McCallum on businesses and rent freezes 32:46 - Rubio speech at The Resurgence of Political Terrorism confab 56:25 - Weingarten at AFT Poliburo meeting 01:12:58 - The Heritage Foundation's Steven Bucci discusses the latest in Iran, arguing it's long past time for the U.S. to take out Kharg Island. 01:35:53 - Ian Williams, former foreign correspondent for BBC Channel 4 News and NBC, breaks down The real Chinese election plot. Ian is also the author of ‘Vampire State. The rise and fall of the Chinese Economy’. 01:50:45 - Katherine Birbalsingh on the West 02:06:18 - Senior Counsel at the Article III Project, Will Chamberlain, on body cams for ICE officers, voter ID for all and what’s holding up the SAVE ActSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from a tool that assists human decision-making into technology capable of acting independently. The next frontier, often referred to as agentic AI or agentic commerce, envisions AI agents negotiating contracts, making purchases, authorizing payments, and completing commercial transactions with little or no human intervention. While enormous investments are being made to develop this technology, far less attention has been devoted to an equally important question: What legal infrastructure will govern autonomous commercial transactions? That is the focus of our latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast being released today.   Our guests are Bridget McCormack, President and CEO of the American Arbitration Association–International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA) and former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, and David Hoffman, the William A. Schnader Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. They are the authors of the thought-provoking paper, Agentic Commerce Needs Legal Infrastructure—and the Courts Are Coming, which is published here on AAA's website. Key Topics Discussed: What distinguishes "agentic commerce" from today's AI-assisted transactions. Why traditional contract formation concepts, including clickwrap agreements, disclosures, and consent, may become increasingly difficult to apply. How existing agency law principles, including ratification, could bind companies to contracts negotiated by their AI agents. Why autonomous transactions may generate entirely new forms of litigation, including class actions arising from errors replicated across thousands, or even millions, of AI-driven transactions. The challenges of proving what an AI agent actually agreed to and the need for reliable records of contract formation. The growing importance of arbitration and other dispute resolution mechanisms as commerce increasingly moves to automated and, in some cases, irreversible payment systems such as stablecoins. Practical steps companies should consider now before deploying autonomous commercial agents. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

Thursday, July 16, 2026 Welcome to our Next Generation Roundtable, hosted by Know Why Podcast Host Liberty McArtor. She is joined by Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom's Center for Public Policy Chelsey Youman and in the first hour by historian, author and presidential expert Richard Lim. In the second hour, Chelsey and ASU Law […]

Ashley Ebersole, Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer of tx, and former Senior Counsel at the SEC, joined me to discuss tx's tokenization solutions and the SEC's upcoming tokenization guidance. Topics:- tx tokenization platform and marketplace - TradFi tokenization race - SEC tokenization and crypto guidance - Future of markets 

The latest episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast examines a significant and coordinated regulatory initiative that could reshape anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance across the financial services industry. In this episode, host Alan Kaplinsky and guest Celia Cohen, a partner in Ballard Spahr's White Collar Defense and Investigations Group, analyze the joint notice of proposed rulemaking issued by the federal banking agencies Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and National Credit Union Administration—alongside a parallel proposal from Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Together, these proposals represent one of the most important efforts in years to modernize AML/CFT compliance frameworks, moving the system toward a more risk-based, effectiveness-driven model. Key Topics Discussed Include: A Shift Away from "Check-the-Box" Compliance "Establish and Maintain" — and Prove It Works SAR Filings and the Challenge of Judgment Calls Impact Across Financial Institutions Regulatory Signals: A Coherent Direction What Institutions Should Be Doing Now The Consumer Finance Monitor podcast will continue tracking developments as the rulemaking process advances and will revisit the topic when final rules are issued. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

The American Right is splitting over Iran. Who will win?Michael Malice (“YOUR WELCOME”) hosts an intense debate between Curt Mills, Executive Director of The American Conservative, and Will Chamberlain, Senior Counsel at The Article III Project, on the issue exposing one of conservatism's biggest internal divides. Is the Iran deal a strategic victory or a dangerous concession? Should America continue policing the world? And is this conflict really about protecting the United States, or protecting its allies? From Israel and the Strait of Hormuz to presidential authority, global alliances, immigration, and Trump's political legacy, this episode looks at the choices that could redefine both American foreign policy and the future of the Republican Party. https://x.com/CurtMillshttps://x.com/willchamberlainPre-Order UNWANTED – A TALE OF THE OLD WEST AND THE NEW WAVE: https://UnwantedBook.comOrder THE WHITE PILL: http://whitepillbook.com/Order THE ANARCHIST HANDBOOK: https://www.amzn.com/B095DVF8FJOrder THE NEW RIGHT: https://amzn.to/2IFFCCuOrder DEAR READER: https://t.co/vZfTVkK6qf?amp=1https://twitter.com/michaelmalicehttps://instagram.com/michaelmalicehttps://malice.locals.comhttps://youtube.com/michaelmaliceofficialIntro song: "Out of Reach" by Legendary House Cats https://thelegendaryhousecats.bandcamp.com/The newest episode of "YOUR WELCOME" releases on iTunes and YouTube every Wednesday! Please subscribe and leave a review.This week's sponsors: Cowboy Colostrum – Nature's Original Multivitamin: https://www.CowboyColostrum.com/malice , promo code: MALICE (25% off)PlutoTV – Streaming TV: https://www.Pluto.tv (Free TV) Sheath - Dual Pouch Underwear: https://www.sheath.com , promo code: MALICE (20% off)VanMan – Real Ingredients, No Exceptions: Go to http://vanman.shop/Welcome and use code Welcome for 15% off your first order.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Danielle Gill Show, Danielle sits down with Will Chamberlain, Senior Counsel at the Article III Project and a leading voice on constitutional law, Section 230, and conservative legal strategy. 00:13 – Introducing Will Chamberlain & his legal background 00:35 – Reaction to Thomas Massie’s loss in Kentucky 01:20 – Twitter politics vs real‑world voters 03:37 – Trump’s dominance and the GOP’s internal battles 07:57 – Is anti‑Trump sentiment growing on the right? 10:16 – Conservatism, influencers, and the international audience problem 13:02 – Supreme Court trends: race, redistricting & constitutional shifts 18:07 – Birthright citizenship: why the Court won’t overturn it 21:57 – The future of the Court: longevity, replacements & legacy 27:32 – Looking ahead to the 2028 GOP primary Watch full clips of the Danielle Gill Show here: https://rumble.com/c/DanielleDsouzaGill/videos?e9s=src_v1_cmd Find the full audio show wherever you get your podcasts:Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-danielle-gill-show/id1879812724 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3x6hMKFn1roWyzLzednxXL?si=nhZG0TauTOmkWBo_ieFhcw Follow Danielle Gill on all social platforms:X - https://x.com/danielledsouzag?s=21&t=EDXtjHM__JNF18166lWkTQInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielledsouzagillFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/14YvjS1Umni/?mibextid=wwXIfrTruth Social - https://truthsocial.com/@danielledsouzagillSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.