United States

Amicus brief opposing Alaska inmate sex-change surgery funding

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined 23 other states in filing a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Alaska's authority to regulate medical procedures in correctional institutions. The amicus brief argues that the Eighth Amendment does not give prisoners the right to taxpayer-funded sex-change surgeries, particularly in states where such procedures are illegal.

AMS Holdings and Brad Stroup - Securities Registration Violation Consent Order

The North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department entered a Consent Order with AMS Holdings, LLC and principal Bradley J. Stroup for operating as an unregistered issuer-dealer, broker-dealer, and agent in North Dakota. Stroup admits to the violations and agrees to an 18-month prohibition from securities registration and all securities-related transactions in North Dakota. The prior July 19, 2023 Cease and Desist Order is rescinded as part of this settlement.

Novel Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Designs - Public Comment Request

NHTSA is seeking public comments on Novel Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designs as part of an agency information collection activity. The request invites input from manufacturers, technology developers, and industry stakeholders on emerging HMI technologies and their safety implications. Comments must be submitted within 60 days of the notice.

Black Pine Gold Project EIS Preparation Notice

The Forest Service has published a notice initiating a 30-day public comment period for the Environmental Impact Statement on the Black Pine Gold Project in Cassia and Oneida Counties, Idaho. The project is a covered project under FAST-41, with comments due by May 4, 2026. The complete EIS is expected within two years.

Endangered Species Committee Meeting Notice

Five federal agencies (Interior, Army, EPA, Agriculture, Commerce) published a notice announcing a meeting of the Endangered Species Committee in Washington DC on March 31. The meeting was announced in the Federal Register (91 FR 16966). No new regulatory requirements or compliance obligations were established.

Brian Howard v. State of Tennessee - Post-Conviction Relief Denied

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief to Brian Howard, who claimed ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The court rejected Howard's arguments that counsel erred by failing to sever his trial from his co-defendant's or introduce the co-defendant's pretrial statement, and by failing to waive lesser included offense instructions. The court also declined to recognize a new constitutional right to affirmatively waive lesser included charges.

Heath Bell v. State of Tennessee - Post-Conviction Appeal Denied

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief for Heath Bell, who sought relief from his first-degree murder conviction resulting in life imprisonment. The court rejected claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and due process violations regarding admissibility of witness statements under Tennessee Rule 803(26). The judgment of the Criminal Court for Shelby County is affirmed.

HUMANE AI PIN Trademark Application for Wearable AI Technology

USPTO received trademark application TM97892821 from Humane, Inc. for the HUMANE AI PIN mark covering Class 42 technology services including cloud computing software for wearable AI hardware, downloadable mobile applications for voice and gesture-enabled digital assistants, and technical support services. The application, filed April 17, 2023, is based on intent-to-use and remains pending.

Neural ID biometric neural identification trademark

The USPTO received a trademark application (Serial No. 97878477) for "NEURAL ID" filed on April 7, 2023, under Intent-to-Use basis. The application covers downloadable software and firmware for biometric authentication via nervous system data, biometric wearable and implantable identification apparatus, and authentication services for wearable and implantable electronics utilizing neural activation pattern sensing.

Cloudknox Trademark Application - Cloud Security Services

USPTO received an Intent-to-Use trademark application (TM97486063) for CLOUDKNOX filed April 2, 2026, covering cloud security software, SaaS, identity and access management, and related consulting services under Class 42. The application includes downloadable software for computer/network security, privilege management, cloud infrastructure entitlements, and security auditing services.