OFAC removes Russian banker Zadornov from sanctions list

The ABA Banking Journal reports that the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has removed Russian banker Mikhail Zadornov from its sanctions list. This delisting action reverses the prior designation of Zadornov, who had been subject to asset freezes and transaction prohibitions under U.S. sanctions authority.

FDIC and OCC Finalize Rule Removing Reputational Risk from Bank Supervision

The FDIC and OCC have finalized a rule eliminating reputational risk as a standalone category from their bank supervision frameworks. The change removes what had been a distinct supervisory consideration related to an institution's public image and community standing. This modification affects how federal banking regulators evaluate and assess bank risk profiles during examinations.

ABA Commends FCC Forfeiture Against Voxbeam for Spoofed Bank Calls

The American Bankers Association published an article commending the FCC's enforcement action imposing a $9,914,000 forfeiture against Voxbeam for making thousands of spoofed calls that impersonated banks. The FCC found Voxbeam violated the Truth in Caller ID Act by transmitting calls with falsified caller ID information to deceive consumers. The ABA praised this action as an important step in protecting banks and their customers from fraudulent call schemes.

Julie Muth Goodman v. Jason Nemes - Judicial Impeachment Voided

The Kentucky Supreme Court issued an opinion and order voiding an impeachment proceeding against Circuit Court Judge Julie Muth Goodman. The court granted a petition for supervisory writ and declared moot a motion for emergency injunctive relief. The case arose from a petition filed by former House Representative Killian Timoney calling for the judge's impeachment based on alleged misconduct in an unrelated divorce case.

Section 301 Investigations: Manufacturing Overcapacity and Forced Labor

In March 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched two parallel Section 301 investigations: one targeting manufacturing overcapacity across 16 countries (including China, EU, Japan, India, Mexico, Vietnam, and other major manufacturers), and one targeting forced labor enforcement failures across 60 countries. Crowell & Moring's International Trade team published this advisory addressing the top seven questions clients are asking regarding pending Section 301 comment deadlines and how to address them.

State ex rel. West Virginia v. James Young

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals issued its opinion in case 25-371, State ex rel. West Virginia v. James Young. The court issued a binding ruling addressing the specific legal matter before it. The opinion establishes the court's resolution of the dispute between the State and the defendant.

State ex rel. West Virginia v. Young - Prohibition Writ Dissent

Justice Trump issued a dissent from the West Virginia Supreme Court's decision to issue a writ of prohibition in an election law case. The dissent addresses whether the Circuit Court of Cabell County committed clear legal error when interpreting two conflicting statutes of limitation for misdemeanor election law violations involving knowingly misrepresenting a magisterial district when filing to run for office. The case involves application of West Virginia Code § 61-11-9 (one-year limitation) versus § 3-9-24 (five-year limitation) to timely prosecution.

Waste Trafficking Driving Toxic Pollution and Harming Public Health

UNODC released its 'Waste Crimes and Trafficking' analysis examining five categories of illegal waste trafficking including e-waste, plastics, end-of-life vehicles, and metal-bearing wastes. The report finds that legislative gaps, limited enforcement capacity, lack of traceability, and low penalties enable organized crime groups and corporations to traffic billions of dollars worth of waste annually, causing severe public health and environmental damage, particularly in low-income countries.

69th CND Session - Journalists Invited to Cover Vienna Meeting

UNODC issued a media advisory inviting journalists to cover the 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) scheduled for March 9-13, 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The session will be chaired by Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan of Armenia and will bring together Member States, UN entities, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, and the scientific community to address international drug policy. The event will feature 169 side events and 23 exhibitions alongside the plenary sessions.

65 victims identified, 60 arrests in year-long child sexual abuse operation

UNODC announced the results of Operation Eclipse, an INTERPOL-coordinated operation spanning nine countries across Central America, North America, and the Caribbean. Law enforcement arrested 60 individuals and identified 65 child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation over the year-long period (February 2025–January 2026). UNODC provided training, mentoring, and technical support to investigation and prosecution units in participating countries.