Secretary Rubio's Call with Portuguese Foreign Minister Rangel

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel on March 31, 2026. The call highlighted the continued strength of U.S.-Portugal bilateral ties and emphasized Portugal's close economic and defense cooperation with the United States. Both leaders expressed their commitment to transatlantic security.

H-1B Registration Lottery Completed

USCIS announced completion of the FY 2027 H-1B registration lottery on March 31, 2026, having received sufficient registrations to meet fiscal year allocations including the advanced degree exemption. Selected petitioners may file H-1B cap-subject petitions beginning April 1, 2026, using the new Form I-129 edition (02/27/26), with a filing window of at least 90 days.

ASCEND Grant for Texas Employer Workforce Training

The Texas Workforce Commission announced the ASCEND grant program, a $5 million fund to help Texas employers train their workforce in high-demand industries. Employers can receive reimbursements up to $500,000 or $4,000 per trainee for approved training projects. The program dedicates $1 million specifically to domestic shipbuilding training. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dig Safely Month Declaration and 811 Anniversary

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has declared April 2026 as 'Dig Safely Month' to mark the 40th anniversary of Colorado 811, the state's One-Call Notification System. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission and Division of Oil and Public Safety are promoting safe digging practices, with grant applications for the Damage Prevention Fund open through April 24, 2026.

Waldman v. Palestine Liberation Org - Personal Injury/Terrorism Damages

The Second Circuit decided a motion in consolidated appeals 15-3135-cv (L), 15-3151-cv (XAP), and 22-1060-cv (Con) in Waldman v. Palestine Liberation Organization. The case involves American terrorism victims seeking damages against the PLO, Palestinian Authority, and individual terrorists for injuries from attacks in Israel. Motion filed August 11, 2025; decided March 30, 2026.

Ramsay v. Bondi - Immigration Motion to Reopen

The Second Circuit granted John Marcus Ramsay's petition challenging the BIA's denial of his motion to reopen, finding the BIA misread his arguments regarding equitable tolling. The court remanded the case for further consideration consistent with its opinion. Ramsay, a 70-year-old Jamaican lawful permanent resident and US Navy veteran, seeks to reopen his 2007 removal order based on a change in law under United States v. Minter.

Petersen Energía v. Argentine Republic - Shareholder Expropriation

The Second Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part the $16.1 billion judgment against Argentina in favor of Petersen Energía and Eton Park Capital Management minority shareholders of YPF S.A. The court held that breach of contract damages claims against Argentina and YPF are not cognizable under Argentine law, reversing that portion of the judgment. The case has been remanded to the Southern District of New York for further proceedings.

Second Circuit reverses habeas corpus for inmate

Second Circuit reverses habeas corpus for inmate

Pedestrian Congestion Guidance System

USPTO granted patent US12591943B2 to Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories covering a congestion control system that uses sensors to measure pedestrian traffic flow and generates guidance commands for display devices to balance congestion in controlled environments. The patent names Marcel Menner and Stefano Di Cairano as inventors and contains 19 claims.

Personalized property recommender system using artificial reality and machine learning

The USPTO granted patent US12591942B1 to United Services Automobile Association (USAA) for a personalized property recommender system using artificial reality and machine learning. The system correlates user preferences with property data to generate ranked recommendations, mitigating information overload for property buyers. The patent contains 20 claims and names seven inventors.