Digital Payments E-Mandate Framework 2026

RBI has issued the Digital Payments - E-Mandate Framework, 2026, consolidating 8 prior circulars on e-mandate processing for recurring transactions using cards, PPI, and UPI. The framework mandates: one-time registration with AFA validation, 24-hour pre-transaction notifications with opt-out capability, no charges to customers for e-mandate facilities, and transaction limits of ₹15,000 without AFA (₹1,00,000 for insurance premiums, mutual fund subscriptions, and credit card bill payments). All Payment System Providers and Payment System Participants must comply with the new requirements immediately.

Clark Energy CPCN for Jeffersonville Franchise

The Kentucky Public Service Commission granted Clark Energy Cooperative a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) authorizing the cooperative to bid on and obtain an electric utility franchise for the city of Jeffersonville, Montgomery County, Kentucky. The Commission found a need and demand for electric service exists because Clark Energy is the only utility currently authorized to serve the area under KRS 278.018. Clark Energy must file written notice within 30 days indicating whether it was the successful franchise bidder, and if successful, must file the executed franchise agreement within 30 days.

Taylor RECC Complaint Dismissed, No Prima Facie Case Established

The Kentucky Public Service Commission dismissed Case No. 2025-00414 filed by Chad Alan Warner against Taylor County Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation. The Commission found that the complainant failed to establish a prima facie case that the utility violated a statute, regulation, tariff, or order. The complaint concerned billing and service at 3000 Eastridge Cemetery Road, Casey Creek, KY 42728, including a $1795.43 outstanding balance. The case is dismissed without prejudice as a hearing is not in the public interest.

Kentucky PSC Admits California Attorneys Pro Hac Vice for Sierra Club

The Kentucky Public Service Commission issued an order on April 21, 2026, admitting Kristin Henry and Nathaniel Shoaff, both attorneys with offices in California, to practice pro hac vice before the Commission on behalf of Sierra Club in Case No. 2026-00001, involving Kentucky Power Company's application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct a mechanical draft cooling tower at the Mitchell Plant. The order requires that Joe Childers, or another member of the Kentucky Bar Association, act as co-counsel and be present at all proceedings.

Northern Kentucky Water District Management Training Approved

The Kentucky Public Service Commission approved Northern Kentucky Water District's management training program (Case No. 2026-00068) to satisfy six hours of annual commissioner training under KRS 74.020(6) and (7). The training, scheduled for April 29, 2026, in Erlanger, Kentucky, covers seven sessions including recent utility law developments, asset management planning, Kentucky Infrastructure Authority programs, water utility tariffs, and legal issues. The order does not approve the program for the 12-hour initial training requirement for newly appointed commissioners. Future training accreditation applications must be filed in optimized PDF format with bookmarks or will be rejected as deficient.

Kentucky PSC Initiates Six-Month Environmental Surcharge Review for Kentucky Power Company

The Kentucky Public Service Commission initiated a six-month review of Kentucky Power Company's environmental surcharge mechanism on April 21, 2026, covering the billing period ending December 31, 2025. The proceeding requires Kentucky Power to file prepared direct testimony, respond to Commission Staff's First Request for Information, and provide monthly environmental surcharge reports. Any party seeking to intervene must demonstrate a special interest not otherwise adequately represented or show that intervention will assist the Commission in fully considering the matter.

Fountain Run Water District #1 Formal Investigation Order

The Kentucky Public Service Commission established Case No. 2026-00008 to conduct a formal investigation into Fountain Run Water District #1 and its individual commissioners (Brenda Turner, Francis Howard, Jeremy Jones, John Pedigo, Will Downing) and manager (Christopher Veach) for failing to file either a general rate adjustment application, an alternative rate adjustment pursuant to 807 KAR 5:076, or a detailed explanation by July 31, 2025, as required in Case No. 2024-00376. The Commission entered this procedural order on April 21, 2026, establishing a schedule requiring parties to request a public hearing or submit the matter for written-record decision by May 15, 2026.

KY PSC Orders MYSO LLC to Respond to 19 Siting Interrogatories

MYSO LLC has been ordered by the Kentucky Public Service Commission's Siting Board to file responses to 19 interrogatories by May 6, 2026, regarding its application for a certificate of construction for an approximately 200-megawatt merchant solar electric generating facility in Graves County, Kentucky. The interrogatories cover construction timeline, noise impacts on nearby residences, construction traffic distribution, vegetative screening plans, setbacks from sensitive features, BESS unit plans, and decommissioning commitments.

Crab Run Solar 45MW Facility Evidentiary Hearing Procedures

The Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting issued an Order establishing procedures for an evidentiary hearing in Case No. 2025-00276, involving Crab Run Solar, LLC's application for a construction certificate to build an approximately 45-megawatt merchant electric solar facility in Marion County. The hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 9 a.m. EDT in the Richard Raff Hearing Room in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Order sets cross-examination procedures, requires 20 paper copies of any evidence, prohibits opening statements, and lists the order in which 11 intervenor parties will conduct cross-examination of the applicant's witnesses.

Lee v Farmdale Water District Complaint Scheduling Order

The Kentucky Public Service Commission entered a procedural scheduling order on April 21, 2026 in Case No. 2024-00279, Lee v. Farmdale Water District, directing both parties to adhere to discovery deadlines and electronic filing requirements. The order sets a five-step discovery schedule with initial requests due May 7, 2026, responses by May 21, 2026, supplemental requests by May 28, 2026, supplemental responses by June 11, 2026, and requests for a public hearing or written-record determination by June 17, 2026.

Southern Water District Rate Violation Investigation Procedural Schedule

The Kentucky Public Service Commission entered this Order on April 21, 2026 establishing a procedural schedule for Case No. 2025-00233, an investigation into Southern Water & Sewer District and its five individual commissioners for allegedly assessing an unapproved rate in violation of KRS 278.160. The District and commissioners filed initial responses between September 1-2, 2025, and the District responded to Staff's First Request on October 14, 2025. The Appendix sets May 15, 2026 as the deadline for parties to request a public hearing or submit the matter for decision on the written record. The Order also establishes electronic filing requirements, hearing notice provisions requiring live-streaming disclosure, and procedural rules governing witness testimony and motions for continuance.

Kentucky PSC Approves American Water Acquisition of Essential Utilities and Delta Natural Gas

The Kentucky Public Service Commission has approved the merger whereby American Water Works Company, Inc. becomes the ultimate corporate parent of Essential Utilities, Inc. and its subsidiary Delta Natural Gas Company, Inc. Under the merger agreement dated October 26, 2025, Essential shareholders will receive 0.305 shares of American Water common stock for each share held, resulting in American Water shareholders owning approximately 69 percent and former Essential shareholders owning approximately 31 percent of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. As a condition of approval, Joint Applicants committed that Delta will not seek rate recovery for transaction costs, goodwill will not be recorded on Delta's books, and existing Delta tariffs will remain unchanged following the merger close.

Garrard County Water Association Staff Report Recommends $227k Rate Increase

Commission Staff filed its report recommending a base rate revenue increase of $227,277 (8.38 percent) for Garrard County Water Association, reduced from the utility's original request of $314,279 (11.59 percent) following corrected revenue requirement calculations provided during discovery. The utility must file written comments regarding Staff's recommendations within 14 days from the date of service of this report. The report also flagged water loss averaging 22.3325 percent over five years—well above the 15 percent regulatory threshold—with $97,624 in annual costs for water loss in excess of the allowable limit being disallowed for ratemaking purposes.

Australia Lists Threatened Ecological Community EC186

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has made the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (List of Threatened Ecological Communities (EC186)) Instrument 2026, adding a new ecological community to the list of threatened ecological communities under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This listing creates new compliance obligations for actions that may significantly impact the newly listed community.

ASIC Corporations (Wholesale Equity Scheme Trustees) Instrument 2017/849

ASIC Corporations (Wholesale Equity Scheme Trustees) Instrument 2017/849 provides licensing relief for eligible wholesale equity scheme trustees, exempting them from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence under the Corporations Act 2001. The instrument sets out conditions that eligible trustees must satisfy to rely on the exemption, including requirements relating to scheme constitution, compliance, and disclosure. The latest version carries identifier F2026C00346 and was current as of 27 March 2026.

ASIC Corporations (Share and Interest Purchase Plans) Instrument 2019/547

ASIC Corporations (Share and Interest Purchase Plans) Instrument 2019/547 is a legislative instrument made under the Corporations Act 2001 that provides exemptions for issuers and other regulated persons in connection with share and interest purchase plans. The instrument sets out specific requirements and conditions that must be satisfied for the exemptions to apply. Part 3 contains transitional provisions for existing purchase plans.

NEPT20-09 Electric Bicycles New Exporting Producer Treatment Review Initiated

The European Commission has initiated a New Exporting Producer Treatment Review (NEPT20-09) concerning electric bicycles, effective 28 March 2026. This review allows exporting producers that were not originally investigated during the initial anti-dumping investigation to request an individual duty rate. The Commission invites interested parties to make submissions and may conduct verification visits to confirm questionnaire replies.

Rollins Inc.; Proposed Consent Order for Non-Compete Agreements

The FTC has accepted for public comment a consent agreement with Rollins, Inc. settling charges that the company engaged in unfair methods of competition by entering into and enforcing non-compete agreements with employees in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. The proposed Decision and Order would require Rollins to remedy anticompetitive effects from its post-employment covenants not to compete. Comments will be accepted through May 22, 2026.

CFPB Final Rule Bars Disparate Impact Under ECOA Regulation B

The CFPB has finalized amendments to Regulation B (12 CFR Part 1002), implementing the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, removing disparate impact liability under the effects test. The rule further defines what constitutes discouragement of credit applicants and adds prohibitions and conditions for special purpose credit programs (SPCPs). The amendments facilitate compliance by clarifying creditor obligations under ECOA.

OBBBA Boosts Refunds 10.9%, $23B Increase Total

The Tax Foundation published an analysis noting that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has increased average tax refunds by 10.9% ($3,571 average, up approximately $23 billion total) compared to the prior filing season. The legislation expanded the standard deduction and permanently lowered individual and joint filer rates, preventing an automatic tax increase for approximately 62% of filers. President Trump is touring the country to highlight the larger refunds families and individuals are receiving under the new rules.

California Proposal Would Mandate Worldwide Combined Reporting

California lawmakers are considering mandating worldwide combined reporting for corporate income tax purposes, which would eliminate the existing water's edge election. Under this proposal, California would become the only US state requiring mandatory worldwide combined reporting, bringing back a policy abandoned in the 1980s. The proposal would require corporations with foreign affiliates to include worldwide income in their California tax calculations, subject to state tax without credits for foreign taxes paid.

Oklahoma Proposes Weight-Based MST Tax at $1.72 Per Ounce

Oklahoma HB 3983 proposes converting the state's moist snuff tobacco (MST) tax from 60% of wholesale value to a specific weight-based tax of $1.72 per ounce. The bill is currently pending in the Oklahoma Legislature. Nearly half of U.S. states already use weight-based MST taxation, with rates ranging from $0.02 to $3.54 per ounce.

Hochul Proposes Second Home Tax, NYC $12B Deficit

Tax Foundation publishes an op-ed critiquing Governor Hochul's proposed annual 'pied-à-terre' tax surcharge on second homes in New York City valued at over $5 million. The article notes that Mayor Zohran Mamdani identified a $12 billion two-year deficit facing NYC and initially proposed steep income tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations to address the gap. The author argues the second-home tax proposal would accelerate out-migration, deter investment, and stifle growth in a city already burdened with some of the nation's highest combined tax loads.

ECB's Philip Lane Discusses Expanding Euro Safe Assets

ECB Executive Board Member Philip Lane delivered a keynote speech at the joint workshop of the European Systemic Risk Board Advisory Technical Committee and Advisory Scientific Committee on 22 April 2026 in Frankfurt. Lane argued that the current euro area financial architecture results in an undersupply of euro-denominated safe assets, with German Bunds being too small relative to the size of the euro area or global financial system to meet demand. He outlined several reform pathways including expanded EU-level common bonds, the recently revised EUREP repo facility, and the Blanchard-Ubide blue bond/red bond proposal, while noting governance challenges for joint programmes that do not fully match current EU membership.

Gann v. State of Oklahoma - Corp Commission Rate Order Affirmed

The Oklahoma Supreme Court affirmed the Corporation Commission's Final Order (No. 746624) in a public utility rate proceeding involving Public Service Company of Oklahoma. State Representative Tom Gann, appearing pro se, appealed the rate order but the Court held that the issues raised were not first presented to and exhausted before the Corporation Commission. The Court also rejected Gann's collateral attack on three prior unappealed orders entered at least two years ago. The ruling reinforces the exhaustion doctrine requiring ratemaking issues to be presented to the Commission in the first instance.

Toomey v. Family Dollar Stores - Medical Marijuana Workers' Comp Denial Affirmed

Delaware Superior Court affirmed the Industrial Accident Board's denial of Rhonda Toomey's petition seeking workers' compensation coverage for medical marijuana treatment related to a 2004 workplace injury. The court found the Board's decision was supported by substantial evidence and free from legal error. Family Dollar's three board-certified expert witnesses were credited over the claimant's single witness, Dr. Valerie Harrison, D.N.P.

Blackstone v Nextera Energy Transmission - Motion to Dismiss Granted

The Delaware Superior Court granted Nextera Energy Transmission Investments LLC's motion to dismiss in the case brought by Blackstone Power & Natural Resources Holdco L.P. regarding earn-out payments under a 2020 purchase and sale agreement for GridLiance. The court held that Blackstone's claims for declaratory judgment and breach of contract regarding earn-out payments are subject to mandatory alternative dispute resolution through an expert determination process as specified in the parties' agreement. The court found that the PSA's remedy scheme waived the parties' ability to bring such claims in court while making expert determination the exclusive remedy. The case was dismissed without prejudice.

Yourway Transport v. Vincerx Pharma — New Trial Motion Denied, $7.65M Verdict Upheld

The Delaware Superior Court denied Yourway Transport, Inc.'s Motion for a New Trial or Remittitur, upholding a March 5, 2026 jury verdict awarding Vincerx Pharma, Inc. $7,650,000.00 in damages for destroyed cell banks caused by Yourway's breach of their Master Services Agreement. The court rejected arguments that the damages were speculative or against the weight of evidence, noting the jury heard a battle of expert witnesses and that Yourway waived its objection to Dr. Lindell's testimony by failing to object during trial.

State v. Jensen - Postconviction Relief Motion Denied

Nicholas Jensen, indicted in February 2024 on charges including first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse of a child, and dangerous crime against a child, entered a guilty plea to second-degree rape via Robinson plea in October 2024 and was sentenced to 25 years incarceration suspended after 15 years. Jensen filed a timely pro se Motion for Postconviction Relief in August 2025, raising three claims: ineffective assistance of counsel, failure to honor the plea agreement, and lack of evidence. The court denied the motion, finding the victim impact statement claim failed for lack of prejudice and the ineffective assistance claims were unsubstantiated conclusory allegations.

Kiss v. Lathrop - Expert Testimony Excluded Under Daubert Standard

The Delaware Superior Court granted Paul Lathrop's Daubert motion, excluding bike expert Sam Davis's testimony in Kiss v. Lathrop. The court found Davis's opinion lacked sufficient factual foundation because neither the clamp bolt nor nut from the bicycle were recovered or inspected, and the sample Davis examined was from a random seat post. Under the rigorous gatekeeping standard clarified in Zantac, the court held that Plaintiff's arguments went to admissibility, not merely weight. The exclusion significantly weakens Plaintiff's negligence and strict product liability claims, which depended on expert opinion to establish causation.

McGregor v. Mesa Jame Corp. - Liability Release Covers Negligence Only

Megan McGregor was injured at Sky Zone trampoline park in Delaware on January 15, 2024, after signing a Participant and Arbitration Agreement, Indemnification, General Release and Assumption (Release) on August 26, 2023. The Delaware Superior Court ruled that the Release bars negligence claims but does not insulate Defendants from claims of gross negligence or recklessness, consistent with prior rulings in Lynam v. Blue Diamond, LLC and Barth v. Blue Diamond, LLC. This holding establishes precedent regarding the enforceability and scope of liability releases in Delaware recreational business settings.

TouchDx Medical Surveillance Patent US12609197B2

USPTO granted patent US12609197B2 to TouchDx for a medical monitoring and surveillance system. The system uses a server communicating with a general-purpose personal device running a downloadable application that configures the device to perform medical tests using built-in sensors and functionality. The application reports test results to the server or a third party, with trigger events initiating associated tasks when predetermined criteria are met.

USPTO Grants VUNO Medical Image Patent

The USPTO granted Patent US12609194B2 to VUNO INC. on April 21, 2026. The patent covers a medical image processing method using pre-trained deep learning models to detect regions of interest and generate contour-based format information. The patent contains 20 claims and is classified under CPC G16H 30/40 and G16H 50/20.

USPTO Grants Patent US12609187B2 for Clinical Budget Data Transformation

USPTO granted patent US12609187B2 to Annex IP, LLC on April 21, 2026 for a computer-implemented method of reconciling clinical trial budgets. The system receives procedural items from sponsor budget, Medicare Coverage Analysis, and site charge master sources; normalizes text and generates vector embeddings; constructs approximate nearest-neighbor indices; retrieves candidates by cosine similarity; computes composite match scores combining code equality, textual similarity, numeric price proximity, and billing consistency; selects one-to-one matches via maximum-weight bipartite matching; aligns to Medicare Coverage Analysis items with code-family gating; and writes per-item audit records through an API. The patent contains 20 claims and is classified under CPC G16H 10/20.

ATOS PUBLIC SAFETY LLC Health Record Patent US12609188B2 Granted

USPTO granted patent US12609188B2 to ATOS PUBLIC SAFETY LLC on April 21, 2026, covering a method for providing health record data. The patent describes generating victim datasets, matching them with private information at predefined probability thresholds, aggregating activity information from multiple databases, and selecting best-matching aggregated information for data retrieval. The patent contains 11 claims and was filed on May 17, 2023.

US12609189B2 Care Plan Recommendation System with GPT Wound Analysis

The USPTO granted Patent US12609189B2 to Industrial Technology Research Institute on April 21, 2026, covering a care plan recommendation method and system that uses GPT to analyze wound images and generate dressing usage results and care instructions. The patent claims 12 items across multiple CPC classifications in health informatics.

Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Patent, US12609190B2

The USPTO granted patent US12609190B2 on April 21, 2026 to inventors Tamara Aliza Freeman and Michelle Alyssa Freeman. The patent covers cardiac arrest resuscitation methods and equipment including a manual or automatic Pocket Crash Cart that attaches to patients via IV or OS for quick emergency medication administration. The patent also covers software for mirroring defibrillator and AED displays and transmitting patient information to medical professionals via internet for expert advice in hard-to-reach locations.

US12609192B2 - Direct Supply Inc. - Automated Dietary Management in Healthcare Facilities

The USPTO granted Patent US12609192B2 to Direct Supply, Inc. on April 21, 2026. The patent covers systems, methods, and media for automated dietary management in healthcare facilities. The application (No. 18899885) was filed on September 27, 2024, and the patent contains 18 claims.

Medical Imaging Device Spectral Analysis Assessment System

The USPTO granted patent US12609195B2 to KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG for a medical imaging device system capable of spatial and spectral image analysis for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The patent, with 15 claims, was filed on 2023-02-20 under application number 18839946. This grant confers enforceable intellectual property rights to the assignee in the United States.

CDW LLC AI Patient Intake Patent, Apr 21

USPTO granted Patent US12609196B2 to CDW LLC on April 21, 2026. The patent covers AI-based technologies for improving patient intake, including NLP processing of verbal patient responses, care plan generation, and routing to recipient entities. The application was filed December 5, 2024 with 17 claims.

ZIPHYCARE Medical Diagnostic Kit, Cable Management, Multi-Port Hubs

The USPTO granted Patent US12609198B2 to ZIPHYCARE INC covering a medical diagnostic kit (MDK) with universal cable storage compartments, switchable multi-port hubs, and integrated diagnostic computer capabilities. The patent includes 25 claims and classifies under health informatics (G16H) and medical device (A61B) categories. The invention facilitates remote real-time medical examinations through configurable cable management and media conference connectivity.

DEEPX Neural Processor Predicts Cardiovascular Disease Using AI

USPTO granted Patent US12609200B2 to DEEPX CO., LTD. for a neural processing unit that implements an artificial neural network model to predict cardiovascular disease onset. The ANN model processes sensing data from ECG, respiration, pulse rate, acceleration, and body temperature to output probabilities for cerebral infarction, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease.

Data Processing Method for Exercise Energy Calculation

USPTO granted Patent US12609191B2 to Beijing Zitiao Network Technology Co., Ltd. on April 21, 2026, covering a data processing method for calculating exercise energy consumption. The patent discloses acquiring exercise data from a user's head, hands, and legs along with user-set physical parameters, then processing them through a pre-trained energy determination model. The patent contains 17 claims and names 8 inventors including Li Li, Matthew Boring, Dongpo Li, Yun Liao, Runchen Zhao, Tianjia Sun, Guanqun Zhang, and Can Jin.

FDA Crystallography Toolbox, Small Molecule Structure Determination

The FDA published a Crystallography Toolbox document on Regulations.gov to support small molecule structure determination in pharmaceutical research and development. The document, filed as FDA-2026-P-4112-0049, provides technical resources for analytical chemistry applications. Access to the full content is restricted due to copyright limitations.

GE 2024 Financial Exhibit, FDA Regulatory Document, Restricted

A financial exhibit for 2024 filed by GE with the FDA, catalogued on regulations.gov under docket FDA-2026-P-4112-0081. The substantive content of the exhibit is not publicly available as it is restricted due to copyright.

Zyloprim Approval Package Background Material

FDA published the background material for the Zyloprim (allopurinol) approval package. Zyloprim is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor used to treat gout and conditions involving elevated uric acid. The document is available for download from Regulations.gov as FDA-2026-P-4112-0070.

Bristol-Myers Squibb FDA Response to Thomas Hayes M.D

Bristol-Myers Squibb submitted a response to FDA on regulations.gov regarding Thomas Hayes M.D. The document is accessible via a PDF download link. No substantive content text is visible in the source.

VEMLIDY Exclusivity Summary

FDA posted an exclusivity summary for VEMLIDY (tenofovir alafenamide), a hepatitis B treatment marketed by Gilead Sciences. The document was filed to the regulatory docket on April 21 and is accessible via regulations.gov. The posted content consists of a download link to the PDF; no substantive exclusivity determination text is visible in the source.

Kuballa NMR Spectroscopy Transitions to Multi-Analysis Method

FDA filed a response to a petition from Kuballa regarding NMR spectroscopy methodology transitioning to a multi-analysis method. The document, filed under docket FDA-2026-P-4112, is available as a downloadable PDF attachment. No compliance obligations, deadlines, or penalties are stated in the available source content.

USAN Council Issues Statement on Aliskiren Fumarate Naming

The United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council issued a statement assigning the official non-proprietary name 'aliskiren fumarate' for the drug compound. This designation provides the standardized USAN name that pharmaceutical manufacturers must use in labeling, applications, and communications. The statement was filed with the FDA as document FDA-2026-P-4112.