Federal regulators

Four environmental organizations filed a petition Thursday urging the Federal Communications Commission to reverse its approval of a startup's plan to beam on-demand sunlight from space to Earth. The groups argue the agency failed to consider the project's potential impacts on wildlife and astronomy, reopening debate over regulating commercial uses of orbit and reflecting growing scrutiny of space-based ventures.

The US Senate has passed a landmark bill creating a federal framework to regulate college sports, a first at the national level. The legislation would reshape how the NCAA and universities govern athlete compensation, eligibility and transfers. Attention now turns to the House and what implementation will mean for athletes, schools and conferences nationwide.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a high-profile climate case before the Court, according to Politico. The withdrawal removes one justice from a closely watched dispute over climate regulation, potentially affecting how the Court rules on an issue with sweeping implications for federal environmental policy and the states and industries involved.

The US Senate has approved a wide-ranging bill to regulate college sports, advancing despite opposition from some Democrats. The legislation would impose federal rules on the college athletics system, which has been reshaped in recent years by player compensation and conference realignment. The bill now moves to the House, and the split within Democratic ranks highlights ongoing disagreements over how far Congress should go in overseeing the NCAA and athlete rights.

The US Department of Education has reinstated Title IX rules from the Trump administration, rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ students. The move restores the 2020 regulations governing how schools handle sexual misconduct complaints while rescinding guidance that extended discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The decision is expected to affect how colleges and schools nationwide interpret their obligations under federal sex discrimination law.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hopes any guardrails on artificial intelligence remain voluntary, a stance that highlights Congress's continued inaction on AI legislation. The remarks come as lawmakers have passed no comprehensive federal AI rules, leaving regulation largely to states, courts and companies themselves. Critics argue voluntary measures leave the public exposed to AI risks, while industry favors a lighter touch.

A federal court has ruled that prediction market operator Kalshi is subject to Tennessee's gambling laws in relation to its sports event contracts. The decision means the company cannot treat its sports offerings as federally regulated derivatives exempt from state gambling regulation, and it could shape how states oversee sports prediction markets and similar platforms operating nationwide.

The United States Senate has passed the Protect College Sports Act by a vote of 77 to 22, legislation aimed at setting federal rules for name, image and likeness payments to college athletes. The bipartisan margin signals broad agreement in Congress that the current NIL landscape, which has operated largely without national regulation since 2021, needs a uniform framework.

A civil rights coalition has called on the US Federal Trade Commission to ban AI-driven surveillance pricing in housing and consumer markets. The practice uses personal data and algorithms to set individualized prices, which advocates argue can discriminate against protected groups and exploit sensitive personal information. The coalition is pressing regulators to treat the tactic as an unfair and deceptive practice.

Federal regulators are seeking changes to wildlife protections, with New Hampshire cited as one area affected alongside broader national measures. The reported push would adjust existing rules shielding wildlife, though the scope and specific species involved have not been detailed. Wildlife advocates and landowners in the region are expected to weigh in as the proposals move forward, given their potential impact on habitat management across the state.

Blue Origin has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to approve up to 50 New Glenn rocket launches per year from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The request signals a major scale-up of the company's heavy-lift launch cadence, though details on timeline, environmental review and whether regulators will grant the approval remain limited.

Members of the American Feed Industry Association are calling on the US Congress to pass the PURR Act, legislation affecting the regulation of pet food. Industry advocates want federal standards to replace a patchwork of state-level rules, arguing the change would streamline approvals and give pet owners more product choices. The push highlights ongoing lobbying by the pet food sector over how its products are regulated in Washington.

Anthropic has joined ARPA-H's clinical AI moonshot program and will host a closed-door event focused on health care applications of artificial intelligence. The partnership signals growing involvement of major AI companies in US government-backed medical research, as health agencies push to bring advanced AI tools into clinical settings.

A US court has ruled against prediction market operator Kalshi, holding that states retain the authority to regulate prediction markets operating within their borders. The decision is a setback for Kalshi's expansion strategy, which has relied on federal oversight of event contracts. It may prompt further legal fights over whether prediction markets fall under federal or state gambling and derivatives law.

A federal judge has found that the IRS's pre-trial assessment of penalties in a microcaptive insurance case is lawful, according to Bloomberg Law. The ruling is a setback for microcaptive owners challenging the tax agency's authority to impose penalties before trial. The decision may shape how similar disputes between taxpayers and the IRS proceed, in an area already under close scrutiny by regulators.

The US Senate has passed a landmark bill introducing federal regulation of college sports. The legislation would address issues such as athlete compensation and oversight of the college athletics system, though specific provisions are not yet detailed. The move marks a significant shift in how college sports would be governed at the national level, and reaction from lawmakers, universities and athletes is still emerging.

The United States Senate has passed a bill to regulate how college athletes are paid, moving to set federal rules for name, image and likeness compensation. The legislation would create nationwide standards for player payments in college sports, replacing a patchwork of state laws. Attention now turns to the House and what the rules would mean for universities, athletes and athletic departments.