Federal Law - Ledford & Associates

Meta settles social media addiction suit with states for up to $17.1 billion

August 27, 2026

Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, settled a landmark social media addiction lawsuit on Wednesday brought by dozens of states, according to a court filing.

Meta agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion to the states that sued and add child-safety measures to its platforms. The settlement resolves claims filed by 47 states and cuts short a trial that kicked off last week in Oakland, California. The settlement was approved later Wednesday by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, according to court documents.

DOJ announces largest healthcare fraud takedown in US history

June 24, 2026

Federal prosecutors charged 455 defendants in alleged schemes involving $6.5 billion in false claims, kickbacks and unlawful prescriptions.

Can You Fly With Weed Now? TSA's Quiet Rule Change Explained

June 5, 2026

Can you fly with weed now?

Medical patients: Generally yes — but only if you're following state laws and traveling domestically.

Recreational users: Not really.

Meta settles major social media addiction lawsuit with school district

May 22, 2026

Meta agreed to settle a major lawsuit on Thursday with a school district in Kentucky over claims that its social networks are designed to be addictive, leading to harm in children. The settlement comes less than three weeks before the case was scheduled to go to trial in federal court in California.

About 1,200 school districts from across the US came together to each sue Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube for allegedly fueling a mental health crisis in children. TikTok, Snap and YouTube settled their suits with Kentucky over the past couple of weeks.

Amazon fights labor rule banning captive audience meetings

May 19, 2026

The decision arose from six consolidated labor complaint cases against Amazon out of Staten Island, New York. Workers at Amazon’s Staten Island fulfillment and storage centers accused the company of resorting to union-busting tactics, including holding captive audience meetings, after the Amazon Labor Union organized in April 2021.

At one point, Amazon held captive audience meetings at the fulfillment center every 45 minutes, six days a week.

What to Know About Trump’s Reclassification of Medical Marijuana

April 29, 2026

On April 23, acting U.S. attorney general Todd Blanche signed an order changing the federal classification of medical marijuana. The move, which came at the behest of President Donald Trump and will make the substance a Schedule 3 drug, will bring enormous tax benefits to medical marijuana producers in the 40 states where medical use is legal and may speed research into its effects, experts say.

But it does not legalize marijuana at the federal level, nor does it change the status of marijuana grown for recreational use.

Homeland Security reportedly wants to develop smart glasses for ICE

April 22, 2026

It's not the first time smart glasses have come up in reports about the DHS. An investigation by The Independent last month found that ICE and Border Patrol agents in six states were using Meta's AI smart glasses of their own accord, in possible violation of DHS rules. Congress has reportedly been notified of the DHS's Ice Glasses project but has yet to comment publicly.

Just who are “the people”?

April 14, 2026

The Second Amendment states that “[a] well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” As both critics and supporters of the amendment recognize, little of that language is particularly straightforward. What is a “well regulated Militia,” and how does that apply to today’s arguments over gun control? What constitutes “Arms,” and when is keeping and bearing them “infringed”?

Amid that morass, one phrase that would seem (at least on the surface) a good deal more intuitive is “the people.” After all, doesn’t the people consist of, well, everyone? The answer is … not exactly. So who exactly are “the people” that may possess firearms in the first place? And how might this play into the court’s future decisions on the Second Amendment?

What gig workers and employees who get tips need to know about the new no‑tax‑on‑tips tax break

April 8, 2026

As with all tax breaks, there are lots of rules in place that can determine if someone is eligible for a deduction, and if so, how big.

Only restaurant servers, barbers, house cleaners, babysitters and other workers in occupations where tips are customary are eligible for the tip-related tax break. As required by Congress, the IRS created a list of traditionally tipped occupations. It includes rideshare drivers, pet sitters and several others.

Customers must have voluntarily paid all tax-deductible tips

Meta and Google Lose Landmark Case on Social Media Addiction

March 25, 2026

The case was closely watched since there are over 2,000 individual cases against Meta involving child safety currently pending in federal court. Meta lost a case Tuesday in New Mexico where the tech company was found liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children. Meta has been ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties in New Mexico, lower than the $2 billion the state had asked for.

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Tag: Federal Law