After a four-day trial, Iowa Attorney General (AG) Brenna Bird obtained a ruling and judgment against Omaha-based stem cell businesses and its owner/CEO for deceptively marketing “regenerative medicine” stem cell injections to Iowans. The court ordered more than $800,000 in restitution, $180,000 in civil penalties, including enhanced civil penalties for targeting elderly persons, and permanently enjoined the company from committing acts or practices that the court deemed in violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.

On December 11, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) that establishes a national artificial intelligence (AI) regulatory framework and attempts to preempt enforcement of state AI laws. Titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” the EO states that “[i]t is the policy of the United States to sustain and enhance the United States’ global AI dominance through a minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI.” This latest effort follows bipartisan opposition in Congress and among state attorneys general (AGs) to previous legislative attempts this year to supersede state AI laws. While the order seeks to minimize a burdensome AI regulatory patchwork, compliance will remain complex given various state enforcement tools.

On Monday, New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill announced that she will nominate Jennifer Davenport to serve as the next attorney general (AG) of New Jersey. Davenport, a lifelong New Jersey resident, is currently employed at PSEG, where she serves as deputy general counsel and chief litigation counsel and previously served as senior director – compliance. Her nomination signals a continuation of strong enforcement and regulatory focus, informed by both extensive public-sector experience and recent private-sector roles.

In this episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, RISE partner David Dove is joined by colleague, former State Senator Kirk Dillard, partner at Troutman Strategies to examine 2025 economic development trends and what to expect in 2026. Kirk currently serves as chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority in metropolitan Chicago and was recently appointed to the Illinois Economic Development Corporation. David is the chairman of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents and actively represents clients in economic development projects across the U.S. David and Kirk examine 2025 economic development trends and what to expect in 2026.

In this episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Ashley Taylor, co-leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s State AG team, sits down with Privacy and Cyber chair Ron Raether to discuss how state attorneys general (AGs) are shaping the regulatory landscape for social media and the broader ad tech ecosystem.

In this episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Chris Carlson is joined by colleagues Bryan Haynes and Agustin Rodriguez — members of our Tobacco and Nicotine Practice and RISE Practice Group — to review the year’s most consequential developments in the tobacco and nicotine space and what they mean heading into 2026.

In early December 2025, federally regulated derivatives exchange KalshiEX LLC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut challenging a cease-and-desist order issued by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) directing Kalshi to halt operations in the state. The DCP contends that Kalshi, along with platforms such as Robinhood and Crypto.com, operates an unlicensed and illegal sports betting platform in violation of Connecticut law. According to the agency, Kalshi’s sports event contracts fall squarely within the state’s definition of sports wagering and expose consumers to risk because they operate outside Connecticut’s regulated gaming framework, lack required integrity controls, and are not subject to consumer protection oversight. Connecticut officials have emphasized that “a prediction market wager is not an investment,” and that Kalshi’s platform offers no recourse for consumers under state law if disputes arise.

In this episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Stephen Piepgrass is joined by Cole White from our RISE Practice Group’s gaming team for a timely, candid conversation on integrity risks and regulatory trends reshaping the legal gaming landscape.