Articles
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DHS Finalizes End of “Duration of Status” for F, J, and I Visa Categories
On July 17, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule replacing “duration of status,” commonly shown as “D/S,” with fixed periods of admission for F academic students, J exchange visitors, and I representatives of foreign information media. The rule is scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026. What Changed…
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A Quiet Rule Change and the Long View of Western Forests
Forest products run on a different clock than most industries. A land-based decision made today will not affect a mill next quarter or even next year. But it can shape what can be harvested, where, and at what cost twenty years from now. Forests operate on the same horizon. Habitat lost, fragmented, restored, or protected today can determine which …
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Washington Court of Appeals Recognizes Employer Duty to Employee’s Future Child in Preconception Exposure Case
In Bauer v. Boeing Co., 590 P.3d 720 (Div. 1 2026), the court held that an employee’s not-yet-conceived child may pursue a negligence claim for alleged birth defects tied to workplace chemical exposure—but the case remains at the pleading stage and is now the subject of a petition for Supreme Court review. If reviewed and upheld by the Supreme …
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Idaho’s New Starter Home Law (SB1352): What Developers, Landowners, and Cities Need to Know
Idaho’s housing shortage has been a persistent challenge for years. In response, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill 1352, creating a new framework for starter home subdivisions. The law took effect on July 1, 2026, and represents one of the most significant changes to Idaho land use law in recent years. (SENATE BILL 1352 – Idaho State…
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California Supreme Court Clarifies Coastal Commission’s Appellate Jurisdiction
The California Supreme Court reviewed the denial of a coastal development permit to construct single family homes in a developed part of Los Osos, an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County in Shear Development Co., LLC v. California Coastal Commission (Cal. April 23, 2026; modified, May 14, 2026), No. S284378, 2026 WL 1102317. Backgroun…
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First District Court Upholds San Ramon Infill Housing Approval and Clarifies Limits of General Plan Consistency Challenges
In Citizens Against Marketplace Apartment/Condo Development v. City of San Ramon, Marketplace at San Ramon, LLC, Real Party in Interest, Nos. A170988/A172221 (Contra Costa County Superior Court Nos. N22-1955, N23-0770), decided April 24, 2026, the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Five, affirmed the denial of writ petit…
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