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HAWAII A.G. LOPEZ: NINTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS HAWAII FIREARM LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
HONOLULU, Hawaii, Sept. 24 -- Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez issued the following news release:
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NINTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS HAWAII FIREARM LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
Sept. 22, 2026
HONOLULU - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today upheld important provisions of Hawaii's firearm licensing laws, finding that the challenged requirements are consistent with the Second Amendment.
In the opinion, the court upheld Hawaii's requirements establishing a 30-day period to use a permit to acquire a handgun and requiring certain newly acquired firearms to be brought to a police station
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HONOLULU, Hawaii, Sept. 24 -- Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez issued the following news release:
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NINTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS HAWAII FIREARM LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
Sept. 22, 2026
HONOLULU - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today upheld important provisions of Hawaii's firearm licensing laws, finding that the challenged requirements are consistent with the Second Amendment.
In the opinion, the court upheld Hawaii's requirements establishing a 30-day period to use a permit to acquire a handgun and requiring certain newly acquired firearms to be brought to a police stationfor inspection.
"This decision recognizes that Hawaii can protect public safety through reasonable, objective firearm regulations while respecting the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment," said Attorney General Anne Lopez. "We will continue to vigorously defend laws that protect Hawaii's communities and are consistent with the Constitution."
The Ninth Circuit recognized that Hawaii, like other states, is a "shall-issue" jurisdiction for firearm permitting, meaning that an applicant who satisfies the state's objective requirements may obtain a permit. The court explained that under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, objective, non-abusive "shall-issue" licensing regimes are presumptively constitutional.
The court then concluded that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate that the two presumptively lawful requirements challenged in this case have been put toward "abusive ends" that would effectively deny Second Amendment rights. The court determined that the challenged requirements impose only "modest, procedural burdens" and "do not materially impede Plaintiffs from acquiring firearms."
The case, Yukutake v. Lopez, was filed in 2019. A federal district court ruled in plaintiffs' favor in 2021. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the case ultimately went before an 11-judge en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings.
The case was handled by the Department's Appellate Division and Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.
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Original text here: https://ag.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/News-Release-2026-56.pdf
Ga. A.G. Carr: Behavioral Health Provider Facing 31-Count Medicaid Fraud Indictment in DeKalb County
ATLANTA, Georgia, Sept. 24 -- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued the following news release:
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September 23, 2026
Carr: Behavioral Health Provider Facing 31-Count Medicaid Fraud Indictment in DeKalb County
DEKALB COUNTY, GA - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that his Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division has secured a new 31-count indictment charging Melissa Howard, 49, of Suwanee, with Medicaid Fraud and False Statements and Writings. Losses to Georgia Medicaid are alleged to total over $40,000.
"The Medicaid program is designed to assist our most
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ATLANTA, Georgia, Sept. 24 -- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued the following news release:
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September 23, 2026
Carr: Behavioral Health Provider Facing 31-Count Medicaid Fraud Indictment in DeKalb County
DEKALB COUNTY, GA - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that his Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division has secured a new 31-count indictment charging Melissa Howard, 49, of Suwanee, with Medicaid Fraud and False Statements and Writings. Losses to Georgia Medicaid are alleged to total over $40,000.
"The Medicaid program is designed to assist our mostvulnerable Georgians, and those who abuse the system will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Carr. "We're fighting to protect patients and taxpayer dollars. That's why the work of our Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division is so critical, and we will ensure that state resources are being used the right way."
Case Summary
Dr. Melissa Howard was the sole owner and sole rendering provider of her business, Behavior Solutions, LLC. Under the title "Behavior Support Specialist," Howard purported to engage in behavioral therapy planning and therapy for autistic and disabled persons in group homes and home services.
As asserted in the indictment, while traveling out-of-state, Howard submitted claims for services not rendered to her patients - resulting in the more than $40,000 loss to Georgia Medicaid.
This case was investigated by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division.
DeKalb County Indictment
On Sept. 15, 2026, the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division presented evidence to a DeKalb County Grand Jury, resulting in the indictment* of Melissa Howard. Specifically, the defendant is facing the following charges.
* 16 counts of Medicaid Fraud
* 15 counts of False Statements and Writings
Read a copy of the
indictment (PDF, 576.7 KB) . No further information about the investigation or the indictment may be released at this time by the Attorney General's Office.
About the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division
Since Attorney General Chris Carr first took office, his Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division has secured more than 100 convictions for Medicaid fraud and the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults, resulting in nearly $26 million in restitution orders in criminal matters. Over this same period, Carr's Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division has obtained civil settlements and judgements totaling more than $138 million as a result of its efforts to safeguard the Georgia Medicaid program.
The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $5,381,304 for Federal FY 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,793,768, is funded by the State of Georgia.
*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government's burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.
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Original text here: https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-09-23/carr-behavioral-health-provider-facing-31-count-medicaid-fraud-indictment
Del. A.G. Jennings Secures Court Order Blocking Trump Administration's Unlawful Demand of CDL Drivers' Personal Information
DOVER, Delaware, Sept. 24 -- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued the following news release:
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AG Jennings secures court order blocking Trump Administration's unlawful demand of CDL drivers' personal information
September 23, 2026
Attorney General Kathy Jennings and a coalition of 24 attorneys general have announced that a U.S. District Court judge has granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump Administration from gaining access to a database of state-owned records containing the sensitive personal information of 17 million drivers nationwide. The order also blocks
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DOVER, Delaware, Sept. 24 -- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued the following news release:
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AG Jennings secures court order blocking Trump Administration's unlawful demand of CDL drivers' personal information
September 23, 2026
Attorney General Kathy Jennings and a coalition of 24 attorneys general have announced that a U.S. District Court judge has granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump Administration from gaining access to a database of state-owned records containing the sensitive personal information of 17 million drivers nationwide. The order also blocksthe Administration from retaliating against the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) by terminating more than $10 million in federal funding if it does not hand over that information.
"This ruling is a crucial step in ensuring that Delawareans' sensitive data is protected while we fight to end this lawless attempt at extortion for good," said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "I look forward to continuing to make our case in court."
In August, Attorney General Jennings and the coalition filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and AAMVA, as well as an additional lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The lawsuits claim that DOT, FMCSA and DHS are violating multiple federal privacy laws by secretly setting up their own database with records extorted from AAMVA, with no guardrails on the use or sharing of drivers' Social Security numbers and other personal information, and no notice to the public.
Just a week after the coalition filed the lawsuits, the court issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the Administration from obtaining this sensitive information for two weeks. Today's preliminary injunction blocks the demand as Attorney General Jennings and the coalition continue to litigate the ongoing case.
Attorney General Jennings filed these lawsuits alongside the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, along with the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
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Original text here: https://news.delaware.gov/2026/09/23/ag-jennings-secures-court-order-blocking-trump-administrations-unlawful-demand-of-cdl-drivers-personal-information/
Del. A.G. Jennings Permanently Blocks Trump Administration's SNAP Penalties
DOVER, Delaware, Sept. 24 -- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued the following news release:
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AG Jennings permanently blocks Trump Administration's SNAP penalties
September 23, 2026
Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced today that a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon has sided with her and 21 other attorneys general, permanently blocking the Trump Administration from penalizing states with steep fines over their administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The ruling (https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2026/09/SNAP-ECF-107.pdf)
... Show Full Article
DOVER, Delaware, Sept. 24 -- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued the following news release:
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AG Jennings permanently blocks Trump Administration's SNAP penalties
September 23, 2026
Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced today that a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon has sided with her and 21 other attorneys general, permanently blocking the Trump Administration from penalizing states with steep fines over their administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The ruling (https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2026/09/SNAP-ECF-107.pdf)makes permanent a preliminary injunction the court issued in December 2025 and goes further: the judge sided with Delaware and the coalition on every claim, striking down both the Administration's fine-triggering deadline and its guidance restricting food assistance for lawful permanent residents.
"This entire ordeal was a blatant attempt by the Trump Administration to take food away from families in need, to destroy a plank of the social safety net, and to degrade our state's financial standing," said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "I'm proud to say that we made sure they failed on every count."
In November 2025, Attorney General Jennings and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general and the District of Columbia sued the Trump Administration after it moved to cut off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents and set a retroactive deadline that put states at risk of paying hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties.
The Administration later reversed its position on eligibility for lawful permanent residents but continued to argue that states owed fines for missing a "grace period" that, in practice, had already expired before the Administration finished issuing guidance on the changes.
The court found that the Administration's deadline was unlawful and arbitrary, and that the Administration's guidance improperly excluded certain lawful permanent residents, including former refugees and people granted asylum, from food assistance they are legally entitled to receive. In addition, the court found that the Administration's deadline was unlawful as it related to other changes to SNAP eligibility calculations from the 2025 Republican budget bill.
The decision makes it clear that:
* States cannot be penalized under the unlawful deadline the Administration tried to impose.
* The standard five-year waiting period for SNAP does not apply to lawful permanent residents who were previously refugees, asylees, or other humanitarian immigrants.
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Original text here: https://news.delaware.gov/2026/09/23/ag-jennings-permanently-blocks-trump-administrations-snap-penalties/
Del. A.G. Jennings Announces Delaware Supreme Court Victory Protecting Permanent Absentee Voting
DOVER, Delaware, Sept. 24 -- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued the following news release:
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AG Jennings announces Delaware Supreme Court victory protecting permanent absentee voting
September 22, 2026
Attorney General Kathy Jennings has announced that the Delaware Supreme Court has sided with Delaware, denying a challenge from State Senator Gerald Hocker and upholding the state's permanent absentee voting statute.
On September 21, 2026, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling affirming a Chancery Court decision that upheld permanent absentee voting, noting
... Show Full Article
DOVER, Delaware, Sept. 24 -- Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings issued the following news release:
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AG Jennings announces Delaware Supreme Court victory protecting permanent absentee voting
September 22, 2026
Attorney General Kathy Jennings has announced that the Delaware Supreme Court has sided with Delaware, denying a challenge from State Senator Gerald Hocker and upholding the state's permanent absentee voting statute.
On September 21, 2026, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling affirming a Chancery Court decision that upheld permanent absentee voting, notingthat "the plaintiffs' argument rests on a faulty premise... the statute does not expand the categories of absentee voters beyond those permitted by the Delaware Constitution to those ineligible to vote absentee."
"I want to recognize that this is first and foremost a victory for the tens of thousands of veterans, senior citizens, and Delawareans with disabilities who rely on permanent absentee voting," said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "At the same time, we should be clear about what this lawsuit was: a last-minute attempt to suppress the vote by a plaintiff who once voted in favor of the very law he sought to overturn. I am grateful to the Court not only for their unanimous ruling, but also for their diligence in delivering their opinion quickly enough for ballots to go out on time."
A statement from the Delaware Department of Elections read: "With the Delaware Supreme Court ruling issued, the Department of Elections will soon begin sending permanent absentee voters their ballots. The Department continues to offer three voting options to Delaware voters, early voting, election day voting, and absentee voting for those eligible, including permanent absentee voting option for those voters who additionally qualify for that status."
On August 5, 2026, State Senator Gerald Hocker filed suit against State Election Commissioner Anthony Albence and the Department of Elections challenging permanent absentee voting - a law he once voted to pass - for a second time; AG Jennings won a near identical lawsuit filed by Sen. Hocker in 2024 with a unanimous decision from Delaware's Supreme Court. On September 4, 2026, the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled against Sen. Hocker, who then appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court.
For several election cycles, thousands of Delawareans have relied on permanent absentee voting to cast their ballots in primary, general, and special elections. In the November 2024 general election, over 38,000 voters -- including veterans, the disabled, and caregivers -- used absentee ballots. With the Supreme Court's ruling, those individuals will continue to be able to do so.
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Original text here: https://news.delaware.gov/2026/09/22/ag-jennings-announces-delaware-supreme-court-victory-protecting-permanent-absentee-voting/
Attorney General Mayes Sues Kratom Maker Botanic Tonics in First-In-Nation Consumer Protection Lawsuit
PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 24 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Mayes Sues Kratom Maker Botanic Tonics in First-In-Nation Consumer Protection Lawsuit
September 23, 2026
PHOENIX - Attorney General Kris Mayes today sued Botanic Tonics, LLC, a company known for its kratom and kava tonic "feel free," for violations of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, including unlawfully promoting the 2-ounce kratom shots as energy drinks, obscuring feel free's kratom content, and failing to adequately disclose the risks of addiction and withdrawal from
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PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 24 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Mayes Sues Kratom Maker Botanic Tonics in First-In-Nation Consumer Protection Lawsuit
September 23, 2026
PHOENIX - Attorney General Kris Mayes today sued Botanic Tonics, LLC, a company known for its kratom and kava tonic "feel free," for violations of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, including unlawfully promoting the 2-ounce kratom shots as energy drinks, obscuring feel free's kratom content, and failing to adequately disclose the risks of addiction and withdrawal fromusing the product.*
Feel free contains the psychoactive substances kratom and kava. Kratom produces opioid-like effects and is known colloquially as "gas station heroin." Botanic Tonics has sold feel free throughout Arizona at gas stations, convenience stores, and other mainstream retail locations, as well as online, while allegedly marketing it as a wellness tonic, energy product, kava drink, and alternative to alcohol. Arizona Department of Health Services has identified 146 documented kratom deaths in Arizona between 2020 and 2023 alone.
* "We allege that Botanic Tonics has repeatedly and willfully violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and endangered the health and safety of Arizonans, including minors, by improperly marketing its kratom-containing beverage," said Attorney General Mayes. "Arizonans should be aware that behind feel free's appealing marketing, there is real danger of addiction and other mental and physical harm."
The complaint, filed today in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleges that feel free presents serious risks that Defendants' marketing concealed or minimized. Kratom can produce opioid-like effects and carries risks including dependence, addiction, and withdrawal. Kava also presents health risks, particularly when consumed in concentrated amounts or in combination with other substances. Feel free combines these two psychoactive substances in an easy-to-consume, flavored shot marketed for regular use and sold at the counter of convenience stores throughout Arizona.
Botanic Tonics used aggressive marketing efforts in Arizona and across the United States to quickly become a top selling kratom product. Through its youth focused advertising campaign, which has included the use of colleges and college students for marketing, the company has sold millions of Kratom shots in Arizona since 2020.
A review of the company's practices allegedly shows that feel free is purposely designed to appear innocuous, an appearance that is bolstered by:
* Defendants' attempts to obscure feel free's kratom content and failure to adequately disclose its risks of addiction, dependence, withdrawal, and other adverse health effects.
* Defendants' marketing of feel free as a benign wellness and energy product inconsistent with the risks they knew it presented.
* Defendants' promotion of feel free as an alternative to alcohol--including to consumers seeking sobriety--without adequately disclosing that they were substituting one substance presenting risks of dependence and withdrawal for another.
* Defendants' use of sales practices designed to encourage repeated and increased purchases of feel free, including recurring subscriptions, substantial discounts for subscription purchases, and a rewards program that provided increasing benefits as consumers spent more on feel free.
* "It is clear that kratom products are addictive and can have lasting health consequences for children and adults. We will not tolerate companies that sell these products without adequate safeguards in place to ensure that consumers understand these risks," said Attorney General Mayes. "We are taking Botanic Tonics to court to stop these practices and hold Botanic Tonics fully accountable under Arizona law."
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The Attorney General's Office will be setting up a forum in the future for consumers to share their experiences with feel free and other kratom products.
If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud or unfair practices, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General's website at www.azag.gov/consumer. If you need a complaint form sent to you, you can contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.
The Attorney General's complaint is available.
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-sues-kratom-maker-botanic-tonics-first-nation-consumer
As Acting Governor, Attorney General Mayes Proclaims Unresolved Case Awareness Week, Recognizes September as National Cold Case Month
PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 24 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release:
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As Acting Governor, Attorney General Mayes Proclaims Unresolved Case Awareness Week, Recognizes September as National Cold Case Month
September 22, 2026
PHOENIX -- As Acting Governor, Attorney General Kris Mayes has officially proclaimed September 20-26, 2026, as Unresolved Case Awareness Week in Arizona and recognized September as National Cold Case Month. The proclamation honors the victims of unsolved crimes and the families who continue to seek answers.
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"Every unsolved case
... Show Full Article
PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 24 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release:
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As Acting Governor, Attorney General Mayes Proclaims Unresolved Case Awareness Week, Recognizes September as National Cold Case Month
September 22, 2026
PHOENIX -- As Acting Governor, Attorney General Kris Mayes has officially proclaimed September 20-26, 2026, as Unresolved Case Awareness Week in Arizona and recognized September as National Cold Case Month. The proclamation honors the victims of unsolved crimes and the families who continue to seek answers.
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"Every unsolved caserepresents a real Arizonan -- a son, a daughter, a parent, a friend -- and a family still waiting for answers," said Attorney General Kris Mayes. "This week, we honor those victims and recommit to making sure no case in Arizona is ever abandoned simply for lack of resources."
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Hundreds of homicide and missing person cases across Arizona remain unsolved. Unresolved Case Awareness Week was organized by families of cold case victims, survivors, advocates, and community partners, including Arizonans for Effective Public Safety, to draw attention to these cases and the resources needed to solve them.
The proclamation notes that advances in forensic science, DNA technology, and investigative genealogy now make it possible to solve cases once considered unsolvable, but only when law enforcement agencies have the staffing, training, and resources to pursue those leads. It calls on the Arizona State Legislature to provide dedicated, sustained funding to state and local law enforcement agencies specifically for cold case investigations.
The proclamation also encourages all Arizonans to support victims' families and survivors and to come forward with any information that may help solve these cases. Anyone with information about an unsolved case is urged to contact local law enforcement or the Attorney General's Cold Case Unit.
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/acting-governor-attorney-general-mayes-proclaims-unresolved-case-awareness-week
