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VA. A.G. JONES CHALLENGES UNLAWFUL RESCISSION OF LANDMARK 2009 GREENHOUSE GAS ENDANGERMENT FINDING

RICHMOND, Virginia, March 27 -- Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones issued the following news release on March 26, 2026:

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ATTORNEY GENERAL JAY JONES CHALLENGES UNLAWFUL RESCISSION OF LANDMARK 2009 GREENHOUSE GAS ENDANGERMENT FINDING

Coalition of States, Counties, and Cities Across the Country Mount Legal Challenge in Opposition to EPA's Unlawful Rollback, Threatening Health and Safety of Virginians

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Attorney General Jay Jones today joined a coalition of 24 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 12 cities and counties to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection ... Show Full Article RICHMOND, Virginia, March 27 -- Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones issued the following news release on March 26, 2026: * * * ATTORNEY GENERAL JAY JONES CHALLENGES UNLAWFUL RESCISSION OF LANDMARK 2009 GREENHOUSE GAS ENDANGERMENT FINDING Coalition of States, Counties, and Cities Across the Country Mount Legal Challenge in Opposition to EPA's Unlawful Rollback, Threatening Health and Safety of Virginians * Attorney General Jay Jones today joined a coalition of 24 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 12 cities and counties to challenge the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency's unlawful attempt to rescind its 2009 Endangerment Finding - the agency's seminal determination that greenhouse gas pollution from motor vehicles drives climate change and endangers public health and welfare.

For nearly two decades, Virginians have relied on evidence gathered by the scientific community on the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions to make adjustments that keep Virginians safe.

"While the Trump administration continues to try to convince us that up is down and down is up, we cannot allow them to dismiss decades of evidence gathered by the scientific community and ignore the very real harm to our health and welfare created by greenhouse gases," Attorney General Jones said. "Regulating human-made greenhouse gas emissions is one way we can ensure that our water quality, the cleanup progress made in protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and our futures are protected. We cannot allow Donald Trump to continue to ignore scientific fact at the expense of our lives and our futures. My office will continue to use every legal tool available to protect the health and safety of our communities."

The 2009 Endangerment Finding was the direct result of the landmark 2007 Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which confirmed that the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that endanger public health and welfare. Based on years of rigorous scientific analysis and review, EPA in 2009 determined that emissions from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that harms public health and welfare. EPA then set federal standards, which have led to significant reductions in motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

Now, almost two decades later, EPA has rushed a rulemaking process to rescind the Endangerment Finding and repeal all motor vehicle greenhouse gas standards, blatantly disregarding the law and science. EPA's rescission is based on flawed interpretations of the law -- previously rejected by the Supreme Court -- that the agency lacks authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The rescission also ignores decades of peer-reviewed scientific evidence confirming the reality and severity of climate change. By eliminating all existing and future federal motor vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards, the rule violates EPA's legal obligations, fundamental principles of administrative law, and the agency's mission to protect public health and welfare.

In Virginia, some areas like Fairfax and Hampton Roads see higher levels of particulate matter due to higher traffic volume. Since Virginia's temporary withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), some reports indicate that power plant emissions jumped by more than 20%. Comprehensive solutions are required in order to improve the quality of and reduce to harm to Virginia's air, land, and sea.

Today's lawsuit is the latest action taken by Attorney General Jones and the coalition in their ongoing effort to fight back against EPA's unlawful rescission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding. In the fall of 2025, 23 attorneys general and seven counties and cities submitted two comment letters urging EPA to abandon the proposal, arguing that it would violate settled law, clear Supreme Court precedent, and scientific consensus, endanger hundreds of millions of Americans--particularly communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms--and cause unprecedented disruption to the regulatory landscape with catastrophic consequences for residents, industries, natural resources, and public investments.

Co-led by the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, AG Jones is joined in filing this challenge, by the attorneys general of: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin,; the District of Columbia; and the United States Virgin Islands, as well as Josh Shapiro, in his official capacity as Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the Cities of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; and New York, New York; the Counties of Harris, Texas; Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington; and Santa Clara, California; and the Cities and Counties of Denver, Colorado, and San Francisco, California.

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Original text here: https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/2990-attorney-general-jay-jones-challenges-unlawful-rescission-of-landmark-2009-greenhouse-gas-endangerment-finding

North Charleston man arrested on six Child Sexual Abuse Material* charges

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, March 27 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news:

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North Charleston man arrested on six Child Sexual Abuse Material* charges

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(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Jacob Dylan Huff, 28, of North Charleston, S.C., on six charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office, Charleston Police Department, Summerville ... Show Full Article

Former Osceola County Man Pleads No Contest to Sexually Assaulting Three Minors

LANSING, Michigan, March 27 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:

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Former Osceola County Man Pleads No Contest to Sexually Assaulting Three Minors

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LANSING - Today, Jason Kushmaul, 50, of Oakdale, Louisiana, pled no contest to three counts of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Kushmaul sexually assaulted three minors under the age of 13 from approximately 2002-2008 while living in Osceola County.

Kushmaul was initially charged in 2016 by the Osceola County Prosecuting Attorney's Office after the ... Show Full Article

Burlington Police Officer Charged with Reckless Endangerment in Non-Lethal, Officer-Involved Shooting

MONTPELIER, Vermont, March 27 -- Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark posted the following news release:

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Burlington Police Officer Charged with Reckless Endangerment in Non-Lethal, Officer-Involved Shooting

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The Attorney General's Office announced that Burlington Police Officer Jeffrey Baur, 34, was arraigned today on two misdemeanor counts of Reckless Endangerment.

The charges are the result of Attorney General Charity Clark's review of an investigation conducted by Vermont State Police into an officer-involved shooting that occurred on August 10, 2025, on Prospect Hill Road in ... Show Full Article

Attorney General's Efforts to Review DTE Data Center Contracts Rejected Again At MPSC

LANSING, Michigan, March 27 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:

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Attorney General's Efforts to Review DTE Data Center Contracts Rejected Again At MPSC

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LANSING - Today, the Public Service Commission (MPSC) denied Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's critical efforts to examine massive energy contracts between DTE and Green Chile Ventures LLC. With no explanation given during their morning meeting, the three members of the MPSC, each appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, unanimously denied the Attorney General's motion to reopen (PDF) and her ... Show Full Article LANSING, Michigan, March 27 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General's Efforts to Review DTE Data Center Contracts Rejected Again At MPSC * LANSING - Today, the Public Service Commission (MPSC) denied Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's critical efforts to examine massive energy contracts between DTE and Green Chile Ventures LLC. With no explanation given during their morning meeting, the three members of the MPSC, each appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, unanimously denied the Attorney General's motion to reopen (PDF) and herseparate petition for rehearing (PDF) in case U-21990, wherein the MPSC conducted a secret review of the heavily-redacted contracts with significant consequences for Michigan utility customers.

The Commission additionally denied the Attorney General's request for a contested case proceeding to review six heavily redacted contracts proposed by DTE for three battery storage facilities throughout the state meant to support the data center project.

"The Michigan Public Service Commission continues to perform a grave disservice to the State of Michigan and the utility customers of this state, to the only apparent benefit of the utility corporations and their new billion-dollar AI customers," said Attorney General Nessel. "Since these secret contracts were first filed in October, I have requested and demanded that my office and other consumer advocates be able to review these contracts and ensure adequate protections for existing utility customers. At every opportunity the Commissioners have shut out everybody, choosing instead to keep DTE's contract terms top secret, fast track their approval, and play fast and loose with the meager terms they claim to put in place. I have never seen, in the long history of our state, a process so secretive, rushed, and ripe for disaster as what the Commission rammed through here. My office will continue to explore our remaining options to protect the people of this state."

In her motion to reopen, the Attorney General asserted the matter must be reopened and subjected to a contested case proceeding because DTE failed to accept the Commission's conditions for approval; she argued that DTE's response did not reflect the requirements of the Commission's order and instead served as a counterproposal, offering weaker protection for existing DTE customers. In granting conditional approval of the two data center contracts, the Commission ordered (PDF) DTE to reply by letter within 30 days of the December 18th order accepting the conditions imposed by the Commission. Among other terms, the Commission ordered that DTE must make representations that "payments made by Green Chile Ventures LLC under Rate Schedule D11 and the special contracts will cover the costs to serve Green Chile Ventures LLC such that the costs of serving Green Chile Ventures LLC (including generation, transmission, distribution, or other costs) are not covered by other customers."

DTE replied to the December 18 th order with a letter filed January 15th (PDF). Rather than making a representation as described in the order, DTE altered the conditional language, representing that "the aggregate revenues generated by the customer [Green Chile Ventures LLC] will cover the costs to serve them." In her motion to reopen the proceeding, the Attorney General cautioned that DTE's alteration in language might permit DTE to force upon its existing customers near-term cost subsidization of the data center, and that DTE has only represented that by the end of the 19-year contract that it expects the aggregate payments from the data center to have eventually risen to a sum greater than the company's own costs to serve the data center. For this reason, the Attorney General argued, DTE failed to accept the conditions ordered by the Commission, and thus the matter of contract approval should be set for a contested case proceeding.

In its order today, the Commission failed to directly respond to the Attorney General's concern about near term cost subsidization and simply stated that it "finds that the reference to aggregate revenues in the acceptance letter does not change or somehow endanger the cost allocations that were placed on the approval." Instead of directly addressing the concern, the Commission's response suggests that near term cost subsidization of the data center by customers is what it intended in its original order.

Within her petition for rehearing, the Attorney General challenged the statutory authority of the Commission to approve these special contracts without a contested case hearing and requested a rehearing in this matter. The Attorney General additionally sought clarification regarding the extent of the conditions ordered by the Commission and their enforceability, as many of the conditions purportedly put in place by the Commission appear to require only repeated assurances from DTE with no further evidentiary support or commitment, rather than enforceable conditions imposing meaningful requirements on the utility or the data center customer. Attorney General Nessel also expressed concerns regarding DTE's ability to serve as the financial backstop in lieu of sufficient collateral requirements from the data center customer, as dictated by the Commission. The Commission's Order today provides no new explanation to address the many shortcomings of DTE's proposals.

The MPSC has repeatedly, and again today, denied every request from the Attorney General to:

* Review the heavily redacted special contracts,

* Verify DTE's claims of affordability benefits to its ratepayers and that servicing this customer will cause no increase in electric rates for its existing customers, and

* Verify adequate ratepayer protections such as collateral and exit fee terms to protect DTE and its customers if the data center fails to purchase the full projected amount of electricity, leaves the state before the full length of the contracts runs, or goes bankrupt.

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Original text here: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/03/27/ag-efforts-to-review-dte-data-center-contracts-rejected-again-at-mpsc

Attorney General Ken Paxton Proposes Rules to Stop Designated Foreign Adversaries, Including China, from Owning Texas Land

AUSTIN, Texas, March 27 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release:

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Attorney General Ken Paxton Proposes Rules to Stop Designated Foreign Adversaries, Including China, from Owning Texas Land

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Attorney General Ken Paxton has proposed a formal set of rules to implement and administer Senate Bill 17 (89(R)), which prohibits certain designated foreign entities from owning land in Texas. This proposal begins the formal rulemaking process, which includes a public comment period before any rules may be finalized.

The Texas Legislature passed SB 17 during the 89 ... Show Full Article AUSTIN, Texas, March 27 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Ken Paxton Proposes Rules to Stop Designated Foreign Adversaries, Including China, from Owning Texas Land * Attorney General Ken Paxton has proposed a formal set of rules to implement and administer Senate Bill 17 (89(R)), which prohibits certain designated foreign entities from owning land in Texas. This proposal begins the formal rulemaking process, which includes a public comment period before any rules may be finalized. The Texas Legislature passed SB 17 during the 89th Legislative session, and the law took effect on September 1, 2025. The statute restricts the purchase or acquisition of real property by certain individuals and entities from designated adversarial nations, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It aims to mitigate national security risks and protect Texas land and critical infrastructure from foreign threats.

The Office of the Attorney General ("OAG") has proposed comprehensive rules to guide future implementation. The proposed rules define key terms, outline the structure and authority of the OAG, and detail investigative procedures, including civil investigative demands and response requirements. The proposed rules also address reporting obligations, confidentiality protections, and include savings and severability clauses. The proposed rules were submitted to the Secretary of State on March 16, 2026, and published in the Texas Register today, Friday, March 27.

Under these rules, individuals and entities involved in facilitating real estate transactions such as a mortgage lender, title insurance company, property insurer, appraiser, or licensed real estate professional would be required to report any suspected violations of the law to the Office of the Attorney General. Complaints would be required to be submitted electronically through the OAG's online complaint form found on the agency's website or by mail to the address designated by the OAG for this purpose.

Under the proposed rules, all complaints, civil investigative demands, and related materials submitted to or issued by the OAG would be confidential and not subject to public disclosure, except as required by law.

"My office will use every tool available to prevent our nation's enemies from gaining a foothold on Texas soil," said Attorney General Paxton. "These proposed rules will strengthen the reporting of suspicious activity and better protect our state from hostile foreign actors."

To read the proposed rules, click here.

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Original text here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-proposes-rules-stop-designated-foreign-adversaries-including-china

Attorney General Ford Applauds Recent Jury Verdicts Against Meta, YouTube in Other Jurisdictions

CARSON CITY, Nevada, March 27 -- Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford issued the following news release:

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Attorney General Ford Applauds Recent Jury Verdicts Against Meta, YouTube in Other Jurisdictions

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Carson City, NV -Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford released the following remarks after juries in courts in California and New Mexico ruled that social media companies were aware of the harms their products had caused to the nation's youth. On March 24, a New Mexico jury ruled social media giant Meta must pay a $375 million monetary penalty for misleading the public about harms Meta ... Show Full Article CARSON CITY, Nevada, March 27 -- Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Ford Applauds Recent Jury Verdicts Against Meta, YouTube in Other Jurisdictions * Carson City, NV -Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford released the following remarks after juries in courts in California and New Mexico ruled that social media companies were aware of the harms their products had caused to the nation's youth. On March 24, a New Mexico jury ruled social media giant Meta must pay a $375 million monetary penalty for misleading the public about harms Metaknew to be lurking on its platforms. Today, a jury in a separate California trial awarded $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages to an individual who sued Meta, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok alleging that their harmful design had inflicted mental health harms on her when she was a teen.

"The recent decisions in California and New Mexico are the first steps to getting justice for children victimized by social media companies that deliberately designed addictive products and ignored the dangers those products posed to children," said Attorney General Ford. "The juries in these cases reached the only logical conclusion when presented with the facts, and we are confident that, when our litigation is brought before Nevada juries, they will come to the same conclusion. We will do whatever is needed to protect Nevada's youth."

Like the cases recently decided in favor of the plaintiffs, Attorney General Ford's lawsuits currently pending against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Kik accuse the companies of using harmful design features; failing to implement common-sense safety measures for children; and misleading the public regarding child users' safety. However, several of Nevada's lawsuits also include products liability claims and economic damages that are unique to the Nevada Attorney General's jurisdiction to pursue consumer protection claims on behalf of Nevadans.

The status of the OAG's lawsuits against social media companies on behalf of Nevadans are as follows (note that trial dates are subject to change):

* Meta: Meta's motions to dismiss the first amended complaint were denied in April 2025. Meta has challenged these rulings and the cases are stayed until these challenges are resolved.

* TikTok: Trial has been set for Nov. 1, 2027.

* Snapchat : A seven-month appellate stay has been lifted, and trial is currently set for Jan. 4, 2027.

* YouTube: YouTube's motion to dismiss was denied at a hearing on March 18. No trial date has been set.

* Kik: A motion to dismiss was granted in part and denied in part on Feb. 11, 2026. The OAG and Kik agreed to a 90-day stay of case in order to undertake settlement negotiations. No trial date has been set.

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