# Daily Digest — 2026-09-26 | | | |---|---| | **Digest date** | 2026-09-26 | | **Data date range** | 2026-09-26 to 2026-09-26 | | **Generated at** | 2026-09-27T04:27:38Z (UTC) | | **Pipeline version** | fc91b07d | | **Inference** | model layers ran — cli/haiku, opus | | **Source watermarks** | CREC: 2026-09-25T18:00:04Z · BILLS: 2026-09-26T09:46:33Z · FR: 2026-09-26T05:06:17Z · USCOURTS: 2026-09-27T03:19:04Z · PLAW: 2026-09-25T12:51:35Z | **Weekend note:** Saturday is not a federal business day. Most federal publishers issue few or no documents on weekends and federal holidays; this stream may stay short until the next business day. [Full observed listing for this day](day/2026-09-26.html) — every item our collectors observed for this publication day, mechanical rules applied, frozen at end of day. This digest is the canonical record. All items below cite the govinfo package (and granule, where applicable) they summarize. Selection is mechanical; each item states the rule that included it. See the Coverage Statement at the end for a full accounting of what was published, what was summarized, and what was excluded and why. --- ## Contents - [Day in Review](#day-in-review) - [1. Congressional Floor Activity](#1-congressional-floor-activity) - [2. Legislation](#2-legislation) - [3. Federal Register](#3-federal-register) - [4. Enacted Laws](#4-enacted-laws) - [5. Judicial Activity](#5-judicial-activity) - [6. Agency Announcements](#6-agency-announcements) - [7. Recorded Votes](#7-recorded-votes) - [8. Bill Actions](#8-bill-actions) - [9. Presidential Actions](#9-presidential-actions) - [Terms Used Today](#terms-used-today) - [Coverage Statement](#coverage-statement) - [Methodology](#methodology) --- ## Day in Review The digest carries 64 bill versions: 36 introduced in the Senate, 16 introduced in the House, nine agreed to in the Senate, two placed on the Senate calendar and one reported in the Senate. No floor proceedings or recorded votes appear among the items. The two calendar items are the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340) and S. Con. Res. 40. The Ratepayer Protection Act would require electric utilities to recover infrastructure upgrade costs from customers with peak demand of 100 megawatts or more at a single site. S. Con. Res. 40 sets out the congressional budget for fiscal year 2027, with levels through 2036. The reported Senate bill continues Department of Agriculture programs through fiscal year 2031. On the executive side, the digest carries 13 agency press releases. No rules, proposed rules or presidential documents appear. The digest carries 31 appellate opinions, 12 bankruptcy opinions and 1,225 district court opinions. The Sixth Circuit held that Kalshi's sports-event contracts are not swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act and that federal law does not preempt state gambling laws. The D.C. Circuit upheld the Department of War's exclusion of Anthropic's Claude from its supply chain under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act. It also affirmed a Federal Railroad Administration Buy America waiver for Brightline West, and it affirmed Roman Sterlingov's Bitcoin Fog money-laundering convictions. The First Circuit held that Rhode Island waived its Eleventh Amendment immunity for claims under the state's Civil Rights Act. The Federal Circuit affirmed a Patent Trial and Appeal Board obviousness ruling in Zentian v. Apple. The Ninth Circuit denied an emergency injunction in a challenge to Washington's policies on transgender student athletes. *Composed from the summarized items below and the day's mechanical counts; all specifics are cited in their sections.* --- ## 1. Congressional Floor Activity No Congressional Record issue was observed on this day. The Record for a day's proceedings is typically published by govinfo the following morning; it appears in the digest for the day it is observed ([how our clocks work](faq.html#fapds-three-clocks)). ### 1.1 Senate No Senate floor items met the selection thresholds. 0 floor granule(s) are accounted for in the Coverage Statement. ### 1.2 House of Representatives No House floor items met the selection thresholds. 0 floor granule(s) are accounted for in the Coverage Statement. ### 1.3 Recorded Votes No recorded votes were published in this issue of the Congressional Record. --- ## 2. Legislation Source: Congressional Bills (BILLS), text versions published 2026-09-26 to 2026-09-26. ### 2.1 Counts by Stage | Stage (bill text version) | Count | |---|---| | Introduced (ih/is) | 52 | | Reported (rh/rs) | 1 | | Engrossed (eh/es) | 0 | | Enrolled (enr) | 0 | | Other versions | 11 | | **Total bill texts published** | **64** | ### 2.2 Bills Listed by Mechanical Rule Tags: legislative · model keys: agriculture · budget · utilities *In plain terms: Three bills cover utility cost recovery, comprehensive agriculture program reform through 2031, and the fiscal year 2027 budget extending through 2036.* Bills below are listed because they matched at least one listing rule; the matching rule is stated per item. All other bill texts are counted above and accounted for in the Coverage Statement. - **H. R. 9340 (pcs) — 119 HR 9340 PCS: Ratepayer Protection Act** — The Ratepayer Protection Act amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to establish federal standards requiring electric utilities to recover full incremental costs of generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure upgrades from large-load customers (non-residential consumers with 100+ megawatts peak demand at a single site). Utilities must obtain financial assurances or customer contributions before making upgrades, including recovery in the event of contract termination. State regulatory authorities and nonregulated utilities must commence consideration of the standard within one year and complete determinations within two years of enactment. - *In plain terms:* Electric utilities must recover the full cost of infrastructure upgrades from large non-residential customers (those with 100+ megawatts peak demand) and obtain their approval before making upgrades. - Included because: BILLS-SEL-01 — reached stage: reported/enrolled/calendar (document dated 2026-09-24) - Source: [BILLS-119hr9340pcs](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119hr9340pcs) - **S. 5526 (rs) — 117 S5526 RS: Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act** — The Agricultural Act of 2026 provides comprehensive reform and continuation of Department of Agriculture programs through fiscal year 2031, covering commodity policy, dairy programs, conservation initiatives, agricultural trade, nutrition assistance, credit and financing, and rural development. The bill authorizes commodity price supports, conservation reserve and stewardship programs, dairy margin coverage, supplemental disaster assistance, agricultural trade promotion, expanded nutrition assistance and commodity distribution programs, farm credit and loan programs, rural broadband deployment, and water and wastewater infrastructure assistance for rural and tribal communities. - *In plain terms:* A law through 2031 that supports agricultural commodity prices, dairy farmers, conservation efforts, trade, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural broadband, and water infrastructure for rural communities. - Included because: BILLS-SEL-01 — reached stage: reported/enrolled/calendar (document dated 2026-09-24) - Source: [BILLS-119s5526rs](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119s5526rs) - **S. CON. RES. 40 (pcs) — 119 SCON 40 PCS: Setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2027 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2028 through 2036.** — The concurrent resolution establishes the congressional budget for fiscal year 2027 and sets budgetary levels through 2036, projecting federal revenues from $4.48 trillion (FY2027) to $6.34 trillion (FY2036) and allocating new budget authority and outlays across major functional categories including defense, international affairs, science and technology, energy, natural resources, agriculture, and social security. The resolution projects deficits declining from $1.36 trillion in FY2027 to zero by FY2031, with public debt projections reaching $47.15 trillion by FY2036. - *In plain terms:* The budget sets federal revenues at $4.48 trillion for 2027 growing to $6.34 trillion by 2036, projecting deficits to decline to zero by 2031. - Included because: BILLS-SEL-01 — reached stage: reported/enrolled/calendar (document dated 2026-09-22) - Source: [BILLS-119sconres40pcs](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119sconres40pcs) --- ## 3. Federal Register Source: Federal Register (FR), issue of 2026-09-26. ### 3.1 Counts by Document Type | Document type | Count | |---|---| | Rules | 0 | | Proposed rules | 0 | | Notices | 0 | | Presidential documents | 0 | | **Total FR documents** | **0** | ### 3.2 Rules Published No rules were published in this issue. ### 3.3 Proposed Rules Published No proposed rules were published in this issue. ### 3.4 Notices and Presidential Documents Notices are summarized only when they match a listing rule; all are counted in 3.1 and in the Coverage Statement. Presidential documents in the FR are always listed. No notices or presidential documents matched a listing rule. --- ## 4. Enacted Laws Source: Public and Private Laws (PLAW) published 2026-09-26. No laws were published in this range. --- ## 5. Judicial Activity Source: United States Courts Opinions (USCOURTS): opinions observed 2026-09-26 by our collector; each opinion states its own issue date beside its listing ([how our clocks work](faq.html#fapds-three-clocks)). Completeness disclosure (standing): USCOURTS carries opinions from approximately 140 participating appellate, district, bankruptcy, and national federal courts. Unlike the Congressional Record and the Federal Register, which are the complete official record of their branches, USCOURTS is participation-based and is NOT the complete federal judicial record. Courts post opinions with delay — typically over several days — so a day's digest carries the opinions that became available that day, whatever date each was issued. ### 5.1 Appellate and National Court Opinions Tags: judicial · model keys: criminal · immigration · patents *In plain terms: Thirty-one appellate decisions include patent cases on AI and advertising technology, an AI product supply chain exclusion, and numerous criminal and immigration appeals.* Appellate and national court opinions are summarized; district and bankruptcy opinions are counted in 5.2 and in the Coverage Statement. #### United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit - **USA v. Roman Sterlingov** (No. 24-03161; filed 2026-09-25) — The District of Columbia Circuit affirmed Roman Sterlingov's convictions for conspiracy to commit money laundering, substantive money laundering, and operating unlicensed money transmitting businesses in connection with his operation of Bitcoin Fog, a cryptocurrency mixer used to obfuscate illicit transactions. The court upheld his 150-month prison sentence and rejected his appellate challenges including venue arguments. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld a 150-month sentence for operating Bitcoin Fog, a cryptocurrency mixer that obscured the source of illicit funds. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-caDC-24-03161 / USCOURTS-caDC-24-03161-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-caDC-24-03161/USCOURTS-caDC-24-03161-0) - **Alstom Transportation, Inc. v. FRA, et al** (No. 25-05456; filed 2026-09-25) — The D.C. Circuit affirmed the Federal Railroad Administration's waiver of Buy America requirements that allowed Brightline West to purchase trains manufactured abroad by Siemens Mobility rather than domestically manufactured trains, finding that Alstom Transportation has standing to challenge the waiver but that its claims lack merit. - *In plain terms:* A rail company won approval to buy foreign-made trains instead of domestically manufactured ones, and a competitor's legal challenge was rejected. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-caDC-25-05456 / USCOURTS-caDC-25-05456-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-caDC-25-05456/USCOURTS-caDC-25-05456-0) - **Anthropic PBC v. United States Department of War, et al** (No. 26-01049; filed 2026-09-25) — The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the Department of War's exclusion of Claude, an artificial intelligence product developed by Anthropic PBC, from the department's supply chain under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018. Anthropic had refused to relax contractual prohibitions on using Claude for lethal autonomous warfare or domestic surveillance, and the Department determined that continued integration of Claude posed a national security risk. The court rejected Anthropic's challenges that the exclusion was arbitrary, unauthorized by statute, or unconstitutional. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld the Department of War's exclusion of Claude AI from its supply chain based on national security concerns related to use restrictions. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-caDC-26-01049 / USCOURTS-caDC-26-01049-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-caDC-26-01049/USCOURTS-caDC-26-01049-0) - **Anthropic PBC v. United States Department of War, et al** (No. 26-01162; filed 2026-09-25) — The D.C. Circuit upheld the Department of War's exclusion of Claude, an artificial intelligence product developed by Anthropic, from the Department's supply chain under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act after Anthropic refused to relax contractual restrictions on using Claude for lethal autonomous operations and domestic surveillance, rejecting Anthropic's claims of arbitrary action, statutory overreach, and constitutional violation. - *In plain terms:* The government excluded an AI product from procurement after the company refused to relax restrictions on military and surveillance uses. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-caDC-26-01162 / USCOURTS-caDC-26-01162-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-caDC-26-01162/USCOURTS-caDC-26-01162-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - **Tara Burge v. Sheriff of Manatee County, Florida** (No. 25-14412; filed 2026-09-25) — Burge appealed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the Manatee County Sheriff on her Title VII sex discrimination and § 1983 claims. The appellate court affirmed, finding that evidence showed Burge had a relationship with a convicted felon and accessed law enforcement databases without law enforcement purpose, both violating sheriff office policies regardless of sex. The comparators she cited had not engaged in the same combination of conduct, and the FDLE's case dismissal was not a finding of insufficient evidence of a moral character violation. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld rejection of a sex discrimination claim, finding the employee had violated policies by having a relationship with a convicted felon and accessing databases without proper purpose. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca11-25-14412 / USCOURTS-ca11-25-14412-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca11-25-14412/USCOURTS-ca11-25-14412-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit - **Receivership Estate of AudienceScience Inc. v. Google LLC** (No. 24-01825; filed 2026-09-25) — AudienceScience appealed the district court's grant of judgment on the pleadings finding three patents relating to internet advertisement selection methods unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The court determined the claims were directed to the abstract idea of targeting advertisements to maximize revenue with no inventive concept, rejecting arguments that performance scores or the combination of page context and user history constituted an invention. The Federal Circuit affirmed, also affirming the determination that amendment would be futile. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld a decision that three patents about targeting advertisements were abstract ideas lacking an inventive concept. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca13-24-01825 / USCOURTS-ca13-24-01825-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca13-24-01825/USCOURTS-ca13-24-01825-0) - **Zentian Ltd. v. Apple Inc.** (No. 24-02205; filed 2026-09-25) — Zentian appealed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision that claims in a speech-recognition patent were unpatentable for obviousness. The central dispute was whether the term "feature vector" encompassed only quantities extracted from the audio stream or also derived quantities such as codewords. The Federal Circuit affirmed the Board's construction that "feature vector" includes derived quantities and codewords, resolving the dispute based on claim language that referenced both "extracted and/or derived quantities." - *In plain terms:* A court upheld a decision that speech-recognition patent claims were obvious after confirming 'feature vector' includes both extracted and derived quantities. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca13-24-02205 / USCOURTS-ca13-24-02205-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca13-24-02205/USCOURTS-ca13-24-02205-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - **USA v. Mack** (No. 25-20347; filed 2026-09-25) — Mack appealed her 108-month sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, challenging the denial of a mitigating role adjustment and seeking offense level reductions. The court found that Mack's plea agreement contained a valid and applicable appeal waiver and dismissed the appeal, warning Mack's counsel that pursuing an appeal contrary to a valid waiver constitutes waste of judicial resources. - *In plain terms:* A court dismissed an appeal of a 108-month drug conspiracy sentence because the defendant had signed a waiver preventing appeal. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-25-20347 / USCOURTS-ca5-25-20347-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-25-20347/USCOURTS-ca5-25-20347-0) - **Neal v. Vannoy** (No. 25-30705; filed 2026-09-25) — Neal appealed the district court's treatment of his habeas application as an unauthorized second or successive application raising two ineffective assistance of counsel claims regarding a serology report and DNA testing. The court affirmed, finding the claims were successive; Neal's argument that the claims were not ripe until the Supreme Court decided Martinez v. Ryan did not apply because his petition did not allege lack of counsel or ineffective counsel in his initial state habeas proceeding. - *In plain terms:* A court dismissed a habeas petition as an unauthorized repeat application, finding the claims were not yet ripe for review. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-25-30705 / USCOURTS-ca5-25-30705-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-25-30705/USCOURTS-ca5-25-30705-0) - **USA v. Quintanilla** (No. 25-40570; filed 2026-09-25) — Ricardo Quintanilla, serving 200 months imprisonment for fraud and money laundering convictions, appealed the denial of his motion for sentence reduction under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2) based on Amendment 821. The district court found him eligible but determined that further reduction was not warranted under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors, noting he had received a variance and been sentenced below guidelines for most convictions at original sentencing. The Fifth Circuit affirmed, finding no abuse of discretion. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld the denial of sentence reduction for a fraud and money laundering conviction, finding no further reduction was warranted. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-25-40570 / USCOURTS-ca5-25-40570-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-25-40570/USCOURTS-ca5-25-40570-0) - **USA v. Gonzalez-Ramirez** (No. 25-50994; filed 2026-09-25) — The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted defense counsel's motion to withdraw from an appeal by Baldomero Gonzalez-Ramirez after finding no nonfrivolous issues warranted appellate review and dismissed the appeal. - *In plain terms:* A lawyer was granted permission to stop appealing after the court found no valid arguments existed for continuing the case. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-25-50994 / USCOURTS-ca5-25-50994-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-25-50994/USCOURTS-ca5-25-50994-0) - **Gonzales v. Brawley** (No. 26-10043; filed 2026-09-25) — The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Alphonso Eduardo Gonzales' habeas petition, finding him statutorily ineligible to apply time credits under the First Step Act of 2018 due to a final removal order, and denied his request for appointed counsel. - *In plain terms:* A person with a final removal order is ineligible for time credits under the First Step Act, and their petition was denied. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-26-10043 / USCOURTS-ca5-26-10043-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-26-10043/USCOURTS-ca5-26-10043-0) - **USA v. Szpaizman-Garcia** (No. 26-40099; filed 2026-09-25) — Yudele Szpaizman-Garcia's appointed counsel moved to withdraw and filed an Anders v. California brief stating the appeal presented no nonfrivolous issue for review. The Fifth Circuit reviewed counsel's brief and agreed no nonfrivolous issues existed. Accordingly, the court granted counsel's withdrawal motion and dismissed the appeal. - *In plain terms:* A court dismissed an appeal after finding the defendant's counsel was correct that no valid legal issues existed for review. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-26-40099 / USCOURTS-ca5-26-40099-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-26-40099/USCOURTS-ca5-26-40099-0) - **Frickey v. X Corp.** (No. 26-60202; filed 2026-09-25) — Vanessa Frickey sought in forma pauperis status on appeal from the district court's dismissal of her 121-page amended complaint naming 28 defendants and alleging a nationwide conspiracy to violate her constitutional rights under 18 U.S.C. § 1985(3). The district court dismissed the complaint as frivolous, finding the allegations fanciful, fantastic, and wholly incredible. The Fifth Circuit affirmed, finding Frickey's continued reliance on irrational allegations and lack of nonfrivolous arguments warranted dismissal. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld dismissal of a complaint alleging a nationwide conspiracy to violate constitutional rights, finding the allegations fanciful and wholly incredible. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca5-26-60202 / USCOURTS-ca5-26-60202-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-26-60202/USCOURTS-ca5-26-60202-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit - **Parente, et al v. Lefebvre, et al** (No. 24-01098; filed 2024-12-05) — The First Circuit Court of Appeals certified to the Rhode Island Supreme Court a question regarding whether discrimination claims under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act of 1990 are subject to the state's general waiver of sovereign immunity under the State Tort Claims Act. The certification arose from a suit by two incarcerated individuals alleging the Rhode Island Department of Corrections failed to provide adequate medical care and accommodations for foot and ankle injuries sustained before their incarceration. The district court had denied the state's motion for summary judgment on Eleventh Amendment immunity grounds. - *In plain terms:* The First Circuit asked Rhode Island's highest court whether discrimination claims under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act are subject to the state's waiver of immunity from lawsuits. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098 / USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098/USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098-0) - **Parente, et al v. Lefebvre, et al** (No. 24-01098; filed 2026-09-25) — After the Rhode Island Supreme Court answered that discrimination claims under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act of 1990 are 'actions of tort' subject to the state's general waiver of sovereign immunity, the First Circuit Court of Appeals held that Rhode Island waived its Eleventh Amendment immunity to suit in federal court for such claims. The decision addresses the appeal brought by the Rhode Island Department of Corrections in the case of two incarcerated individuals seeking damages for the state's alleged failure to provide medical treatment and accommodations for foot and ankle injuries. - *In plain terms:* After Rhode Island's highest court ruled discrimination claims under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act are subject to the state's waiver of immunity, the First Circuit held that Rhode Island waived its immunity from federal lawsuits for such claims. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098 / USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098-1](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098/USCOURTS-ca1-24-01098-1) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit - **Timothy Arthur v. State of South Carolina** (No. 25-06890; filed 2026-09-25) — Arthur appealed the district court's dismissal of his civil complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B) based on a magistrate judge's recommendation. The court found no reversible error and affirmed the dismissal. - *In plain terms:* A court affirmed the dismissal of a civil complaint for lack of merit. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca4-25-06890 / USCOURTS-ca4-25-06890-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca4-25-06890/USCOURTS-ca4-25-06890-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - **PEREZ-GARCIA V. BLANCHE** (No. 24-1092; filed 2026-09-25) — The Ninth Circuit granted in part Juan Antonio Perez-Garcia's petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision, holding that the BIA legally erred by failing to consider evidence that Perez-Garcia paid his voluntary departure bond. The court remanded for the BIA to reconsider whether to reinstate the voluntary departure period. - *In plain terms:* A court partially granted an immigration petition, finding the board erred by failing to consider a voluntary departure bond payment. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca9-24-1092 / USCOURTS-ca9-24-1092-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca9-24-1092/USCOURTS-ca9-24-1092-0) - **MEDRANO V. ACOSTA, ET AL.** (No. 24-6346; filed 2026-09-25) — The Ninth Circuit reversed a district court's denial of qualified immunity to Bell Gardens Police Department Officers Acosta and Roberts in a civil rights action alleging excessive force during an arrest. The court held that the officers did not violate the Fourth Amendment by approaching Medrano with weapons drawn while executing a felony arrest warrant, and that Medrano's claimed right was not clearly established under existing law. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld qualified immunity for officers who approached a suspect with weapons drawn while executing a felony arrest warrant. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca9-24-6346 / USCOURTS-ca9-24-6346-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca9-24-6346/USCOURTS-ca9-24-6346-0) - **BROWN V. WASHINGTON INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION, ET AL.** (No. 26-5488; filed 2026-09-25) — The Ninth Circuit denied an emergency motion for injunction pending appeal filed by Stephanie Lynn Brown and her daughter, who challenged Washington state and school district policies permitting transgender student athletes to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. - *In plain terms:* A court refused to block Washington state policies that allow transgender students to compete on sports teams aligned with their gender identity. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca9-26-5488 / USCOURTS-ca9-26-5488-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca9-26-5488/USCOURTS-ca9-26-5488-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit - **USA v. Gary Howard** (No. 25-02164; filed 2026-09-25) — Gary Howard, a confidential informant for the Department of Homeland Security who continued dealing drugs, was convicted of three drug crimes. The Seventh Circuit affirmed his convictions, holding that the district court properly quashed a subpoena seeking testimony from his handler, properly admitted evidence from a warrantless search under the inevitable discovery doctrine, and that sufficient evidence supported conviction. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld drug trafficking convictions, rejecting challenges to suppression of witness testimony and admission of evidence from a warrantless search. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca7-25-02164 / USCOURTS-ca7-25-02164-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca7-25-02164/USCOURTS-ca7-25-02164-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - **USA v. Srecko Walker** (No. 25-01356; filed 2026-09-25) — Srecko Walker was convicted of three cocaine offenses for his involvement in a conspiracy where he ordered cocaine from a supplier, had it mailed through postal worker Steven Rasic, and sold it directly to customers. Walker appealed challenging the validity of the search warrant for his residence and the admissibility of statements from a proffer session, but the Sixth Circuit affirmed both rulings. The court found the warrant affidavit established probable cause based on Walker's criminal history, observed drug transactions, and other factors. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld cocaine trafficking convictions, rejecting challenges to a search warrant and statements given during a probe discussion. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca6-25-01356 / USCOURTS-ca6-25-01356-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca6-25-01356/USCOURTS-ca6-25-01356-0) - **Franklyn Garrison v. Bryan Morrison** (No. 25-01428; filed 2026-09-25) — Franklyn Garrison was convicted of first-degree murder and arson in the death of Kevin Walker and received a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Garrison sought federal habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, renewing claims that the Michigan Court of Appeals unreasonably applied Jackson v. Virginia standards on sufficiency of evidence and unreasonably determined facts regarding ineffective assistance of counsel. The Sixth Circuit reversed the district court's grant of habeas relief, finding the state court's decisions did not involve unreasonable application of clearly established federal law. - *In plain terms:* A court reversed a grant of federal relief in a murder conviction, finding the state court did not unreasonably apply federal law. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca6-25-01428 / USCOURTS-ca6-25-01428-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca6-25-01428/USCOURTS-ca6-25-01428-0) - **USA v. Jason Schaller** (No. 25-03601; filed 2026-09-25) — The Sixth Circuit affirmed Jason Schaller's 57-month prison sentence for felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, imposed after an upward variance from the 30-to-37-month guidelines range, rejecting his arguments that the sentence was procedurally and substantively unreasonable. - *In plain terms:* A 57-month prison sentence for illegally possessing a firearm was upheld despite exceeding typical sentencing guidelines. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca6-25-03601 / USCOURTS-ca6-25-03601-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca6-25-03601/USCOURTS-ca6-25-03601-0) - **Dante Watts v. USA** (No. 25-05607; filed 2026-09-25) — Dante Watts was convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies and sentenced to 408 months imprisonment after evidence showed he purchased casino chips totaling $3.5 million and possessed heroin and cocaine. Watts filed a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 petition raising eleven ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims and five prosecutorial-misconduct claims, but the district court denied relief and initially denied a certificate of appealability. The Sixth Circuit affirmed, finding that Watts could not establish either deficient performance or prejudice necessary for an ineffective-assistance claim and that his other claims lacked merit. - *In plain terms:* A court upheld denial of relief in a drug trafficking and money laundering conviction, rejecting claims of ineffective counsel. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca6-25-05607 / USCOURTS-ca6-25-05607-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca6-25-05607/USCOURTS-ca6-25-05607-0) - **KalshiEX LLC v. Matthew Schuler, et al** (No. 26-03196; filed 2026-09-25) — The Sixth Circuit ruled that sports-event contracts offered by Kalshi do not constitute "swaps" under the Commodities Exchange Act and that federal law does not preempt state gambling laws. The court affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction in Ohio and vacated Tennessee's grant of injunction, remanding for further proceedings. - *In plain terms:* A court ruled that Kalshi's sports contracts are not financial 'swaps' under federal law and federal law does not override state gambling laws. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca6-26-03196 / USCOURTS-ca6-26-03196-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca6-26-03196/USCOURTS-ca6-26-03196-0) - **KalshiEX LLC v. William Orgel, et al** (No. 26-05235; filed 2026-09-25) — The Sixth Circuit ruled that sports-event contracts offered by Kalshi do not constitute "swaps" under the Commodities Exchange Act and that federal law does not preempt state gambling laws. The court affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction in Ohio and vacated Tennessee's grant of injunction, remanding for further proceedings. - *In plain terms:* A court ruled that Kalshi's sports contracts are not financial 'swaps' under federal law and federal law does not override state gambling laws. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca6-26-05235 / USCOURTS-ca6-26-05235-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca6-26-05235/USCOURTS-ca6-26-05235-0) #### United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit - **USA v. Paris Carter** (No. 24-03237; filed 2026-09-25) — The Third Circuit affirmed Paris Carter's convictions for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering, along with concurrent sentences of 408 months and 240 months respectively. The court rejected Carter's challenges to the denial of motions to suppress evidence from electronic devices, to obtain a bill of particulars, and to exclude evidence of firearms, cash, and other items related to the drug trafficking activity. - *In plain terms:* The Third Circuit upheld Paris Carter's convictions for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and money laundering with sentences of 408 and 240 months, rejecting his attempts to suppress electronic device evidence, obtain detailed charge information, and exclude firearms and cash evidence. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca3-24-03237 / USCOURTS-ca3-24-03237-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca3-24-03237/USCOURTS-ca3-24-03237-0) - **Gabyargelia Montiel Perez, et al v. Attorney General United States of America** (No. 25-03433; filed 2026-09-25) — The Third Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision affirming the denial of cancellation of removal for two Mexican nationals with two U.S. citizen children with developmental disabilities. The court concluded that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence that their removal would result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to their children, specifically regarding the availability of medical and special education services in Mexico. - *In plain terms:* The Third Circuit rejected an appeal of a board's decision to uphold the removal of two Mexican nationals, finding insufficient evidence their removal would cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to their U.S. citizen children with developmental disabilities regarding medical and educational services in Mexico. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca3-25-03433 / USCOURTS-ca3-25-03433-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca3-25-03433/USCOURTS-ca3-25-03433-0) - **USA v. Brandon Orr** (No. 26-01512; filed 2026-09-25) — The Third Circuit summarily affirmed the District Court's denial of Brandon Orr's motion for compassionate release under the First Step Act, rejecting his arguments that defending a corrections officer from assault and his rehabilitation in prison constituted extraordinary and compelling circumstances warranting sentence reduction. - *In plain terms:* The Third Circuit upheld the denial of a reduced sentence for Brandon Orr, rejecting his arguments that defending a corrections officer from assault and his rehabilitation warranted relief under the First Step Act. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca3-26-01512 / USCOURTS-ca3-26-01512-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca3-26-01512/USCOURTS-ca3-26-01512-0) - **USA v. Brandon Orr** (No. 26-01513; filed 2026-09-25) — The Third Circuit summarily affirmed the District Court's denial of Brandon Orr's motion for compassionate release under the First Step Act, rejecting his arguments that defending a corrections officer from assault and his rehabilitation in prison constituted extraordinary and compelling circumstances warranting sentence reduction. - *In plain terms:* The Third Circuit upheld the denial of a reduced sentence for Brandon Orr, rejecting his arguments that defending a corrections officer from assault and his rehabilitation warranted relief under the First Step Act. - Included because: USCOURTS-SEL-01 — appellate court opinion (all listed) (document dated 2026-09-25) - Source: [USCOURTS-ca3-26-01513 / USCOURTS-ca3-26-01513-0](https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca3-26-01513/USCOURTS-ca3-26-01513-0) ### 5.2 Counts by Court Category | Court category | Opinions | |---|---| | Appellate | 31 | | District | 1225 | | Bankruptcy | 12 | | National | 0 | | **Total opinions extracted** | **1268** | Archive-window disclosure (rule USCOURTS-FETCH-01): 33878 USCOURTS package(s) have been listed in delta syncs but fell outside the 7-day archive window and were not fetched (global running count across all syncs, not limited to this date). --- ## 6. Agency Announcements Official press releases and statements the agencies themselves date on 2026-09-26 (sources listed in the source guide). These are the agencies' own announcements — official advocacy, quoted and attributed, not findings of this digest. Agency web content can be edited or removed without notice; captures and hashes are preserved per the provenance policy. #### FEMA Press Releases - **[FEMA Mobilizes to Support East Coast States in Response to Nor’easter](https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260926/fema-mobilizes-support-east-coast-states-response-noreaster)** — dated 2026-09-26 by the agency - Included because: AGENCYPR-SEL-01 — official agency release dated this day by the agency (all such releases from active sources are listed; titles only in the pilot) #### NASA News Releases - **[APOD: 2026 September 26 – Mirrored Meteor and Milky Way](https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-september-26-mirrored-meteor-and-milky-way/)** — dated 2026-09-26 by the agency - Included because: AGENCYPR-SEL-01 — official agency release dated this day by the agency (all such releases from active sources are listed; titles only in the pilot) #### VA News Releases - **[Planning ahead helps Veterans take control of future care](https://news.va.gov/149767/planning-ahead-helps-take-control-future-care/)** — dated 2026-09-26 by the agency - Included because: AGENCYPR-SEL-01 — official agency release dated this day by the agency (all such releases from active sources are listed; titles only in the pilot) - **[WWII Veteran’s major makeover and a ‘day of beauty’](https://news.va.gov/149819/wwii-veterans-major-makeover-day-beauty/)** — dated 2026-09-26 by the agency - Included because: AGENCYPR-SEL-01 — official agency release dated this day by the agency (all such releases from active sources are listed; titles only in the pilot) Also observed this day, not listed above: 9 release(s) the agencies date on other days (feed backfill from newly activated sources). Excluded under AGENCYPR-EX-01; counted in the Coverage Statement; captures preserved. --- ## 7. Recorded Votes Roll-call votes the chambers themselves record on 2026-09-26, in vote-number order. Every recorded vote in the window is listed: selection is by existence, not by importance, and no rule here prefers one question over another. Tallies and member positions come from the chamber's own published vote record, captured and hashed like every other source. This is the chambers' vote record itself; section 1.3 lists the Congressional Record granules in which votes were printed. No recorded votes dated this day were observed. --- ## 8. Bill Actions What the chambers did with individual measures on 2026-09-26, as the Library of Congress's own bill-status record states it. Every action in the ingestion window is listed, in bill-designation order: selection is by existence, not by importance, and no rule here prefers one measure over another. Section 2 lists the text of bills published this day; this section lists what happened to them. Publication lag: the record dates an action by the day the chamber took it and publishes it the following morning, so this section fills in after the day it describes has ended — the same lag the judicial section carries, and it is restated under Known gaps. No bill actions dated this day were observed. --- ## 9. Presidential Actions Source: the Executive Office of the President, as published on whitehouse.gov and observed 2026-09-26. These are the President's own instruments — executive orders, proclamations, memoranda — carried here as the White House published them, days before the Federal Register compiles them into section 3. Register (GUIDE §2): titles are the publisher's words and appear verbatim; any prose of ours about them is attributed, exactly as it is for agency releases. This section states what the White House published, never whether it was significant. No presidential actions dated this day were observed. The White House publishes on its own schedule; an action taken today may appear in a later digest, and one dated earlier is counted under PRESACT-EX-01 rather than listed as today's news. --- ## Terms Used Today - *concurrent resolution* — a measure passed by both chambers that does not go to the President and does not have the force of law - *engrossed* — the official text of a bill as passed by one chamber - *enrolled* — the final text of a bill passed by both chambers, sent to the President --- ## Coverage Statement *This section is mandatory and appears in every digest, including days with no publications. It accounts for every package observed on this digest day (GUIDE §3, observation-day filing); each package's own date may differ and is stated where it does. "Excluded" always names the mechanical rule; there are no unexplained omissions.* **Sync summary:** BILLS: completed 2026-09-27T04:00:56Z · CREC: completed 2026-09-27T04:00:56Z · FR: completed 2026-09-27T04:00:57Z · PLAW: completed 2026-09-27T04:14:36Z · USCOURTS: completed 2026-09-27T04:00:58Z; last watermarks as listed in the header. | Collection | Packages observed | Granules/documents | Summarized | Counted only | Excluded by rule | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | CREC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | BILLS | 64 | — | 3 | 61 | 0 | | FR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | USCOURTS | 580 | 1268 | 31 | 1237 | 0 | | PLAW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | AGENCYPR | 13 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 9 | | VOTES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | BILLACTIONS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | PRESACT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | **Exclusion rules applied today:** - USCOURTS-EX-01: district court opinions counted, not individually summarized — 1225 item(s) - USCOURTS-EX-02: bankruptcy court opinions counted, not individually summarized — 12 item(s) - AGENCYPR-EX-01: release dated outside this day by the agency (feed backfill / newly activated source) — counted, not listed — 9 item(s) **Source graphics:** 0 graphic(s) flagged across today's documents: 0 content graphic(s) (equations, forms, maps, annex pages) and 0 boilerplate (signatures/seals, excluded by rule FR-GPH-01). Of the content graphics, 0 were analyzed via vision pass (vision pass not yet implemented) and 0 embedded above; the remainder are viewable in the cited source PDFs. **Known gaps:** 6 package(s) were not fetched and are not covered above; courts post opinions with delay; opinions filed on this date may appear in later syncs. *Verification: any item above can be checked against its source in one click via its govinfo link. Totals in this table are reproducible from the stored extraction records for 2026-09-26.* --- ## Methodology Selection rules, summarization prompts, and thresholds are versioned in this repository and identified by the pipeline version in the header (fc91b07d). Editorial principles — primary sources only, opinion-agnostic prose, mechanical party-blind selection, full coverage accounting — are defined in [GUIDE.md](../GUIDE.md) §2. Ruleset in effect: prompt version 2; plain-language version 2. To reproduce this digest: re-run the report stage against the extracted records for 2026-09-26; no upstream re-fetch is required (GUIDE.md §5). *Inference (GUIDE §6 r15, standing): The pipeline finalizes every publication day with or without an inference provider. Model layers are additive. When no inference was available for a day, the digest states that fact in its own prose and nothing more; the cause is operational detail recorded in the day's provenance and operations report, not in the published digest. The Coverage Statement's arithmetic reconciles regardless. Items are listed with their citations whether or not they were summarized. A day finalized without model layers is frozen like any other day; prose is not backfilled into a frozen digest.* *Filing note (2026-08-06, standing): digests from 2026-08-06 file govinfo packages under their day of first observation — FAPD's three clocks are explained in the [FAQ](faq.html#fapds-three-clocks). The Federal Register files under its cover date, on which it is legally published. Digests before 2026-08-06 filed by each document's own date; the two Congressional Record issues observed 2026-08-04/05 (proceedings of 08-03/08-04) fell between the freeze and this change and appear in no digest — disclosed here, not backfilled.* *"In plain terms" lines are model-generated restatements of the stored summaries, derived only from the summary text shown beside them; items without one had no usable restatement. ALL-CAPS source headings are case-normalized for display; original casing is preserved at the source link. Term definitions above are static, repo-versioned prose.* License: this digest's compilation and prose are [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) (credit "FAPD — Free Agentic Publication Digester"); quoted official government text is public domain (17 U.S.C. § 105).