Afternoon Briefs: Dentons merges with another firm; dad can’t be banned from procreating, court rules

He's one of the few U.S. government officials that President Donald Trump can't fire on a whim. And that independence might help explain why Richard Cordray, 58, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, has been so aggressive — and successful — in cracking down on illegal debt-collection practices, improper mortgage-foreclosure tactics and…