The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a free speech challenge to the Biden administration’s encouragement of platforms to remove posts that officials deemed misinformation, including posts relating to elections and COVID-19. The lawsuit, filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana along with five individuals, raises critical questions about the intersection [...]
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US Supreme Court rejects appeal of county commissioner removed from office over January 6 conviction
The US Supreme Court declined to hear Monday the appeal of New Mexico County Commissioner Couy Griffin, who was removed from office after his participation in the events of January 6, 2021, at the US Capitol. Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump and former Otero County Commissioner, was convicted of disorderly conduct and entering [...]
Ecuador officials deceptively obtain genetic data from prisoners: El País
An exclusive El País report published on Saturday revealed that Ecuadorian officials are obtaining genetic information from prisoners through deception, in a bid to curb the rampant gang-related crimes in the country. According to the report, officials obtain the genetic information of prisoners by telling them that the information is being stored so that their [...]
The UN Human Rights Council released a report on Friday on the human rights situation in Belarus during and after the country’s presidential election in 2020. It concludes that the crime against humanity of persecution may have been committed in Belarus. The report, which is the advance unedited version, presents evidence on a wide range [...]
US Supreme Court rules public officials can be sued for blocking users on social media in some cases
The US Supreme Court ruled Friday that public officials can be sued for blocking users on social media if the official posts about state matters and is authorized to speak for the state. The court decided that blocking users only qualifies as “state action” under 42 U.S.C § 1983, which authorizes lawsuits against public officials [...]
Hong Kong Legislative Council waives notice requirement for second reading of local security bill
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council waived the 12-day prior notice requirement under the Notice of Motions and Amendments to resume the second reading of the new local national security bill upon Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang’s request in a letter to the Legislative Council’s House Committee on Friday. The Notice of Motions and Amendment authorizes [...]
The US Department of State imposed arms restrictions Thursday on the import or export of US-origin weapons and services from or to Nicaragua. In a statement to the press, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller cited “brutal repression” and “recent sham elections” as ongoing concerns for the Biden administration, vowing to continue to use “diplomatic and [...]
India Supreme Court to take up petitions challenging controversial citizenship laws
The Indian Supreme Court announced Friday it will take up a batch of petitions on Tuesday, which seek to challenge the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) and the recently introduced Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The CAA is an Indian law that fast-tracks citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. Also, the Indian government introduced [...]
Book ban attempts in US libraries and schools hit record high in 2023: national library group
The American Library Association (ALA) announced on Thursday that censorship demands and book ban attempts in public libraries and schools hit a record high in 2023. The ALA documented 1,247 demands to ban 4,240 different books. This is a 65 percent increase from 2022, when 2,571 books faced censorship demands. In 17 states, book ban [...]
Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]