US District Judge William Conley ordered Thursday that the Wisconsin primary must still be held on April 7 but added notable adjustments. Conley heard three consolidated cases that were each filed in response to the growing concerns over COVID-19 and holding elections. The complaints brought a number of statutory requirements and election-related concerns to the court [...]
The US Food and Drug Administration issued updated guidance on Thursday, amending restrictions so that certain blood donor groups are now subject to a three month waiting period instead of a 12 month deferral. This guidance was issued in an attempt to address the blood supply shortage that has emerged due to the coronavirus pandemic. [...]
The US House Oversight Committee asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Wednesday to ban the distribution of e-cigarettes due to the potential impact on the spread of COVID-19. The letter was signed by Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. The House Committee had previously contacted the FDA in the summer of [...]
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced Tuesday that they will release up to 3,5000 prisoners as well as take other measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 among the inmate population and the staff. One of the immediate changes is to, “expedite the transition to parole for eligible inmates who have 60 [...]
A class action suit was filed on Monday in the Northern District of California against Zoom Video Communications, Inc., claiming Zoom illegally collected and shared its users’ information with third parties. The complaint includes allegations under the California Consumer Privacy Act, California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, California Unfair Competition Law, and Art. 1, § 1 [...]
The Bureau of Federal Prisons issued an order Wednesday directing prisons to keep inmates confined in cells for a 14-day period. The directive will impact operations in all 122 federal prison facilities around the country. Bureau Director Michael Carvajal made the decision in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The large number of inmates and guards [...]
Federal judges on Monday temporarily blocked Texas, Alabama and Ohio from enforcing COVID-19 abortion bans for the duration of the lawsuits. On March 22, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order that: applies throughout the State and to all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary, including routine dermatological, ophthalmological, and dental [...]
The National Election Board of Ethiopia announced Tuesday that it would postpone Ethiopia’s upcoming general election amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The board had planned to conduct the election in August. The planned elections marked a transition towards democratic stability in Ethiopia. Ethiopia experienced a period of ethnic tension and unrest throughout 2016 and 2017. The [...]
Thirteen detainees of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency won a temporary restraining order from a Pennsylvania federal court Tuesday after complaining of the poor conditions in the facilities where they were held and their risk of contracting COVID-19. Judge John E. Jones III described the unique and fraught circumstances of the response [...]
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, issued a statement on Tuesday in response to recent measures Hungary has taken to further consolidate power in the hands of its prime minister, Viktor Orbán. While not calling out Hungary by name, the statement from the EU leader condemns exploiting emergency situations to undermine democratic [...]
