The US Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a 7-2 decision that information related to torture at CIA “black sites” is protected under the state secrets privilege, which allows the government to bar the release of information when it would endanger national security. Between December 2003 and September 2004, respondent Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn (Zubaydah), a [...]
The Utah Senate Thursday accepted House amendments to the Consumer Privacy Act, and the Senate President signed the bill into law. On February 25, the Utah Senate voted 28-0 to enact the Consumer Privacy Act. The bill moved back to the Senate after the State House of Representatives considered it and was slightly amended before [...]
A judge in Travis County, Texas, has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) from investigating the family of a transgender youth who filed a lawsuit earlier this week. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Texas and Lambda Legal filed the lawsuit Tuesday after Texas [...]
Two US lawmakers introduced Wednesday draft resolution S. Res. 531, calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) to investigate Russia and President Vladimir Putin for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The press conference to announce the draft resolution was held by US Senator Lindsey Graham and Congresswoman Victoria [...]
A coalition of US state attorneys general Wednesday announced a nationwide investigation into whether video-sharing social media platform TikTok’s design and promotion intensify physical and mental health harms for young users and violate consumer protection laws. In light of the anxiety, depression and social pressure faced by young people, a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general led [...]
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported Wednesday that 47 people across Canada were arrested, 186 charges were laid for online sexual exploitation, and a dozen children were brought to safety as part of a long-running international operation led by New Zealand’s Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). The operation is a coordination between [...]
The White House on Thursday announced damaging sanctions against some of Russia’s most prominent oligarchs, broadening its crackdown on the billionaires the White House accuses of enabling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “War of Choice,” according to a statement released Thursday. Among those subjected to full-blocking sanctions under the latest wave of sanctions is Alisher Usmanov, [...]
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) Tuesday announced that it would hold hearings on March 7 and 8 to determine whether to order “provisional measures” brought in a lawsuit by Ukraine against Russia. On February 26, Ukraine instituted proceedings against Russia before the ICJ. Ukraine alleged that Russia falsely claimed that acts of genocide occurred in the [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Council announced Wednesday the appointment of the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, to lead the investigation into abuses in Ethiopia. The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas, announced the appointment of three international experts to serve as the International Commission of Human Rights [...]
The United Nations Environment Assembly Wednesday approved a resolution to establish the first-ever global agreement on plastic pollution, along with a series of draft resolutions concerning biodiversity, health, the green economy, and circularity. Building off of prior resolutions aimed at tackling the “long-term elimination of plastic pollution,” the four-page resolution expresses the will of representatives from [...]
