The US Department of the Treasury Thursday announced new sanctions on Russia’s technology sector to “prevent it from evading unprecedented multilateral sanctions and procure critical western technology.” The Treasury also designated the Russian government as “malicious cyber actors” and imposed sanctions on three new sectors. The new technology sanctions identify 21 entities, including Russia’s largest [...]

The US Supreme Court Thursday ruled in a unanimous opinion that a member of an elected body does not have a viable First Amendment claim arising from verbal censure. The case Houston Community College System v. Wilson involved David Wilson, a former elected trustee of the Houston Community College System. Shortly after being elected to [...]

The Supreme Court of Canada Thursday rejected the federal government’s appeal to stop a class-action lawsuit against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This was the government’s second attempt to halt the proceeding of the case addressing systemic harassment, intimidation, and bullying in the RCMP. The lawsuit, seeking more than $1.1 billion in damages, alleges [...]

Following Russia’s official invasion of Ukraine Thursday, the UN and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on the parties involved to protect civilians and critical infrastructure in accordance with the international rules of war. ICRC President Peter Maurer asked the parties to do everything possible to avoid escalating a conflict that will most [...]

The Beijing Olympics figure skating team competition medal ceremony was delayed due to “legal issues,” according to International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson Mark Adams during a press conference Wednesday. The ceremony was planned to take place Tuesday but was postponed with no new date announced. On Thursday, Adams refused to comment on the matter, calling [...]

At a summit on public safety Thursday, President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland announced new efforts to fight violent crime at the local level. This is part of the administration’s comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to gun crime, announced in May 2021. Hours after Biden told every US Attorney’s Office in the [...]

In a letter to President Joe Biden Thursday, Justice Stephen Breyer formally informed of his decision to retire from the Supreme Court and noted that it would be effective at the end of the current term—late June or early July—assuming that his successor has been nominated and confirmed by that time. Biden later gave a [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Penguin Random House on Tuesday to block the publisher from acquiring Simon & Schuster, one of its closest competitors. Under the proposed acquisition, announced last year, the largest publisher in the US would purchase the fourth-largest publisher, creating the first megapublisher. Showing the Biden administration’s interest in regulating [...]

The Victorian government introduced a bill that would give pandemic management discretion to the state’s premier and health minister. The bill would give the premier nearly full authority to declare a pandemic, with no limits to the duration. The health minister would then have the power to announce any pandemic orders the minister believes are “reasonably [...]