The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday seeking to expand voting rights and curb government corruption. The “For the People Act” passed mostly along party lines with a vote of 220-210. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi was the lone Democrat who voted against the measure. The 791-page bill includes gerrymandering reform that requires [...]
A judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on Thursday struck down the CDC-issued moratorium on residential evictions, stating that the federal government does not have the authority to implement the ban. Judge John Campell Barker wrote the 21-page opinion, rejecting the argument that the CDC order is within the [...]
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation on Wednesday that increases fines for violations committed during political demonstrations. Protesters who disobey the new laws could be fined up to 4,000 rubles, an increase from the previous 1,000 rubles fine. Repeat offenders could pay up to 20,000 rubles for such conduct. The amendment comes as organizers continue [...]
The Australian Parliament on Thursday passed the “News Media Bargaining Code,” now requiring major technology companies subject to the law to share revenue with local Australia news organizations. Members of Parliament proposed the legislation last December to address new challenges that the local news industry faces with the rise of global technology companies. The law [...]
A Russian court convicted political activist Anastasia Shevchenko Thursday, finding that she had violated the country’s “undesirable organizations” law through her involvement with a pro-democracy group. Shevchenko was given a four-year suspended sentence. Prosecutors sought five years in prison. Officials first brought the case in January of 2019, when the government contended Shevchenko violated Article 284.1 [...]
US lawmakers on Thursday introduced a comprehensive immigration bill creating an eight-year pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals residing in the US. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) formally introduced the US Citizenship Act of 2021, which co-sponsored by 11 other Democratic lawmakers. Under the bill, the Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority [...]
A Council of Europe official sent a letter to the Russian government Thursday requesting information on allegations of improper policing during recent Alexei Navalny protests. Dunja Mijatovic, the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, wrote in the letter that her office has received “numerous reports of excessive use of force and violence [...]
House impeachment managers concluded their case Thursday, advocating for the conviction of former president Donald Trump in his second Senate trial. “The world is watching us and wondering whether our constitutional republic is going to respond the way it should,” impeachment manager Joaquin Castro emphasized as the Senate jurors consider convicting Trump of incitement of [...]
Microsoft President Brad Smith expressed the company’s support Wednesday for the Australian House of Representatives’ proposal requiring various technology companies to share revenue with Australian news organizations. The legislation proposed last December in Parliament seeks to remunerate Australian news organizations that publish original content spread on digital platforms like Google and Facebook. Proponents of the [...]
Technology company Smartmatic filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News Thursday for broadcasting false claims about the 2020 presidential election. The 276-page complaint alleges that Fox News, following the lead of pro-Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, “joined the conspiracy to defame and disparage Smartmatic and its election technology and software.” The lawsuit [...]
