The State of Alaska sued over thirty chemical compound manufacturers Wednesday after it was discovered that the state’s groundwater was being contaminated by toxic chemicals. The 38-page complaint alleges that the defendant companies knowingly produced highly toxic chemicals known as PFAS (which include PFOS and PFOA) and released the compounds into the environment through their [...]

Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill into law Wednesday expanding voting rights for persons with felony convictions. HB 1078 automatically restores voting rights for people with felony convictions once completing a sentence of total confinement through the Washington Department of Corrections. Total confinement is limited to the physical area of a correctional facility and [...]

The Supreme Court Thursday upheld a Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) order making changes to media ownership rules. Overturning a Third Circuit ruling, the Court found that the agency met the necessary procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The FCC is the federal agency responsible for the regulation of radio, television, and other media [...]

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Caniglia v. Strom Wednesday, a case where the court is to decide if “community caretaking” is considered an exception to the Fourth Amendment’s general prohibition on warrantless searches and seizures. The case involves a dispute between a married couple and subsequent seizure of weapons from their home. [...]

Canada’s senate passed a bill on Wednesday that expands access to medically assisted dying for more Canadians with medical issues. The bill received royal assent a day later, thereby becoming law. The new legislation eliminates the requirement that a person’s death be “reasonably foreseeable” to obtain access. Now, those with serious medical issues may request [...]

An Egyptian court sentenced political activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Wednesday for “spreading false news,” concluding a case that raises significant questions about the status of free expression and human rights in Egypt. The sentencing stems from Seif’s detainment and arrest in June. Seif’s family claims Egyptian authorities forcibly abducted Seif while [...]

A UN expert urged the Security Council Wednesday to take action on allegations of human rights violations in North Korea. Tomas Ojea-Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur for North Korea, spoke at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, where he stated that such claims should be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [...]

The Supreme Court of Ghana Thursday affirmed the election victory of President Nana Akufo-Addo after his opponent brought a legal challenge to the final result. The court rejected the petition filed by National Democratic Congress candidate John Mahama, who previously served a term as president starting in 2012 but failed to secure his re-election in [...]

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 [...]