The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of the Treasury (Treasury) Thursday jointly announced new guidelines intended to clarify protections for birth control coverage from both businesses and health insurance providers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The guidance clearly states that despite recent changes in US [...]

“Sticks dipped in oil, wire, knitting needles, coat hangers, ball point pens” This is not your ordinary grocery list but the list of items used to induce abortion in a country that has criminalized abortion. People specifically from marginalized communities resorted to consumption of turpentine, bleach and detergent solutions and used the above listed objects [...]

The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution declaring that access to a clean, healthy environment is a universal human right. The move was lauded by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a historic decision that evidenced the commitment of UN member states to fighting climate change and fostering a more sustainable environmental future. “The [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Wednesday reinstated a New York law that limits protest near courthouses. The reinstated law, New York Penal Law § 215.50 (7), prohibits people from engaging in conduct “concerning the conduct of a trial being held” within 200 feet of a courthouse. Should someone be found in violation [...]

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Wednesday approved two bills that would expand the safety and privacy accorded to children and teenagers on commercial electronic platforms.  The move is seen as a response to concerns over algorithms used by social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. The first bill, the [...]

The UN Human Rights Committee Wednesday called for Hong Kong authorities to take urgent steps to repeal the Beijing-decreed national security law amid concerns of the legislation threatening civil rights. Within the report, the Committee expressed deep concern about “the overly broad interpretation” of the law, which it reports has led to the “arrests of [...]

Former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao were sentenced Wednesday for violating George Floyd’s civil rights by not intervening when former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck, killing Floyd. The court sentenced Kueng to three years in prison and Thao to three-and-a-half years. The fourth officer, Thomas Lane, was sentenced to [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that Trident Mortgage Company agreed to pay over $22 million to settle federal charges that its lending practices intentionally discriminated against minorities in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Trident is one of the largest realtor-affiliated mortgage lenders in the US and is a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. [...]

Opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Tuesday announced a $4.35 billion settlement with state and local governments to resolve lawsuits concerning Teva’s role in fueling the US opioid epidemic. The settlement is not yet finalized. Teva is an Israeli multinational pharmaceutical company which manufactures prescription medication including opioids. In recent years, US states, cities, counties and [...]

The US District Court for the District of Columbia Tuesday sentenced Mark Ponder to 63 months in prison for assaulting three police officers during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Ponder is the second Capitol riot defendant to be sentenced to 63 months, the longest prison term handed down thus far. According to court [...]