In April 2020, Amazon released a comedy series called “Upload.” The show extrapolates a future in which technological advances have led to the successful simulation of human consciousness in silico. This technology is used by companies to “upload” dying individuals into digital worlds where they can “live” in perpetuity. When uploaded, human consciousness is converted [...]

Judge Brian Amero of Fulton County, Georgia, granted the request of an independent group of election watchers “to inspect and scan the November 3, 2020, general election absentee ballots that are sealed.” The group, called VOTER GA, is led by Garland Favorito and describes themselves as an “anti-fraud” group. Though the recounting of the ballots [...]

The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine adopted amendments regarding international crime and humanitarian laws on Thursday. The new law, Bill 2689, will help provide legal accountability for war crimes committed in the occupied territory of Crimea. The bill passed with 248 members out of 363 voting in favor of adoption. The bill amended provisions of [...]

Judge James Boasberg of the US District Court for the District of Columbia denied a request Friday for an injunction to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline, ordering the parties to file a joint status report on how to proceed. Judge Boasberg said that the plaintiff, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, failed to show that [...]

The European Parliament adopted a resolution Thursday disapproving the sanctions imposed by China on EU entities and personnel. The sanctions imposed by China are considered a retaliation to the restrictive measures imposed by the EU on four Chinese officials and one entity. The EU imposed the restrictive measures on account of the role of the officials and [...]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously voted on Thursday to approve a plan that decreases interstate and international prison and jail phone call rates, making phone calls more affordable. The plan lowers the rate of interstate and international prison and jail phone calls by at least one-third. Prison phone calls cannot exceed 12 cents per [...]

The German parliament Thursday voted in favor of the rehabilitation and compensation of soldiers who have faced discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation. Until the year 2000, German military policy held that gay soldiers posed a threat to discipline and were not eligible to be superior officers. For many years gay soldiers were denied [...]

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) filed a lawsuit against Russia Wednesday in the European Court of Human Rights, challenging Russia’s designation of RFE/RL as a “foreign agent.” RFE/RL is an independent media company funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress. In 2012 Russia passed a law requiring groups to register as foreign agents if they [...]

Members of the European Parliament adopted a proposal Wednesday to crack down on illegal broadcasting of live sporting events. This proposal includes the ability to block illegal broadcasts within half an hour. Live sports broadcasting provides a significant revenue source for event organizers. However, the illegal streaming of live sports has become a growing issue [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a decision Wednesday that dismissed a proposed investor class action against Uber. A three-judge panel said that the lawsuit failed to connect a series of scandals that Uber faced in 2017 to a decrease in the company’s valuation. In 2016, Irving Firemen’s Relief & Retirement Fund [...]