The US State Department on Friday released its annual report on the current human rights situation across the world. This report has been published annually since the mid-1970s and has usually been accompanied by a press conference, though current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chose to write a short foreword to the report in lieu [...]

In response to the mass execution of 15 people in Jordan on Saturday, several human rights groups, including Amnesty International (AI) , condemned the hanging as being secretive and conducted “without transparency. This mass execution was largest ever in one day in Jordan’s history. Samah Hadid, deputy director of AI’s regional office in Beirut, called [...]

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday rebuffed calls for international judges to participate in the country’s war crimes tribunals. The president, who has been suspicious of war crimes allegations raised by the Tamil Tigers , has stated that any war crimes tribunal will be an internal process to bring peace to the country. He [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz called Friday for the US to adopt a consistent approach to indigenous land rights in pipeline projects. The Special Rapporteur was concerned about how indigenous peoples were not fully consulted on the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL), leaving them with disruptions to their land. She [...]

The Utah House of Representatives passed an alcohol reform bill on Friday aimed at removing what is referred to as the “Zion Curtain,” a 7-foot-tall barrier, shielding children from watching drinks being mixed in restaurants. The bill, HB442 , which was passed by the House by a 58-10 vote and awaiting Utah Senate approval, aims [...]

Facebook settled a class-action lawsuit levied against it on Wednesday for its prior practice of scanning private messages to aid in ads. A motion was filed on Wednesday, subject to court approval, for declaratory and injunctive relief, though it does not discuss specific monetary awards. In pertinent part, the motion states “he settlement achieves significant [...]

The Kentucky House of Representatives on Friday voted 56-39 in favor of allowing charter schools in the state for the first time. House Bill 520, supported by Governor Matt Bevin and amended by Representative Phil Moffett , allows local school boards and the mayors of Lexington and Louisville to approve charter schools. The bill was [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Friday ruled in favor of the Secretary of the Interior in its efforts to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. Once nearly extinct, the gray wolf population has made a recovery such that it no longer meets the requirement to be [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Friday affirmed the dismissal of a case filed by the Board of Commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority against 97 defendants involved in the exploration and production of oil reserves, alleging their activities increased the risk of flooding in the region. The board [...]

The Minnesota House approved a bill on Thursday to prevent cities from implementing their own labor laws. HF 600 would ultimately prohibit local governments from regulating minimum wage, paid and unpaid leave, advance notice of work schedules, benefits, or other working conditions. The legislation, approved by a vote of 76-53, would apply retroactively, effectively repealing [...]