The Canadian province of Alberta’s legislature Thursday passed Premier Danielle Smith’s Sovereignty Act, empowering the provincial government to dismiss federal law, programs, and policies. The Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act allows for the provincial government of Alberta to, ​if the cabinet considers a federal law “unconstitutional or harmful to Albertans,” be empowered by [...]

A Texas state court Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed against a physician who violated Texas’s state law that bans abortions after six weeks. A lawsuit was filed against Dr. Alan Braid claiming he violated the Texas state law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The six-week abortion ban took effect in September of last year. [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Friday issued a permanent injunction against the enforcement of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would require medical providers to provide gender-affirming medical services to transgender individuals. Two groups of Catholic employers and health care providers, the Religious Sisters of Mercy and the [...]

The US House of Representatives Thursday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which sets appropriations for the defense budget for fiscal year 2023. In total, the 3,854-page NDAA authorizes $857.9 billion in expenditures. Controversially, the bill would lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the armed services. The Biden administration implemented the mandate [...]

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) Thursday filed a class action lawsuit to challenge Section 510(3) of the New York Judiciary Law, which disqualifies people convicted of felonies from serving on juries, no matter the nature of the offense or how long ago the convictions occurred. The civil rights action challenges what the NYCLU [...]

Iran authorities Thursday executed 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari for protesting the death of Mahsa Amini, according to state-affiliated source Tasnim News Agency. Shekari is the first protester to be executed since Iranians nationwide began protesting Amini’s death in police custody. Amini was arrested on September 14 for wearing her hijab improperly, taken to the hospital in [...]

The National Health Commission (NHC) of China Wednesday announced eased COVID-19 regulations. The NHC’s new, more relaxed regulations are the first nationwide change regarding the virus, and a step away from their previous zero-COVID policy. A ten-point directive been released by the NHC, setting out the new rules. Those with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic or [...]

The US House of Representatives Thursday issued final approval to the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to federally recognize same-sex marriages, in a vote of 258 to 169. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for approval. The Respect for Marriage Act formally repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 bill which [...]

US President Joe Biden announced early Thursday morning that detained WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russian detention as part of a prisoner exchange. Griner was imprisoned for 10 months following her arrest in Russia on drug trafficking charges. Despite multiple attempts by White House officials to negotiate Griner’s release, she was transferred to [...]

The German Office of the Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) Wednesday arrested 25 suspected members and supporters of an unnamed terrorist organisation who allegedly planned to “overcome the existing state order in Germany” through violence and replace it with their own form of government. The Federal Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for 24 German nationals and [...]