Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Trump administration calls out human rights records of some nations accepting deported migrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Tuesday released human rights reports for countries worldwide, which eliminate mentions of discrimination faced by LGBTQ people, reduce a previous focus on reproductive rights and criticize restrictions on political speech by U.S. allies in Europe that American officials believe target right-wing politicians. The reports, which cover 2024 before […]

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All Revved Up – Newly elected Grand Chief Paul John Murdoch hits the ground running

Paul John Murdoch was declared the new Grand Chief of the Cree Nation July 17, after receiving 51.5% of the 4,447 votes cast across Eeyou Istchee in Grand Council elections. It was a decisive victory over incumbent Norman A. Wapachee (39%) and John Kitchen (9%).  With none of the four candidates for Deputy Grand Chief […]

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In Indigenous communities, MAiD is a fraught conversation

During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, James Frank Palmater faced relentless, crushing pain. A massive heart attack had reduced his heart function to only 15 per cent. The isolation of social distancing in his palliative care ward deepened his suffering. Two and a half weeks after the infarction, he sought Medical Assistance in […]

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Jewish education group warns that identity politics are fuelling antisemitism in Ontario schools

A national advocacy group for Jewish educators and families has, after a 21-month-long investigation, concluded that antisemitism is being “tolerated by our schools and even seeded by our schools” and is urging the Ontario government to overhaul the education system. Released Aug. 11, the End the Crisis in Education: A Plan for Equal Rights and […]

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New lawsuit on Epstein case seeks records of Trump administration communications

WASHINGTON (AP) — A legal organization challenging President Donald Trump’s administration on multiple fronts filed a new lawsuit on Friday seeking the release of records detailing the handling of the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The group Democracy Forward sued the Justice Department and the FBI for senior administration officials’ communication about Epstein documents […]

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Students have been called to the office – and even arrested – for AI surveillance false alarms

Lesley Mathis knows what her daughter said was wrong. But she never expected the 13-year-old girl would get arrested for it. The teenage girl made an offensive joke while chatting online with her classmates, triggering the school’s surveillance software. Before the morning was even over, the Tennessee eighth grader was under arrest. She was interrogated, […]

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Open net salmon farm exodus expected in BC, documents reveal

Internal documents reveal Ottawa is bracing for major industry players to walk as it phases out open-net pens, leaving closed containment ventures scrambling for salmon eggs. The federal government is preparing for the possible exit of international salmon farm operations on the BC coast following the government’s promise last summer to phase out open-net pen […]

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Ontario’s proposed updates to municipal code of conduct rules flawed, critics say

As the Ontario legislature considers a bill that would give municipal councils the power to remove misbehaving and unethical members, some critics say the proposed legislation has serious flaws that must be addressed to ensure accountability. The Progressive Conservative government’s bill seeks to standardize municipal codes of conduct and give councils the power to vote […]

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Afghanistan’s Taliban have ‘weaponized’ the judicial system to oppress women, UN expert says

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have “weaponized” the legal and judicial system to oppress women and girls in what amounts to “crimes against humanity,” the independent U.N. investigator on human rights in the country said. Richard Bennett said in a report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Wednesday that after seizing power in […]

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Social media goes mainstream for political messaging — warts and all

Editor’s Note: Following is the second in a series of stories on social media roles, effects and strategies in politics and public life, especially at the provincial level in Alberta. Albertans who vibe with Janis Irwin see her regularly on mainstream TV, the perfect place to learn all about her everyday life, her thoughts on […]

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Ford envisions three-level tunnel under Highway 401, feasibility study not started

Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed more details Wednesday about his planned tunnel under Highway 401, even as a feasibility study he’s commissioning has yet to get underway. Speaking at an unrelated transit announcement in Thornhill, Ont., north of Toronto, Ford said his plan is to have a 19.5-metre-wide, three-level tunnel, with one level going eastbound, […]

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Fisheries Department offered support to firm behind doomed Titan submersible

Two years before the Titan submersible imploded south of Newfoundland, killing five people, Canada’s Fisheries Department sent a letter of support to the sub’s American owner, the U.S. Coast Guard says in a report released Tuesday. The 300-page investigation report says the sinking was preventable. It says the company responsible for organizing the trip, OceanGate, […]

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