Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Judge suspends Trump administration’s plan to eliminate hundreds of Voice of America jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed Monday to temporarily suspend the Trump administration’s plan to eliminate hundreds of jobs at the agency that oversees Voice of America, the government-funded broadcaster founded to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington, D.C., ruled that the U.S. Agency for Global […]

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Public money, unanswered questions: inside Mayor Mat Siscoe’s expense accounts

When St. Catharines residents pay their municipal taxes, they expect those dollars to finance services, infrastructure and council supported programs that are deemed to be in the interest of the community. What they do not expect is for those funds to be spent in ways that are difficult to trace or buried in broad budget […]

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Health Canada’s struggles with procurement an ‘old story’ for Indigenous leaders

Internal federal documents reveal that Health Canada is seeking exemptions from the federal government’s mandatory 5 per cent Indigenous procurement target, citing Indigenous capacity gap in scientific and mental health services.  Since 2021, federal departments have been obligated to award at least 5 per cent of their annual contracts to Indigenous businesses to support economic […]

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Return of Winnipeg’s reduced-speed school zones and fines brings calls for changes from drivers

On a bright and clear September morning, drivers squint when they enter the most-ticketed school zone in Winnipeg. The 30 km/h sign on Talbot Avenue that warns oncoming traffic about a reduced speed limit behind River Elm School is harshly backlit, making it difficult to see. “I see people get ticketed all the time,” said […]

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Greenspan, Bernanke and Yellen urge Supreme Court to let Lisa Cook keep her job as a Fed governor

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen and other former top economic officials appointed by presidents of both parties urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to preserve the Federal Reserve’s political independence and allow Lisa Cook to remain as a central bank governor for now. The justices are weighing an emergency appeal from […]

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US Justice Department official ordered to drop inquiry into Sandy Hook lawsuit against Alex Jones

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has ordered a senior U.S. Justice Department official to drop an inquiry into a retired FBI agent’s involvement in a defamation lawsuit involving Alex Jones’ conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Ed Martin Jr., who leads the Justice Department’s […]

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Summer program trains young people to tackle water crises

On a summer morning beside a flowing stream on Christian Island in southern Georgian Bay, Ontario, high school students bend low to scoop water and peer into its depths.  Equipped with scientific tools and curiosity, their tasks are prosaic: they test the water’s quality, search for aquatic insects and map their local watershed. But their […]

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Immigration agent who shot man in Chicago-area traffic stop says injuries were ‘nothing major’

CHICAGO (AP) — Police body camera footage released Tuesday shows a federal immigration agent who fatally shot a Mexican immigrant describing his own injuries during a vehicle pursuit as “nothing major,” a contrast from the Trump administration’s characterization of events in suburban Chicago earlier this month. The Department of Homeland Security has said the officer […]

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Lax gun laws in Brazil and US help arm Brazil’s organized crime, study finds

SAO PAULO (AP) — Gunmen in a car opened fire last November at Sao Paulo’s airport and killed a cryptocurrency entrepreneur in a daytime hit that was one of Brazil’s most shocking recent crimes. Police at the scene recovered three semiautomatic rifles that are restricted for civilian use. The case highlighted a growing trend: Restricted-use, […]

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Billions in federal buildings, roads and other assets at risk from climate change

Canada’s auditor general wants to know whether the federal government is doing a good job protecting its assets — including dams, buildings, vehicles and more — from the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. The Department of National Defence received a notification letter — obtained by Canada’s National Observer through an access to information request […]

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A jury will look at whether Amazon tricked customers into joining Prime — and made it hard to leave

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal trial beginning in Amazon’s hometown this week is set to examine whether the online retailing giant tricked customers into signing up for its Prime service and made it difficult to cancel after they did so. The Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon in U.S. District Court in Seattle two years ago […]

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Supreme Court will weigh expanding Trump’s power to shape agencies by overturning 90-year-old ruling

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider expanding President Donald Trump’s power to shape independent agencies by overturning a nearly century-old decision limiting when presidents can fire board members. In a 6-3 decision, the high court also allowed the Republican president to carry out the firing of Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic […]

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