Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


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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Rat complaints on the rise in Montreal as critics demand city take action

The rats took over James Klein’s backyard this spring. He’d never had a rat problem in the more than two decades he’s lived in Montreal’s Snowdon neighbourhood. But now, when he watches TV in his family room, he sees them out of the corner of his eye, scurrying around outside the glass door leading onto […]

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‘It’s about avoiding scrutiny’: Niagara residents deterred from filing complaints against Mayor Jim Diodati, Councillor Mike Strange

In April last year, Niagara Falls elected officials refused to consider a request from Councillor Lori Lococo to review the process for residents to file complaints against their municipal representatives, including the possibility of removing the $500 fee that has been widely criticized as shielding councillors from accountability.  It was admitted by elected officials at […]

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Fact Check: ‘I’m very much alive,’ says byelection candidate alleged to have died

An online conspiracy theory recently claimed that a candidate on the ballot in the federal byelection in Alberta’s Battle River-Crowfoot riding had died in February. The source for the claim was an obituary for an unrelated woman with the same name. The real candidate told The Canadian Press that Elections Canada verified her identity before […]

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US wants back millions in COVID relief from local governments over missing reports

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The U.S. Treasury is seeking to recoup COVID-19 pandemic relief funds from hundreds of local governments that received millions of dollars but never complied with requirements to report how they used the money. The federal government distributed $350 billion to state, local, territorial and tribal governments as part of the […]

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