BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Trump administration will screen for antisemitic activity in granting immigration benefits
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ‘s administration will immediately start considering “antisemitic activity” on social media and physical harassment of Jewish people as grounds for denying immigration benefits, according to a federal agency announcement on Wednesday. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin screening the social media activity of immigrants that request benefits,…
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Texas AG Ken Paxton launches Senate primary challenge against Republican Sen. John Cornyn
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running for the U.S. Senate in a primary challenge against Republican Sen. John Cornyn, setting up what is likely to become one of the GOP’s most contentious and expensive contests of 2026. Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump, made the announcement Tuesday after…
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Leaders take their campaigns to Western Canada as federal election nears midpoint
The leaders of the top three federal parties were campaigning Tuesday in Western Canada, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to crack down on offshore tax loopholes by appointing a tax task force. The Conservatives said the task force would make the rules more fair and simple and ensure large companies can’t “stash their money…
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Ontario tells court of ‘unwarranted incursion’ into cabinet in mandate letters case
OTTAWA — The Ontario government is telling the country’s top court the disclosure of ministerial mandate letters would reveal the substance of deliberations of the premier and his cabinet — breaching a key tenet of Westminster-style government. In a written brief filed with the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario attorney general says cabinet confidentiality,…
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Liberal minister promises plan on Access to Information as MPs highlight woes
OTTAWA — Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says she hopes to share a plan in coming months for improving the key federal transparency law and how it is managed. Fortier told a House of Commons committee Tuesday she expects the plan for making the Access to Information Act more effective will come before the end…
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Ministerial mandate letter fight about accountable government, CBC lawyer tells court
OTTAWA — The CBC’s fight to see mandate letters for Ontario cabinet ministers goes to “the very core” of what freedom-of-information regimes are designed to foster, a lawyer for the public broadcaster told the country’s top court Tuesday. These elements are an informed public, accountable government and, ultimately, the democratic process, Justin Safayeni argued in…
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Joshua Wong sentenced in another Hong Kong activism case
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced Monday to three months in prison for breaching court bans on disclosing personal information about a police officer who injured a protester during 2019 anti-government protests. Wong rose to prominence in 2014 pro-democracy protests in the Chinese territory and was in custody after he…
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Judge seals Alec Baldwin settlement terms in fatal shooting
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The judge hearing the wrongful death lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin and an array of producers and crew linked to a fatal film set shooting agreed Monday to seal from public view the terms of a proposed settlement agreement in the case that benefits the son of slain cinematographer Halyna…
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Federal Court sides with Facebook in privacy case tied to Cambridge Analytica affair
OTTAWA — A judge has dismissed the federal privacy watchdog’s bid for a declaration that Facebook broke the law governing the use of personal information in a case flowing from the Cambridge Analytica affair. In his ruling, Justice Michael Manson said the privacy commissioner had not shown that the social media giant, now known as…
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Here’s what happens to federal services if public servants strike on Wednesday
OTTAWA — The union representing over 155,000 public servants says if a deal isn’t reached with the federal government by 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, it will launch a strike this Wednesday. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says that negotiations have not progressed enough in recent days to call off a strike and its…
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NDP, Bloc accuse Poilievre of threatening French, Quebec culture with stance on CBC
OTTAWA — Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Pierre Poilievre’s criticisms of the CBC amount to an attack on Canadian culture by the Conservative leader — and Quebec and francophone culture, in particular. Singh addressed the issue, speaking in French, after Twitter added a label to CBC’s main account on Sunday indicating the broadcaster was…