Transnational Bodies

U.S. Supreme Court to take up Biden Vaccine Mandate Cases

December 29, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up disputes over the Biden administration's nationwide vaccine-or-testing COVID-19 mandate for large businesses and a separate vaccine requirement for healthcare workers and will hear arguments on January 7th, 2022.
India bars Mother Theresa’s Charity from Foreign Funding

December 29, 2021

Missionaries of Charity, the Catholic religious order and philanthropic organization started by Mother Teresa, was barred on Christmas day by the Indian government from accessing foreign donations for not meeting eligibility conditions under local laws.
Russia is Shutting Down its Oldest Human Rights Group

December 29, 2021

Russia’s oldest human rights group, Memorial International, whose objectives have included promoting the development of civil society and a democratic state, has been shut down by the country’s Supreme Court.
Airline CEOs: Planes are Safe Without Masking Passengers

December 21, 2021

CEOs from Southwest and Americans Airlines testified on Capitol Hill this week amidst mask mandate extensions from the Biden administration on air travel, that masking while on airplanes does not mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and that planes are safe without passengers wearing masks.
Turkey-Russia Relationship Creates Challenges Inside NATO

December 21, 2021

According to a report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the expanding and deepening of Turkey-Russia relations is a disruptor for NATO capabilities and cohesion, with both Ankara and Moscow instrumentalizing the bilateral relationship for their respective geopolitical goals of promoting Islamism and undermining Western values within the Transatlantic Alliance.
LA Times: How Governments Used the Pandemic to Normalize Surveillance

December 15, 2021

During the Covid pandemic, surveillance has become normalized in the attempt to halt infection rates but as the world learns to live with the virus, the technology is increasingly being used by governments around the world to advance surveillance of citizens as well as the creation of smart cities.
Beijing Winter Olympics: U.S. Announces Diplomatic Boycott

December 08, 2021

The U.S. has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to China’s poor human rights record, and will not send any official representation to Beijing, however, U.S. athletes will still participate in the games.
Reuters: U.S. Officials' Phones Hacked by NSO Group Spyware

December 08, 2021

Reuters reports that NSO Group spyware was used to hack into at least nine U.S. state department officials’ iPhones just weeks after the Biden administration placed NSO on a US blacklist due actions contrary to U.S. national security interests.
Biden’s Government Vaccine Mandate Takes a Hit

November 30, 2021

A Judge of the Eastern District of Missouri issued an injunction halting President Joe Biden's Covid-19 vaccine mandate for Medicare and Medicaid workers in ten states, citing « Congress did not grant CMS authority to mandate the vaccine ».
Berkowitz: Continuing the Work of the Commisson on Unalienable Rights

November 23, 2021

Peter Berkowitz, who served as executive secretary for the 2020 report of the Commission on Unalienable Rights which provides advice on human rights grounded in the nation’s founding principles and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), discusses recent efforts to continue the work of the commission including an International conference hosted by Venice Commission member and professor Paolo Carozza at Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies.