Transnational Bodies

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.
Eisenberg: The Living Constitution’s Illimitable Government

November 23, 2021

Writing for Lawandliberty.org, David A. Eisenberg examines the dangers of a living constitution.
NATO warns Russia over Ukraine Military Build-Up

November 17, 2021

As Russia builds up troops on Ukraine’s borders, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Russia that the western military alliance is standing by Ukraine.
U.S. Appeals Court Affirms Hold on Biden COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

November 15, 2021

Rejecting a challenge by the Biden administration, a U.S. appeals court upheld its decision to put on hold President Biden’s mandate for companies with 100 workers or more to require COVID-19 vaccines.
Politico: The Parental Revolution Is Bigger Than Critical Race Theory

November 12, 2021

Michael Kruse highlights in Politico the new Parental Revolution taking place across the country following school closings during the Covid pandemic.