Domestic Politics
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a scathing dissent against the Supreme Court on Friday night, accusing it of being too willing to grant favours to the Trump administration and stating that the Court’s “troubling” behaviour has benefited "one litigant over all others". Her dissent was in response to the “public charge” rule that was passed last month, which makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use public benefits like food stamps and housing vouchers. [CNN]
Bernie Sanders won Saturday’s Nevada caucuses, cementing his status as a frontrunner in the 2020 election. Joe Biden came in second, with 19% of the vote, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg came in third, with 16%. [Al Jazeera]
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has called on Wet’suwet’en First Nations protesters, who are opposing a C$6.6bn (US$4.98bn) natural gas pipeline in British Columbia, to lift the blockade on railways across the country. Trudeau’s comments come just days after he pledged in parliament to continue dialogue with the activists. [The Guardian]
A national campaign in Canada has raised $3.29 million to help families of victims of the Ukrainian plane crash in January. Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Paramount Fine Foods and who launched the Canada Strong Campaign, said that they raised $1.79 million over five weeks, and the federal government matched donations up to a maximum of $1.5 million. [CBC News]
International Affairs
The 7-day “reduction of violence” between the United States and Taliban began on Friday, a crucial prerequisite to reach a deal aimed at ending nearly two decades of conflict. US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that if the temporary truce holds, he would sign a peace accord on Saturday, which would fulfil one of Trump’s chief campaign promises. [The Guardian]
US President Donald Trump has landed in India for a 2-day state visit and is set to address huge crowds at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad for the “Namaste Trump” event. Trump also plans to tour the Taj Mahal, before wrapping up his trip in New Delhi, where he and PM Modi are expected to deliver a joint statement on Tuesday. [The Hindu]
Society
The New York Times has come under fire for letting Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior Taliban official, publish a column in the Opinion section on Thursday. While many have severely criticized the decision, NYT defended its actions, stating that the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Taliban make “his perspective relevant at this particular moment." [CNN]
Environment
The Washington state Senate passed a bill last week that would ban new permits for water bottling operations, calling the process “detrimental to public welfare.” The move was hailed by water campaigners, who declared it a breakthrough moment in the fight against the privatization of such a valuable public asset. [The Guardian]
Researchers have found that the flow of the Colorado River is shrinking due to increased periods of drought and rising temperatures, and could risk severe water shortages for the millions of people that depend on the 1,450-mile waterway. [The Guardian]
Image Source: The Times of Israel