Ahead of Elections, German Lawmakers Take Aim at Russia’s Fake News

Countering fake news in Europe: Elections in Germany take place September 24 and given Russian meddling in the US presidential elections last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to safeguard votes from the influence of the Kremlin. Earlier this year, researchers surveyed German citizens about the issue of fake news. The report showed that 59 percent of Germans said that they saw fake news on the internet and 61 percent said that they believe it poses a threat to democracy.

Concerned that her candidacy would be a target, Chancellor Merkel has initiated steps to limit foreign misinformation and her coalition government passed a new law, the Network Enforcement Act, in June that slams social media sites with penalties for publishing fake news. Sites like Facebook could be fined upwards of $50 million for not quickly removing "illegal content," which is Germany's catch all for "hate speech, pornography and propaganda." Critics see the government crackdown on social media as censorship while those in favor see the regulations as one of the few protections in the era of misinformation.

Legal back and forth: In 2016, civil rights groups sued the state of Ohio for a policy that activist argued violated in voters' rights. In Ohio, lawmakers can legally take people off the state's official voting list if they haven't voted or responded to a voter confirmation notice within six years. People who support the policy say that the state is performing its due diligence by making sure that residents haven't moved away or died. Critics say that this move targets low income communities and people of color who vote more infrequently.

Under President Obama the Justice Department (DOJ) sided with the critics, but now the new administration has thrown its weight behind the state and the DOJ has reversed its former position. Ohio lawmakers have appealed the case to the Supreme Court and the DOJ's support could sway the outcome. The court will decide the matter during the next term.

Bad gyal doing good: Rihanna is putting in work to address girls education abroad through her philanthropic organization, the Clara Lionel Foundation. Her team has partnered with Ofo, a bike-sharing program based in China, to help young girls in Malawi safely get to school. According to Refinery29, there are 4.6 million children who attend primary school in Malawi, but only 8 percent (roughly, 370,000) will complete secondary school.

Infrastructure and transportation challenges are one of the main reasons people drop out, especially young girls. In January, Rihanna teamed up with Global Citizen and the Global Partnership for Education to work on education initiatives in Malawi with the goal of raising money to improve access and quality of learning. The pop star's good works are just another example of some celebs using their fame to make the world a better place.

Protect trans kids: An 8-year-old transgender student from California and her family are taking legal action against her for-profit school for discrimination. Nikki Brar and her parents allege that Heritage Oaks Private Education school did nothing to accommodate Brar's transition and they say the school made her experience worse. The family claims that the school would not let Brar wear a girl's uniform, use the girls bathroom, or refer to her by her chosen name and preferred pronouns. California has a state law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, that protects individuals from gender-identity and gender-expression-based discrimination. The family is suing for $10,000 in both tuition and fees and asking school officials to change their policies on trans students.