North America

Trusted news agencies tracing tendencies of democratisation and autocratisation globally

Clean elections23. April

Court in US state of Virginia blocks voter-approved redistricting plan

Direct popular vote22. April

Virginia approves major redistricting measure ahead of US midterms

Regional government14. April

Lawmaker's resignation shakes up a chaotic California governor's race

Clean elections14. April

Canadian PM Carney secures majority government with by-election wins

Mark Carney won last year’s general election in Canada by a clear margin, yet until now he had been governing the country with only a minority government. That has now changed, following three by-elections which have restored the House of Commons to full strength.

DNA

Equal protection14. April

Trump allows LGBTQ pride flag to fly again at Stonewall monument

The US government under Donald Trump has already rolled back a number of measures regarding LGBTQ+ rights. New York City is one of the cities where there has been particularly fierce resistance to these changes. Activists there have now achieved a victory.

AFP English

Clean elections13. April

Election loss for Orbán has ripple effects for Trump, US conservatives

The election in Hungary at the weekend was regarded as one of the most important in the world this year. The mid-term elections in the US in November will be at least as important. Across the Atlantic, the election result in Budapest is attracting a great deal of attention.

DNA

Judicial constraints on the executive02. April

US Supreme Court hears case on Trump's birthright citizenship limits

Anyone born in the USA is granted US citizenship, but the Trump administration wishes to introduce exceptions to this principle. The dispute over this issue has now reached the US Supreme Court, where Trump became the first sitting US president ever to attend a hearing in person.

DNA

Judicial constraints on the executive01. April

Judge orders suspension of work on Trump's White House ballroom

A US federal judge has ordered a halt to work on President Trump's new White House Building. Trump did not have the necessary authority, which lay with Congress, the judge said. The administration said it would appeal.

DNA

Clean elections01. April

Democrats up in arms at Trump order tightening US election rules

An executive order on drawing up voters' lists and restricting mail-in ballots signed by President Trump has drawn widespread condemnation across the US. "See you in court," California governor and likely Democratic presidential candidate Gavin Newsom posted.

DNA

Freedom of expression and alternative sources of information26. March

US jury: Meta and YouTube did not warn about addiction risks

A US jury has ruled that internet giants Meta and Google were negligent regarding the addictive nature of their services. The case takes in Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp. Snapchat and TikTok settled before the trial, which is predicted to have wide knock-on effects.

DNA

Judicial constraints on the executive24. March

US Supreme Court hears mail-in ballot case that could impact midterms

The midterms in the US are one of the most closely watched elections of the year. A forthcoming ruling by the US Supreme Court could throw a last-minute spanner in the works if it overturns state laws about mail-in votes that arrive after election day.

DNA

Freedom of expression and alternative sources of information24. March

Pentagon restricts press as US court rules policy is unconstitutional

The US Defense Department has sought to restrict the activities of the press working in the Pentagon for months. A federal judge has now ruled their access policy to be unconstitutional. The Pentagon’s response? Moving the press outside of the building.

DNA

Freedom of expression and alternative sources of information16. March

Trump targets media over Iran war reporting

US President Donald Trump has accused major news organisations of misleading the public about the country's war against Iran.

DNA

Legislative constraints on the executive05. March

US committee subpoenas Attorney General over handling of Epstein files

The handling of millions of documents in the Epstein files by the US Department of Justice has been the subject of criticism for months now. Attorney General Pam Bondi has now been subpoenaed over it, a sign of continued frustration and a call to transparency.

DNA

Clean elections04. March

First Primaries for the US Midterms – Texas in the Spotlight

The midterm elections in the USA in November are among the most closely watched elections worldwide in 2026. The Democrats hope to win back at least one of the two chambers of Congress from Donald Trump's Republicans. Candidate selection has now begun in the first three states.

DNA

Legislative constraints on the executive02. March

Hegseth: Democracy-building in Iran not a war aim for the US

Since the first air strikes on Saturday, the US and Israel have been at war with Iran. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has now made clear that bringing democracy to Iran is not one of their objectives. Meanwhile, the US Congress is preparing for a war powers debate.