Florida Showdown Over Medicaid Expansion, ACA Funding
The Florida state legislature has a week to reconcile two different versions of a Medicaid expansion bill that could either provide coverage to 1.1 million Floridians, or to only 115,000. The debate over the two versions of the bill is over the question of whether or not Florida should accept funding from the federal government...
Mary Thom, Former Ms. Magazine Executive Editor, Dies at 68
Mary Thom, one of the longest serving editors of Ms. Magazine, died in a motorcycle crash over the weekend. Thom was the Editor in Chief of the Women’s Media Center. Thom joined Ms. Magazine in 1972 as a researcher and stayed with the magazine for twenty years as executive editor. In 1992, Thom wrote Inside Ms.: 25 Years of the...
Bangladesh Death Toll 385, Recovery Changes Gears
Six days after the deadly building collapse outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, rescuers are still working to recover any remaining survivors and locate bodies of the deceased. 385 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the collapse. 2,437 have been rescued alive. Efforts were delayed on Sunday when a spark from a metal grinder caused a fire that injured...
Quinnipiac Will Keep Women’s Volleyball in Title IX Settlement
Quinnipiac University has agreed to keep women’s volley ball as a varsity sport, increase scholarships for female athletes and expand opportunities for women as part of a Title IX legal settlement. The case against Quinnipiac began in 2009 when the university made an announcement that the school was cutting women’s volleyball, men’s golf, and men’s outdoor track...
Jenny Yang Confirmed for EEOC
Late last night, Congress approved the nomination of Jenny Yang as a commissioner to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In her role as partner in the class action law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, Yang was responsible for some of the biggest sex discrimination cases in recent years. Yang was one of the lawyers representing 1.6 million...
Bill to Expand Abortion Access in Peace Corps Introduced
On Thursday, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill that would extend insurance coverage for abortion in cases of rape or incest to Peace Corps volunteers. Currently only paid Peace Corps staff have this coverage, forcing Peace Corps volunteers who are assaulted to pay for abortion procedures out of pocket. The bill, titled the “Peace Corps Equity...
DOJ Issues Guidelines for Medical Examinations of Sexual Assault Victims
New national guidelines on forensic medical examination in sexual assault cases were released by the Department of Justice this Wednesday. In addition to focusing on the victim’s emotional and physical wellbeing during medical examinations, the guidelines also clearly state a recommendation that sexual assault victims are offered emergency contraception. In the case that the medical...
Death Toll From Bangladesh Building Collapse Reaches Over 200
At least 228 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of a building collapse in Bangladesh. The collapse happened yesterday morning in the suburb of Savar, outside the capital of Dhaka. The building housed five garment factories as well as a shopping center. Officials say that while 228 are confirmed dead, they fear the toll will actually...
HRW Report Finds Afghan Women Police Officers Face Harassment, Violence
Female police officers in Afghanistan are fighting harassment in co-ed changing facilities and restrooms at the hands of male colleagues, according to a recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW). In the story, released today, HRW found that women in the Afghan police force face sexual harassment, assault, and even rape from male colleagues. Many...
Building Collapse in Bangladesh Kills Over 100
An eight story building in Bangladesh collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least over 100 people. The death toll is still rising. The building in the suburb of Savar, outside of the capital Dhaka housed five garment factories as well as a shopping center. An official appointed to give information about those missing or hurt...
Eden Foods Suing Obama Administration, Facing Boycott
Eden Foods, a popular supplier of organic food items, has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The Michigan-based company says that the contraception clause of the Affordable Care Act violates religious freedom. In the words of Eden’s lawsuit, the clause “attacks and desecrates a foremost tenet...
ENDA to be Introduced in Congress Thursday
Both the House and the Senate are expected to reintroduce The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this Thursday. In the House, ENDA will be introduced by Representative Jared Polis (D-CO), an openly gay member of the House. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) will be introducing the Senate version of ENDA. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would ban discrimination...
