Migration Category: Feminist Newswire

Stories from the Feminist News Wire.

The Great Barrier Reef Suffers Most Widespread Bleaching Yet

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According to the American scientist monitoring global coral reefs, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef just underwent its third mass bleaching in the past five years. It appears that this is the reef’s most widespread bleaching on record.

This bleaching is extremely concerning since the past two that took place in 2016 and 2017 devastated half of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef.  The experts are warning that this could be a more than devasting blow to the stability of the Great Barrier Reef. Coral reefs are vital to marine ecosystems. Between a quarter and one-third of all marine species depend upon coral reefs during their lifetime. Specifically, the Great Barrier Reef covers nearly 133,000 square miles and supports more than 1,500 species of fish, 411 species of hard corals, and dozens of other species.

Scientists share that the human contribution to the rapid warming of the planet through emissions of gases are the cause of coral bleaching. Experts point to February’s warmer sea temperatures as the final breaking point for this recent loss to the largest coral reef system.

The coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch, Dr. C. Mark Eakin is extremely concerned about the coral reefs’ future and even questioned, “If it takes decades for a reef to recover … what chance do we have for reefs recovering when events are coming back this fast?” Chief scientist David Wachnfeld echoes these concerning, stating, “We need to take these events as global calls for the strongest possible action in climate change.”

Sources: CNN 3/26/20, BBC 3/26/20

New Laws in Northern Ireland Feature Abortion Stipulations in Wake of Decriminalization

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Under new laws to soon be in effect, abortions will be allowed to take place up to 12 weeks “without conditionality” in Northern Ireland. Abortions after 12 weeks will be allowed only under certain circumstances, and the new laws stipulate that in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities there is no time limit for a person to obtain an abortion. Additionally, in circumstances where the continuation of the pregnancy involves risk to the woman’s physical or mental health that is greater than the termination of the pregnancy, abortion is permissible up until 24 weeks.

Members of Parliaments (MPs) in Northern Ireland decriminalized abortion in a landmark move in October of 2019. Regulations surrounding the procedure will go into effect next week. Although abortion was decriminalized last year, there is currently no statutory framework for permissible and lawful abortions. The decision by lawmakers to allow abortions up to 12 weeks under any circumstance is to ensure that victims of sexual crimes gain access to the medical procedure.

The regulations also stipulate the medical professionals who are permitted to perform an abortion: a doctor, a registered nurse, or a registered midwife. These professionals have the opportunity to be conscientious objectors; that is, they do not have to perform the procedure if they do not wish to participate. However, the framework says that the “only exception will be where the participation in treatment is necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of a pregnant woman or girl.”

Health Minister Robin Swann is also granted considerable discretion within the new regulations to approve additional locations where abortions can be carried out, in addition to GP premises, clinics provided by a health and social care trust, and HSC hospitals. Women are allowed to obtain abortions in England until the provisions can be fully implemented in Northern Ireland.

The document released by the government points to the goal of ensuring that women do not need to travel to another part of the United Kingdom to obtain an abortion and cited global evidence that fewer restrictions on the procedure do not correspond to higher rates of abortion.

Sources: BBC, 3/25/20; National Review, 3/26/20

Texas Abortion Providers Sue Governor Over Attack on Abortion Access

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In one of the most high-profile challenges to a government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Texas abortion providers have sued Governor Greg Abbott and other state officials in protest of his administration’s exploitation of the pandemic to stop most abortions. The abortion providers, represented by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the Lawyering Project, contend that abortion is a essential, time-sensitive procedure that must to be available in during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued the abortion ban, in effect until at least April 21, is intended to help manage health care capacity in the state as the number of COVID-19 patients rises. Violators of the ban could face up to $1000 in fines and/or 180 days in jail.

“It is disappointing that anti-abortion politicians are taking advantage of a global health crisis in order to advance their agenda.  Texans need immediate access to time-sensitive health care, including abortion, not political grandstanding. The Lawyering Project is proud to stand with people in urgent need of abortion care as they fight back against these attacks,” said Stephanie Toti, senior counsel and project director of the Lawyering Project.

Sealy Massingill, the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, emphasized that delaying abortion procedures by just a few weeks could make certain abortions impossible, as patients’ pregnancies reach legal timeline deadlines.

Furthermore, additional barriers pose heightened dangers for many people of color, who already face systemic barriers to health care and are more vulnerable to the spread and consequences of COVID-19.“[Our clinic] serves Black women who do not have a lot of resources. For many of them, our organization is their final stop when they need abortion and reproductive health care. The last thing that Black women in Texas need to worry about is whether they can get the essential care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black women and other women of color already face barriers to accessing health care services. This is a time when we should all be pulling together to fight this virus, not infusing political agendas to score points at the expense of women accessing necessary health services,” stated Marsha Jones, executive director of the Afiya Center in Dallas, Texas.

In fact, attacks on basic health care are not new for Gov. Abbott’s administration. Gov. Abbott has championed legislation that perpetuates a high uninsured rate in Texas and prevents low-income Texans and people of color from accessing essential health care services.

Planned Parenthood, 3/25/20; The Texas Tribune, 3/25/20; ABC News, 3/25/20; Rewire, 3/23/20

Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads to ICE Detention Facilities

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A leaked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) coronavirus report reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed nine detainees in medical isolation. This report coincides with ICE’s confirmation that a detainee in New Jersey has tested positive for COVID-19. These developments suggest that the coronavirus has begun spreading in ICE facilities, placing ICE’s nearly 40,000 detainees at risk of contracting the deadly disease.

The March 19 DHS report says that in addition to the nine isolated detainees, 24 others in ten cities are being monitored. The report, released by an anonymous federal intelligence official and titled “DHS National Operations Center COVID-19 Placemat,” does not explicitly state which illness the detainees are being monitored for.

The confirmed COVID-19 case in New Jersey is a 31-year-old Mexican immigrant held at Bergen County Jail. Last week, a correctional officer there also tested positive. ICE has suspended immigrant detainee intakes at the facility and quarantined the infected individual.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, immigration advocates and public health experts have raised concerns about the potential rapid spread of COVID-19 in crowded ICE detention centers. They urged a temporary halt on arrests and the release of detainees in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and those with immunodeficiencies. Other federal immigration agencies have drastically altered their operations—immigration courts have closed or postponed hearings and US Citizenship and Immigration Services has halted all its in-person services. ICE, however, has continued detaining immigrants in the midst of state lockdowns.

Several lawsuits have been filed seeking the release of 50 at-risk immigrants held at ICE detention centers in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The suits’ lawyers argue that due to their age or health conditions, these individuals will be in danger if they remain in detention during the coronavirus pandemic.

ICE’s alleged history of substandard medical care has exacerbated advocates’ concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in detention centers. In December 2019, a whistleblower’s report of negligence, incompetent care, and preventable deaths in ICE facilities prompted the House Oversight and Reform Committee to begin an investigation into the care of detainees.

Sources: The Nation 2/24/20; Buzzfeed News 3/24/20; Politico 3/24/20

New Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Shows Coronavirus Weighs More Heavily on Women

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A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation took a look at more than 1,200 Americans between March 11 and March 15 and found that stressors connected to the coronavirus have been negatively impacting women more than men.

Caitlin Mullen, Biswomen contributor for The Business Journals, notes that “the coronavirus pandemic has meant keeping another ball in the air for women juggling work, family, and more” as women now have to work “more paid hours than ever while handling the bulk of household and family duties.”

According to the survey: 68 percent of women are worried about a family member becoming sick with COVID-19 compared to 56 percent of men, 50 percent of women are worried about losing income due to closures or reduced hours compared to 42 percent of men, 25 percent of women indicate that they are unable to continue their work remotely compared to 13 percent of men, and 39 percent of women worry that having to work outside of the home will put them at greater risk compared to 31 percent of men.

Women are also less likely to be told to work from home than men (15 percent compared to 26 percent) and less women were offered paid or unpaid leave (11 percent compared to 20 percent).

Young Transgender Activist Shot and Killed in North Carolina

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Monika Diamond, a 34-year-old transgender LGBT+ activist and businesswoman, was shot and killed on Wednesday, March 18 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Multiple shots had been fired before police and ambulance were dispatched in response to a disturbance call. After attempting to revive her, Diamond was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Maya Oppenheim, Women’s Correspondent for the Independent, the shooter has been identified as 34-year-old Prentice Bess who has already been arrested and charged with murder.

Elliot Kozuch, press secretary at Human Rights Campaign, said that Diamond was “a chosen mother to countless,” as well as a “business owner, a loving friend, and she did not deserve to have her life taken from her.” According to the HRC, Diamond’s death is the fourth violent of a “transgender or gender non-conforming person this year alone.”

Kozuch also notes that, “There is an epidemic of violence against the transgender and non-binary community, and especially against black transgender women. There are currently very few explicit federal legal protections for transgender or gender-expansive people.” And that, “the intersections of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia and homophobia conspire to deprive them of necessities to live and thrive. Human Rights Campaign will continue to hold the Trump-Pence administration and all elected officials who fuel the flames of hate accountable at the ballot box.”

Sources: Independent 3/23, Human Rights Campaign 3/2020

Colorado Abolishes the Death Penalty

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Colorado abolished the penalty on Monday, making it the twenty-second state to do so. Governor Polis signed a bill after it passed the State House and Senate earlier this year.

Capital punishment was halted in 1972 through Furman v. Georgia as “cruel and unusual punishment,” but then reinstated through Gregg v. Georgia in 1976. Since this reinstatement, only one person in Colorado has been executed, with 1,517 executions occurring nationally since 1976. When Governor Polis signed this bill into law, there were three inmates on death row that were given new sentences of life in prison without the ability to parole.

Further, people of color are disproportionately put on death row, as they represent 55% of those who are currently awaiting execution. On the federal level from 1995-2000, “805% of all the federal cases recommended by U.S. Attorneys to the Attorney General seeking the death penalty involve people of color.” Governor Polis noted this when signing this bill, stating that “the death penalty cannot be, and never has been, administered equitably in the State of Colorado.”

Sources: New York Times 3/23/20; Supreme Court 1971; Supreme Court 1976; NBC News 3/23/20; American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 2020

Obamacare Turns 10 This Week. Here’s How It Has Changed Healthcare in the US.

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The Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act was signed into law a decade ago by former President Barack Obama, but even after being signed into law it faced countless attacks from political opponents, Supreme Court cases, and even found itself at the center of election debates on the topic of healthcare. However, the biggest challenge the ACA faces might be right now in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which has tested the American healthcare system in ways many could not have foreseen. Meanwhile, conservative politicians and the current Trump administration are calling into question the constitutionality of the law in the Supreme Court, and left wing Democrats are calling for more radical change, in the form of a “single-payer government-run health insurance system.”

So, while facing the reality of a great deal of opposition to the ACA, let’s consider what this law has done for the American people and what its shortcomings may be. For one thing, it has greatly expanded coverage. Whether or not you are a fan of Obamacare, it has increased insurance coverage for 20 million people who were previously without any insurance at all. While this is certainly an improvement, for many Americans the ACA hasn’t gone far enough to curb medical costs, when faced with paying high premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, which is ultimately considered by creators of Obamacare to be its biggest flaw.

Despite this major affordability setback, the ACA has made healthcare insurance more affordable for people with pre-existing conditions–one of the most well-known protections offered by the ACA. Considering all of these factors, a recent series of studies have indicated that Obamacare has made people in the United States healthier overall. Though it undoubtedly has imperfections, “at this point now there is enough evidence that we can say confidently that giving people health insurance produces health impacts and positive health changes,” according to a physician and researcher at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. While the ACA may not be around forever, it has introduced protections that many Americans will refuse to go without, moving forward.

Sources: NY Times 03/23/2020; NY Times 03/02/2020; National Center For Health Statistics 2019; ASPE 2017; NY Times 03/23/2010

TX, OH, LA Attempt to Ban Abortion in Midst of Global Pandemic

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Abortion has been included as a nonessential surgery in Texas and Ohio in yet another attempt by lawmakers to ban abortion in the midst of a global pandemic. While the states pointed to a desire to save personal protective equipment for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19, abortion rights activists claim that abortion is, in fact, essential because potential patients are unable to wait until this indefinite pandemic ends.

The attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton, announced Monday that “any abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother” will result in fines up to $1,000 or 180 days in jail. Texas followed the lead of Ohio after similar actions taken by authorities last week and has historically been a site of attempts to severely restrict abortion access.

The actions taken by state officials are clearly political stunts attempting to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, particularly in light of the fact that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that abortion not be on the list of medical procedures that should be postponed due to the outbreak.

After Ohio issued a mandate to delay all nonessential surgeries on Wednesday, the office of Ohio’s attorney general sent letters to abortion clinics ordering them to cease “performing all nonessential and elective surgical abortions.” Despite complaints to the state’s Department of Health from anti-abortion groups such as Ohio Right to Life, abortion clinics remain open after negotiations with the attorney general. The CEOs of two different Planned Parenthood affiliates in Ohio said in response that their clinics are in complete compliance and had already begun to cut back on the use of equipment.

“Abortion care is a time-sensitive medical situation that cannot be significantly delayed without profound consequences,” NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland said in a statement. “Ohio’s elected officials should not stand between patients and their doctors.”

Ohio was the first state in the U.S. in 2011 to introduce a so-called “heartbeat” bill that would ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy–before the time many women even know they are pregnant. Though heartbeat bills have gained popularity in conservative states such as Iowa and Georgia, they have been largely struck down by the courts.

Louisiana also issued a similar order last weekend, and as of now clinics have temporarily suspended abortion services.

Sources: New York Times, 3/23/20; New York Daily News, 3/23/20; The Guardian, 3/23/20; Vox, 3/22/20.

Afghan Woman Mayor Survives Attack

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Updated 3/25/20 @ 12:46pm

The mayor of Maidan Shar, a city some 28 miles in the southern outskirts of Kabul, was attacked by four armed men, believed to be members of the Taliban. The armed men opened fire at her car while she was on her way home last Sunday. Mayor Zarifa Ghafari was recently awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the State Department in early March. She returned to Kabul last week after spending some time in the U.S. receiving the award and advocating for women’s human rights, democracy, and preserving the achievements of the nearly last two decades in Afghanistan.

Ms. Ghafari was appointed to the position of the mayor of Maidan Shar city in July 2018. She faced Taliban threats and opposition from other local politicians for her appointment because of her sex that a woman could not lead a city. She could not begin her tenure until March of 2019. On her first day in office, a mob chased her away, refusing her authority as a woman. However, after her hard work in office and working closely with the local people, she has since been welcomed and much admired by the locals for her hard work in urban development. Her city has over half a million residents.

Despite continuous death threats to Mayor Ghafari, she has continued to do her job as well as raise her voice against extremism and the rights of women. Shortly after the attack, she tweeted for safely escaping the attack and that she will continue to speak up for the “republic, democracy, human rights and women’s rights,” and that she will not give up speaking for these values.

The attack on Mayor Ghafari was condemned by many Afghans as well as Sec. Pompeo of State Department and U.S. Charge d’Affaires, Ross Wilson . Mr. Wilson added that “Americans stand with you and all others working for a peaceful, tolerant, forward-looking Afghanistan.” Mr. Wilson has largely been criticized by ignoring the killing of Afghan security personnel late last week at the hands of the Taliban despite entering a so-called peace deal with the U.S.

Early this month, during her speech at the State Department, Mayor Ghafari emphasized that she and the women of Afghanistan do not want to go back to the Taliban rule when all basic human rights were taken from women. In her speech, she called on the Trump Administration to ensure that women’s rights are protected in talks with the Taliban. She appeared alarmed by the so-called peace deal between the U.S. and the Taliban that does not recognize the Afghan government or guarantee human rights, women’s rights and preserving the Constitution of Afghanistan that establishes a republic.

Mayor Ghafari pursued her bachelors and masters’ in Economics and Urban Development. At 26, she is the first of two women and the youngest mayor in Afghanistan and has become a role model for the local women as well as women across the country.

Twitter, 3/23/20 and 3/24/20

Schools Offer Drive-Thru and Pick-Up Lunches for Vulnerable Students

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For nearly 30 million children across the United States, the closure of schools to slow the spread of coronavirus created a critical disruption: no more lunch.

These children benefit from the National School Lunch Program, the nation’s second largest food and nutrition assistance program behind SNAP. But with hundreds of thousands of schools closing, kids may not be able to access lunches (and sometimes breakfasts, snacks, and dinners) that they previously were entitled to. Millions of families must now figure out how to feed their kids in a time where money is especially scarce due to lay-offs, cut hours and more during the pandemic.

School staff and volunteers have organized one option to help: drive-thru lunches. The meals, often bagged or boxed, might include sandwiches, milk, fruit cups and Goldfish.

For many school districts, mobilizing drive-thru lunches, a popular option to continue providing food assistance during the summer months, has been hectic on short notice and with no known end to the crisis. Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance, said, “I’ve never been in a situation like this where we really are at a crisis point and where it’s going to be very difficult for children to get access to food,” Wilson says. “I mean, we’ve had some situations — natural disasters, things like that — where we’ve dealt with things, but nothing like this where we don’t see any end in sight or how we’re actually going to manage it all.”

Federal waivers issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) relaxed rules on what kinds of sites can be used for meal distribution, allowing for the drive-thru model in New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Washington, D.C. Schools, churches, parks and other community locations are all being used for pick-up.

Some students still won’t be able to get lunches via the drive-thru model, unfortunately. These might include children with parents who can’t take time off from jobs that don’t offer teleworking and children staying with elderly grandparents who are self-isolating. For some school districts and cities, if students can’t come to pick up their lunch, their lunch will be brought to them by a familiar yellow school bus. The nutrition services director for a Tacoma, Washington school district described the innovation: “Make the food, put it on school buses and then have our bus drivers drive routes. Take it to our highest-needs apartment complexes and housing areas so that way the kids can just come to the bus rather than find a way to get to the school.”

For 33-year-old Summer Mossbarger, a disabled Army veteran in Brenham, Texas, the continuing provision of lunches for her six children has been crucial: “If we didn’t have this, I probably would have a mental breakdown with stress.”

Sources: Food Research and Action Center 03/24/20; NPR 03/20/20; CNN 03/11/20; New York Times 03/20/20.

Trans Community Uniquely Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic

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The spread of the COVID-19 virus will affect everyone in the country in a number of tangible ways, such work closures, shelter in place mandates, and empty toilet paper aisles in grocery stores. Marginalized communities are particularly affected by this pandemic, and the trans community is no different.

Closures and strained health care systems make it difficult for some people to obtain their hormone replacement therapy (HRT). “Many trans women use oral doses of hormones, but everyone’s body responds in a different way to the hormone treatments and some, like myself, are unable to metabolize the hormones effectively via pills,” author Molly Landgraff said. Receiving shots at a hospital puts even more strain on healthcare workers and results in dramatically increased risk for exposure of COVID-19.

The risk of losing insurance coverage has also increased for trans workers because of the virus. Fewer than one-third of employers in the United States provide for transgender inclusive healthcare benefits, and with a multitude of workers forced to stay at home, even transgender workers who have insurance are at risk of losing coverage.

Dr. Alexis Chávez of The Trevor Project, an organization aiming to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youth, pointed to less tangible effects of the pandemic on the trans community. “We know that trans people are less likely to have a primary care provider. They are more likely to delay necessary health care, because of all the negative outcomes that they and their peers have experienced: providers using the wrong names, or genders, or refusing to serve them,” Chávez told Newsweek. “People really need a relationship with their primary health provider; more than any other time, people need that. So it’s something that can be really difficult for trans people.”

Transgender people often grow up with feelings of isolation, so social distancing from supportive communities can bring back this sense of aloneness. The LGBTQ community also has higher rates of HIV and cancer as well as higher rates of smoking, making them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Sources: Newsweek, 3/23/20; National Center for Transgender Equality, 3/13/20; WBUR, 3/18/20.

Coronavirus Threatens Rural Hospitals Already On The Brink of Closure

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Hospitals across America are rapidly losing profits as they prepare for COVID-19. With normally lucrative services like elective surgeries and routine visits cancelled or delayed and the price of basic medical supplies like masks and ventilators soaring, more and more hospitals are being pushed towards the red zone. For already strained rural hospitals, coronavirus might mean financial ruin.

Last Thursday, The American Hospital Association responded to COVID-19 by asking Congress for $100 billion to offset coronavirus costs. The Association cited rural hospital’s inability to provide life-saving services while withstanding huge losses.

“If we’re not able to address the short-term cash needs of rural hospitals, we’re going to see hundreds of rural hospitals close before this crisis ends,” Alan Morgan, the head of the National Rural Health Association, warned. “This is not hyperbole.”

The National Rural Health Association, which represents 21,000 health care providers and hospitals, is lobbying for immediate cash assistance, no-interest loans, Medicare reimbursement adjustments, and other suggestions to alleviate stress.

Rural health care providers were struggling long before the pandemic hit. A combination of narrowing Medicare reimbursements, more patients without insurance, and the hollowing of rural America have placed financial stress rural hospitals– so hard that over the past decade, over 120 rural hospitals have been forced to close.

Elective surgeries, physical therapy, and lab-tests have helped rural hospitals stay afloat. However, a majority still operate in the red. Coronavirus may be the last push needed to shut down these rural hospitals.

Rural hospital providers warn that if nothing is done, rural communities are set to lose vital service providers.

“We can talk all we want about the cost of health care in this country in this ridiculous health care system we have,” Robin Rau, CEO of Miller County Hospital in Colquitt, Georgia, stated in an interview with Kaiser Health News. “But at a time like this, who for a minute would think about getting rid of rural hospitals?”

[The Chartis Group, Chartis Center for Rural Health, February 2020] [Time, 3/18/2020] [American Health Association, 3/19/2020] [Kaiser Health News, 3/21/2020] [ABC News, 3/23/2020] [National Rural Health Association, accessed 3/23/2020]

Despite a Peace Deal, Taliban Kills Numerous Afghan Security Personnel

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Amidst the efforts of peace negotiations, Taliban members have accelerated their attacks on Afghan government targets as well as Afghan civilians. In a major blow today, the Taliban targeted an Afghan army base in the southern part of Afghanistan, Zabul province, and killed between 17-25 members of the Afghan army and police. The details of the attacks are still to emerge, but it is reported that the Taliban had an insider in the base that coordinated the attack. This attack also happens on the eve of New Year in Afghanistan that starts with the arrival of the spring season. While New Year is widely celebrated in Afghanistan, the Taliban committed yet another crime by killing Afghan army personnel in their base while asleep.

The Afghan government and NATO condemned the attack. The spokesperson for President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack and tweeted that, “This heinous act of the Taliban is a clear example of their commitment for continued violence and against the AFG [Afghanistan] peace process.”

NATO senior representative to Afghanistan also condemned the “savage Taliban attack” and stated that, “What kind of people can order and do this to fellow Afghans on the day of Nowruz [New Year], in the midst of a global pandemic & after professing commitment to peace? Shameful.”

Many Afghans have also questioned the Taliban’s will toward peace and have directed their frustration at the U.S. special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, for failing to acknowledge Taliban’s terror and crimes after they have entered the peace deal.

One Afghan tweeted that the “Taliban celebrated the 1399 Nowruz [New Year] by killing 35 AFG soldiers in Zabul. What kind of ideology/greed can justify this madness?”

Another wrote, “I have no words. I am utterly disgusted and heartbroken. Don’t tell me to be happy about peace with the Taliban @US4AfghanPeace if you have any sign of a heart you will take this seriously.”

The Afghan Ministry of Defense has pledged to respond to the Taliban’s attack in a statement that, “The Afghan National Security and Defense Forces will not let the attack go without a response and will avenge the bloods of the martyrs.”

In the so-called peace deal between the U.S. and Taliban each side saw their own dividends. The Taliban committed to reduction in violence for a period of seven days, which they have repeatedly violated since the signing of the agreement , the release their prisoners, and a commitment from the Taliban that the security of the United States will not be threatened from Afghanistan. Yet despite the deal, the Taliban has continued to attack the Afghan army, the Afghan government, and the Afghan civilians. They have continuously engaged in violence and destruction, causing terror among civilians.

 

Sources: Twitter 3/20/20; Tolo News, 3/20/20

COVID-19 Spending Measures Stalled by Anti-Choice Lawmakers

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On March 13, a Facebook post went viral, which claimed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stalled a coronavirus relief package in an attempt to authorize federal abortion funding. On the contrary, most evidence suggests that conservative lawmakers were focused on inserting the issue of abortion in the bill.

A number of conservative lawmakers demanded that the coronavirus relief package must include “Hyde language” in the text. The Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976 to prohibit federal funding of abortion, which, most significantly, prevents low income women from using Medicaid coverage to pay for abortions.

Lawmakers have included Hyde language in many government health programs in the past, such as the Indian Health Service, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. Thus, conservative lawmakers argued that leaving Hyde language out of coronavirus relief could lead to federal funding for abortion in the future.

Specifically, President Trump stalled approval of coronavirus relief, urging Pelosi to include Hyde language.

Rewire argues that “Trump would rather stall efforts to mitigate the coronavirus’ impact in order to appease the anti-choice radicals that make up his political base. That tells us he’s fine gambling with the lives of the disabled, elderly, and immunocompromised communities who are most at risk of developing complications when contracting coronavirus. That tells us that not only does Trump believe a fetus has rights, but he believes those rights matter more than anyone else.”

If anything, liberal lawmakers took the opportunity to amplify efforts to pass paid sick leave, and other important proposals related to healthcare, that have been in the works for over a decade.

Sources: USA Today, 3/18/20; Mother Jones, 3/13/20; Rewire 3/13/20

Transgender Navy Officer Sues Pentagon Challenging Trump Transgender Military Ban

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This week, a transgender Navy officer referred to as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon regarding the Trump administration’s transgender military ban. Doe is seeking emergency relief to continue to serve in the military on the same terms as her cisgender peers, faced with involuntary discharge on the basis of her gender identity.

Under the Obama administration, the Pentagon lifted the longtime ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. The policy change in June 2016 allowed transgender people already serving in the military to come out, receive medically appropriate health care, and change their gender in Pentagon personnel systems. Additionally, the policy change barred the military from discharging transgender service members on the basis of their gender identity. Lastly, it allowed transgender individuals to join the military openly, starting in January 2018.

The Trump administration’s attempts to prevent transgender troops from serving in the military went into effect in April 2019. The ban prevents transgender people from joining the military openly and hinders any current troops from undergoing gender transitions. The ban allows existing transgender troops who came out under the Obama administration’s policy to continue serving, but under discriminatory conditions.

Lieutenant Doe was commissioned as a naval officer in 2010, and served two extended tours of duty as a surface warfare officer. In June 2019, a military doctor diagnosed her with gender dysphoria, prompting her to come out as transgender, and face involuntary discharge from service. Because Doe came out as transgender after April 2019, she is not protected by the ‘grandfather clause’ included in the ban.

Doe v. Esper will be the first major challenge to the transgender military ban since it went into effect. Transgender rights advocates argue that Doe’s case represents the clear injustice in denying troops from serving on the basis of their gender identity, who are otherwise fit to serve and pose no significant medical costs to the military.

The Hill, 3/18/20; GLAD, 3/18/20; HRC 3/2/20

US Homeless Population Highly Vulnerable to Coronavirus

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Homeless shelter staff and public health experts have raised concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus among the 550,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Medical researchers estimate that homeless people are twice as likely to contract COVID-19 than the general population due to limited access to hand sanitizer or clean water and crowding in shelters.

Standard precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19—social distancing, working from home, and frequently washing your hands—are nearly impossible for people living in homeless shelters or outdoors. Shelters are low on supplies like hand sanitizer and face masks, and many of the people living in them are older, longtime smokers or chronically ill—high-risk categories for COVID-19.

“People experiencing homelessness not only have a set of challenges that make it really hard to do what we ask—stay home when you are sick, wash your hands frequently, talk to your medical provider if you are feeling ill—but they are in worse health than many other people,”  said Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s director of public health.

In the past, cities with large homeless populations have seen deadly outbreaks of Hepatitis A and typhus, but the coronavirus pandemic presents a new challenge. New York City has instructed shelters to screen residents for symptoms and isolate those with COVID-19 “as much as possible.” Dallas has opened a new temporary overnight shelter to aid in social distancing efforts. Los Angeles, a city with nearly 45,000 people counted as unsheltered, is considering increasing the number of outdoor hand-washing stations. San Francisco plans to use motor homes to house quarantined people.

But these limited measures have not reassured shelter staff. “We’re just saying our prayers,” said Bob McElroy, head of a San Diego homeless shelter. “If it gets in here it would be a disaster.”

Sources: New York Times 3/12/20; The Texas Tribune 3/18/20; USA Today 3/14/20

Marie Newman Defeats Longtime Incumbent Anti-Choice Democrat in Illinois Primary

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

On Tuesday night, Democratic primary candidate Marie Newman beat out longtime incumbent Democrat Rep. Dan Lipinski for a chance at becoming the next Congressional representative from Illinois’ 3rd district.

Lipinski is well known as one of the Democratic party’s anti-abortion members. He opposed two landmark pieces of progressive legislation in recent years: the Affordable Care Act and the 2010 Dream Act. He also refused to endorse Barack Obama in his 2012 re-election race. Lipinski defeated Newman when she ran in 2018, but she decided almost immediately to run again in 2020. She defeated him on Tuesday night with 47 percent of the votes tallied. She ran on feminist issues like reproductive rights, immigration, healthcare, and gun control.

“For many years, Dan was one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party bar none — if not the most,” said Newman in an interview with The New York Times. “Our district is a deeply blue Democratic district, so I ran on the platform that I’m a real Democrat with a real plan. And it’s kind of that simple. I believe in working families, health care for all, and making sure that we have a livable wage.”

Newman has a background as a marketing and advertising executive and ran her own consulting firm, but created a national nonprofit with an anti-bullying mission in partnership with Sears. She also served as the state spokesperson for the gun control group Moms Demand Action.

Newman has been endorsed by women’s rights and other organizations such as Feminist Majority, EMILY’s List, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Indivisible, SEIU, and the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

Sources: NYT 3/18/20; Politico 3/18/20; CNN 3/19/20

ICE Continues Arrests as California Faces Coronavirus Pandemic

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

In the midst of California’s COVID-19 lockdown, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are continuing to make arrests, despite calls from immigration advocates for a suspension of enforcement activities.

To limit the spread of COVID-19, Los Angeles has shut down a range of public services and business, including libraries, movie theaters, clubs, gyms, and concert venues. Governor Gavin Newsom has called for all restaurants statewide to suspend dine-in services and expects schools to remain closed until the fall. But ICE officers are continuing to operate almost as normal.

Immigration advocates have raised concerns about the potential spread of the coronavirus in crowded detention centers. In Colorado, ten people have been isolated at the Aurora detention center due to possible COVID-19 exposure. “I am honestly horrified at the thought that the virus could spread uncontrollably in this and other detention facilities,” said Ana Rodríguez, an organizer with the nonprofit Colorado People’s Alliance. “Detainees and their loved ones shouldn’t have to worry about whether their loved ones will survive detention.”

Those arrested by ICE worry about how their families will fare without them as the coronavirus pandemic progresses. “I’m the head of the house,” said Pedro Castillo Bravo, detained by ICE officers as he left his house for work and a trip to the grocery store. “If they have me here locked up, what about rent and food?”

ICE has stated they are taking precautions—officers have been issued protective N95 respirator masks, visitation by family members has been suspended at detention centers, and officials are considering delaying people’s monthly in-person ICE check-ins. But they have no plans to stop arrests.

Other immigration agencies have seen more dramatic changes as officials scramble to reduce the spread of the virus. The Justice Department has closed 11 immigration courts around the country, including the Los Angeles Olive Street Immigration Court, and has postponed all hearings for immigrants who are not currently in detention. US Citizenship and Immigration Services has halted all in-person services, including naturalization ceremonies and asylum interviews.

Sources: Los Angeles Times 3/17/20; New York Post 3/17/20; Amnesty International 3/17/20; Colorado Independent 3/17/20; CNN 3/18/20

Need for Universal Paid Sick and Family Medical Leave More Urgent Than Ever

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19, also commonly referred to as coronavirus, has revealed a number of systemic flaws in the United States that must be addressed, including paid leave. While the nature of this medical crisis draws attention to the lack of paid sick leave, paid family leave is a benefit that should also be universal. Statistics reveal the huge gap in this country in access to paid leave that reveal the adverse effects on women in particular, especially in the midst of a crisis such as COVID-19.

Seven in ten of the lowest income workers do not have the ability to take even one day of paid sick leave, and greater than 25 percent of private sector employees can’t afford to take one day off either. Overall, the United States has over 32 million workers who are unable to access paid sick leave. These staggering numbers also disproportionately affect women and people of color. For example, 48 percent of Latinx workers and 36 percent of black workers reportedly have no paid leave of any kind.

In a 2017 report by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), 68 percent of low-wage workers who make less than $11 are women; unsurprisingly, black and Latinx women overrepresent low wage workers. Thirty-five percent of the workforce overall in the United States have at least one child at home while 25 percent of women in the lowest wage workforce have at least one child at home as well. Even when there is not a global pandemic, women have challenges accessing food security and economic stability. In a time where schools are closing, and companies and organizations are being mandated to keep crowds down and people at home, women are facing more struggles to feed their families and keep their families–and themselves–safe.

These reports of the lack of paid leave in the U.S. are problematic for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the public health risk this poses. Due to fear of workplace discipline or fear of losing their jobs, workers without access to paid sick leave are 1.5 times more likely than those with paid sick leave to go to work while sick, such as with the flu or a viral infection. Employees in professions who interact with the public frequently, like workers in food service or child care, are often the ones who have the least access to paid sick leave. These employees are more likely to both be exposed to a contagious illness as well as spread a contagious illness. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, the general flu rate in areas with paid sick leave legislation decreased by 5.5 percent. Lack of paid leave poses a public health risk.

Ultimately, there is an abundance of research clearly showing the benefits that paid family leave has on the economy as a whole as well as for employees. The research clearly supports that low-income women are disproportionately affected by the absence of paid family leave in the United States.

Sources: National Partnership for Women and Families, 2/20; National Women’s Law Center, 8/17; Ms. Magazine, 3/12/20.

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