Feminist Newswire, Author at Feminist Majority Foundation

Indiana Relinquishes Fight to Defund Planned Parenthood

Posted on July 31, 2013March 5, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

After a legal battle that began in 2011, the state of Indiana and Planned Parenthood reached a settlement protecting Medicaid and Medicare funding for the organization.

In 2011, Indiana became the first state to defund Planned Parenthood after it passed a law that prohibited the organization from receiving about $2 million in federal money, much of which was for Medicaid services. After multiple rulings in favor of Planned Parenthood, the state of Indiana appealed to the Supreme Court. Following the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case, U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt issued a permanent injunction against the law. The injunction came one day after the state and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky filed a settlement acknowledging that the state could not violate Medicaid’s “freedom of choice” provision.

“We are extremely happy that the federal law protecting the rights of patients to choose their health care providers has been upheld so that thousands of Hoosiers can continue to receive necessary medical care,”said ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk. The ACLU joined Planned Parenthood in the lawsuit.

Betty Cockrum, President of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, said in a statement that “This is a huge step forward, with the state conceding that they no longer have any recourse. It’s yet another positive development in our efforts to ensure that our patients’ access to lifesaving, preventive care such as Pap tests, breast and testicular exams, birth control and STD testing and treatment remains protected.”

Media Resources: Associated 7/30/2013; Indianapolis Star 7/30/2013; Feminist Newswire 7/10/2013, 5/11/2011

Mexican State of Colima Legalizes Same-Sex Civil Unions

Posted on July 31, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

51220620_0185d9b47d_z — Photo by schlaeger via flickr

Lawmakers in the Mexican state of Colima voted to change the state constitution to allow civil unions Monday. Seven of the 10 municipality officials in the state approved the constitutional reform. This is seen as a compromise, as state spokeswoman Cecilia Ramirez noted, a state survey showed that residents opposed same-sex marriage but supported some legal rights for same-sex couples. However, two congressmen voted against allowing civil unions, arguing that full marriage rights should be given to same-sex couples.

Currently, Mexico City and the state of Quintana Roo allow same-sex marriage, and the state of Coahuila began allowing civil unions in 2007. In December, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled that a state law in Oaxaca could not be interpreted to ban same-sex marriage.

Media Resources: Sources: Associated Press 7/31/2013; BBC 7/30/2013; Global Post 7/30/2013; Feminist Newswire 12/7/2012

Fast Food Workers Demand Living Wage

Posted on July 31, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

Fast food workers across the country have taken to the streets this week protesting for higher wages. Protests started in New York City and took off in major cities across the country with workers demanding a living wage of $15 per hour as opposed the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

9395115423_1012496cc6_z — Photo by Cathy Sherwin via flickr

In the wake of news about McDonald’s sample budget for their employees, the Huffington Post found that McDonald’s spends only 17.1% of its proceeds on worker salaries and benefits. If worker salaries were doubled, price would be raised 17 cents for every dollar. The McDonald’s staple, the Big Mac, would cost $4.67 instead of $3.99. That number also includes doubling CEO Donald Thompson’s salary of almost $9 million a year. If Thompson’s salary remains unchanged, the price would only increase about 25 cents.

At a speech last week in Galesburg, Illinois, President Obama renewed his promise to improve the minimum wage. During this year’s State of the Union, Obama called for a $9 an hour minimum wage, far lower than the $15 protesters are looking for now.

Opponents say that increasing wages will force McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants to raise prices so much that fewer people will be buy Big Macs or, worse, that human employees will begin to be replaced by machines.

“Increasing the minimum wage is good for business. It puts more money in consumers’ pockets,” said Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC. “So what will really happen to McDonald’s the next time the minimum wage goes up? The same thing that has happened to McDonald’s every time the minimum wage has gone up: McDonald’s will make more money.”

This is not the first time fast food workers have gone on strike this year over wages. In May, an estimated 400 workers at 60 different restaurants in Detroit walked off their jobs to join protests calling for a livable wage and the right to unionize following protests in St. Louis, Chicago, and New York.

Media Resources: MSNBC 7/31/2013; Forbes 7/30/2013; Guardian 7/29/2013; Huffington Post 7/29/2013; Politico 7/24/2013; Feminist Newswire 5/13/2013, 2/13/2013

Clear Channel Pulls Radio Ad for Women’s Clinic, Claims it is ‘Divisive’

Posted on July 30, 2013July 31, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

Ads for the recently re-opened South Wind Women’s Center in Wichita, KS were recently pulled from a local radio broadcast station owned by Clear Channel citing “decency standards.”

Four years after the widely-publicized murder of the clinic’s previous owner, Dr. George Tiller, the Center has re-opened and has been running ads on multiple media outlets in Wichita, including two radio stations and two newspapers. But the Clear Channel-owned KZSN station has banned the ads, sparking criticism from many pro-choice activists in the area. A local general manager for Clear Channel released a statement in defense of their actions citing “a responsibility to use our best judgment to ensure that advertising topics and content are as non-divisive as possible for our local audience.”

Critics of the company’s decision assert that the language of the ads is at no point “divisive.” Advertising“board-certified” physicians and “reproductive healthcare,” the ads have not violated the decency standards of the multiple outlets in Wichita that have had no problems in running them.

An online petition filed by Women, Action and The Media asserts that Clear Channel is “doing a disservice to women” by not running the adds in a state where reproductive care is already so scarce. As of July 26 the petition has received over 1300 signatures.

Media Resources: Jezebel 7/26/13; Media Matters for America 7/26/13; Huffington Post 7/25/13

North Carolina Governor Signs Anti-Abortion Bill into Law

Posted on July 30, 2013July 30, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

feature image by Hal Goodtree via flickr

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed an extreme anti-abortion bill into law late last night.

Senate Bill 353 [PDF] requires abortion clinics to meet the same requirements as ambulatory surgical centers, eliminates abortion coverage under state employee insurance plans, bans sex-selective abortions, allows health care providers refuse to participate in abortion-related care, and requires that the doctor performing the procedure disclose their name at least 24 hours before a woman’s procedure. These new provisions threaten to close all but one abortion clinic in the state .

Gov. McCrory pledged not to sign any new abortion restrictions into law as part of his gubernatorial campaign.

But in a recent statement announcing the signing of the bill, McCrory said “These higher standards will result in safer conditions for North Carolina women. This law does not further limit access and those who contend it does are more interested in politics than the health and safety of our citizens.”

SB 353 was originally a motorcycle safety bill. Conservative lawmakers in the state House replaced the majority of the bill with abortion restrictions without advance warning. The same tactic was used to include even more restrictive abortion regulations to an anti-Sharia law a week earlier, which McCrory threatened to veto.

“Let’s be clear,” said Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “Not only did he break his promise, but this legislation which will close women’s health clinics that not only provide abortions but STI testing and cancer screening will injure thousands of North Carolinian women.”

“We are appalled that Gov. McCrory broke his campaign promise and we will do everything in our power to let the women of North Carolina know they cannot trust him to stand up to lawmakers intent on denying women access to safe and legal abortion,” said Paige Johnson, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Central NC. Abortion rights advocates in North Carolina, organized by Planned Parenthood, camped outside McCrory’s office on Monday urging him to veto the bill.

Media Resources: Reuters 7/30/2013; Associated Press 7/29/2013; Governor Pat McCrory Press Office 7/29/2013; Senate Bill 353; Youtube 7/12/2013; Feminist Newswire 7/29/2013, 7/26/2013, 7/11/2013, 7/3/2013

Olympic Committee says LGBT Activists Will Not Be Punished in Russia Under Anti-Gay Law

Posted on July 29, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

The International Olympic Committee has stated that LGBT athletes and visitors of the 2014 Winter Olympics will not be penalized under extreme anti-gay legislation passed in Russia last month.

7706180470_fb1793b204_c — Photo by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport via flickr

The law, passed unanimously by the Duma and signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in June, bans “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” from being distributed to minors. However, the broad language of the bill could be interpreted to ban any public support of gay rights or public affection by same sex couples. There is also concern over the safety of athletes during the Olympics. Pro-LGBT demonstrations have turned violent in past years with many activists being physically assaulted and/or arrested the city where the games will be held. In addition, recently it was discovered that a neo-nazi group has allegedly been torturing gay teenagers after luring them into meeting over the internet.

According to USA Today, a statement sent from the IOC said “The IOC has received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games… As a sporting organization, what we can do is to continue to work to ensure that the Games can take place without discrimination against athletes, officials, spectators and the media.”

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told reporters “Mere verbal assurances from the Russian government that foreigners will be exempt from their repressive laws are not enough. The IOC must obtain ironclad written assurance from President Putin.” Griffin also called on NBCUniversal, who has sole broadcasting rights, to highlight the homophobic laws in Russia as part of their coverage.

Media Resources: Buzzfeed 7/26/2013; Huffington Post 7/26/2013; Los Angeles Times 7/26/2013; USA Today 7/26/2013; Wisconsin Gazette 7/26/2013

Pro-Choice Advocates Protest Restrictive Abortion Bill in North Carolina

Posted on July 29, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

5259452915_f3ec5b6830_z — Photo by Andy Callahan via flickr

Abortion rights advocates in North Carolina are holding two 12-hour vigils to protest a restrictive bill that could close some abortion clinics in the state.

The protestors, organized by Planned Parenthood, are camping outside NC Governor Pat McCrory’s office. The vigils will take place from 10 AM to 8 PM today and tomorrow. The advocates are urging McCrory to veto a bill that would impose unnecessary restrictions on abortion clinics and force all but one clinic to close. McCory, who made a campaign promise that he would not sign any abortion restrictions into law, has pledged to sign the bill arguing that the restrictions are actually safeguards.

The bill in question forces abortion clinics to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers, requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, and also allow medical personnel to deny abortion-related care, including referrals, if it conflicts with their morals.

Media Resources: SF Gate 7/29/2013; News Observer 7/28/2013; WCNC, 7/27/2013; Feminist Newswire 7/26/2013

Cancellation of Sequestration Would Lead to 1.6 Million New Jobs

Posted on July 26, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

According to a new analysis released by The Congressional Budget Office, a full cancellation of the sequester by August 1 would allow for the creation of up to 1.6 million jobs. It has been predicted that sequestration will lead to the loss of up to 700,000 jobs as well.

via 401K 2012 on flickr

Current predictions indicate that spending cuts are more harmful to the American economy than they are helpful. Moving forward, however, bipartisan action is unlikely. President Obama supports “a combination of targeted spending cuts and tax increases to further reduce budget deficits” rather than sequestration. Currently, the deficit and national unemployment rates stand at $16.9 trillion and 7.6.

The sequester has been costly, leading to considerable cuts on social programs such as Head Start and Section 8 housing vouchers, as well as the International Monetary Fund’s lowering of the United States’ GDP growth projections. If the spending cuts were cancelled, however, American economic activity would see a small increase of 0.7 percent and a lower. Chris van Hollen (D-MD), ranking member of the CBO, said that “while we’ve made important economic progress in the last few years, it is indefensible that Congress would impose self-inflicted wounds on our still-recovering economy, especially while so many families are still struggling to make ends meet.”

Media Resources: Reuters 07/25/2013; Huffington Post 07/25/2013; ThinkProgress 06/06/2013; ThinkProgress 07/26/2013

Outrage Over Continuing Child Marriage in Nigeria

Posted on July 26, 2013March 5, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

6820632738_2d1511d802_z — Photo credit: Nestlé

There has been outrage since the Nigerian Senate voted on July 16th to allow girls to marry without age restrictions. Social justice and women’s rights advocates have decried the decision, arguing that instead of child marriage protections there need to be advancements in girls’ education. The United Nations Population Fund notes that 20% of Nigerian girls get married before 15 and 27% of married girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are in polygamous marriages. They also note that “only two per cent of 15-19-year-old married girls are in school.”

According to Maryan Wais, chairperson of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, “Child marriage, from available statistics, ultimately happens the efforts of these young adolescents from acquiring an education, as sooner than later, they find it difficult to combine the onerous responsibilities of being a wife and mother, with schooling.” Bisi Fayemi, the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, called for support from feminist groups stating, “I am not only disappointed in the decision by the Senate. As a mother, I am ashamed, I am unhappy and I am pained that our senators, who also have female children, will vote for child marriage.”

Media Resources: All Africa 7/25/13; Daily Post 7/24/13; All Africa 7/22/13

North Carolina Senate Passes Abortion Restrictions

Posted on July 26, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

8634329145_095b60d683_z — Photo Credit: Government & Heritage Library, State Library of NC

The North Carolina Senate passed SB 353 Thursday in a vote of 31 to 13, moving the bill which restricts abortion from the legislature to the Governor’s desk for final approval. SB 353 is the Senate version of theHouse motorcycle safety bill that passed over a week ago. Lawmakers added abortion provisions in at the last minute in the House.
Although North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said on the campaign trail that he would not sign into law any bills that further restricted abortion access, his statements about this bill have been largely unclear. After an earlier version of the bill passed he said he would not sign it into law unless “significant changes” were made, but after the House version passed he made a statement on his website saying it would ensure women’s safety.”

The bill will increase facility requirements at clinics by allowing the Department of Health and Human Services to impose any requirements that currently exist for outpatient surgical centers on them, and also bans abortion based on gender, requires a doctor be present during an abortion, and eliminates insurance coverage for the procedure for local government employees as well as people who receive health coverage via the federal exchange established by the Affordable Care Act. Only one of the state’s 16 existing clinics currently meets the new requirements.

Media Resources: Bloomberg Businessweek 7/25/2013; Charlotte Observer 7/25/2013; Huffington Post 7/25/2013; Feminist Newswire 7/18/2013, 7/11/2013; FMF Blog 7/12/2013

DOJ Will Counter Gutting of Voting Rights Act

Posted on July 25, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will seek preclearance of voting laws from areas through federal courts in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to nullify Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Holder announced that the DOJ will ask a federal judge to require the state of Texas to submit changes to the Justice Department for preclearance for ten years as part of a pending lawsuit filed by Latino state lawmakers who believe a redistricting law is racially prejudiced. “Based on the evidence of intentional racial discrimination….as well as the history of pervasive voting-related discrimination against racial minorities that the Supreme Court itself has recognized, we believe that the state of Texas should be required to go through a preclearance process whenever it changes its voting laws and practices,” Holder said.

via myJon on Flickr

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which determines which districts have to submit changes in their voting practice and regulation regardless of size to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in accordance with Section 5 of the VRA, is unconstitutional. In doing so, the Court essentially nullified Section 5 requiring preclearance in voting regulation changes. However, the Court left intact a part of the law that allows a judge to require states and municipalities obtain preclearance for changes to voting laws.

Holder continued, “Even as Congress considers updates to the Voting Rights Act in light of the Court’s ruling, we plan, in the meantime, to fully utilize the law’s remaining sections to subject states to pre-clearance as necessary. My colleagues and I are determined to use every tool at our disposal to stand against such discrimination wherever it is found.”

Media Resources: New York Times 7/25/2013; Politico 7/25/2013; Washington Post 7/25/2013 Feminist Newswire 6/25/2013

House Passes Bill Investigating Discharges of Military Sexual Assault Survivors

Posted on July 25, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

via The Skyline View on flickr

Yesterday the House passed an amendment to the 2014 defense appropriations bill that seeks to increase support of military sexual assault victims who have faced separation from the military based on alleged mental disorders.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), one of the most outspoken advocates of military sexual assault victims in congress, introduced the amendment. Its passing will result in $65 million allocated to the cause of identifying victims who were dismissed after illegitimate psychological evaluations and further reviewing their records of discharge. Speier’s amendment passed by voice vote, along with another amendment to the appropriations bill that sets aside $10 million in order to further train the military’s criminal investigators. Both amendments seek to address the problems recently raised by military sexual assault victims that pertain to the conflicting interests that exist when reporting sexual assault crimes within the military chain of command.

According to a recent investigative report, victims who report sexual assaults to their commanders are often subject to biased psychological evaluations that can likely result in their discharge from the military. This focus on mental health cases is an important first step in addressing the epidemic of military sexual assault. “Mental-health diagnoses are rampantly misused to administratively discharge or retaliate against survivors of sexual assault,” Rep. Speier emphasized yesterday. “These dismissals are like scarlet letters, pinned where medals should be.”

Media Resources: Houston Chronicle 7/24/13; Feminist Newswire 4/17/13; Military Times 7/24/13; San Antonio Express-News 7/25/13; San Francisco Chronicle 7/24/13

Senate Passes Student Loan Reform Bill

Posted on July 25, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

On Wednesday, the Senate passed legislation to lower interest rates on student loans 81-18. If the bill is passed in the House, it will reach President Obama, who has expressed his support of the legislation and urged Congress to also tackle the rising cost of tuition and the existing $1 trillion in student debt.

The bill will retroactively lower interests rates as of July 1, counteracting the earlier doubling of student loan interest rates . As of now, the undergraduate Stafford rate will be 3.86 percent, while the graduate Stafford rate will be 5.41 percent. PLUS loans, which go to parents and graduate students, will be 6.41 percent for the 2013-2014 school year. The legislation will also tie interest rates to market rates and the 10-year Treasury note and cap the interest rates at 8.25 percent for undergraduate loans, 9.5 percent for graduate loans, and 10.5 percent for PLUS loans. These caps are all higher than the current rates.

Although proponents of the bill claim it is a long term solution, opponents have criticized it for likely shouldering future students with higher rates. Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of the 16 Democratic Senators who voted against the bill, says that the bill “asks tomorrow’s students to pay more in order to finance lower rates today.” She proposed an amendment with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to cap interest rates at current rates, but the amendment failed. Another amendment proposed by Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT) to extend the new rates for two years also failed.

Media Resources: Sources: USA Today 7/24/13; Politico 7/24/13; Washington Post 7/24/13; Time 7/1/13; Bloomberg 7/24/13

photo by jjorogen via flickr

North Carolina Advances Extreme Voter Suppression Legislation

Posted on July 24, 2013July 24, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

A North Carolina Senate committee passed new extreme restrictions on voting rights on Tuesday. NC conservatives amended House Bill 589, which would prevent hundreds of thousands from voting because of strict photo-identification requirements, changes to early voting and voting registration.

The measure outlaws counties from extending voting time by one hour on election day, usually done to accommodate large crowds of voters. Pre-registration for 16 and 17 year-olds and same-day registration are also prohibited under the bill. The bill would also shorten early voting by one week, from 14 days to only eight days. In North Carolina’s last election, around57% of voting was done during early voting.

Policy coordinator for the state NAACP, Jamie Phillips, stated, “No one is being fooled. This bill was crafted to make voting disproportionately harder for certain groups.”

These extreme voter suppression measures come after the Supreme Court ruled a key provision of the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional earlier this month.

Media Resources: Maddow Blog 7/23/2013; The Nation, 7/23/2013; WRAL, 7/22/2013

Teva Pharmaceuticals Gets Exclusive Rights to OTC Emergency Contraception

Posted on July 24, 2013June 11, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

The US Food and Drug Administration has given Teva Pharmaceuticals, the makers of brand name emergency contraception pill Plan B One-Step, exclusive rights to sell their product on store shelves without age restrictions for three years. Generic versions of pill will remain behind the counter and only be available to those 17 years of age or older.

Plan B One-Step costs approximately $50, whereas generic versions cost between $35 and $40. However, with the exclusive rights for Teva, the cost-effective versions will still be denied to young girls or those who do not have government issued identification, creating a barrier for many women and girls. Teva has promised to not increase the price of the drug while it has market exclusivity.

Janet Crepps, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told reporters “The FDA should have left open the option for all generic and potentially more affordable brands of emergency contraception to be made widely available, without delay.”

The FDA cites clinical data Teva submitted in June that showed that Plan B One-Step could be safely taken by young teens as justification for exclusivity. Former FDA assistant commissioner for women’s health, Susan Wood, told the Boston Globe, “The rationale behind exclusivity is that if a company does essential new research to get their product approved over-the-counter, they should get protection from generics for a little bit longer. But the data Teva was asked to collect wasn’t actually essential, and now we’re left in a confusing situation that makes it more expensive for women to get full access to emergency contraception.”

In April, US District Judge Edward Korman ruled that the FDA must make single-pill versions of the morning-after pill available to women and girls of all ages and that it be made over the counter. Korman did not mandate that the restrictions be lifted from the two-pill versions. In June, the Obama Administration announced that itwould not challenge the US Second Circuit Court’s upholding of Korman’s ruling.

Media Resources: Boston Globe 7/24/2013; ThinkProgress 7/23/2013; Feminist Newswire 6/11/2013, 6/5/2013, 4/5/2013

Federal Judge Delays Enforcement of Alabama Abortion Law

Posted on July 24, 2013August 1, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

US District Judge Myron Thompson has delayed the implementation of an Alabama law that would severely limit access to abortion services from August 2013 to March 24, 2014. The law, which mandates abortion clinics conform to the same standards as ambulatory care centers and requires doctors to attain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, would eliminate three out of the five clinics in Alabama currently offering abortion services.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood have filed a joint lawsuit against the law in an attempt to block the provision that requires doctors have admitting privileges in local hospitals. Currently, the majority of clinics in Alabama have doctors who travel from out of state perform procedures. These doctors partner with local doctors with admitting privileges to provide necessary follow-up care. With the new measure, the doctors themselves must have the admitting privileges. According to the lawsuit, many local hospitals deny these privileges to abortion doctors because the hospital is opposed to abortion or the clinic is too far away according to hospitals standards.

The law, coined the “Women’s Health and Safety Act,” was signed into law in April. According to the Gutmacher Institute, Alabama is the 15th state [PDF] to mandate abortion doctors to attain hospital-admitting privileges.

Media Resources: Reuters 7/24/2013; Associated Press 7/23/2013; Guttmacher 7/1/2013; Feminist Newswire 4/10/2013

Federal Judge Blocks North Dakota Six Week Abortion Ban

Posted on July 23, 2013August 1, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

Yesterday a federal judge placed a temporary block on North Dakota’s ban on abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Signed into law in March, the abortion law in North Dakota bans the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can usually be found around the six-week mark. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland said that North Dakota’s abortion ban, which is the nation’s earliest ban, is “clearly invalid and unconstitutional.”

In his ruling, Hovland inserted a reminder that “the United States Supreme Court has unequivocally said that no state may deprive a woman of the choice to terminate her pregnancy at a point prior to viability.” Tammi Kromenaker, the director of the lone North Dakota clinic Red River, said that the ruling allows women in the state “an opportunity to find out they’re pregnant and think through their decision” thoroughly. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit against the six-week ban, as well as a lawsuit that challenges a measure prohibiting sex-selective abortions or terminations for genetic defects.

The Red River clinic has also challenged a North Dakota TRAP law (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) requiring doctors that perform abortions to have admitting privileges at local hospitals even though they are needed in emergency cases. The judge has yet to hand down a ruling on the TRAP law.

Media Resources: Associated Press 7/22/2013; MSNBC 7/22/2013; Washington Post 7/22/2013; Feminist Newswire 3/26/2013

USC Under Investigation for Mishandling Sexual Assault Cases

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

The United States Department of Education (DOE) has opened an investigation into the mishandling of sexual assault cases by the University of Southern California (USC) and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The DOE’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the schools under Title IX, a law that bans discrimination on the basis of gender, and the Clery Act, which requires cases of sexual assault to be reported to the DOE. This comes after USC and Dartmouth students filed complaints in May of this year alleging mishandling of sexual assault cases.

Tucker Reed, a USC student who filed a complaint with 13 other students and a few unnamed students, alleges that USC administrators and the Department of Public Safety failed to respond appropriately to sexual assault reports. In the complaint, Reed states that she was told “because he stopped, it was not rape,” and “even though his penis penetrated your vagina, because he stopped, it was not a crime.” After being informed of the investigation by the Office for Civil Rights, Jody Shipper, the USC Title IX Coordinator, noted that USC is looking forward to working with the DOE and “the university remains vigilant in addressing any issues promptly and fully as they arise.”

Reed began the complaint process after speaking with faculty and students at Occidental College. The case brought by USC is the latest in a line of colleges being investigated for failure to properly report and act on sexual harassment cases. Investigations are already underway for similar allegations at Swarthmore College, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Media Resources: Bloomberg 7/22/13; Huffington Post 7/22/13; LA Times 7/22/13; Reuters 7/22/13; Feminist Newswire 5/24/13

photo by greatdegree via flickr

Review of “Stand Your Ground” Laws Receives Bipartisan Support

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Feminist Newswire

Leaders of both political parties have spoken up in favor of reforms to the “Stand Your Ground” laws that have been associated with the high profile case of the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.

Originally Zimmerman was not charged for the incident by Florida police, citing the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law . However after the case gathered national attention and scrutiny, the state of Florida filed second degree murder charges against Zimmerman two months later. Though the defense did not use the “Stand Your Ground” law as part of their argument, Zimmerman was found not guilty of all charges.

On Friday, President Obama candidly discussed racial profiling in light of the Trayvon Martin case. In a speech, he said “You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is, Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago…There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me.” He continued by calling for states to re-evaluate their “Stand Your Ground” laws. He questioned, “I’d just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? Do we actually think he would’ve been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman because he followed him in a car?” He continued by suggesting that if there’s ambiguity in the answer, the laws should be reviewed.

President Obama found an unlikely supporter on the subject in Senator John McCain (R-AZ). The former presidential candidate against Obama also suggested that “Stand Your Ground” laws need to be revised in an interview on Sunday. While McCain did not question the verdict or proceedings in the Martin case, he did support legislative review of the state laws. “I can … see that Stand Your Ground law may be something that needs to be reviewed by the Florida Legislature or any other legislature that has passed such legislation,” he told Candy Crowley. He also disagreed with fellow Republican Senator Ted Cruz (TX) who chided Obama’s speech as an attempt to undermine gun ownership. McCain told Crowley, “Isn’t this time for us to try to come together? Isn’t it time for America to come together in light of several weeks of what is really exacerbating relations between elements of our society? I’d rather have a message of coming together and discussing these issues rather than condemning…I just respect [Cruz’s] view, but I don’t frankly see the connection.”

Media Resources: Sources: International Business Times 7/21/2013; CBS 7/19/2013; NPR 7/19/2013; ThinkProgress 7/19/2013; Feminist Newswire 7/15/2013

Groundbreaking Journalist, Helen Thomas, Dies at 92

Posted on July 22, 2013March 5, 2020 by Feminist Newswire

Helen Thomas, a trailblazing journalist who has been a fixture in White House reporting for over 40 years, died on Saturday at the age of 92.

A correspondent for United Press International for almost 60 years, Thomas was known for her brazenness and direct questions. Beginning with the Kennedy Administration, Thomas question 10 presidents about difficult subjects. In a statement, President Obama said “Helen was a true pioneer, opening doors and breaking down barriers for generations of women in journalism. She covered every White House since President Kennedy’s, and during that time she never failed to keep presidents – myself included – on their toes.” She was famous for her standard “Thank you, Mr. President” conclusion, which has even been incorporated into feature films about the White House.

“Helen Thomas was a strong feminist who deeply believed in women’s rights and fought for them,” said Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “She was fierce in her quest to expose the truth. We will miss her.”

Thomas was the first woman to join the White House Correspondents’ Association and the Gridiron Club, a prestigious Washington reporters’ organization. She later became the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and the first female president of Gridiron. She battled with the National Press Clubin the 1950s and 1960s alongside fellow female reporters Fran Lewine (Associated Press) and Elsie Carper (Washington Post) to gain admittance. They were only allowed to sit in the balcony at the National Press Club in 1956, and won full membership rights in 1971.

In a statement honoring Thomas, the Gridiron quoted her as once saying “There is something about the White House that seems to encourage secrecy. Our role is really to try to make presidents accountable. The media, is the only institution in our society that has the privilege of questioning a president on a regular basis and making him accountable.”

Media Resources: NPR 7/20/2013; Reuters 7/20/2013; Washington Post 7/20/2013; UPI 7/20/2013