According to a new report by Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), autocratization is on the rise worldwide, alongside anti-autocratic resistance. V-Dem’s Democracy Report 2020, which compiled 123,118 datasets with the help of three thousand country experts, notes an unprecedented global decline in democratic traits. For the first time since 2001, democracies no longer constitute the majority […]
Benny Gantz Elected Israeli Speaker, Handing Power Back to Netanyahu
After a year of political deadlock in Israel, Benny Gantz was elected Speaker of the Israeli Parliament and expressed his desire to form an emergency national government. Gantz is set to serve in a Netanyahu-led government, Gantz’s main political rival. Gantz’s backing will now almost certainly allow the indicted prime minister to continue in his […]
Activists and Politicians Honor Female Excellence During Women’s History Month
Throughout the chaos and uncertainty of the past weeks, with the coronavirus pandemic and the last of the female candidates exiting the 202 democratic presidential field, Women’s History Month has been overshadowed by worldwide fear and social upheaval. Despite all of this there has “arguably never been a more significant time to consider how women’s history […]
New Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Shows Coronavirus Weighs More Heavily on Women
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 […]
Colorado Abolishes the Death Penalty
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 […]
Schools Offer Drive-Thru and Pick-Up Lunches for Vulnerable Students
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 […]
Coronavirus Threatens Rural Hospitals Already On The Brink of Closure
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 […]
US Homeless Population Highly Vulnerable to Coronavirus
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 […]
Richest 10% Using 20 Times More Energy than Bottom 10% of the Global Population
An international study led by researchers from the University of Leeds studied global energy inequality of income classes from 86 countries. The study concluded that the richest ten percent of people consume nearly 20 times more energy than the bottom ten percent. The researchers combined World Bank and European Union data to analyze how diverse […]
French Priest Confesses to Abusing Dozens of Children
Earlier today Bernard Preynat, a 75-year-old ex-priest, was convicted and sentenced to prison for five years for sexual assault. Preynat admitted to abusing dozens of boys for nearly 20 years in Lyon, France. The case highlights the profound corruption within the Church’s establishments with the guilt of a top cardinal deepening the world’s understanding of […]
As Coronavirus Spreads, So Does Inequality Among Infected Persons
The coronavirus is deepening economic inequality throughout society, especially among those infected with the virus. Research suggests that those of lower incomes are more at risk to catch the disease, die from it, and even if they manage to remain healthy they are more likely to suffer income loss. Additionally, inequality itself may be creating […]
Women Resist, but Continue to Suffer Under Boko Haram
Over 500 women have been used by Boko Haram as suicide bombers during the decade-long war that has occurred in Nigeria and has spread to three neighboring countries. According to terrorism experts, this number is higher than any other conflict in history. Boko Haram is one of the most lethal terrorist organizations on the planet, […]
Colorado Replaces Columbus Day with A Paid Holiday That Celebrates a Woman
Colorado passed a bill this week to replace Columbus Day with Cabrini Day in an effort to better represent the diversity of its community. It will now be the first paid state holiday in the country to celebrate a woman. The holiday now honors Frances Xaxier Cabrini or Mother Cabrini, an Italian American Roman Catholic […]
Guatamalan Refugee Maria Celeste Ochoa Yoc de Ramirez Dies in ICE Custody
22-year-old Maria Celeste Ochoa Yoc de Ramirez died in ICE Custody in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday. This marks the eighth death in ICE Custody since October. The cause of death was “autoimmune hepatitis, complicated by septic shock and acute liver failure,” according to an ICE Press release. Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez had been hospitalized […]
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Continues to Dominate; Fight with U.S. Soccer Federation Ongoing
The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) gained yet another win in a soccer game against Spain in the SheBelieves Cup yesterday, shutting them down with a narrow 1-0 win. A win against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), however, is less certain. There is no dispute that the USWNT continues its domination on the […]
Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday morning. The sentencing comes after a jury found him guilty of rape and a criminal sexual act on February 24. He was acquitted of two counts of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape. Justice James A. Burke of the New York State Supreme Court […]
Alabama Executes Yet Another African-American With Case Discrepancies
The state of Alabama executed death row inmate Nathaniel Woods last night for allegedly murdering three Birmingham police officers in 2004. Pronounced dead at 9:01pm local time, Woods gave no final statement, according to the state corrections department. He was 44 years old at the time of his execution by lethal injection. Alabama Governor Kay […]
Native Women’s Art Featured in Exhibit at Smithsonian Art Gallery
While having largely gone unrecognized for their contributions, Native American women have been and continue to be a major force within the Native American art tradition. A new exhibit entitled Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists is attempting to close the gap. The exhibition will have its third opening in its national tour at […]
Seattle Women’s March Set to Align with International Women’s Day
The majority of the annual Women’s Marches took place in January, but the Seattle Women’s March will happen on Sunday, March 8 which is International Women’s Day. March coordinators wanted to shift the focus of the event away from presidential issues and back to women’s issues. Originally the postponing of the march was reportedly because […]
Ruth Bader Ginsberg Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at DVF Awards
Ruth Bader Ginsberg, affectionately known to many as “The Notorious RBG”, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for “being a trailblazer, contributing to gender equality and supporting women’s issues” at Diane von Furstenberg’s awards ceremony Wednesday night. The DVF Awards were created in 2010 by von Furstenberg to honor extraordinary women who are making an […]
