It’s been more than six months since President Obama called on Congress to pass a $1.9 billion emergency Zika funding bill, but they have yet to appropriate any money towards the public health epidemic that has now infected at least 21,000 individuals in the US and its territories, 1,800 of whom are pregnant.
Apple’s Inclusive iOS10 Emojis Release Blemished by Company’s Toxic Work Environment
Apple’s highly anticipated release of empowering female emojis has been scarred by the leaking of over 50 pages of emails that reveal the company’s misogynistic work environment.
Obama Administration Issues Title IX Guidance to K-12 Schools
Today the Obama administration released notices to K-12 schools concerning their obligations to prevent and address sexual harassment and assault under Title IX.
Carla Hayden Becomes First Woman and First African American Librarian of Congress
Carla Hayden, the former head of Baltimore’s public library system, was sworn in Wednesday as the 14th librarian of Congress, making history as the first African American and the first woman to ever hold this position.
Army Approves Gender-Transition Surgery for Chelsea Manning
This past Tuesday, the United States Army approved gender-reassignment surgery for Chelsea Manning, who is currently serving 35 years in a Kansas military prison for distributing classified information to WikiLeaks.
Victory for Louisiana Planned Parenthood
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision of a lower court on Wednesday, ruling that Louisiana cannot deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood clinics for non-abortion procedures.
Middle School Girls Fight Sexist Dress Code Policy
A group of girls at Urbana Middle School in Frederick County, Maryland are protesting their school’s sexist dress-code policy by wearing large yellow shirts marked “I am more than just a distraction.”
NCAA Rescinds North Carolina as Host for Championship Games in Wake of HB 2
The NCAA announced yesterday that they will not be holding any championship games in North Carolina this school year due to the state’s discriminatory anti-LGBTQ law, commonly referred to as HB 2.
Food Insecurity in US Still High with Devastating Consequences for Teens
A new report released last week by the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service found that while the percentage of American’s experiencing food insecurity has gone down, the risk of hunger in the United States is still high, with potentially devastating impacts.
Tanzania Expands on Their Anti-LGBTQI Agenda
This past week, the Tanzanian government and the Deputy for Health, Community Development and Gender issued a threat condemning all LGBTQI equity groups in the country.
Victory for Water Protectors in North Dakota Pipeline Standoff
On Friday the Obama administration announced that it would temporarily block construction of the Dakota Access pipeline in one specific area, handing a victory to environmental and Native American “water protectors” who just that day had received a federal court ruling denying their petition for an injunction on the project.
Congress Passes Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights
On Tuesday Congress unanimously passed the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, which ensures that victims do not bear the financial cost of their own rape kits and that they will be appropriately informed of that kit’s results and legal status.
Wisconsin Must Reimburse Legal Fees of Groups Fighting Abortion Restrictions
The U.S. District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin ruled Thursday that the state must pay out a $1.6 million settlement to several plaintiffs, including Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, as reimbursement for the legal fees they incurred fighting the state’s unconstitutional admitting privilege law.
Kentucky Supreme Court Ruling Creates Further Setback for Abortion Access
In August, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld a Kentucky Court of Appeals ruling, creating further setbacks for women seeking an abortion in the state. The effort to reopen the EMW Women’s Clinic located in Lexington was denied over a licensing dispute with the State Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This makes EMW Women’s Surgical […]
A New Clinic is Opening in Oklahoma City
There is a new women’s clinic opening this weekend in Oklahoma City, a city that for years has been the largest metropolitan area in the country without an abortion provider.
Lawmakers Push for Zika Funding Bill that Protects Family Planning
Yesterday, the Senate blocked the House’s inadequate Zika response bill that would cut funding for Planned Parenthood.
Senate Fight on Zika Funding Continues
After a seven-week-long recess, Congress returns to work today, with the Senate expected to vote on funding to combat the Zika virus
Thousands Join Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to Protest Oil Pipeline
Thousands of protesters have been gathering at the Cannonball River on the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota to stop construction of a $3.7 billion oil pipeline that the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe says will endanger its main water supply.
New Jersey Governor Vetoes $15 Minimum Wage
This week New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $8.38 to $15 dollars an hour by 2021.
Supreme Court Will Not Revive North Carolina Voter Restriction Laws
Yesterday the Supreme Court deadlocked over North Carolina’s appeal to revive parts of the state’s 2013 voting laws that were recently struck down by a federal appeals court.