A US Appeals Court yesterday overturned Monday’s ruling granting a temporary injunction that prevented Texas from defunding Planned Parenthood. Judge Jerry Smith of the 5th Circuit Court of appeals issued an emergency stay, giving Texas the right to enforce its law that would cut off funding to Planned Parenthood in the state. Under a rule […]
An Indiana Catholic School teacher is suing the diocese because school officials allegedly fired her for undergoing in vitro fertilization in violation of the Church’s teachings. Emily Herx, a teacher in Fort Wayne, Indiana, received favorable evaluations during her eight years of teaching literature and language arts at the Catholic school. When she learned she […]
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton vetoed on Monday the second anti-abortion bill that was brought before him this month. The bill, passed in the legislature 76-47, would require a doctor to be present during a medication abortion. Under a current program in the state, patients are able to take the medication necessary to induce an abortion […]
A federal court ruled on Monday that Texas cannot exclude Planned Parenthood from the state’s women’s health program. A group of eight Planned Parenthood organizations filed the lawsuit against the state of Texas in mid-April to prevent the state from excluding them from the program. In March, Governor Rick Perry implemented a rule that excludes […]
Women across the country participated in marches and rallies on Saturday to protest recent attempts to roll back women’s rights. State legislators have passed or tried to pass laws to limit women’s reproductive rights throughout this year. Proposed legislation included personhood bills, fetal heartbeat laws, and ultrasound laws. The rallies were held in over 30 […]
The United States and Afghanistan announced last week that the two countries have agreed on a draft of a strategic partnership which establishes US support in Afghanistan for a decade after the removal of combat troops. Combat troops are due to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014. Under the agreement, which must still be approved by […]
Aung San Suu Kyi, who won a seat in Myanmar’s (previously Burma) parliamentary election in the beginning of April as a member of the opposition National League for Democracy party, will take the country’s oath of office. The oath ends the opposition party’s boycott of the parliament. The decision is seen as a step towards […]
Muslim women in India are fighting to bring gender equality to marriages, reports the New York Times. The women are lobbying for equal gender rights in marriage, divorce, and property rights. They are demanding compulsory registration of marriages with the state, the establishment of a system of financial support for wives, and the prohibition of […]
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton vetoed a bill on Thursday that intended to put restrictive licensing requirements on abortion clinics. The bill would have required any clinic that performs at least ten abortions a month to pay for a license. The cost of the license would be $3,712 a year. Clinics would also be inspected semiannually […]
The White House hosted a panel on Tuesday highlighting women trailblazers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The panel was held to encourage young women to enter these fields. The panel included Jocelyn Goldfein, director of engineering at Facebook, Dr. Cady Coleman, a NASA astronaut and retired colonel in the US Air […]
The US Senate voted 68 to 31 to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) today. The bill is the first to include access to law enforcement and services for Native American women, better access for immigrant women who fear deportation if they report violence, and better access for LGBT victims. The bill now moves […]
A former altar boy testified on Wednesday that he was sexually abused by a Philadelphia priest. The testimony occurred during the landmark case against Monsignor William Lynn who has been charged with child endangerment and conspiracy for allegedly failing to act in response to cases of alleged priest sex abuse of children. The victim testified […]
US Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Tuesday that the Justice Department will establish a new coordinator within DOJ to specifically focus on human trafficking. In a speech in Little Rock, Holder reaffirmed the US’s commitment to combating trafficking all over the world, including domestically. In his speech, Holder said that the new coordinator will […]
The male-dominated Marine Corps announced on Monday that it will allow women to train in Quantico, Virginia at its infantry officer school. Women will also be allowed to participate in ground combat battalions. Marine Corps commandant General James F. Amos announced these new rules in an All Marine Message (ALMAR). According to General Amos, 40 […]
The Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments today on Arizona’s controversial 2010 immigration law. The Obama administration has challenged Arizona’s law on the grounds that it conflicts with Federal immigration policy and that the state overstepped its power. The Arizona law includes tough provisions intended to curb illegal immigration. Controversial parts […]
Florida Governor Rick Scott vetoed $1.5 million in funding for the state’s rape crisis centers this week. Scott’s decision will affect 30 rape crisis centers across 67 counties in Florida. Scott’s press secretary told the Huffington Post that the governor vetoed the legislation because”this new funding of $1.5 million would have been duplicative, since, as […]
A school in Afghanistan continues to educate girls despite violent threats, reports the Washington Post. Started by two brothers in Spina, the school provides local girls with an education that they cannot receive from the US-funded school that is only for boys. The school opened in 2007 after the US-funded girls’ school was destroyed. The […]
The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) issued a <a href= “http://www.scribd.com/doc/90910497/EEOC-Ruling” target= “_blank”>ruling</a> on Monday that provides protection from workplace discrimination for transgender individuals. The ruling holds that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against employees or job applicants on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, and national […]
Common Cause filed an IRS claim against the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) on Monday, claiming that group has lobbied in violation of its 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. ALEC has denied the claims, saying the group studies legislative ideas and policy. ALEC’s general counsel, Alan P. Dye, told reporters that ALEC’s “purpose […]
The Tennessee State Senate passed a bill on Monday night that will apply the state’s murder and assault laws to embryos. In a 28-2 vote, the State Senate decided that when a pregnant woman is harmed, prosecutors should be able to bring murder and assault charges on behalf of a second victim, the embryo. Opponents […]
