Government officials in Louisville are working to declare racism a public health crisis. The city has been the site of continued demonstrations protesting the murder of Breonna Taylor by police officers, and a growing number COVID-19 outbreaks – which will disproportionately impact Black people. The Mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer, along with three Metro Council […]
Idaho Inmate Becomes Second Ever to Receive Gender Confirmation Surgery
After years of legal disputes, Adree Edmo has received gender confirmation surgery, making her the second incarcerated person in the country to undergo the surgery while in prison. Edmo, a trans woman, has been in the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections since 2012. Upon her arrival at a men’s prison, she was […]
Trump Administration Places Further Limitations on DACA in Defiance of Court Order
On Tuesday the Trump administration took further action to limit the scope of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced in a memo that the Trump administration would not accept new applications for DACA and would force those currently enrolled in […]
Women Experiencing COVID Symptoms Are Disbelieved & Disregarded by Medical System
The story of one woman, Ailsa Court of Portland, Oregon, illuminates an issue that has existed far before the COVID-19 pandemic – disbelieving women’s pain. Court’s symptoms began in early March, and she is still experiencing “shortness of breath, achiness in her lungs, and a strange tingling in her calves”. Throughout her struggle, numerous doctors […]
18-Year-Old Transgender Activist Pulled Into Unmarked Van by NYPD
A popular video of an unmarked Kia minivan stopping near a protest against the New York City Police Department (NYPD) shows a group of plainclothes officers using physical force to push a protester down to the pavement and shoving her into the unmarked car. The protester, named Nikki Stone is an eighteen-year-old transgender woman who […]
Historic Number of Black Women Running for Congress in 2020
Women in politics are breaking barriers and setting records left and right in 2020, amid unprecedented circumstances that have shaped national conversations and altered the ways that elections are administered and campaigns are run. Most recently, a piece in Reuters shared that a record number of Black women are set to run for Congress in […]
U.N. Report Documents State Violence Against Repatriated North Korean Women
The U.N. human rights office released a report Tuesday showing women in North Korea faced violent human rights abuses in prison after being forcibly returned to the country when seeking employment abroad. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report cites testimony from more than 100 women who escaped after their detention. Detainees […]
Parents in ICE Detention Must Keep Their Children in Detention or Release Them to Sponsors
Hundreds of parents in ICE custody are being forced to decide whether to release their children to sponsors or waive their children’s right to be released. Two court orders from separate human rights lawsuits have forced this choice. In the first decision, Federal Judge Dolly Gee in California demanded that ICE release all of the […]
Judge Temporarily Blocks Tennessee Abortion Ban
A federal judge temporarily blocked Tennessee’s abortion law on Friday. The law – or “heartbeat bill” – would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks. The bill was previously stopped through a temporary restraining order by District Judge William L. Campbell less than an hour after […]
At Least 47 Arrested After Seattle Protests Declared a Riot
Seattle police arrested at least 47 people Saturday night at a protest against the presence of federal law enforcement in cities such as Portland, Oregon. The protestors are facing charges of assaulting officers, obstruction of justice, and failure to disperse. Approximately 5,000 people attended the demonstration, which police claim escalated into a riot. Police said […]
New Planned Parenthood Clinic in Alabama Offers Abortion Services
In Birmingham, Alabama a Planned Parenthood clinic in the Southside area has opened and plans to offer abortion services to the community. The clinic had a soft opening on July 14 and is now open for business. The vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood Southeast, Barbara Ann Luttrell said “It’s 11,000 square feet, […]
Anti-Abortion Democrats Press Democratic National Committee to Change Party Platform
Over 100 anti-abortion Democrats have signed a letter calling for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to adopt a party platform less supportive of abortion. The letter was written by Democrats for Life, an organization of pro-life Democrats. It was signed by a number of prominent Christian pastors, anti-abortion organizers, and professors of religion. The letter […]
U.N. Women Calls Attention to Shadow Pandemic of Domestic Violence, Economic Insecurity
As gender-based violence and job loss become growing concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the executive director of U.N. Women highlights the struggles faced by women during this time. In a statement released earlier this year, U.N. Women reported rising numbers of calls to domestic violence helplines and shelters worldwide during the pandemic. Alongside this, government […]
Democratic Women Take to the House Floor to Address a Culture of Hostile Sexism
After Representative Ted Yoho (R-FL) failed to apologize for a vulgar verbal attack on Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) earlier this week, claiming that he “cannot apologize for his passion,” Ocasio-Cortez and her female Democratic colleagues addressed the incident on Thursday. In their speeches, these representatives dissected the unmistakable patterns of dehumanization and sexism that women […]
Michigan Judge Declines to Release Black Girl Detained for Skipping Online Class
A Michigan judge declined on Monday to release a Black teenage girl from juvenile detention for failing to complete her schoolwork after classes transitioned online because of the pandemic. The judge deemed that the 15-year-old, referred to with her middle name Grace, was benefitting from the detention and should not be allowed to return home. […]
Elderly Cancer Patient Patricia Wright Released from Prison Amidst COVID-19
Patricia Wright, a 69-year-old cancer patient and inmate, was released from prison Tuesday morning. Wright was granted an emergency release by California Governor Gavin Newsom amidst the pandemic. “I’ve been waiting for this day for 23 years, it is really indescribable,” said Wright. “Oh my God! I’m walking on cloud nine … I just want […]
Federal Judge Rejects Release of Detained Immigrant Families
On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected a plea to release immigrant families from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in response to growing concern over the spread of COVID-19. Judge James Boasberg, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Columbia, denied the blanket release of all families, believing that other options need to be […]
Trump Signs Memo to Exclude Undocumented Immigrants from Census Numbers
President Donald Trump signed a presidential memo Tuesday aiming to exclude the number of undocumented immigrant populations when redistributing congressional seats following the 2020 census. The unprecedented move, which civil rights advocates say is unconstitutional, comes a year after the Trump administration tried and failed to include a citizenship question in the census. If implemented, […]
PSA Targets Increase in Asian-American Harassment Linked to Fears of COVID-19
A new public service announcement (PSA), released by the Advertising Council (Ad Council) and created by Emmy-award winning writer Alan Yang, aims to combat the increase in harassment against Asian-Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last three months, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, along with Chinese for Affirmative Action, have collected reports […]
Planned Parenthood To Remove Margaret Sanger’s Name from Manhattan Health Center
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) announced yesterday that it plans to remove Margaret Sanger’s name from the Manhattan Health Center as a “public commitment to reckon with its founder’s harmful connections to the eugenics movement.” This removal is accompanied by a commitment to also rename an honorary street sign that marks the Margaret […]