House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) was indicted today on one count of criminal conspiracy by a grand jury in Texas for violating the state’s election code. He has announced he will temporarily step down as majority leader under House Republican Party rules, according to the Associated Press. Jim Ellis, the head of DeLay’s national […]
Since the so-called Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act was signed into law by President Bush in 2003, it has been successfully challenged in three states—California, New York and Nebraska—as being unconstitutional, and never enforced. Now, US Solicitor General Paul Clement, has filed an appeal of the ruling in the Nebraska case, Gonzales v. Carhart, which […]
Illinois Judge John Belz on Thursday denied a petition to block enforcement of Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich’s emergency order requiring pharmacies to fill emergency contraception prescriptions. The suit was brought by Americans United for Life, on behalf of two pharmacists. Judge Belz found they had not met legal requirements necessary to temporarily block the law. […]
Over 370 people participating in nonviolent civil disobedience outside the White House to protest the Iraq war were arrested yesterday, including Cindy Sheehan and 36 members of CodePink. The protesters were delivering reasons to end the war in Iraq submitted by people worldwide at www.onemillionreasons.org, a campaign launched by CodePink. For example, a reason from […]
Women’s rights activists in Iraq are sounding the alarm that certain freedoms, particularly freedom of dress and movement, exercised by women even under the regime of Saddam Hussein, are being degraded and threaten to disappear. Iraqi feminist activist Ban Jamil, who runs the Rasafa Branch of Assyrian Women Union, told Agence France Presse that “women […]
A recent study conducted by researchers in the US and South Africa has found that HIV infection is three times more common in South African women ages 15 through 24 than in men of the same age group. Researchers anonymously tested nearly 12,000 South Africans for the disease in 2003, as well as conducted household […]
After serving as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner for two months, Lester Crawford on Friday announced his resignation. Crawford, who served as acting commissioner for more than a year prior to being confirmed, wrote in his resignation letter that “it is time at the age of 67 to step aside.” Christina Pearson, a spokesperson […]
Sheri O’Dell, former action vice president for the National Organization for Women (NOW) (1987-1990) under both Eleanor Smeal and Molly Yard, died Sunday morning after a battle with lung cancer. O’Dell was a “firebrand” West Virginia organizer who became a dynamic and very popular president of West Virginia NOW. She successfully ran with Smeal in […]
On Saturday, in the largest anti-war march since the beginning of the Iraq war, an estimated 300,000 people gathered in Washington, DC. Smaller protests were held in other cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, London and Rome, with the San Francisco event drawing an estimated 50,000. The Washington march featured a variety of prominent activists and […]
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 yesterday to send the nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to the Senate floor. The lone woman on the committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), voted against John Roberts, saying, “…I’m the only woman on this committee. And when I started, I said that […]
The US Senate on Thursday approved a $100 billion appropriations bill for agriculture, food and drug programs, but left off an amendment proposed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) that would have required the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finally make a yes-or-no decision on Barr Pharmaceutical’s application to sell the […]
The state of Maine will no longer take federal funding for abstinence-based sex education, because federal guidelines for using the funds disallow the teaching of safe-sex practices. California and Pennsylvania previously turned down the federal monies because of the restrictions put on them. Since 1998, Maine had accepted the funds—about $160,000-$175,000 annually—and used them primarily […]
A bill that would fund and encourage microbicide research was introduced on Tuesday in the US House by Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Chris Shays (R-CT), and Danny Davis (D-IL). The Microbicide Development Act would authorize federal funding for 2006-2007 and establish a federal plan for cooperation in microbicide research and development among the National Institutes […]
Molly Yard, an indefatigable advocate for women’s rights, passed away last night in her sleep in Pittsburgh at the age of 93. Yard had suffered a major stroke in 1991, but kept working until the late 1990s at the Feminist Majority. Throughout her long life, Yard worked for women’s rights, civil rights, workers’ rights, and […]
Women’s groups reported in shock last week that Norris Alderson, PhD, a specialist in veterinary medicine, had been appointed to replace Susan Wood as acting director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health. However, late on Friday, the FDA appeared to do some damage control, announcing the appointment of Theresa Toigo, who […]
The House of Representatives last week voted 223-199 in favor of an amendment from Representative John Conyers (D-MI) that adds actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability to federal hate crime laws. The amendment to the Children’s Safety Act provides grants to the states to help prosecute these crimes. The measure was […]
In a statement on the floor of the Senate today, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced he would vote against the confirmation of John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Senator Reid based his decision on his deep concerns over Judge Roberts’ approach to civil rights and women’s rights. “It is now […]
In a victory for same-sex marriage, the Massachusetts legislature rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage but legalize civil unions last week. In only two hours of deliberation, the state House and Senate voted against the amendment 157-39. The legislature had passed the amendment 105-92 just last year, but the amendment needed approval of […]
Media reports on the parliamentary elections in Afghanistan on Sunday were varied and scant. Generally, news accounts revealed that the election went smoothly, with “scattered” violence. Turnout was lower than expected—estimates ranged from 35 percent to 50 percent of registered voters going to the polls. The 35 percent estimate is from an NGO, FEFA (Free […]
The Massachusetts state legislature on Thursday voted to override Governor Mitt Romney’s veto of legislation requiring hospitals to offer emergency contraception to survivors of sexual assault and allowing pharmacists to dispense the medication without a prescription. The vote was unanimous in the Senate, and passed by a large margin of 139-16 in the House, reports […]
