In October 2000, Michael Evans, an ex-Pennsylvania State Police trooper pled guilty to sexual offenses against three teenage girls and three adult women. He is currently serving a 5-10 year sentence in state prison for the crimes. Five of his victims have recently filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking damages from the Pennsylvania State […]
The House of Representatives voted yesterday 274 to 151 to pass an abortion procedure ban, which would outlaw late term abortions except when necessary to save the woman’s life. The bill does not include a health exception. A similar Nebraska ban was overturned in 2000 by the Supreme Court, which stated that the lack of […]
Speaking with a confident Texas lilt throughout much of this week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Priscilla Owen wavered uncharacteristically as she responded to questions from Senate Democrats about her stance on abortion rights. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), who led the hearing, raised issue with Owen’s […]
Pope Refuses To Visit With Sexual Abuse Victims Pope John Paul II rejected a request to meet with survivors of sexual abuse by priests during his current tour of Canada for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Youth Day. The Canadian chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), the group that requested […]
Responding swiftly to President Bush’s decision to cut the $34 million appropriated by Congress earlier this year for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the European Union (EU) stepped in with $31.8 million to fund projects by the UNFPA and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Calling Bush’s decision “irresponsible and counterproductive,” EU officials Ñ anticipating […]
Although Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D-DE) has scheduled a vote tomorrow on US ratification of the international women’s treaty, the Republicans may find a way to delay this important vote for the second time. However, in anticipation of this scenario, Biden scheduled three backup dates for the vote – next Tuesday, Wednesday […]
With conditions in Afghanistan still described as unstable, American soldiers will take over President Hamid Karzai’s personal security detail, Karzai’s Spokesman Said Tayab Jawab announced yesterday. Karzai made this decision in light of the assassination of vice president Haji Abdul Qadir in full daylight in Kabul earlier this month and the pervasive chaos and violence […]
In a departure from the position adopted by Catholic bishops regarding abusive priests last month, Roman Catholic religious orders may allow sexually abusive priests to remain within the religious community. The leaders of the 125 religious orders in the United States will meet in Philadelphia next month to discuss the growing scandal involving numerous alleged […]
A shooting at a clinic in Grand Rapids, Minnesota early yesterday morning marks the third shooting this month at Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota and Kansas. No one was injured in the three shootings, which occurred during the early morning hours when the clinics were closed, although damage was extensive. All three clinics provide family […]
In a move that will cost the lives of tens of thousands of women and children around the globe, President Bush officially announced yesterday that he will withhold $34 million in funds for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Bush made this decision despite Secretary of State Colin Powell’s earlier endorsement of the UNFPA’s “invaluable […]
ChevronTexaco announced yesterday it would suspend oil production in the Nigerian Delta due to a fire caused by lightning and an ongoing peaceful protest in which hundreds of Nigerian women have taken over several Delta flowstations. In the first takeover , 600 women occupied the Escravos terminal and held 700 workers inside to demand that […]
With a stanch record against abortion rights during her term on the Texas Supreme Court, Justice Priscilla Owen – President Bush’s ultra conservative nominee for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals – is slated to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow. Owen is expected to be closely questioned about her dissenting opinions in cases […]
An Iowa court recently ruled that the Storm Lake Planned Parenthood clinic must turn over names and addresses of all women who have received positive pregnancy tests between August 2001 and May 2002. Judge Frank Nelson first ordered the clinic to provide these records last month as part of an ongoing police investigation to identify […]
The Food and Drug Association (FDA) recently approved the dangerous date rape drug GHB for its first legal use as a medical product in treating a complication of narcolepsy, according to the Associated Press. Despite repeated warnings issued by the FDA and others about the use of GHB in date rape, Xyrem, GHB’s brand name, […]
The number of students enrolled in Afghanistan’s schools has increased dramatically over the last eight months, according to an ongoing survey by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) back-to-school program. With a campaign target of 1.78 million child enrollees nationwide, the survey Ñ which started in May and will end in September Ñ shows that […]
While education leads to significant increases in wages for all workers, increases in men’s salaries still outpace increases for women’s salaries at every level, according to a census report released yesterday as reported in the Washington Post. The report, which was the first to measure the benefits of additional schooling on wages, concludes that this […]
A procedural tactic was used yesterday by an anonymous Senator to delay a planned Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote on the international treaty for women’s rights. “Democrats and Republicans have historically used the rule to try and stop the action of a committee,” said Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), chairman of the committee. “We did not […]
Legislation that will allow President Bush to withhold $34 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was approved yesterday by a House-Senate conference committee. The $28.8 billion supplemental spending bill contains language that allows Bush to withhold monies that would have been used to fund vital healthcare programs for women and children across the […]
Despite opposition from the White House, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is poised to vote on long-delayed US ratification of the international women’s treaty today. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW), drafted by the United Nations in 1979 to define discrimination and gives states a plan of action to ensure […]
The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill to outlaw so-called “partial birth abortions” yesterday, according to the Washington Times. The House is expected to vote on the abortion procedure ban next week, according to the Times. Although President Bush has indicated he would sign an abortion procedure ban, the bill is not expected to pass […]
