After seven years of debate and revisions, the New York Senate yesterday passed clinic access legislation expected to be signed by Gov. George Pitaki (R). The Clinic Access and Anti-Stalking Act of 1999 was praised by Planned Parenthood of New York City as a positive measure for women in the state of New York. The […]
In response to rising numbers of violent crimes against gay military service members, President Clinton this week issued an executive order strengthening the military criminal code’s penalties for crimes “motivated by hatred based on the victim’s race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation.” The amendment also includes a privilege of confidentiality between service members and their […]
Milwaukee prosecutors this week filed a rape charge against an assailant whose identity is known only by his DNA, a new tactic that prosecutors hope will allow rape cases to be prosecuted after their 6-year statute of limitations has passed. In this case, DNA samples taken from three rape victims showed that they were all […]
Fourteen AIDS activists were arrested Wednesday in front of Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky’s office during a protest against US policies inhibiting poor countries from getting AIDS drugs. The protestors claim that US policy, which sanctions countries that sell generic brands of AIDS drugs, is driven by pressure from large pharmaceutical companies that seek to maintain […]
Former UPS Logistics president and CEO Ray Thurston agreed to pay a settlement to Diane Latone for making “sexually offensive, intimidating and hostile comments” about Latone’s two daughters. The suit filed against Thurston claimed that he had suggested making Latone’s daughters his “mistresses” in return for cash, gifts, housing, and the use of his jet.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in an important show of solidarity with the international movement for women’s rights, spoke out against the Taliban’s treatment of women. Speaking at the California Governor’s Conference for Women, Ms. Albright pledged U.S. support for women and girls in Afghanistan stating that the rights of women must be included in […]
Massachusetts for Life attempted to stop the confirmation of Margaret Marshall as Chief Justice for the Supreme Judicial Court because of her involvement with the Chrittenton Hastings House, a pro-choice reproductive health center for single mothers that performs abortions. The group charges that because of her involvement, Marshall cannot “remain objective” on the issue of […]
In a suit filed against Cracker Barrel, a national chain of 391 restaurants, the NAACP charges that Cracker Barrel does not give promotions or access to management positions to black workers. In addition, the suit cites racist comments and behavior. Cracker Barrel has a history incidents of discrimination, having fired workers in 1991 because of […]
On October 4, a panel defended itself against criticism for outlawing an anti-rape television commercial because it offended men. In the ad, South African actress Charlize Theron responds to her own question about “what South African men are like” by citing rape statistics. According to South African police, South African women are nearly three times […]
The latest issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report concludes that from 1900 to 1997, maternal death rate in the United States has declined almost 99% to an average of less than 0.1% per 1000 live births. However, the rates vary across various income brackets and ethnic groups. The Report attributes the decline to […]
New earnings figures show that the wage gap still exists for women and people of color in spite of a thriving economy and low unemployment rates. According to 1998 earnings data released on September 30 by the Census Bureau, women still earn 73 cents on the dollar compared to men—this is down from the 74 […]
The U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA) on Monday warned that the Taliban offensive in the Shomali region north of Kabul will likely result in a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Afghans were forced out of their homes and into the Panjsher valley by the Taliban and supply routes for aid have […]
A Clinton Administration proposal to impose sanctions against Afghanistan’s state-run airline will likely be supported by the U.N. Security council, White House staff suggested today. The sanctions, meant to pressure the Taliban into handing over Osama bin Laden, would involve a total freeze on the airline’s assets and a ban on flying outside Afghan territory. […]
The Supreme Court starts a new term today, set to hear several cases that will affect millions of women throughout the United States. The Court has agreed to hear cases involving the Violence Against Women Act, which gave rape and domestic violence victims the right to sue their attackers for violating their civil rights. Analysts […]
Despite a prosperous economy and government efforts to expand coverage, the number of Americans without health insurance has grown by about 1 million since last year, according to figures released today by the US Census Bureau. More than 44 million Americans are living without coverage, including large groups of Latinos, women, young, and the underprivileged. […]
The “Halloween Hell House,” sponsored by Colorado’s Abundant Life Christian Center is back this year with scare tactics aimed at terrorizing teens with scenes of death and destruction centered around controversial social issues, such as abortion, teen sex, and AIDS. In one scene, visitors see a gay couple’s bed replaced after a few years with […]
Thursday conservative lawmakers in the House passed HR2436, a bill that would erode abortion rights by elevating a fetus to the status of “personhood” for the first time. The bill would make it a federal offense to harm a fetus during the commission of a federal crime. While supporters of the bill, such as Rep. […]
In a report released this week by the Worldwatch Institute, one-third of the drop in world population growth projections were contributed to AIDS related deaths. “If a low cost cure is not found soon, countries with adult HIV infection rates over 20% such as Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, will lose one fifth of more […]
Thursday evening the Senate passed the Dodd-Jeffords Child Care Amendment, increasing the funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to $2 billion for fiscal year 2000. The CCDBG is a flexible fund that allows parents to choose the kind of care that their children will receive. Despite strong bipartisan support at both […]
Today at noon, the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, led by the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, will file the first-ever legal brief against the United States for Economic and Human Rights Violations against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A march beginning at 10am in Lafayette Park will stop at the Inter-Americas Commission to […]
