Students rallied on Tuesday in Sacramento to support the passage of SB 24, or the College Student Right to Access Act, a bill that would require public universities to offer nonsurgical abortions at all student health centers. Last Friday the state Assembly Appropriations Committee voted for the bill, with 13 legislators in favor of the […]
France Moves To Address Femicide Problem As Domestic Violence Related Deaths Increase
The French government has taken measures to address the increase in domestic violence related deaths that have occurred in France since the beginning of the year, including a series of conferences to address the prevention of femicide, specific prosecutors and courts to handle domestic violence cases, and universal protocol to address the danger of women’s […]
Trump Administration Ends Deferred Action Program for Immigrants Seeking Medical Treatment
This week the Trump administration ended deferrals of deportation for immigrants with severe medical conditions, giving them only 33 days before they must leave the country and lose access to live saving treatment that they cannot receive in their home countries. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent out letters this week without any formal announcement […]
Department of Homeland Security Blocks Congressional Oversight Committee from Visiting Detention Centers
Rep. Elijah Cummings sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security yesterday expressing his alarm at DHS’s decision to block the House Oversight Committee from visiting 11 detention centers after previous visits revealed serious problems with the treatment of migrants being held in ICE custody. In his letter Cummings wrote that detainees had said in […]
OR Exits Title X Program Due To Abortion Restrictions
Oregon’s public health agency said Tuesday that it will withdraw from the Title X program and no longer use federal funds for reproductive health clinics due to the Trump administration’s restrictions on abortion care, making it the third state to leave the program since last week. The Oregon Health Authority sent a letter to the […]
OK Judge Rules Johnson & Johnson Must Pay $572 Million in Opioid Trial
An Oklahoma judge ruled on Monday that pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson is responsible in part for the opioid crisis that ravaged the state due to deceptive marketing practices and must pay $572 million. Judge Thad Balkman wrote in his ruling that Johnson & Johnson “engaged in false and misleading marketing of both their drugs […]
Harvey Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty To New Charges in Sexual Assault Trial
On Monday, a New York City grand jury returned an indictment that included two new charges against former film producer Harvey Weinstein, who pled not guilty, pushing the trial date from early this September to January of 2020. The charges came after new evidence was presented to the grand jury, allowing testimony from actress Annabella […]
Mayors Across the Country Condemn Trump Food Stamp Plan
Mayors from across the US came together today to sign a letter condemning Trump’s proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which would potentially disqualify 3 million people from receiving food stamps. According to the letter, the changes to SNAP would harm the most vulnerable populations in the U.S.: children, seniors, and people with […]
Trump Administration Instates Rules to Detain Migrant Children Indefinitely
The Trump Administration has moved to enact new rules that would overturn protections that mandate safe and sanitary conditions at detention facilities and allow border agents to detain migrant children indefinitely, claiming it will allow them to keep families together. Currently, the Flores settlement mandates that the government has 20 days to transfer migrant children […]
Chicago Man Arrested After Threatening to Attack Abortion Clinic on Social Media
19-year-old Farhan Sheikh was arrested in Chicago on Monday after making threats on social media to attack patients and doctors at an abortion clinic this coming Friday. Sheikh posted the threats on iFunny, a meme sharing app that is becoming a hot spot for right-wing extremists and white supremacists. He was taken into custody by […]
New York City Police Commissioner Fires Officer Who Put Eric Garner in Chokehold
The New York City Police Department announced Monday that it will be firing Daniel Pantaleo, the officer responsible for the chokehold that led to the 2014 death of Eric Garner which prompted protests against police brutality across the country. Pantaleo was fired two weeks after a disciplinary trial in which the presiding judge made a […]
Afghan Women Activists Demand a Prominent Role in Peace Talks
During a large gathering to celebrate Eid and Afghanistan’s Independence Day on Tuesday, women in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan courageously called on the Taliban to stop violence and take steps towards enduring peace in the country. Afghan women have repeatedly called for more representation in the ongoing peace negotiations aimed at ending 18 years […]
Planned Parenthood Announces Impending Withdrawal from Title X Program
Planned Parenthood says that it will withdraw from Title X just days from now unless a federal court intervenes to save their Title X funding. Due to the Trump administration’s “domestic gag” rule Title X recipients are prevented from performing, counseling, or referring patients to abortion services and providers, primarily affecting low-income patients seeking family […]
Birth Control Delivery Startups Threatened by CVS Proposal to Cut Reimbursement Rates
Birth control mail order services are in danger after CVS indicated it would cut reimbursement rates for home delivery, putting members in jeopardy of losing access to their birth control due to rising costs. #CVSDeniesCare began trending on Twitter Thursday after birth control mail order service Pill Club posted a public plea to the pharmacy […]
Philadelphia Mayor Makes Public Plea for Gun Control in Aftermath of Police Shooting
Mayor Jim Kenney (D) held a press conference last night in which he called on legislators to strengthen gun control laws after an eight hour standoff between police and an active shooter in North Philadelphia. The mayor expressed frustration and outrage at the excessive amount of weapons and ammunition the gunman seemed to possess. “Our […]
Stacey Abrams Says She Won’t Run for President in 2020, Is Open to VP Nomination
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams announced this week that she will not be running for president in 2020, but said in an interview with the New York Times that she would be open to a VP nomination from any of the 2020 Democratic candidates. Ms. Abrams said that her decision not to run ultimately […]
Survivors Still Seek Justice Against Jeffery Epstein, Turn to Civil Suits
This past weekend, Jeffery Epstein, who was convicted of prostitution charges and was recently charged for sex-trafficking, was found dead by apparent suicide in federal jail; however, accusers are still seeking justice through civil cases against Epstein’s estate. Geoffery S. Berman, chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan, ensured the public that the investigation will continue. He […]
Independence Day Afghan Women’s Handicraft Exhibition Uplifts Communities
This week, a three-day long exhibition of handicrafts made by Afghan women was showcased in Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, to celebrate the country’s 100th independence day. The handicraft exhibition was a part of several other upcoming programs focused on celebrating Afghan culture, people, and history. Women from the capital and neighboring provinces were able to […]
United Nations Report Demonstrates Urgency of Climate Change Policies
Early today, a United Nations (U.N.) report composed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released in Geneva, Switzerland, detailing the fast approaching effects of climate change and their impact on global food security. The report examined the correlations between various measures such as rising earth temperatures, soil degradation, and carbon dioxide emissions to […]
680 Arrested in Largest Recorded ICE Raid
This ongoing debate on immigration reform in the United States reached a new tipping point yesterday after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents invaded a food production plant in Morton, Mississippi, arresting 680 undocumented workers who were unable to provide identification. This is believed to be the largest single-state immigration arrest in the history […]