Amazon workers across the globe are striking because of grueling production demands, unsafe working conditions, and many other issues during the company’s largest two-day sales event—from July 15 to July 16th—known as Amazon Prime Day. Amazon released a statement in response to workers striking, claiming, “Events like Prime Day have become an opportunity for our […]
Black Maternal Health Caucus Holds Stakeholder Summit at the Capitol
Last Thursday afternoon, the Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC), composed of Congress members, such as co-founders Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Alma Adams (NC-12), Jackie Speier (CA-14), and Ilhan Omar (MN-5), gathered to hear the opinions of the stakeholders involved in developing a course of action to how to best deal with the issue of discrepancies […]
Afghan Director Roya Sadat’s Movie Wins Best Screenplay at SAARC Film Festival
On July 7, “A Letter to the President” by renowned Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat won Best Screenplay at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Film Festival in Sri Lanka. Afghanistan’s Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Mohammad Ashraf Haidari, received the award on Sadat’s behalf. The festival featured 34 films from the eight SAARC countries: […]
Parliament Votes to Protect Same-Sex Marriage and Abortion in Northern Ireland
Last week, U.K. members of parliament (MPs) voted to extend same-sex marriage and abortion rights in Northern Ireland via two measures that will go into effect as long as the regional government in Northern Ireland remains defunct. The Chief Executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Ann Furedi, told CNN that Tuesday’s vote on abortion […]
Women Make up 25% of the Student Population at Afghanistan’s Higher Education Institutions
At Afghanistan’s higher education institutions, 25% of the student body population are women, including Tehmeena Painda, one of the highest achievers of the ‘Kankor’ University entrance examination- earning her a spot at Kabul Medical University. This is an amazing achievement for young women in Afghanistan, where girls were prohibited from going to school during the […]
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration’s Birth Control Exemptions
Last Friday, the 3rd U.S Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a nation-wide injunction to block the Trump administration from enforcing new rules that would allow employers to obtain exemptions from an ACA requirement that insurance must cover women’s birth control. This decision upheld a district court decision issued in January that blocked regulations issued by […]
Oklahoma Judge Upholds Ban on Second-Trimester Abortions
The Center for Reproductive Rights has vowed to take an Oklahoma abortion-ban to the state Supreme Court after an Oklahoma district judge upheld a law banning second-trimester abortion procedures last Friday. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has previously rejected multiple anti-abortion bills similar to this ban. The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the Oklahoma law after […]
U.S. Pledges to Include Afghan Women in Peace Talks
After a week of marathon talks in Doha among Afghans, the U.S. Special Envoy for Reconciliation to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, reassured that the U.S. is not “running and cutting” from Afghanistan. Mr. Khalilzad was speaking to an audience at Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security at Georgetown University, via a video link from Qatar. […]
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Acosta Resigns as Labor Secretary After Criticism Over Lenient Epstein Plea Deal
Today, Alex Acosta formally resigned as labor secretary amid controversy stemming from a lenient plea deal he offered as US Attorney to billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was indicted last week on charges of sex trafficking and abuse. During Acosta’s announcement, Trump emphasized to reporters that the resignation was solely Acosta’s decision. Yesterday, House Democrats called […]
As the Border Crisis Persists, Take Action Today
The most recent string of reports from the border demand our attention—and our action. Earlier this month, the Homeland Security Inspector General released a scathing report detailing overcrowding and other inhumane conditions at detention centers along the border, much of which has been confirmed by recent visits to facilities by lawmakers. “After I forced myself into a […]
ICE Raids Plan to Arrest and Deport Thousands of Immigrant Families
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is scheduled to begin raids in major cities this Sunday to deport thousands of undocumented migrants, according to former and current officials of the Department of Homeland Security. This order is known as “collateral” deportations, which targets families, and includes the deportation of over 2,000 migrants. The New York Times states […]
Judge Blocks Ohio’s Fetal Heartbeat Law
Last Wednesday, U.S District Judge Michael Barrett temporarily blocked an Ohio law that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, allowing clinics to continue to provide abortions. The law was slated to take effect this month, but Judge Barrett issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the law from taking effect while it is […]
Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein Indicted on Charges of Sex Trafficking
This week, federal prosecutors charged Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier, on sex crimes, including allegation that he ran a sex-trafficking ring that involved underage girls as young as 14. Multiple women have come forward accusing Epstein of sexual assault and abuse. Prosecutors say that “thousands of sexually suggestive pictures of young women and girls seized […]
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Wins World Cup Title
The U.S. women’s national soccer team defeated the Netherlands on Sunday in an impressive and exciting match, securing its fourth Women’s World Cup title. Star players Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle both scored a goal in the second-half, giving the U.S. a comfortable lead that it successfully sustained for the remainder of the match. At […]
Virginia Governor Calls Special Session on Guns
Tuesday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam called a special session on guns in response to the May 31 Virginia Beach shooting; however, Republicans adjourned the legislature until November after 90 minutes in session. The Governor hoped to pass bills on gun control to prevent further mass shootings in a state with some of the weakest gun […]
Black Teenager Murdered for Playing Rap Music
The hashtag “#JusticeforElijah” has been trending across social media platforms following the murder of the 17 year old black teenager Elijah Al-Amin by 27 year old Michael Adams, a white man, at a Circle K in Peoria, Arizona. Adams remains in jail for pre-meditated murder and is being held on a $1 million bond, but […]
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First Black Miss Tennessee Crowned last Weekend
History was made last weekend when Brianna Mason was crowned Miss Tennessee, becoming the first African-American woman to win the title in the pageant’s eight-decade history. By winning Miss Tennessee she will now get the chance to compete in the Miss America pageant later this year. This win is part of a larger trend of […]
Hawaii Establishes Third Non-Binary Gender Classification for State IDs
Governor Ige of Hawaii signed HB1165 into law, establishing a non-binary gender option on applications for state-issued IDs and driver’s licenses. The law, which will go into effect on July 1, 2020, allows applicants to select “F,” “M,” or “X” as their gender on government ID applications and does not require applicants to provide documentation […]
Taliban Car Bomb Shakes Kabul as “Peace” Talks with U.S. Continue
Today, after a relatively peaceful period in Afghanistan, the Taliban detonated a car bomb during morning rush hour in Kabul. The car bomb is said to have rocked the entire city, killing at least 16 people and injuring 105 people, including 51 children and five women. The United Nations, NGOs working in Afghanistan, and the […]
Suit has been Filed against Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion ban
Last Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit against Georgia’s restrictive six-week abortion ban in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The legal challenge states that the Georgia law is “an attack on low-income Georgians, Georgians of color, and rural Georgians, who […]