On June 4th, the Court of Appeals in the 9th Circuit heard arguments from Juliana v. United States on whether or not US citizens’ have a constitutional right to be protected from man-made climate change. The students are challenging the executive government’s inaction on climate change, and argue that the younger generations will suffer the […]
Gay Civil Servant Wins Monumental Court Battle for LGBTQ Rights in Hong Kong
This week, Hong Kong Court of Final Appeals ruled that a gay official and his husband were permitted to spousal benefits and joint tax returns despite that same-sex marriage is still illegal in the city. Senior immigration officer, Angus Leung, sued the government in 2015 after the government refused to grant his husband spousal benefits. […]
Wisconsin Senate Passes Restrictive Anti-Abortion Legislation
Last week, the Wisconsin Senate approved four anti-abortion bills that outlaw abortion in cases where the fetus has been or may be diagnosed with a congenital disorder, empower the Department of Health Services to decertify any private abortion provider under the Medical Assistance program, and require doctors to inform patients taking their first dose of […]
Linda Fairstein Resigned from Vassar’s Board of Trustees for Involvement in Central Park Five’s Conviction
Linda Fairstein, former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, formally resigned from Vassar College’s Board of Trustees this week because of a widely circulated petition calling for her removal due to her involvement with the case of the Central Park Five, a heavily racialized 1989 court case that resulted in the wrongful conviction of […]
Alabama Mayor Mark Chambers Post Violent Anti-LGBT Rhetoric Faces Calls for Resignation
This week, Hometown Action and Equality Alabama have started petitions calling for the resignation of Mark Chambers, Mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama following his comments posted on June 4th on his personal Facebook page advocating for the “killing” of the LGBTQ community. This statement has caused backlash from his constituents and the LGBTQ Community. Chambers […]
North Carolina House of Representatives Failed to Overturn Governor Roy Cooper’s Veto of an Anti-abortion Bill
The North Carolina House of Representatives failed to overturn Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of an anti-abortion bill that would have required physicians to treat any newborn delivered during an abortion and grant the infant the same protections guaranteed to other patients. Known as a “born-alive” bill, this abortion ban would have made it illegal for […]
New CNN Poll Demonstrates Importance of Reproductive Rights in 2020 Campaign Dialogue
Yesterday, CNN released a poll of American adults concerning their opinions on abortion, finding that three in ten Americans consider reproductive rights to be the major factor in their voting decisions. The poll was conducted May 28-31 of this year and looked at individuals’ views on various laws restricting access to legal abortion and how […]
House Subcommittee Convened for a Hearing on the “Threats to Reproductive Rights in America”
On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties convened for a hearing on the “Threats to Reproductive Rights in America,” specifically focusing on abortion access in light of the abortion bans passed in Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama earlier this year, all of which severely restrict people’s ability to have safe […]
California Democratic Party Endorses FMF’s Boycott of Terranea Resort
This week, the California Democratic Party passed a resolution supporting the boycott of Terranea Resort, an effort started in 2018 by the Feminist Majority Foundation and California NOW when multiple women who worked at the resort came forward with allegations of sexual harassment. State senators, assembly members, city council members, and Congresswoman Katie Hill also […]
Today is the Ten Year Anniversary of the Murder of Abortion Provider Dr. George Tiller
Today marks the anniversary of the murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, who was gunned down in his church ten years ago by an anti-abortion extremist associated with the group Operation Rescue. At the time, Tiller was one of the only providers in the country to offer abortion care later in pregnancy.
Missouri’s Last Abortion Provider may Close Today
Missouri may become the first state without a clinic that provides abortion services after the Missouri health department refused to renew Planned Parenthood’s license to perform abortions, which expires today. The license expires because of what Planned Parenthood argues are politically motivated and arbitrary regulations targeted at the clinic and Planned Parenthood is suing the […]
Another Funeral for a Black Texan Woman in the Month of May
Funeral services were held on May 23 for Pamela Turner, an unarmed, 44-year-old Houston-area grandmother of three who was shot and killed by Baytown, Texas police officer Juan Delacruz outside of her suburban apartment complex on May 13 in what civil rights attorney Ben Crump has called an “unjustifiable execution.” The Rev. Al Sharpton gave […]
Funeral for Muhlaysia Booker Held Today at the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas
Hundreds are expected to gather today for the funeral of Muhlaysia Booker, a 23-year-old transgender woman, who was brutally assaulted in a hate crime in April and murdered ten days ago. The funeral is being held at the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas at 11 a.m. today. A month after the April assault on Booker, […]
Supreme Court Agrees to a Compromise on Indiana’s Anti-Abortion Law
Today, the Supreme Court agreed to a compromise regarding a restrictive Indiana anti-abortion, upholding part of the law that regulates the disposal of fetal remains while dismissing an appeal to reinstate the part of the law that banned abortions on the basis of fetal characteristics. The court’s decision argued that regulating fetal remains “does not […]
Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment will be on Louisiana’s Ballot this Fall
On Tuesday, the Louisiana Senate passed a bill (HB 425) that would allow Louisiana voters to decide whether or not to change the state’s constitution to further restrict abortion access at the ballot box this October. The passage of HB 425, also known as the “Love Life Amendment,” means that a constitutional amendment containing explicit […]
Mississippi Lawmaker Arrested for Punching Wife in the Face
This week, Republican Mississippi state Representative Doug McLeod was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after he punched his wife in the face for not undressing quickly enough when he decided he wanted to have sex. McLeod’s wife said her husband “just snapped” when he was drunk, something he does often when he drinks […]
Migrant Minor Dies in US Border Patrol’s Custody
Yesterday, Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez, a sixteen year old Guatemalan boy, died in U.S. Border Patrol custody in Texas after being detained for a week; he is the fifth minor to die in U.S. custody since December. The number of migrants held in ICE custody has now reached 52,398 people, an all-time record. Hernandez was […]
States are Passing Extreme Anti-Abortion Laws to Challenge Roe v. Wade
Yesterday, Alabama’s female Governor Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive and cruel anti-abortion legislation in the United States, legislation that female Representative Terry Collins introduced in the state house to challenge Roe v. Wade. This past week both Georgia and Alabama have passed extreme anti-abortion legislation, revealing the conservative agenda to overturn Roe […]
Anti-Abortion Extremist Testifies in Support of Louisiana’s 6 Week Abortion Ban
Today, the Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee unanimously voted to advance a bill banning all abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is frequently around 6 weeks, before many people know they are pregnant. It now goes to the full state House floor for a vote.
More than 1 Million Americans Lost Health Coverage in 2018
In 2018, more than 1 million Americans lost health coverage, continuing a pattern of decline since 2017 when Trump Administration and Congress decreased the Affordable Care Act requirements and regulations. In 2017, 29.3 million Americans did not have coverage and in 2018 this number increased to 30.4 million Americans, while previously the number of uninsured […]