Charter school teachers in Chicago are on strike this week, the first formal strike against a charter-school operator, after the Acero Schools charter network failed to re-negotiate their contract with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) on December 4th. Teachers are fighting against low wages, overcrowded classrooms, short lunch and recess breaks, insufficient resources and support […]
Reproductive Justice and Immigrant Rights Activist to be Deported
Reproductive justice and immigrant rights activist Alejandra Pablos has been denied asylum and ordered to be deported by an immigration judge in Tucson, Arizona. Alejandra has lived in the United States almost her entire life and has been fighting deportation for eight years. Advocates are now calling on Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to pardon Alejandra. […]
Judge Allows Alleged Baylor Rapist to Serve no Time
Former Baylor University fraternity president, Jacob Anderson, will not serve jail time or be put on the sex offender registry even though he allegedly raped a fellow Baylor student in 2016 at his fraternity’s, Phi Delta Theta, party. Anderson was initially charged with four counts of sexual assault but will only have to pay a […]
Planned Parenthood Wins Out Over State Attempts to Strip Medicaid Funding
In a win for reproductive rights advocates, today the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a case between Planned Parenthood and the states of Louisiana and Kansas concerning respective state laws that sought to strip Planned Parenthood of Medicaid funding. This decision means that the appeals court rulings that blocked the respective laws from going into effect will remain in place and Medicaid patients will continue to be covered at Planned Parenthood clinics for non-abortion related procedures.
Tennessee Supreme Court: Cyntoia Brown Must Serve 51 Years Before Eligible for Parole
On Thursday, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Cyntoia Brown–a sex-trafficking victim who at 16 was sentenced to life in prison for killing a 43-year-old Nashville man who bought her for sex–will have to serve at least 51 years in prison before being eligible for release.
Lawsuit Filed after NYPD forces Woman to Deliver Baby While Handcuffed
A lawsuit was filed on Thursday against the New York Police Department after officers forced a Bronx woman to give birth while shackled and handcuffed in February.
Annual Survey of Afghan People Shows Progress for Women and Girls
The Asia Foundation has released their annual Afghanistan survey titled Afghanistan in 2018: A Survey of the Afghan People. It showed an improvement in the perception on the rights and participation of women and girls in society, but there are still many challenges faced by women in the region.
US Border Patrol Agent Indicted on Capital Murder Charge
Juan David Ortiz, A US border patrol agent, was indicted on capital murder charge for killing four women and kidnapping one woman. Ortiz was also indicted on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of unlawful restraint with reckless exposure to serious bodily injury, and evading arrest. His charges make him […]
Gender Wage Gap Larger Than Previously Thought
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research released a new study that claims that women today earn only 49 cents to a man’s dollar, not the 80 cents previously stated. While the earnings gap between men and women has narrowed, progress in the past 15 years has decreased. However the study does not break the findings […]
Wisconsin Republicans Undermine Election Results by Stripping Incoming Democrats of Power
The Republican-controlled Wisconsin state legislature has voted to strip Democratic Governor-elect Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul of a significant amount of power, a last ditch effort by lame-duck Republican Governor Scott Walker to undermine the democratic process after losing his race in November. Governor Walker is expected to sign the bill into […]
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Overcrowded Tijuana Migrant Shelter Closed Due to Health Issues
A sports complex in Tijuana that sheltered over 5,000 migrants closed due to health issues and poor sanitary conditions. Since Thursday, migrants have been transferred from the sports complex to a new shelter and by Sunday, most migrants have been transferred. However, CNN officials found groups of migrants camping outside the gates of the sports […]
Russian Official Calls for New Laws to Combat Domestic Violence, Regrets Decriminalization
Today, Russia’s human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova admitted that she regrets Russia’s decision to decriminalize domestic abuse last year and called for new laws to protect women and children from domestic violence. Moskalkova stated today that she “believes that decriminalization was a mistake and we need to adopt a law to combat domestic abuse.” She […]
Oklahoma Senator’s Bill would Classify Abortion as Homicide
On Saturday, Oklahoma Senator Joseph Silk introduced the Abolition of Abortion in Oklahoma Act (SB13), a bill that not only criminalizes abortions, but classifies abortions as homicides that can be punishable by life imprisonment. Whilst discussing the bill, Senator Silk equated seeking an abortion to killing a one-year-old child. According to Sen. Silk, SB 13’s […]
Democratic Majority to Prioritize Passing the Dream Act and Immigrant Protections
Nancy Pelosi promised to pass legislation protecting Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) once the House Democratic majority convenes in January. Colleagues are urging Pelosi to schedule a vote on bills that protect Dreamers and TPS immigrants from deportation and provide pathways to citizenship within the first 100 days of the new Congress. […]
Introduction of National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2019
On Thursday, the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) announced they will introduce the very first National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights when the new Congress convenes next year. The bill, co-sponsored by Representative Pramila Jayapal and Senator Kamala Harris, would increase wages, labor conditions and protections for domestic workers. Domestic workers are often underpaid, and […]
UN Report Finds Majority of Female Homicide Victims are Killed by Partners or Family
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a report this week that found that more than half of all female homicides were caused by intimate partners or relatives, depicting the home as one of the most dangerous places for women. The report also found that legal efforts to decrease these homicides and protect […]
Democratic Women’s Working Group and Representatives Condemn New Title IX Rules
Yesterday, the Democratic Women’s Working Group (DWWG), along with Representatives Jackie Speier, Lois Frankel, Brenda Lawrence, and Annie Kuster and 77 House members, sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to retract her recently proposed rules for Title IX. In the letter, the representatives denounce the proposed rules, calling the rules a […]
Trump Administration Urging States to Undermine Key ACA Rule
The Trump administration advised states today to disregard the Affordable Care Act rule that states that federal insurance subsidies can only apply to people purchasing insurance in marketplaces created through the ACA. These subsidies are the only form of government assistance for monthly insurance premiums. This new advice is called “waiver concepts” because they target […]
Former Police Chief is Among 14 Charged of Organizing Baby Trafficking Ring in Peru
On Saturday, the a court in Peru sentenced former Peruvian Police Chief General Raul Becerra, his wife Cinthia Tello, and two others to 18 months in preventative prison on charges of organizing a baby trafficking ring. Fourteen people are accused of targeting poor pregnant women seeking abortions, and then urging the women to carry their […]
Nancy Pelosi Closer to Being the Next Speaker of the House
The first round of voting for House Democratic Leadership was completed on Wednesday, putting Nancy Pelosi one vote closer to being the next Speaker of the House. Following a fight to ensure she would have enough votes to regain speakership in the upcoming Congress, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, unopposed, handily won her election. Throughout the […]