Women in Afghanistan are being celebrated for unprecedented rises in female leadership and activism across social, political, and economic spheres.
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Supreme Court Rules on Major Gerrymandering Cases
The Supreme Court ruled on two major cases regarding gerrymandering on Monday. The decisions, a victory for Republican lawmakers in Texas and North Carolina, allow for the majority of the states’ voting districts to remain in their current design ahead of the 2018 elections.
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New Concerns Arise as Trump Signs Order to Allegedly End Family Separation Policy
President Trump signed an executive order today, claiming it will end the family separation policy his administration implemented in April. But legal analysts have voiced concern over language in the order that could allow for the indefinite detention of children with their parents, a practice that until now has been forbidden due to a 20 day legal limit on children’s stays in immigration facilities.
Judge Who Gave Light Rape Sentence Recalled
Aaron Persky, the judge who sparked national outrage after granting a light jail sentence to Stanford rapist Brock Turner, was recalled by California voters in their June 5 primary. It is very rare for a judge to be recalled: since 1911 when recalls were first legalized, only four attempts have been successful; the last was in 1932.
Supreme Court Upholds Ohio Voter Suppression Law
In a 5-4 decision last week, the Supreme Court upheld an Ohio law that removes voters from voter rolls after four years of inactivity. This reversed the 6th Circuit Appeals Court’s decision finding that the Ohio policy violated the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, a law that bans removing voters from voter rolls for failing to vote. The decision fell along ideological lines.
Virginia Medicaid Expansion to Begin January 1
Two weeks ago, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam approved a state budget that included allocations for Medicaid expansion. The expansion will go into effect on January 1 and will cover over 400,000 currently uninsured adults.
Iowa Heartbeat Abortion Ban Temporarily Blocked
On June 1, Polk County District Court Judge Michael Huppert temporarily blocked Iowa’s fetal heartbeat ban, SF 359, from going into effect until the case can make its way through the appropriate legal channels.
Sessions Reverses Asylum Protection for Immigrants Fleeing Domestic and Gang Violence
On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled that a 2014 Board of Immigration Appeals decision protecting victims of gang or domestic violence was “wrongly decided.” “Generally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors will not qualify for asylum,” Sessions wrote. “The applicant must show that the government condoned […]
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Death Toll from Hurricane Maria Higher Than Originally Reported
Fourteen Democrats from the House Committee on Natural Resources have called for an investigation into the Harvard study published last week that concluded Hurricane Maria caused 73 times more deaths than originally claimed by the U.S. government.
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Illinois Becomes the 37th State to Ratify the ERA
On Wednesday, with a required three-fifths vote (72-45) in the state House, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The United States is now only one state short of guaranteeing women’s equality in the U.S. Constitution.
Sex Segregated Public Education Is Increasing, But It Can Be Stopped
Last month, the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) released “Tracking Deliberate Sex Segregation in K-12 Public Schools,” its third multi-year report based mainly on 2013-14 data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The report found and named 794 public coed U.S. schools that reported having single-sex academic classes and 75 all-girl and 58 all-boy public schools.
Court Upholds Rights of Transgender Student Under Title IX
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Arenda Allens ruled in favor of former-high school student Gavin Grimm by refusing to dismiss his case against the Gloucester County School Board over the right of transgender students to use bathrooms that corresponds to their gender identity.
When Misogyny Kills
More than half of mass shootings have been committed by gunmen with a history of violence against women.
Saudi Arabia Arrests Women’s Rights Activists
The government of Saudi Arabia has arrested numerous women’s rights activists less than a month before the country is due to formally legalize female drivers. The women, who worked as vocal campaigners’ in the #women2drive movement, have been charged with suspicious activity and crimes of treason, a common smear and intimidation tactic employed by Saudi authorities to denigrate political activists.
Trump’s Anti-Abortion Domestic Gag Rule Strips Funding from Women’s Clinics
Under this new rule, any clinic that receives Title X funding for family planning and reproductive healthcare would be barred from providing any information, referrals or services for abortion.
Afghan Girls Robotics Team Continues Success
After first gaining fame in the summer of 2017, the Afghan Girls Robotic Team continues to wow the world following an incredible international tour. The most recent success for the team of six young women was in Ontario, Canada, where they were honored with the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Award.
Louisiana Set to Pass 15 Week Abortion Ban
Last week the Louisiana state House passed a bill banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, challenging nearly half a century of legal precedent set in 1973’s Roe v. Wade. The bill has already been passed by the state Senate and now waits the Governor’s signature.
Federal Appeals Court Hears Title IX Complaint Brought by Feminist Majority Foundation
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard oral arguments in a Title IX sex discrimination complaint brought by the Feminist Majority Foundation against the University of Mary Washington and UMW’s former president Richard Hurley.
Pennsylvania Women Win Big in Primaries
Pennsylvania currently has no women serving in the U.S. Congress, but that could soon change following a strong performance from women candidates in yesterday’s primary race, many of whom have a strong chance at winning their general elections.
Arizona Teachers Strike to Protest Low Wages and Funding Cuts
Yesterday, Arizona teachers successfully ended their five day walkout after the Governor signed a plan giving educators a 19 percent pay raise.