In cooperation with the growing needs of Michigan’s health care workforce in its fight against the coronavirus and the high rate of transmission/number of cases in Michigan, Michigan State University (MSU) is now ending its programs early to make newly graduated students available to help the state’s health care field fight against the coronavirus. MSU’s […]
Attorneys General Urge the FDA to Allow Use of Mifepristone by Mail During COVID-19 Pandemic
In response to abortion-related concerns taking place during the COVID-19 outbreak, a group of 21 attorneys general are urging the federal government to allow pregnant individuals to use mifepristone if they would like to terminate their pregnancy without unnecessary travel. According to Huffington Post senior reporter Melissa Jeltsen, the current system in place requires that […]
Pay Gap Expected to Worsen Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Activists’ work to close the gender pay gap may be undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to experts, as women take time off or are laid off in order to care for others, any advances could be reversed. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports that women earn approximately one-fifth less than their male counterparts across […]
COVID-19 Activates Debate on Abortion Access Around the World
Globally, federal and local governments have adjusted abortion policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing shortage of medical supplies and stay-at-home orders as rationale for restriction. The government of the United Kingdom generated confusion among abortion providers, when a government website announced that patients would be allowed to access early medical abortion from home, […]
Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads to ICE Detention Facilities
A leaked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) coronavirus report reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed nine detainees in medical isolation. This report coincides with ICE’s confirmation that a detainee in New Jersey has tested positive for COVID-19. These developments suggest that the coronavirus has begun spreading in ICE facilities, placing ICE’s nearly […]
New Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Shows Coronavirus Weighs More Heavily on Women
A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation took a look at more than 1,200 Americans between March 11 and March 15 and found that stressors connected to the coronavirus have been negatively impacting women more than men. Caitlin Mullen, Biswomen contributor for The Business Journals, notes that “the coronavirus pandemic has meant keeping another […]
Obamacare Turns 10 This Week. Here’s How It Has Changed Healthcare in the US.
The Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act was signed into law a decade ago by former President Barack Obama, but even after being signed into law it faced countless attacks from political opponents, Supreme Court cases, and even found itself at the center of election debates on the topic of healthcare. However, the biggest challenge the ACA […]
TX, OH, LA Attempt to Ban Abortion in Midst of Global Pandemic
Abortion has been included as a nonessential surgery in Texas and Ohio in yet another attempt by lawmakers to ban abortion in the midst of a global pandemic. While the states pointed to a desire to save personal protective equipment for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19, abortion rights activists claim that abortion is, in fact, essential […]
Trans Community Uniquely Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic
The spread of the COVID-19 virus will affect everyone in the country in a number of tangible ways, such work closures, shelter in place mandates, and empty toilet paper aisles in grocery stores. Marginalized communities are particularly affected by this pandemic, and the trans community is no different. Closures and strained health care systems make […]
Coronavirus Threatens Rural Hospitals Already On The Brink of Closure
Hospitals across America are rapidly losing profits as they prepare for COVID-19. With normally lucrative services like elective surgeries and routine visits cancelled or delayed and the price of basic medical supplies like masks and ventilators soaring, more and more hospitals are being pushed towards the red zone. For already strained rural hospitals, coronavirus might […]
COVID-19 Spending Measures Stalled by Anti-Choice Lawmakers
On March 13, a Facebook post went viral, which claimed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stalled a coronavirus relief package in an attempt to authorize federal abortion funding. On the contrary, most evidence suggests that conservative lawmakers were focused on inserting the issue of abortion in the bill. A number of conservative lawmakers demanded that the […]
US Homeless Population Highly Vulnerable to Coronavirus
Homeless shelter staff and public health experts have raised concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus among the 550,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Medical researchers estimate that homeless people are twice as likely to contract COVID-19 than the general population due to limited access to hand sanitizer or clean water and crowding […]
ICE Continues Arrests as California Faces Coronavirus Pandemic
In the midst of California’s COVID-19 lockdown, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are continuing to make arrests, despite calls from immigration advocates for a suspension of enforcement activities. To limit the spread of COVID-19, Los Angeles has shut down a range of public services and business, including libraries, movie theaters, clubs, gyms, and concert […]
Need for Universal Paid Sick and Family Medical Leave More Urgent Than Ever
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19, also commonly referred to as coronavirus, has revealed a number of systemic flaws in the United States that must be addressed, including paid leave. While the nature of this medical crisis draws attention to the lack of paid sick leave, paid family leave is a benefit that should also […]
Immigration Courts to Stay Open During Coronavirus Pandemic
The Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review declared “operations as usual” for proceedings involving non-detained immigrants on Sunday night. The decision comes after Seattle’s immigration court was shut down last week after a report of second-hand exposure to coronavirus; it will remain shut until April 10. The order states that master calendar dates, […]
As Coronavirus Spreads, So Does Inequality Among Infected Persons
The coronavirus is deepening economic inequality throughout society, especially among those infected with the virus. Research suggests that those of lower incomes are more at risk to catch the disease, die from it, and even if they manage to remain healthy they are more likely to suffer income loss. Additionally, inequality itself may be creating […]
