Thursday 1 August 2013

News for Today

Contributed by Norhana Kamid

Texas Seeks to Pass Law Requiring Adoption Class Before Abortion
A law was proposed in Texas to require any woman seeking an abortion to take a 3 hour adoption class beforehand, Jezebel reported July 31. There would be exceptions for woman whose health is in imminent danger and teens victims of rape or incest.

More Women, Children Killed in 2013 Afghanistan 
Women and children are increasingly the victims of the 12-year-old war in Afghanistan, according to a U.N. report, Reuters reported July 31. The number of dead and injured civilians  increased by 23 percent in the first six months of 2013, compared to the same period last year.

8th Woman Accuses San Diego Mayor Of Sexual Advances
A San Diego woman told KPBS News in an exclusive interview on July 30 that Mayor Bob Filner tried to kiss her after a business meeting in 2011 when he was a congressman. Lisa Curtin, who is director of government and military education at San Diego City College, is the eighth woman to accuse Filner of unwanted sexual advances.

Ireland Enacts Law Provinding Life-Saving Abortion 
Ireland now has its first law making abortion legal in the country under specific conditions, after President Michael D. Higgins signed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 into law, NPR reported July 30. The legislation provides women with access to abortion in cases where their lives are at risk, including medical emergencies and cases in which suicide could be a factor.
 
North Carolina Governor Signs Bill Regulating Abortion Clinics
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law a measure to regulate abortion clinics based on the same standards as those for outpatient surgical centers, USA TODAY reported July 30. Critics say the move will close most of North Carolina's 16 abortion clinics because only one now meets the standards of an outpatient surgical center.
 
In the U.S. 30% of Women Struggle to Afford Diapers for Children 
Close to 30 percent of women surveyed in a new study reported diaper need, or having experienced a time when they couldn’t afford diapers for their children, Think Progress reported July 30. The peer reviewed study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that when faced with this situation, 8 percent of women had to stretch their diapers when the supply was running short. The inability to change a wet diaper can lead to urinary tract infections and diaper dermatitis.
  
Indiana, Planned Parenthodd Reach Agreement Over Funding Dispute
A federal judge halted the implementation of a law barring Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky from receiving Medicaid funding, the Indianapolis Star reported July 30. A law passed in 2011 law made Indiana the first state in the nation to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal money because it offers abortions.

Poll: 78 % of Young Women OK NYC's Sexting Mayoral Hopeful
Anthony Weiner gets a broad support from young women.  Sugar daddy dating website SeekingArrangement.com found that 78 percent of female clients aged 18-26 approve of Weiner, U.S. News and World Report reported July 30. The website, which connects wealthy patrons with attractive clients, surveyed over 18,000 of its female members and discovered that 63 percent of all women surveyed approved of the New York City mayoral hopeful, with the highest approval ratings coming from the 18-26 demographic.
 
Medicare, Medicaid Turn 48
Tuesday marks the 48th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid becoming law in the United States. "Medicaid expansion is a critical piece of the puzzle to ensure more Americans get the care they need, " said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a press release July 30. "The Affordable Care Act allows all states to expand Medicaid coverage to reach even more people, and to make sure that your zip code doesn’t determine your health care," Sebelius said. 
 
Femen Activist, Amina Tyler, Cleared of Defamation 
A Tunisian court dismissed one case against Femen activist Amina Sboui - known also under the name of Amina Tyler - in which she was tried for contempt and defamation, Al Arabiya reported July 29. Her lawyer said she still faces a pepper spray charge which carries a prison sentence of between six months and five years. She could also be charged with desecrating a cemetery for which she could be jailed for up to two years if found guilty.

Pew Research Looks at U.S. Regional Disparities on Abortion 
poll released Monday indicates where you live in the United States may determine your stance on the abortion issue, CNN reported July 29. According to a Pew Research Center survey, opposition to legal abortion is highest in the Southern Central part of the country, including Texas. By contrast, support for legal abortions remains highest in the Northeast (in particular New England) and the West Coast states.
 
Civil Rights Advocate, Lindy Boggs, Dies at 97
Lindy Boggs, an early champion of women’s rights and civil rights, passed away in her suburban Washington home over the weekend, MSNBC reported July 29. Born on a Louisiana plantation, Boggs became a key political adviser to her husband, who was first elected in 1940 and rose to become House majority leader, until he was lost in an Alaska plane crash in 1973. She was elected to finish her husband’s term in Congress and then re-elected to serve nearly 18 years. Boggs was 97.
 
150 Arrested, 105 Children Rescued from U.S. Prostitution Rings
One hundred and fifty people were arrested and 105 children involved in child prostitution rings across the country were found, the FBI announced, USA TODAY reported July 29. The FBI said the children ranged from 13 to 17 years old. The youngest of the victims was allegedly being offered up by her father, who also was allegedly involved in videotaping his daughter's sexual encounters.

Americans Support Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage in All 50 States
A majority of Americans would support a law legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states, according to the results of a new Gallup poll, RTT News reported July 29. The poll showed that 52 percent of Americans would vote for a federal law making same-sex marriage legal across the nation, while 43 percent said they would vote against such a law.
 
Fast Food Workers Go on Strike to Ask Raise of Minimum Wage
For at least the third time since last November, New York City fast food workers are going on strike to ask for a  minimum wage of $15 per hour, The Huffington Post reported July 29. New York City fast food workers made $9 per hour on average last year -- or $18,500 annually for a full-time worker. That’s more than the national and city minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, but it’s far less than the $67,153 it takes for a one-parent, one-child household to survive in New York City, according to a budget calculator from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.  Women make up two-thirds of fast food workers in New York, according to a report by Fast Food Forward. The strikers will also join workers in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Flint.
Pregnant Women Protest in Turkey After Call to 'Stay Indoors'
Hundreds of women - many of them very pregnant - took to the streets in Istanbul, Izmir and other Turkish cities under the motto "It's my body. It's my decision," Deutsche Welle reported July 29. The protests followed an Islamic pundit's remark that  women who are seven or more months pregnant should not be out in public. Non-pregnant people joined as well, with some men stuffing balloons under their shirts in a show of solidarity.

Anthony Weiner's Campaign Manager Resigns Over Sexting Scandal
In another blow to Anthony Weiner's beleaguered campaign to become mayor of New York City, his campaign manager quit on SaturdayCBS News reported July 28. Danny Kedem, a 30-year-old who oversaw Weiner's candidacy, told Weiner that he could no longer manage his campaign after new revelations about his salacious online contact with women over the last week. Weiner has refused to drop out of the race.

Pope Francis : 'Door Closed' on Ordination of Female Priests 
Pope Francis said women should be given a bigger role in the Church, but refused to consider their ordination, saying the "door is closed" on the issue, France 24 reported July 29. On the matter of homosexuality, he said he does not judge homosexuals but condemns the gay lobby as a "serious problem."

New Uniforms Ready for Women in U.S. Army
A new combat uniform specially designed to fit the female body is now available in the U.S. army, almost a month after it was announced that all military jobs would be open to women by 2016,  the Daily Mail reported July 29. The début of the Combat Uniform-Alternate is the first in a series of moves the Army hopes to make in the next three years to help fully integrate female soldiers.
 
Afghan Women's Rights Endangered by 'Patriarchal Attitudes,' U.N. Warns
Women's rights in Afghanistan risk being further undermined in the fragile country's peace process due to entrenched patriarchal attitudes, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women warned, Reuters reported July 29 .
 
Twitter Criticized After 'Inadequate' Response to Rape Threats 
Twitter is facing a major backlash over claims it is failing to deal with threats of sexual abuse made on its site against a feminist campaigner, The Guardian reported July 29. Caroline Criado-Perez faced a deluge of hostile tweets, including threats to rape and kill her, after she successfully campaigned for a woman's picture to be put on a new banknote. A campaign in her support, calling on Twitter to introduce a button to allow speedy reporting of abuse, has already received thousands of signatures and she has received support from U.K. members of Parliament and celebrities. Scotland Yard said  a 21-year-old man was arrested in London Sunday for sending rape and murder threats to the woman on Twitter, The Raw Story reported July 29.

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