Monday, June 17, 2013

Wisconsin GOP doesnt trust women not to lie about rape

9 Ways the Right’s Ayn Randian Experiment Screws Over the Young | Alternet

9 Ways the Right’s Ayn Randian Experiment Screws Over the Young | Alternet
"Their decades-long assault on our core social values is on the verge of consuming its first complete generation of Americans. Born at the dawn of the Reagan era, Millennials were the first to be fully subjected to this all-out attack on the idea that we take care of each other in this country, and they’ll pay for it from the cradle to the grave."

Texas Jailers Ran a 'Rape Camp' Behind Bars, Women Claim | Alternet

Texas Jailers Ran a 'Rape Camp' Behind Bars, Women Claim | Alternet
"Texas jailers ran a "rape camp" where they "repeatedly raped and humiliated female inmates," and forced them to masturbate and sodomize male guards, and one another, two women claim in court."

Parents Go On Hunger Strike To Protest School Budget Cuts

Parents Go On Hunger Strike To Protest School Budget Cuts: A group of four parents and school employees kicked off a hunger strike on the steps of the governor’s office on Monday to protest Philadelphia’s recent decision to close dozens of underutilized schools and lay off some 19 percent of the workforce, including “all 127 assistant principals, 646 teachers and more than 1,200 aides.” The [...]/p

From Fox News to Rush: Secrets of the right’s lie machine

From Fox News to Rush: Secrets of the right’s lie machine
"
Fox News and the conservative media sector (including the conservative blogosphere) provide a “self-protective enclave” for conservatives to cocoon themselves. Research demonstrates that the more a person consumes conservative media, the more likely she is to dismiss any news or arguments that contradict the conservative position as liberal propaganda and lies."

GOP plan to appeal to millennials: “Make abortion funny”

GOP plan to appeal to millennials: “Make abortion funny”
"No one suggested changing any positions, only finding better packaging for the ones they already have. “I do not believe we should sacrifice our values to win elections,” Koroson said."

Banishing the Poor, Unemployed and Working Class from the Mainstream Media Implies That They are Worthless

Banishing the Poor, Unemployed and Working Class from the Mainstream Media Implies That They are Worthless
"How often do you come across an article or a television news story that presents a poor person in a positive light?  Or for that matter when do you read about or see a story on an unemployed individual or the challenges of a working class American whose salary is receding as the stock market soars?"

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Elizabeth Warren Warns of Corporate Capture of U.S. Courts

Elizabeth Warren Warns of Corporate Capture of U.S. Courts
"Warren, a former Harvard Law professor, also criticized the “increasingly brazen and ideological pro-corporate tilt” of the Supreme Court and the D.C. Circuit. “Follow this pro-business trend to its logical conclusion, and sooner or later you’ll end up with a Supreme Court that functions as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce"."

Rick Perry Vetoes Equal Pay Bill

Rick Perry Vetoes Equal Pay Bill: Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) vetoed a bill on Friday that would have allowed women suffering wage discrimination to take legal action, alleging that the measure “duplicates federal law, which already allows employees…to file a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” On average, women earn 77 cents of every dollar a man makes, [...]/p

Friday, June 14, 2013

Rick Perry Vetoes Texas Equal Pay Bill

www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/rick-perry-equal-pay_n_3443591.html
"Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has vetoed a bill meant to prevent wage discrimination against women."

Women’s Health Advocates Fight Back Against Virginia’s New Abortion Clinic Restrictions

Women’s Health Advocates Fight Back Against Virginia’s New Abortion Clinic Restrictions: In April, Virginia’s Board of Health approved new regulations intended to force abortion clinics to shut down. It’s already working: later that month, a 40-year-old abortion clinic in the state announced that it would be closing its doors. But now, women’s health advocates are fighting back. The Fall Church Healthcare Center has filed the first [...]/p

Why Elizabeth Warren’s Plan For Student Debt is an Economic Breakthrough | Alternet

Why Elizabeth Warren’s Plan For Student Debt is an Economic Breakthrough | Alternet
"On July 1, interest rates will double for millions of students – from 3.4% to 6.8% – unless Congress acts; and the legislative fixes on the table are largely just compromises. Only one proposal promises real relief – Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s “Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act.” This bill has been dismissed out of hand as “shameless populist demagoguery” and “a cheap political gimmick,” but is it? Or could Warren’s outside-the-box bill represent the sort of game-changing thinking sorely needed to turn the economy around?
Warren and her co-sponsor John Tierney propose that students be allowed to borrow directly from the government at the same rate that banks get from the Federal Reserve — 0.75 percent."

Mandatory Ultrasound Bill Moves from Conception to Passage in Just Ten Days

Mandatory Ultrasound Bill Moves from Conception to Passage in Just Ten Days
"In ten short days, Wisconsin Republicans steamrolled a radical abortion bill through the state legislature to mandate ultrasounds and close abortion clinics, despite passionate opposition from Democratic Assemblywomen. The debate had many dramatic moments and video of the Senate President furiously gavelling down the opposition made national news."

Thursday, June 13, 2013

More Republican folklore on rape and pregnancy

2013 Is Shaping Up To Be The Worst Year For Reproductive Freedom In Recent History

2013 Is Shaping Up To Be The Worst Year For Reproductive Freedom In Recent History: According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the 2013 legislative session is on track to be yet another record-breaking year for state-level restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. As states’ current legislative sessions begin to come to a close, lawmakers have so far enacted more than 300 different abortion restrictions this year, as detailed in [...]/p

Virginia voters show signs of backlash against GOP anti abortion extremism

Ruckus in Wisconsin Senate: Republicans Push Through Ultrasound Bill After Silencing Democrats

Ruckus in Wisconsin Senate: Republicans Push Through Ultrasound Bill After Silencing Democrats
"In the end, the bill passed 17 to 15 along party lines. It was immediately referred to the state Assembly, and Gov. Scott Walker (R) has said that he will sign it into law."

Ohio Republicans Introduce One Of The Nation’s All-Time Worst Abortion Bills

Ohio Republicans Introduce One Of The Nation’s All-Time Worst Abortion Bills: Ohio Republicans are already attempting to hijack the state’s budget process to push for abortion restrictions, advancing a version of Gov. John Kasich’s budget bill that includes amendments to defund Planned Parenthood and shut down abortion clinics. But they’re not stopping there. Now, a group of 35 Republican lawmakers in the House have introduced an [...]/p

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wisconsin GOP latest to push extreme anti abortion laws

The Obamacare Experiment That’s Already Improving Seniors’ Care And Saving Hospitals Millions

The Obamacare Experiment That’s Already Improving Seniors’ Care And Saving Hospitals Millions: Hospitals and physicians across the country are teaming up to more effectively coordinate all aspects of Americans’ care, leading to millions of dollars in savings for both providers and the federal government, Bloomberg reports. That’s because of an Obamacare experiment that incentivizes hospitals, providers, and medical professionals to coordinate with each other on patient care [...]/p

Thanks To Student Activists, Pressure To End Rape Culture On College Campuses ‘Is Not Going Away’

Thanks To Student Activists, Pressure To End Rape Culture On College Campuses ‘Is Not Going Away’: Over the past year, a growing number of prestigious colleges have made national headlines over their administrations’ failure to effectively handle issues of sexual assault on campus. That’s not necessarily because rape culture on college campuses has recently gotten much worse than it used to be. More likely, it’s because a coordinated network of students [...]/p

Maine GOP Leader Boasts That His ‘Man’s Brain’ Makes Him Think More Rationally About Costs

Maine GOP Leader Boasts That His ‘Man’s Brain’ Makes Him Think More Rationally About Costs: A top Maine Republican took to the House floor Wednesday to explain how his “man’s brain” can’t get behind Obamacare’s federal funding for Medicaid expansion because he is concerned about costs. House Minority Leader Ken Fredette (R-ME) invoked the classic gender-stereotyping book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus to explain how he is [...]/p

Trent Franks Goes Akin: His History of Anti-Choice Extremism | Right Wing Watch

Trent Franks Goes Akin: His History of Anti-Choice Extremism | Right Wing Watch
"Aside from his anti-choice activism, Franks pushes anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, has flirted with birtherism, and has claimed that marriage equality is a “threat to the nation’s survival"."

Scott Walker is just trying to avoid protest ... and he's signing a forced ultrasound bill?

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/12/1215635/-Scott-Walker-is-just-trying-to-avoid-protest-and-he-s-signing-a-forced-ultrasound-bill
"He also seems inclined to sign a bill letting some employers refuse to include contraception in their health insurance coverage, and a couple more to boot. Because forced ultrasounds and opposition to contraception are soooo popular."

Nestle: Water's Corporate Takeover

The GOP Talking Point On Obamacare’s Medicare ‘Cuts’ Bites The Dust

The GOP Talking Point On Obamacare’s Medicare ‘Cuts’ Bites The Dust: Conservatives regularly claim that Obamacare “cuts” Medicare, and will cause less seniors to enroll in private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans while forcing insurers to cut benefits. Now, the exact opposite of those dire predictions is occurring, as record numbers of seniors have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family [...]/p

New GOP bills take reproductive decisions away from women

Scott Walker Endorses Mandating Transvaginal Ultrasounds And Shutting Down Abortion Clinics

Scott Walker Endorses Mandating Transvaginal Ultrasounds And Shutting Down Abortion Clinics: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has thrown his support behind an anti-abortion measure that’s currently moving through the state legislature, saying he will sign the bill into law if it makes it to his desk. SB 206 would require women to undergo an ultrasound before getting an abortion — which would mandate an invasive transvaginal [...]/p

Last Week in Poverty: Denying a Head Start in Washington State | Alternet

Last Week in Poverty: Denying a Head Start in Washington State | Alternet
"To get a sense of just how foolish and shortsighted the $85 billion across-the-board sequester cuts are, you don’t have to look any further than Washington's Head Start program."

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Black Woman Gets 20 Years for Firing Shot at Wall; White Man Gets 0 Years for Shooting Man in the Back 3 Times, Killing Him | Alternet

Black Woman Gets 20 Years for Firing Shot at Wall; White Man Gets 0 Years for Shooting Man in the Back 3 Times, Killing Him | Alternet
"A man in Florida shoots a man he finds having sex with his wife, killing him.  A woman in Florida shoots the wall to scare off an abusive husband, harming nobody. Guess which one was acquitted? Guess which one was convicted?"

Woman sexually assaulted in Nevada courtroom

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/11/1215354/-Woman-sexually-assaulted-in-Nevada-courtroom
"A Nevada woman was arrested for claiming a court officer sexually assaulted her"

Cop Sexually Assaults Woman Then Arrests Her For Protesting

Court Officer Sexually Assaults Woman in Court, Arrests Her When Everyone in Court Ignores Her Pleas for Help | Alternet

Court Officer Sexually Assaults Woman in Court, Arrests Her When Everyone in Court Ignores Her Pleas for Help | Alternet
"Employees from Clark County family court in Nevada are under investigation for covering up an alleged sexual assault by a court officer,according to KLAS-TV, a CBS affiliate."

As Equal Pay Act Turns 50, Conservative Media Continue Crusade Against Gender Wage Gap

www.mediamatters.org/research/2013/06/10/as-equal-pay-act-turns-50-conservative-media-co/194405
"The Equal Pay Act was signed into law on June 10, 1963, by President Kennedy to prohibit wage discrimination based on sex. Fifty years later, as the issue of gender income inequality continues to affect America, conservative media figures have consistently tried to downplay and minimize these concerns."

House Will Vote On Nationwide Abortion Ban Even Though It’s Doomed In The Senate

House Will Vote On Nationwide Abortion Ban Even Though It’s Doomed In The Senate: Despite the fact that legislation intended to further restrict women’s reproductive access are virtually dead-on-arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate, abortion opponents in the House are pressing on anyway. According to CQ Roll Call, the House is on track to consider a 20-week abortion ban next week. The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) and [...]/p

Red States Get More Extreme -- How America Is Splitting Apart Without Bothering With Civil War | Alternet

Red States Get More Extreme -- How America Is Splitting Apart Without Bothering With Civil War | Alternet
"Conservative Republicans in our nation's capital have managed to accomplish something they only dreamed of when Tea Partiers streamed into Congress at the start of 2011: They've basically shut Congress down. Their refusal to compromise is working just as they hoped: No jobs agenda. No budget. No grand bargain on the deficit. No background checks on guns. Nothing on climate change. No tax reform. No hike in the minimum wage. Nothing so far on immigration reform."

Wisconsin GOP Is Working On Shutting Down One Of The Last Abortion Clinics In The State

Wisconsin GOP Is Working On Shutting Down One Of The Last Abortion Clinics In The State: Under an anti-abortion measure currently advancing in the Wisconsin legislature, one of the state’s last remaining abortion clinics could soon be forced to close its doors. There are only four abortion clinics left in Wisconsin, three of which are operated by Planned Parenthood. The women’s health organization has confirmed that one of its locations will [...]/p

Monday, June 10, 2013

Doctors’ Group Slams Anti-Abortion Laws For ‘Imposing A Political Agenda On Medical Practice’

Doctors’ Group Slams Anti-Abortion Laws For ‘Imposing A Political Agenda On Medical Practice’: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a national organization representing thousands of women’s health experts, has publicly come out against the state-level abortion restrictions that impact the way doctors are allowed to treat their patients. The group’s Executive Board has issued an official statement opposing all laws that “unduly interfere with patient-physician relationships” and [...]/p

Indiana Town Shames Rape Victim, Speculates About Her ‘Promiscuous Behavior’

Indiana Town Shames Rape Victim, Speculates About Her ‘Promiscuous Behavior’: Several high-profile cases of sexual assault have shown the consequences of rape culture: From Rehtaeh Parsons’ suicide to the Steubenville rape trial, these girls were re-victimized by the harassment and public shaming that followed the sexual assault. Now, a 14-year-old in Elwood, Indiana who is eight months pregnant faces ongoing harassment simply because her neighborhood [...]/p

Revealed: Letters From Republicans Seeking Obamacare Money | The Nation

Revealed: Letters From Republicans Seeking Obamacare Money | The Nation
"Now letters produced by a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that many of these same anti-Obamacare Republicans have solicited grants from the very program they claim to despise. This is evidence not merely of shameless hypocrisy but of the fact that the ACA bestows tangible benefits that even Congress’s most extreme right-wing ideologues are hard-pressed to deny to their constituents."

Police Bully Teen into Dropping Rape Charge, Rapist Sexually Assaults Another Woman | Alternet

Police Bully Teen into Dropping Rape Charge, Rapist Sexually Assaults Another Woman | Alternet
"The woman's story was proven true after the rapist was arrested for sexually assaulting another woman."

Sixth Wave of 'Moral Mondays' Continue to 'Shine a Light' | Common Dreams

Sixth Wave of 'Moral Mondays' Continue to 'Shine a Light' | Common Dreams
"In the sixth wave of actions against "extreme and immoral" far right policies, North Carolinians Monday are marching on the Governor's office to draw attention to the state's attack on teachers and public education."

Stay with a Man Who Beats You or End Up Homeless? How Budget-Cutting Obsession Is Destroying the Lives of Abused Women | Alternet

Stay with a Man Who Beats You or End Up Homeless? How Budget-Cutting Obsession Is Destroying the Lives of Abused Women | Alternet
"Budget cuts have strained domestic violence resources. What does that mean for women who need a safe place to go?"

Friday, June 7, 2013

Massachusetts Senate Candidate Loses Women’s Support As He Flounders On Reproductive Health Issues

Massachusetts Senate Candidate Loses Women’s Support As He Flounders On Reproductive Health Issues: Gabriel Gomez, the Republican nominee for John Kerry’s former Senate seat in Massachusetts, has been struggling to adequately articulate his positions on women’s health issues over the past several weeks. And as recent polling shows, that’s not winning him any favors with the state’s female voters. Gomez has not clarified whether or not he supports [...]/p

Gomez losing support from women

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/07/1214522/-Gomez-losing-support-from-nbsp-women
"Gomez would be bad for women, in Massachusetts and in the country. The good news is that the women in Massachusetts seem to be well aware of that."

Insurers Aren’t Just Giving Out Rebate Checks Because Of Obamacare — They’re Lowering Premiums, Too

Insurers Aren’t Just Giving Out Rebate Checks Because Of Obamacare — They’re Lowering Premiums, Too: Americans who bought individual health plans in 2012 saved $2.1 billion thanks to Obamacare consumer protections that limit how much insurers can profit off of Americans’ premiums, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The vast majority of those savings stem from individual health plan providers lowering the premiums they charge [...]/p

Extremists in Ohio Senate vote to defund Planned Parenthood, and that's not the worst of it

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/07/1214422/-Extremists-in-Ohio-senate-vote-to-defund-Planned-Parenthood-and-that-s-not-the-worst-of-it
"Republicans in the Ohio Senate joined the bandwagon of their extremist brethren nationwide on Thursday and voted to cut funding for Planned Parenthood in the next state budget. The vote of 23-10 was along party lines. The bill will be taken up in a Senate-House conference committee on Wednesday. The Senate-passed budget would also redirect state monies to coercive, right-wing-run "pregnancy crisis centers" where staff members, often none of them with medical training, provide deceptive information to women and hammer them with emotional anti-abortion appeals. It would prohibit funding of any rape crisis center that dares to refer women to abortion providers."

6 Corporations That Control Your Perception | Think Tank

Republican lawmakers vs women (again)

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Jury Acquits Texas Man For Murder Of Escort Who Refused Sex

Jury Acquits Texas Man For Murder Of Escort Who Refused Sex: A Texas jury acquitted a man for the murder of a woman he hired as an escort, after his lawyers claimed he was authorized to use deadly force because she refused sex. Ezekiel Gilbert shot Lenora Ivie Frago in the neck on Christmas Eve, after she denied his requests for sex and wouldn’t return the [...]/p