The Tr*mp Administration

““In the initial analysis of the Title X funding announcement released today, it is of concern there are no references to contraception and no reference to nationally recognized clinical standards for the provision of high-quality family planning and sexual health care,” said Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), which represents Title X providers.” Trump’s Health Agency Appears to Undermine Family Planning with New Funding Criteria (by Christine Grimaldi for Rewire)

“Some of the corruption allegations against Trump are utterly direct. The White House and Secret Service have become huge customers of Trump resorts. Every foreign government, trade association, and interest group with a few bucks to spare spends them at the Trump International down the street from the White House. More money is flowing out of political slush funds — which is to say, a way for donors to do personal favors for the president’s friends. Melania’s old friend got a $26 million contract. Keith Schiller, Trump’s bodyguard and confidant, is pulling in $15,000 a month.” The Real Threat To Trump Isn’t Russia, Racism, Or Incompetence. It’s Corruption. (by Ben Smith for BuzzFeed News)

Gun Violence

“Hogg’s future plans are in the back of his mind for now. For the past two weeks, he poured all of his energy into preventing what happened at his high school from happening again. As soon as he got home that day, he said, he biked the three miles back to campus to start reporting on what happened. Three days after the rally, Stoneman students traveled to Tallahassee for a massive anti-gun rally. That night, some of those students grilled politicians on their stance on gun control at a CNN town hall. Dozens of media appearances soon followed. In the past four days, Hogg has appeared on CNN, NBC, ABC, and MSNBC. He has amassed more than 300,000 followers on Twitter.” David Hogg is Mad As Hell (by Gabe Del Valle for The Outline)

Responding to Anti-Trans Actions

“A copy of the statement, leaked ahead of the meeting to HuffPost, makes clear that “the Labour Party continues to have an inclusive definition of women”, and explicitly affirms that “All Women Shortlists and women’s reserved places are open to self-defining women”. It also warns that “transphobia and the abuse of members based on their trans identity will not be tolerated in the Labour Party”. Anti-trans activists plan ‘mass resignation’ from Labour over trans-inclusive policy (by Nick Duffy for Pink News)

Worker Rights

“The workforce shows no signs of returning to work until their demands are met, including a 5% raise and plan to reform the underfunded state health care system. In 2016, West Virginia’s average teacher salary was $45,622, more than 20% below the national average. Meanwhile, premiums have gone up for everything from insulin to doctor’s visits, teachers say, and their plans, administered by the Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA), now cover fewer conditions.” The West Virginia Teachers Strike Is Shaping Up To Be A New Model For The Left (by Cora Lewis for BuzzFeed News)

Sexual Assault and Harassment 

“Moore has joined a civil complaint against Nassar, who has pled guilty to possession of child pornography and molestation charges, and who is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison. In the complaint, Moore states Nassar’s behavior constituted sexual assault, battery, abuse, molestation, and harassment.” The First Male Accuser Of Former Doctor Larry Nassar Says He Came Forward After Seeing The Bravery Of The Female Accusers (by Cora Lewis for BuzzFeed News)

“Her lawsuit dives deep into ESPN’s “long history of sexually harassing and mistreating women,” and alleges that not only that Buccigross sexually harassed her, but that after she reported it, human resources covered it up and didn’t properly investigate her claims. Moreover, her suit goes on to allege that the company subsequently retaliated against her for speaking up by denying her a full-time position when her fellowship ended. Additionally, the suit also accuses the company of encouraging predatory grooming practices by male employees, mistreating pregnant women, and fostering a workplace environment where porn consumption is common and women are hyper-sexualized.” ‘I can’t leave those girls behind’: Inside the sexual harassment lawsuit against ESPN (by Lindsay Gibbs for Think Progress)

“”This is a stupid and irresponsible survey. Adult men asking 14-year-olds to send sexual images is not only against the law, it is completely wrong and an appalling abuse and exploitation of children,” she said. “I cannot imagine that Facebook executives ever want it on their platform but they also should not send out surveys that suggest they might tolerate it or suggest to Facebook users that this might ever be acceptable.”” Facebook Wanted To Know In A Survey If An Adult Asking A 14-Year-Old For Nudes Was Acceptable (by Blake Montgomery for BuzzFeed News)

Failure of US Healthcare System

“A recent (yet to be peer-reviewed) study found that, after Uber enters new markets, the rates of ambulance rides typically go down, meaning fewer people call professionals in favor of the cheaper option. People have always taken taxis to the hospital — there’s the classic example of the woman going into labor in the back of a cab — but ride-hail technology makes it much easier, especially in less densely populated cities. This money-saving tactic might make sense for people in noncritical condition, but it puts ride-hail drivers in an uncomfortable position. They’re forced to choose between assuming potential legal liability if something goes wrong, or dealing with a sense of guilt and the fear of getting a lower rating if they decline or cancel the ride.” People Are Using Ubers As Ambulances — And Drivers Hate It (by Caroline O’Donovan for BuzzFeed News)

Structural Racism

“So if we’re talking about work-life balance, let’s be clear that many white women of means have achieved that balance standing on the backs of women of color. After all, women of color’s participation in the labor force has always outpaced that of white women. As early as 1900, 26 percent of married black women were employed, compared to only 3.2 percent of white women. Asian American wives also had high employment rates, according to Evelyn Nakano Glenn in “Cleaning Up/Kept Down: A Historical Perspective on Racial Inequality in ‘Women’s Work.’ ” And there was a time when the only work options available to women of color were doing the work that white women of means did not want to do. White women needed us and we needed them.” Rethinking Work-Life Balance for Women of Color (by Kimberly Seals Allers for Slate)