Feminist Weekly July 29
News clippings and #FeministWins curated by Contributing News Editor Annie Wu Henry, The Recount, and Good Good Good Co. From feel good news to headliners keeping you on the pulse. Here is the round up for the week!
The Tokyo "2020" Olympic Games have begun!
The 2020 Olympic Games have begun in Tokyo. Representing Team Japan, tennis phenom Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron to kick off the event. It is Tokyo’s second time hosting a Summer Olympics, 56 (or slightly more with the postponement of the games due to the global pandemic) years after their first time in the spotlight. 206 nations entered the Olympic stadium during Friday's opening ceremonies and more than 11,000 athletes will participate in the Games. This year's we will also see the introduction of some exciting new sports: skateboarding, karate, surfing and sport climbing all making their Olympic debut. With COVID-19 cases still on the rise, there will be no spectators, including friends and family, in the stands. This comes along with many other precautions being put in place to protect athletes, officials, Olympic staff, the country's citizens and neighboring regions.
ICYMI
Top EU court rules hijab can be banned at work—European Union court rules companies may ban Muslim employees from wearing a headscarf under certain conditions. The case was brought to court by two women in Germany who were suspended from their jobs after they started wearing hijab, a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion. “Imagine if the same effort went into policing women’s safety as into policing wmen’s clothes. this is outrageous discrimination.” —Sophie Walker.
Child Tax Credit Payments go out — In the U.S., A Historic Step Toward Reducing Child Poverty. The first round of Child Tax Credit payments has hit the bank accounts of more than 35 million families. For each child under the age of 6, families will receive $300 per month — adding up to $3,600 per year. For each child between the ages of 6 and 17, $250 per month or $3,000 per year. It’s a historic effort to reduce child poverty nationwide — and Democrats are taking a victory lap. Notably not partaking in the festivities: Republicans, none of whom voted for the American Rescue Plan. (Via The Recount)
Jeff Bezos was shot into space for $5.5 billion — tells Amazon customers "you guys paid for all this.” Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space. The entire 10 minute trip on Tuesday cost the billionaire about $5.5 billion out-of-pocket. After the flight, Bezos thanked “every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer. Because you guys paid for all this.”
At Least 25 People Killed In China’s Henan Province In Worst Flooding In 1,000 Years. Extensive flooding in China’s Henan Province has killed at least 25 people after days of heavy torrential rain—said to be the heaviest in 1,000 years—overwhelmed roads and subway systems in the region and prompted the evacuation of at least 100,000 people, according to Xinhua News, China’s state-run news agency. Authorities raised China’s flood control emergency system to the second-highest level after record rains drenched Henan Province, home to nearly 100 million people, at the start of the week. Dramatic images and video have been shared on social media showing passengers trapped inside subway carriages in Henan’s capital, Zhengzhou, clinging to the hand rails as water rose up to their chests, while on the road, cars were seen being washed away by the torrent. Zhengzhou was hit with almost 18 inches of rainfall between Monday and Tuesday, while more than 8 inches of rainfall–about a month’s worth–fell in one hour on Tuesday afternoon, Xinhua reported, citing Henan’s weather center. (Via Forbes)
A federal judge in Texas blocked new Daca applications. US district judge Andrew Hanen of the southern district of Texas blocked approval of new DACA applications, leaving thousands of immigrants who applied in the past eight months in turmoil, and the Biden administration frustrated on how to proceed in an immigration policy they’ve long supported. The DACA program, created in 2012 by former president Barack Obama through executive order, allows certain immigrants who arrived in the US as children to live in the United States legally for two years at a time with the opportunity of renewal. The Department of Homeland Security sent a statement from the secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, saying he is “disappointed” with the ruling and its impact on families across the country. “It will not derail our efforts to protect Dreamers. The Biden-Harris Administration – and this country – remain as committed as ever to ensuring that Dreamers are protected from the threat of deportation,” he said. The agency said the Department of Justice would appeal the Texas decision in the fifth circuit. (Via The Guardian)
California couple whose gender-reveal party sparked a wildfire charged with 30 crimes—A California couple has been criminally charged for their role in igniting last year’s destructive El Dorado wildfire after they used a pyrotechnic device during a gender-reveal party. The blaze torched close to 23,000 acres (9,300 hectares), destroyed five homes and 15 other buildings, and claimed the life of a firefighter, Charlie Morton. Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr and Angela Renee Jimenez were indicted for 30 crimes including involuntary manslaughter, said Jason Anderson, the San Bernardino county district attorney, during a press conference. The couple pleaded not guilty and were released to await their court date.
ON THE PANDEMIC FRONT…
Want to look happy and healthy? Olivia Rodrigo Said Get Vaxxed!
Olivia Rodrigo’s key to looking happy and healthy? Getting vaccinated. The pop star visited the White House — looking chic as hell, by the way — to urge young people to get the jab. The visit comes as the Delta variant spreads across the nation. While nearly 70% of U.S. adults 18 and older have received at least one dose, only 37% of children ages 12 to 15 and 38% of 18 to 29-year-olds have gotten their first dose. As part of her vaccine push, Olivia Rodrigo also filmed an informational video with Dr. Fauci, in which she explains to him the concept of “Man Crush Monday.” About time someone told him. (Via The Recount)
A top Tennessee vaccine official was threatened & fired for advocating for children receiving vaccinations.
Tennessee has fired its top immunization official, Dr. Michelle Fiscus. Why? She sent a memo supporting the vaccination of minors, she says. Shortly after, the state then eliminated *all* vaccine outreach to minors. But that’s not all: Fiscus says she was sent an anonymous package with a dog muzzle in it just before being fired. But any attempts to silence the former vaccine chief are in vain. Fiscus is now sounding the alarm on the state’s blatant politicization of the vaccine. (Via The Recount)
Pfizer announced it will help make and distribute COVID-19 vaccines throughout Africa. Pfizer and BioNTech just announced their new partnership with a South African biopharmaceutical company, The Biovac Institute — together, they'll manufacture the two companies' COVID-19 vaccine for exclusive distribution in the African Union's 55 member countries. According to the World Health Organization, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Africa is doubling every three weeks as a result of the highly contagious Delta variant — and a highly unvaccinated population. According to The New York Times' vaccination tracker (which pulls data from local governments via Our World in Data), at the time of this posting, 4.5% of Africa's population have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — the lowest vaccination rate of any continent. This partnership is really good news, especially amidst conversations around booster shots in wealthier countries — vaccine equity and access needs to be addressed around the world, and we're glad to see Pfizer and BioNTech helping get Africa's vaccination levels up! (Via Good Good Good)
3.3 Million Americans could be experiencing "Long COVID". Research published in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine journal found that a significant number of patients with COVID-19 have experienced prolonged symptoms, known as Long COVID. One estimate using data from Johns Hopkins University posits that 10% of people who survived COVID-19, or 3.3M Americans, are living with persistent, debilitating symptoms that can affect their lives for months or even years after infection. Experts still need to research Long COVID more but estimated that more than 90% of the cohort studied still experienced symptoms after 6 months. (Via Now This News)
This week in Culture
Six months into his presidency, Joe Biden has already appointed more Black women to lifetime seats on federal appeals courts than all but one president in American history. Since U.S. courts began in 1789, only 11 Black women have been confirmed as federal judges. Biden has appointed three of them. The only other president who has appointed as many was Bill Clinton, and he did it over the span of eight years in office.
Texas Voting Rights Battle Goes National in the U.S.
Everything’s bigger in Texas — including showdowns in the state legislature, apparently. In an extraordinary effort to block Republicans from enacting new voting restrictions, Democratic lawmakers have fled to the nation’s capital. The Texas Dems broke quorum of a special legislative session where the GOP is pushing a number of controversial conservative priorities, including critical race theory, transgender sports, social media censorship, border security, and of course, “election integrity.” The lawmakers landed in Washington, D.C., where they vow to stay through August to run out the clock on the session.
Tommy Dorfman announces she is a trans woman and will no longer play male characters.
Dorfman, best known for her role as a gay cis-male character Ryan Shaver in Netflix’s ‘13 Reasons Why,’ told Time Magazine that “I view today as a reintroduction to me as a woman, having made a transition medically … Today is about clarity: I am a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her. My name is Tommy.” She shared the news on Instagram, saying, ‘I’m especially grateful to every single trans person who walked this path, broke down barriers, and risked their lives to live authentically and radically as themselves before me... Thank you to all the trans women that showed me who I am, how to live, celebrate myself, and take up space in this world.' She will have her first female role in Sharp Stick, an upcoming film written and directed by Lena Dunham.
Ben & Jerry's will stop selling ice cream in Palestinian territories.
Ben & Jerry's will no longer sell ice cream in occupied Palestinian territories, saying it's inconsistent with the values of the socially conscious brand. The ice cream company, which is owned by Unilever, has been doing business in Israel since 1987. But the brand has come under scrutiny for its relationships in Israel in recent years as tensions in the region have flared up. The Vermont-based company has aligned itself with liberal causes, including diverting some funds destined for police departments and investing "that money in community-driven solutions that foster real health, peacekeeping, and safety," it said in a statement in June 2020. The company has called on the United States to end white supremacy and launched a podcast on racism in America last year. In December 2020, Ben & Jerry's unveiled a Colin Kaepernick-inspired nondairy ice cream flavor called "Change the Whirled." Fans have taken the company to task for doing business in Israel — especially in West Bank settlements, considered illegal under international law — arguing it doesn't align with Ben & Jerry's liberal image. The company has been mostly silent on the topic. In 2015, Ben & Jerry's posted on its website that it was "keenly aware of how complex the local market can be," and it believed it could affect positive change by maintaining a presence in the region. But Monday, Ben & Jerry's had a change of heart, saying it heard and recognized the concerns shared by its fans and partners.
Democratic Senators make major efforts to decriminalize cannabis.
Seeing Two Types of Green. A huge milestone: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is throwing his weight as majority leader behind unwinding the war on drugs. Schumer, along with Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced legislation to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. But their proposal goes a step further: attempting to compensate the poor and communities of color for decades of damage America’s restrictive drug policy has caused.
Norwegian Women’s Beach Handball Team is Fined for Not Wanting to Wear Bikini Bottoms
Athletes on the Norwegian women's beach handball team are being punished for wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms during a recent game, with the European Handball Federation leveling fines over "a case of improper clothing." Norway's team gave advance warning to officials at the European Beach Handball Championship that the athletes would wear shorts rather than bikini bottoms when they faced Spain in a bronze-medal game Sunday.
When the news broke the team would defy the outdated rule the world was in support of the Norwegian women’s team. "We are overwhelmed by the attention and support from all over the world!" the team said. "We really hope this will result in a change of this nonsense rule!" it added.
#FeministWins
Argentina will provide gender option ‘X’ on ID cards and passports for those who are non-binary.
Argentina rolled out identification cards on Wednesday for non-binary citizens, who neither identify as male nor female, allowing them to use "x" in their important national ID document and passports in the field corresponding to gender. The South American country is the first in the region to enable this via decree, the center-left government said, adding it was joining countries such as New Zealand, Canada and Australia, which have already carried out the change. "There are other identities besides that of man and woman, and they must be respected," said President Alberto Fernández at the presentation of the new document, adding there were "a thousand ways to love and be loved and be happy." The use of the "x" has already been accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and includes people who identify outside traditional gender definitions.
Full protections were restored for Alaska's Tongass National Forest — a win for climate and biodiversity!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would restore full protections for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. Previously, about half of the forest had been reopened to logging and mining. The forest is significant because of its biodiversity and because of its climate protections. It's home to more than 400 species of wildlife — like fish and shellfish, nesting bald eagles, moose, and the world's largest concentration of black bears. And according to Audubon, over 40% of North American birds. It also has incredible plant diversity, including red and yellow cedar, Western hemlock, and Sitka spruce trees that are at least 800 years old. It also plays a significant role in protecting the climate. According to Audubon’s Natural Climate Solutions Report, the Tongass National Forest holds 44% of all the carbon stored in the U.S. National Forest system. In the announcement, the USDA said it would restore the full protections to return “stability and certainty” to the forest. This is really good news for protecting not only the plants and animals that call the Tongass home, but also of our greatest, natural assets in the fight against climate change: forests. (Via GoodGoodGood Co)
Democratic Senators make major efforts to decriminalize cannabis.
Seeing Two Types of Green. A huge milestone: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is throwing his weight as majority leader behind unwinding the war on drugs. Schumer, along with Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced legislation to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. But their proposal goes a step further: attempting to compensate the poor and communities of color for decades of damage America’s restrictive drug policy has caused. (Via The Recount)
Leyna Bloom, Megan Thee Stallion and Naomi Osaka — the first openly trans woman, first female rapper and first Haitian + Japanese woman athlete to be on the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
In March, Bloom became the first transgender woman of color and the second transgender model ever to be featured in the Swimsuit Issue. Bloom was then announced as one of the cover stars in July, alongside rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who made history as the first female rapper, and tennis star Naomi Osaka, the first Haitian and Japanese woman athlete. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue editor-in-chief MJ Day called Bloom's cover a "culmination of our powerful community coming together," and said the magazine was thrilled to help share her story.
For the first time in MLB history, a game featured an all-women broadcast team.
History was be made in Major League Baseball! For the first time in league history, a game will featured an all-women broadcast team. Five women were part of the the on-air crew for the Baltimore Orioles game against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida. Orioles' play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman did play-by-play calling for the game, baseball analyst and MLB.com writer Sarah Langs was the analyst in the booth, Alanna Rizzo did on-field reporting, and Heidi Watney and Lauren Gardner anchored the pregame and post game shows. Women serving in broadcast and production roles in sports is nothing new, but this is an incredible moment in history to celebrate for representation. We're celebrating with all the women who've worked hard to get to this moment — and GO BROADCAST TEAM! (Via GoodGoodGood Co)
Researchers designed concrete that can repair itself through absorbing carbon dioxide in the air.
A team of researchers developed a concrete that can heal its own cracks within 24 hours by pulling carbon dioxide from the air. Concrete is one of the most common building materials in the world today — it's cheap and durable. However, slight cracks in the material over time can damage the structural integrity. This self-repairing concrete is four times as durable as traditional concrete — both extending the life of roads and structures built with it, and reducing the need and cost to repair or replace structures built with it. This could, in turn have massive positive implications for the environment and carbon emissions, too. (Via GoodGoodGood Co)
Back in March 2019, the Houston Forward Times highlighted the historical appointment of Vanessa Wyche as she became the first African American female Deputy Director of NASA Johnson Space Center, a position that she had held since 2018. Fast forward to June 2021, and Wyche has once again made history, as she has risen through the ranks at NASA and has become the first African American female director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Johnson Space Center is the home of America’s astronaut corps, Mission Control Center, International Space Station, Orion and Gateway programs and its more than 10,000 civil service and contractor employees. In her new role, Wyche is responsible for overseeing a broad range of human spaceflight activities, including development and operation of human spacecraft, commercialization of low-Earth orbit and Johnson Space Center’s role in landing the first woman and first person of color on the surface of the Moon.
New York City’s 911 pilot program with social workers instead of cops is working.
Imagine this: Instead of cops and paramedics responding to 911 mental health calls, three-person teams of social workers and paramedics respond instead. New York City is testing this theory out. In 95% of those cases the subject of the call accepted the team's offer of assistance. In the old cop-EMS model, that rate was 82%. But that’s not all: The new model also appears to be reducing unnecessary hospitalizations. Whereas all assistance cases went to a hospital in the old model, now just 50% do. (Via The Recount)
In 2020, coal production in the U.S. dropped to its lowest since 1965.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced that the country's coal production in 2020 reached its lowest level since 1965. The EIA cited a decrease in demand for the energy source globally, some mines being "idled" to slow the spread among workers — as well as a decrease in demand overall for the non-renewable energy source. (Via GoodGoodGood Co)
Annie Wu Henry is a journalist, social media expert and politics + pop culture junkie. On the cusp of being a gen-z and millennial she understands the power and privilege that social media holds and chooses to use her platform to utilize these tools for good. Through sharing news in digestible, entertaining and easy to understand content, Annie seeks to promote the message that anyone can be an activist and make an impact. She believes people are important and thrives on building meaningful connections with others through sharing our stories and perspectives. As a proud adopted Asian-American, her work focuses on equality, mental health, intersectionality and education.
