Feminist Weekly September 28
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!
Although the Taliban has said in verbal statement that it will not be taking away women's rights, the actions have shown otherwise. The Afghanistan's Women's Affairs Ministry building will become the office of the Taliban's ministry for the "propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice." In the capital Kabul, the interim mayor has announced that female city employees must stay home unless their work cannot be replaced by men. The Taliban has also announced that boys in grades 7-12 should return to school alongside the protested shortly against the Taliban's rules and other activists held a news conference in the basement of a private home. (Via AP)
Texas Passed A Restrictive Voting Bill which will disproportionately impact BIPOC communities. — Everything’s bigger in Texas … including restrictive voting bills apparently. Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the restrictive voting bill SB1 into law, despite Texas House Democrats fleeing the state last month to prevent its passage. The new law bans mail ballot drop boxes, drive-thru voting, and extended early voting hours. Oh, and it’s now officially a felony for election officials to distribute unsolicited absentee ballot applications. But don’t worry, Texas. You can still carry a gun without a permit or collect a $10k bounty for reporting a woman who aborts a 7-week-old fetus. Don’t mess with Texas? How about: Clean up your mess, Texas.
(Via The Recount)
Protesters outside the steps of the Met Gala demanded that the NYPD be defunded, and reinvest the money into the community.
In a historic moment for the Black Trans and Nonbinary liberation movement people gathered outside of the 2021 Met Gala to protest the rise of housing inequality in NYC and a wave of forcible removals of unhoused people from hotels across the city, forcing them into congregate shelters.
Central to the protest, it was demanded that NYPD be defunded and reinvest the money into the community. Among them was 18-year-old organizer Ella, who was arrested after practicing their first amendment rights.
via LGBT
ICYMI
The Colorado attorney general report found bias in Aurora policing — the city in which Elijah McClain was killed. — After a year-long Colorado civil rights investigation, a report released by Attorney General Phil Weiser's office showed that they found officers in the Aurora Police Department showed a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive force. Weiser plans to make the department to solve the problems and said, "These actions are unacceptable." he said. Under a new state accountability law — that was passed after the police murder of George Floyd — the two sides have 60 days to reach a legally binding agreement to address the findings. Weiser chose Aurora as the first department to be investigated under the law after the death of Elijah McClain, a young unarmed Black man who was forced to the ground and sedated by officers and paramedics in 2019 but did not gain attention until it went viral nearly a year later. (Via The Denver Post)
Pope Francis tells bishops to be 'pastors,' not politicians, on abortion issues. — After the Supreme Court of the United States chose not to block the harmful 6-week heartbeat bill in Texas, the topic of abortion has been on the forefront. President Biden, who identifies as a practicing Catholic, has said that he supports choice due to the separation of church and state. Pope Francis said that Catholic bishops should not let politics determine who should receive Communion, telling them to minister to politicians who support abortion rights with "compassion and tenderness." The remarks came in response to a question about an agreement by U.S. bishops to draft a "teaching document" expected to rebuke President Biden and other Catholic politicians who receive Communion despite the church's position against abortion. The Pope did not take a direct position in the debate on whether Biden should receive communion, but said he had "never refused the Eucharist to anyone." Francis reiterated his belief that abortion is "murder," but said bishops should be "pastors, and not go condemning." (Via AP)
The U.S. wrongfully deported Haitian refugees seeking asylum who crossed from Mexico.
Around 14,000 migrants from Haiti were sheltering under a border bridge in South Texas after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico due to the unprecedented humanitarian and logistical crisis. The United States has begun to effort to clear out the massive makeshift camp with U.S. officials blocking the Mexican border there and sending three flights of Haitians back to their impoverished Caribbean homeland. The government plans to increase this pace to six planeloads per day soon, one U.S. official said. Many of the migrants have been in Brazil and other Latin American countries for years, but recently headed through Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S. Haiti, already struggling to respond to an earthquake and presidential assassination, protested the forced return, saying it wasn't prepared to handle so many deportees. (Via AP)
👉 Click here for a resource guide on how to take action and support the human right of asylum.
ON THE PANDEMIC FRONT…
A Florida judge has ruled against DeSantis banning local mask mandates for school children. — In a big defeat for Gov. Ron DeSantis and his ban on local mask mandates for school children, a Florida judge has ruled that the governor’s action "does not meet Constitutional muster." As COVID surges and ICUs fill up, the ruling could not have come soon enough. Last week, the Sunshine State’s case count topped 3 million since the beginning of the pandemic, a total surpassed by only two other states and 15 *countries* in the entire world. Of the Floridians currently hospitalized, 90% are unvaccinated. (Via The Recount)
Labor Department’s announces that any company with more than 100 workers have to do weekly COVID testing or get vaccinated. — President Biden announced Thursday that all unvaccinated employees at any company with more than 100 workers have to do weekly COVID testing or get vaccinated. The new rules will affect more than 80 million workers, and businesses could face a fine of up to $14,000 for each violation. As you might imagine, Republicans aren’t taking this well. More than a dozen governors and two attorneys general have already issued statements defying the federal orders — and many threatening to sue. Biden’s response? “Have at it.” (Via The Recount)
Back-to-School COVID Updates. — Children now represent more than a quarter of weekly COVID cases nationwide. At least 45 school districts across Texas have shut down in-person classes amid soaring COVID caseloads. It's happening in Florida, too, where kids are getting sick AND 15 staff members in one Miami school district died of the virus over the span of *10 days.* And yet, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ war against mask mandates rages on. This week a Florida judge ruled against the governor … again ... siding with parents and allowing school boards to require students wear face coverings. (Via The Recount)
Fox News asked all employees to disclose their COVID-19 vaccine status. — For months, top personalities and contributors on Fox News have assailed the concept of vaccine mandates and passports. So get a load of this: Fox just told employees they must disclose their vaccination status to the company. In a memo to staff, the company "asked all employees — whether on site as part of our essential workforce or working remotely — to upload their vaccination status" into an internal database. Sounds a lot like mandatory reporting of vaccine status. Additionally, Fox News hosts have been publicly railing against Biden’s new “authoritarian” vaccine-or-weekly-testing mandate for large businesses. “Unconstitutional, illegal, unethical” are just some of the words they’ve used. Turns out, the so-called authoritarianism is coming from inside their own studio. Fox News established a mandate of its own: vaccine or *daily* testing for all employees. (Via The Recount)
#FeministWins
Gymnasts: Simone Biles, Maggie Nichols, McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman bravely testified against former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar in front of Congress.
This is one stage the women of USA Gymnastics never wanted to be on. Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Maggie Nichols gathered together in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify against the FBI’s mishandling of convicted former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar. In the words of Simone Biles, “To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse." Let’s continue to celebrate these women for their talent and grace, and now for their bravery in the face of terrible abuse. (Via The Recount)
California voted NO to the recall governor election.
Californians delivered a decisive win for Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom — just 46 minutes after recall polls closed. So much more than the name of the person in office was on the line. Efforts to combat climate change was protected with the "no" vote. The California $15 minimum wage was protected. Taking the pandemic seriously was protected. LGBTQ+ rights were protected. And so much more. So, who were the losers? Larry Elder, for one. The GOP frontrunner conceded after weeks of casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election. Caitlyn Jenner, for two, who got just 1% of the vote. But the biggest loser of them all? California taxpayers. Because of an archaic election mechanism, this recall attempt cost them a staggering $276 million. Amid a pandemic. Amid a housing crisis. (Via The Recount)
India is cutting emissions using biogas digesters that turn food waste into clean energy.
Until four years ago, garbage disposal meant one thing to Savitri Bai Patil — stinking, putrefied heaps of trash spread around her neighborhood in Pune, in western India. But now the streets of the Ashok Meadows housing complex where she lives are clear, with workers picking up garbage from residents' doorsteps each day and turning some of it into electricity. Since 2017, the complex has fed its food waste into a digester that converts it into biogas used to light the area's streetlights, park, social club, and gym. "Clean energy from our rancid food leftovers, vegetable peels, and other such throwaways? It is unbelievable how the concept of waste management has changed in the past few years," Bai Patil, 62, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Biogas generators like the one used in Ashok Meadows are now installed in more than 75 locations across India. (Via GoodGoodGood)
A Breakthrough for HIV Vaccines — Moderna just began human trials on HIV vaccines.
38 million people are currently living with HIV across the globe. An estimated 1.5 million individuals worldwide acquired HIV in 2020. And attempts to develop a vaccine have been ongoing for decades. Now, thanks to mRNA technology, Moderna just began human trials on HIV vaccines, which are expected to run from now until spring 2023. The pharma giant has two HIV vaccine candidates, both of which have cleared initial safety testing. So yeah, this is big f*cking deal in the fight against HIV/AIDS. (Via The Recount)
AOC clapped back after being called a "fake feminist."
Reminder: Never go after someone who is better at the internet than you are. Former VP candidate Sarah Palin learned that the hard way when she went after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Palin called AOC a "fake feminist" for criticizing the Texas abortion law and said, “She’s milking the whole female thing, and as a real feminist, I’m embarrassed for her.” So AOC hit back, directing Palin to a hot-line she can call: “1-800-Cry-Now.” (Via The Recount)
Water vending machines are giving 600,000 people in Nairobi access to cheap, clean water.
The more than 600,000 residents living in one of Nairobi's largest slums have struggled with water access for years, a problem exacerbated by frequent bouts of city-wide water rationing, which has been ongoing since 2017. But soon, Mukuru residents will be able to fill a jerry can with clean water for as little as 50 Kenyan cents, using token-operated vending machines that the city government is installing in an effort to ease the slum's water stress. Kagiri Gicheha, an engineer at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), which is helping develop the system, said the project is in the final stages, only awaiting the installation of the vending machines. The dispensers, each costing 200,000 shillings, mean Mukuru residents will no longer be at the mercy of the slum's informal, exploitative water market, Gicheha said. This is a way of controlling the cartels that have long been stealing water in the slums because this is an automated system that is very easy to manage," he said. The cost of the water from the vending machines is just enough to keep up with maintenance — and its a vast improvement from the inflated prices the cartels would charge people. (Via GoodGoodGood)
A Robert E. Lee Statue from 1890 Was Finally Removed.
Bye, traitor! The enormous 12-ton monument to one of America’s most infamous Confederate generals has finally been removed from its pedestal after gazing over Richmond, Virginia, since 1890 — an enduring symbol of white supremacy. The monument had been overtaken by graffiti in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. While more than 160 public Confederate symbols were removed last year alone, at least 2,100 remain. (Via The Recount)
A Win For Trans Rights — Meggan Sommerville, a trans woman who worked at Hobby Lobby won a discrimination case after being denied access to the women’s bathroom at work.
From bathroom bills to sports bans, 2021 has been a horrible year for anti-trans legislation in the United States. An appellate court ruling in Illinois could change all that. Meggan Sommerville, a trans woman who has worked at crafts chain Hobby Lobby for more than 20 years, has been denied access to the women’s bathroom at work since transitioning in 2010. The Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court ruled that the store violated the state’s anti-discrimination law, a ruling which could set a precedent for other anti-trans bills around the country. (Via The Recount)
Harvard University announced it will completely stop investing in fossil fuels.
Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow announced that as of June, Harvard Management Company (HMC) no longer had direct investments in fossil fuels, and that they would not make future investments in fossil fuels. Currently, he said HMC has indirect investments through private equity funds making up less than 2% of the endowment that "are in runoff mode and will end as these partnerships are liquidated." Harvard has the country's largest academic endowment, most recently totaling $41.9 billion, according to reporting from NPR. "Given the need to decarbonize the economy and our responsibility as fiduciaries to make long-term investment decisions that support our teaching and research mission, we do not believe such investments are prudent," Bacow wrote in an announcement posted to the university's website. He also called climate change "the most consequential threat facing humanity." This is good news in and of itself — but even better news are the helpers and activists who have been fighting for it behind the scenes for years. One activist group, Divest Harvard wrote on Twitter that the move was "a massive victory for our community, the climate movement, and the world — and a strike against the power of the fossil fuel industry." When it comes to climate change and decarbonizing the world and our economies, we know that change needs to happen swiftly. We also know that the best, most meaningful change usually doesn't happen as swiftly as we'd like — or in this case, *need* — it to. But that can't mean we stop fighting. (Via GoodGoodGood)
Afghan Soccer Stars were able to stay safe and seek refuge within Australia.
As athletes and activists, the Afghanistan women’s national soccer team faced danger under Taliban rule. So the Australian government welcomed them — all 75 athletes, officials, and relatives — to seek refuge within its borders. At the peak of evacuation efforts this week, a plane left Kabul every 39 minutes. And the U.S. plans to continue until every American and Afghan ally has reached safety. (Via The Recount)
A California ski resort has dropped its offensive name.
The Squaw Valley ski resort near Lake Tahoe announced that it will be changing its name in response to complaints from Native American tribes. The leaders of the California resort said acknowledged that the use of the word "squaw" is "offensive, derogatory, racist, and misogynistic." The resort will now be known as Palisades Tahoe. The Washoe Tribe, whose ancestral lands include the resort's valley have been supportive of this decision. Darrel Cruz of the Washoe Tribe Historic Preservation Office said the word was "a constant reminder of the unjust treatment of the Native people, of the Washoe people." (Via NPR)
England will be the first country to require all new homes be built with electric vehicle chargers.
This year, the British government is introducing legislation that will require all new homes and offices in the country to be built with electric vehicle chargers — the first country in the world to do so. Under the legislation, all new homes and offices will have to be built with “smart” charging devices — which automatically charge vehicles during off-peak electricity use periods. New office blocks will be required to install a charge point for every five parking spaces. It's part of the country's plan to boost charging infrastructure ahead of the UK's 2030 ban on new fossil fuel vehicles. Lawmakers also hope it will instill confidence in citizens wary of transitioning from reliable petrol cars to electric ones. Nigel Pocklington, CEO of clean energy company Good Energy, told Business Green, "Flexible charging at home and at workplace during the day is going to be crucial to decarbonizing not just transport but the UK’s entire energy system." (Via GoodGoodGood)
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.
