In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today!

[Content Note: War on agency] This is good news: "Last Tuesday, a federal court blocked a targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) law that could have shut down the only healthcare facility in Indiana providing RU-486, or mifepristone, the medication abortion drug. The blocked law would have unnecessarily required the Planned Parenthood of Lafayette to adhere to the same licensing standards as facilities that perform surgical abortions, even though the clinic does not perform surgical procedures." The state will likely appeal the decision.

[CN: Racism] Three black students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for standing on a sidewalk waiting for a school bus. Police also threatened their coach, Jacob Scott, who is also a district guidance counselor and a black man, with arrest when he tried to intervene on behalf of the students. Fuck. This.

President Obama has pledged $100 million to fund research projects dedicated to finding a cure for HIV.

[CN: Anti-fat bias] New research says that if you're fat and healthy now, you will definitely be fat and unhealthy later! Here's an interesting quote buried at the end of the article: Dr. Vicki March, medical director of the Healthy Lifestyle Program at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says: "In this study, they didn’t take exercise and other habits into consideration." Whoops!

[CN: Train crash; death] The investigation into the deadly Metro-North Railroad derailment in the Bronx over the weekend has found that the train was speeding at 82mph heading into a 30mph curve, and the engineer has reportedly admitted he was falling asleep at the time. So sad.

[CN: Racism] Prof. Shannon Gibney, a black female faculty member at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, has been formally reprimanded for trying to have a discussion of privilege in her classroom, because "it was inappropriate for you to single out white male students in class. Your actions in [targeting] select students based on their race and gender caused them embarrassment and created a hostile learning environment." Never mind that it was white male students in the class who demanded an explanation about why they were obliged to talk about racism in every class. So, I'm really wondering what would have been an acceptable reply. "Oh, gee, you're right, white male students. I will stop talking about racism in my classroom!" Fuck. This. Too.

I can't stop laughing at this: "After setting a Thanksgiving Weekend record with Jennifer Lawrence's female protagonist Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate is eyeing another film with a strong female heroine. The mini-major is in early talks to back Rodham, a feature about the formative years of former First Lady and Secretary State and potential presidential candidate Hillary Clinton." I mean, just try to imagine a male equivalent to that. "After the success of the latest Superdude movie, Garbage Studios is eyeing another film with a strong male lead, and is in early talks to back Kennedy." Absurd. The way we still view women. Jesus Jones.