In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

Hillary Clinton is the winner of the Guam Democratic Caucuses. Congratulations, Hillary Clinton! Paging Tim Robbins!

[Content Note: Transphobia] This is yet another reminder that Republican state legislatures act in contravention of the will of the people: "Americans broadly oppose laws that would require transgender people to use facilities that correspond with their gender at birth rather than their gender identity, according to a new CNN/ORC Poll, and three-quarters favor laws guaranteeing equal protection for transgender individuals. Overall, 57% say they oppose laws requiring transgender individuals to use facilities that do not match their gender identity, 38% support such laws. Strong opposition (39%) outweighs strong support for these laws (25%). There's a partisan gap on the question, with Democrats and independents more apt to oppose them than Republicans. But Republicans aren't broadly in favor of them either."

[CN: Transphobia; homophobia] In related news: "The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging Mississippi's anti-LGBT 'right to discriminate' bill, HB 1523. Called one of the worst religious freedom bills to date in the U.S., HB 1523 (also known as the 'Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act') cuts out broad exemptions for individuals and businesses with 'sincerely held religious belief or moral convictions' that marriage 'should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman' to refuse service to LGBT people. The ACLU argues that HB 1523 directly contradicts the Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges by targeting LGBT people."

[CN: War on agency] "A number of states have unleashed a new strategy to further restrict a woman's legal right to end a pregnancy: Ban the safest way to perform a second-trimester abortion. ...The flurry of state-level activity over D&E has intensified since this legislation was first introduced in 2014. Just last week, Alabama passed a D&E bill—paired with legislation that would essentially treat abortion clinics like sex offenders. In March, West Virginia lawmakers overrode their governor's veto on a D&E bill that's now slated to go into effect at the end of May. All told, at least 15 states have proposed new D&E bans this session. If these bills become law, and follow the path of previous abortion restrictions that eventually became federal law, women may no longer be able to obtain a legal abortion when they're in most need."

[CN: Family separation; trauma; anti-immigrationism] This is a must-read from Tina Vasquez: "Family Separation: A Natural Byproduct of the U.S. Immigration System. There are millions of children in the United States born into households where one or more of their parents are undocumented—and thousands of these parents are deported each year."

[CN: Video may autoplay at link] In election news: "Hillary Clinton only needs 17 percent of remaining delegates to clinch nomination: Clinton won the Guam caucus on Saturday and now needs just 17 percent of the delegates at stake in upcoming contests to clinch the nomination. That means she could lose every single contest by a landslide and still be the nominee if all of her superdelegates continue to support her."

[CN: Misogyny] Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein unleashed a nasty, and unprecedented, attack on Hillary Clinton's commitment to "the values of being a mother" on Mothers' Day. There are a whole lot of things wrong with that, not least of which is the embedded implication that every mother has the same values. Not monolithizing mothers is one value that lots of moms probably have!

Donald Trump has chosen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie "to lead his White House transition team as he prepares for the general election campaign." Sounds about right.

[CN: Islamophobia] "Newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he wants to travel to the U.S. to collaborate with other mayors—but he won't be able to if Donald Trump wins the presidency. Khan, who was elected mayor last week after fending off racially charged attacks from his opponents, is Muslim. Trump, the presumed Republican nominee for U.S. president, has vowed to ban anyone practicing Islam from entering the United States. ...'I want to go to America to meet with and engage with American mayors. If Donald Trump becomes the president I'll be stopped from going there by virtue of my faith, which means I can't engage with American mayors and swap ideas.'" Welp.

This is awesome! "Viola Davis and Kerry Washington are Creating Production Companies: As a Black writer and viewer, I am overjoyed to learn that women who look like me and my friends are controlling our stories. From my writing classes, the television shows that I watch, and the movies that I see, I have learned that people both do not understand how to create diversity in their shows, and are not willing to listen or attempt to understand how to make their characters more realistic. Now, Davis and Washington are creating the opportunities that have been denied for decades, and we are all here for it."

[CN: Spoilers; misogyny] Did you watch the series finale of The Good Wife? I was underwhelmed! And kind of pissed! And also I liked some of it! Anyway. This piece by Megan Garber addresses some of my many complex thoughts about it.

US National Parks will begin selling naming rights. Ugh. Or, I dunno, we could raise taxes on wealthy people and corporations by a miniscule percentage?!

[CN: Moving GIF at link] And finally! "Stubborn Husky Throws Adorable Tantrum to Stay in the Bathtub." Ad advertised. LOL.