via Amanda Marcotte, Slate The most important thing to remember as Republicans pose as victims of Democrats igniting a culture war over women’s rights is this: Republicans are not required to take the bait. They were not required to try to pass legislation restricting women’s ability to use their own insurance to cover contraception. They … Continue reading
via AP, Politico Police say more than 70 people were taken into custody following a rally at the park where the Occupy movement was born. Hundreds of protesters had returned to Zuccotti Park near Wall Street on Saturday to mark the six months that have passed since the movement began. They locked arms and sat … Continue reading
via Money Trend Research Canadian researchers find a simple cure for cancer, but major pharmaceutical companies are not interested. Researchers at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada have recently cured cancer, yet there is but little ripple in the news or on TV. It is a simple technique using a very basic drug. The … Continue reading
via Andrea Kelly, Arizona Public Media The state House education committee passed a bill Monday that would prohibit school districts and charter schools from promoting abortion as a better alternative to childbirth and adoption. SB 1009 would require schools to talk about adoption as the preferred alternative to abortion when the issue comes up in … Continue reading
via David Allyn, Chicago Tribune We seem to be living in a time warp. Conservatives are denouncing not just abortion, but birth control. There was the Rush Limbaugh “slut” episode. Actor Kirk Cameron called homosexuality “unnatural,” “detrimental” and “ultimately destructive.” Meanwhile, Rick Santorum sees Satan lurking in America’s bedrooms. At first blush, such backwardness might … Continue reading
via Jesse McKinley, The New York Times Of the many roles Pat Robertson has assumed over his five-decade-long career as an evangelical leader — including presidential candidate and provocative voice of the right wing — his newest guise may perhaps surprise his followers the most: marijuana legalization advocate. Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett, The Huffington Post As a member of a heavily male- and GOP-dominated state Senate since 2008, Ohio legislator Nina Turner says she has cringed watching her colleagues pass bill after bill to regulate women’s reproductive health. Now, the Democrat has become the latest in a series of female state legislators to give … Continue reading
via Jennifer Bendery, The Huffington Post Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told a constituent in favor of legalizing marijuana that he doesn’t support the idea because drugs like pot lead to death. In a Feb. 14 letter to his constituent, McConnell said he has “serious concerns” about legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, a topic … Continue reading
via Erin Gloria Ryan, Jezebel A proposed new law in Arizona would give employers the power to request that women being prescribed birth control pills provide proof that they’re using it for non-sexual reasons. And because Arizona’s an at-will employment state, that means that bosses critical of their female employees’ sex lives could fire them … Continue reading
via James Dao, The New York Times Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to be prescribed opioid pain killers than other veterans with pain problems and more likely to use the opioids in risky ways, according to a study published Wednesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The study, published in the Journal of the American … Continue reading
via Pam Belluck, The New York Times Leticia Parra, a mother of five scraping by on income from her husband’s sporadic construction jobs, relied on the Planned Parenthood clinic in San Carlos, an impoverished town in South Texas, for breast cancer screenings, free birth control pills and pap smears for cervical cancer. But the clinic … Continue reading
via Meghan Daum, Chicago Tribune Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University law school student Rush Limbaugh called a “slut” and a “prostitute,” is intelligent, poised and coherent. That alone puts her miles ahead of her detractors. She’s been making the rounds this week on behalf of her argument that the insurance she pays for at Georgetown … Continue reading
via Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic You might not think about the Fourth Amendment while you’re using Facebook and other online tools, but you probably should. You are no doubt familiar, now, with Facebook’s concept of “frictionless sharing.” You enable a social reader like the one from the Washington Post and the next time you read … Continue reading
via Judd Legum, ThinkProgress Industry website radio-info.com has the scoop: When it comes to advertisers avoiding controversial shows, it’s not just Rush From today’s TRI Newsletter: Premiere Networks is circulating a list of 98 advertisers who want to avoid “environments likely to stir negative sentiments.” The list includes carmakers (Ford, GM, Toyota), insurance companies (Allstate, … Continue reading
via Jason Cherkis, The Huffington Post GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum has yet to deliver a substantial blow to Mitt Romney’s rival campaign. In the past two pivotal primary contests in battleground states, the former senator from Pennsylvania fell short, losing by squeaker margins in Michigan and Ohio. He may owe those defeats to his … Continue reading
via Kim Severson, The New York Times Fed by antagonism toward President Obama, resentment toward changing racial demographics and the economic rift between rich and poor, the number of so-called hate groups and antigovernment organizations in the nation has continued to grow, according to a report released Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The … Continue reading
via Bianca Bosker, The Huffington Post Google’s plan to collapse 60 privacy policies into a single one and combine informationit collects about its users has sparked outcry among privacy advocates and scrutiny from lawmakers around the world. Privacy experts have slammed the approach as “frustrating,” “a little frightening,” and even “illegal.” But users will not notice much of a … Continue reading
via Faiz Shakir, ThinkProgress Moments ago, Netflix emailed a statement to the tech website Boing Boing indicating that the company will ensure that its ads never appear on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show again: Spotted your tweets and wanted to let you know that Netflix has not purchased and does not purchase advertising on the Rush … Continue reading
via The Huffington Post A judge in northwestern Illinois made an announcement Friday that could forever change the way the media covers criminal trials in the state. In January, the Illinois Supreme Court approved heightened media access to criminal proceedings, including video recording, on an experimental basis. The justices believed that allowing the public to … Continue reading
via Brian Stelter, The New York Times Emboldened by Rush Limbaugh’s public apology over the weekend to a law school student whom he had called a “slut” and a “prostitute,” critics of the radio talk show host are intensifying their online campaign against his advertisers. The apology, they said, was a signal that the campaign was … Continue reading
via Anita Kumar, The Washington Post The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday for a scaled-back version of a contentious proposal that would require women to undergo external ultrasounds before abortions, but not the transvaginal ones. The 21-19 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate — mostly along party lines — came after Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked legislators … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett, The Huffington Post Oklahoma Sen. Judy McIntyre (D), one of four women in the 48-member state Senate, looked out over a sea of homemade signs at a fetal personhood protest at the state Capitol on Tuesday and spotted one that she wanted to hold herself. “If I wanted the government in my … Continue reading
via Laura Bassett and Jennifer Bendery, The Huffington Post [Editress’ Note: If you are as disgusted with Rush Limbaugh’s comments as we are, boycott his sponsors and help send him a message!] Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh drew sharp criticism from Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and others on Wednesday when he called Sandra Fluke, a … Continue reading
via Michael McAuliff, The Huffington Post The White House released rules Tuesday evening waiving the most controversial piece of the new military detention law, and exempting U.S. citizens, as well as other broad categories of suspected terrorists. Indefinite military detention of Americans and others was granted in the defense authorization bill President Barack Obama signed … Continue reading
via Rhoda A, Daily Kos [Editress’ Note: Yesterday we told you about Rush Limbaugh’s appalling comments about Sandra Fluke. Today, we ask that you boycott his show’s sponsors to help send a message. Us “sluts” need to stick together.] UPDATE 3: According to ThinkProgress, a total of THIRTY sponsors have pulled their advertising from the Rush Limbaugh Show! … Continue reading