Link-A-Dink

From the Feminist Wire: Only weeks before the midterm election, the US House of Representativespassed the controversial Teen Endangerment Act yesterday in a 264 to153 vote.

South Dakota Healthy Families is always looking for volunteers to man phone banks and canvas neighborhoods.

A report has been released this morning by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union which reveals the prevalence of abuse and neglect of girls within New York’s juvenile prisons.

Safia Annajan, Director of Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs in Kandahar, was killed today. She was shot as she left her home this morning. According to the BBC, Annajan had made requests for "secure official transport and personal bodyguards" but was denied.

Headline from The New York Times: Is Hysteria Real? Brain Images Say Yes

According to new research, black women with uterine cancer are more likely to die than white women.

Despite recent legislation domestic violence continues to be a huge problem in Georgia. via AmnestyUSA.org

Check out this piece from CampusProgress on Plan B access.

Boobiethon '06 "features bloggers showing their (covered and uncovered) breasts in order to raise money for charity during Breast Cancer Awareness Month."

Separation of church and state under attack

At the urging of the religious right, the House of Representatives is expected to vote today on the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA); a bill that would weaken our nation’s commitment to the separation of church and state.

The Constitution ensures that there is no establishment of a state-sponsored religion – something the religious right and King Georgie has long sought to overturn. Currently, citizens who win lawsuits challenging infringements of this clause – such as Ten Commandment displays on government property and prayer in public schools – are able to receive reimbursement for the legal fees they collect in the process.

This ensures that all Americans are free to challenge legitimate threats to the freedoms promised in the Constitution – and that this fundamental right will be extended to all Americans, not just those with the financial means to fund a legal challenge.

If this bill passes, our Representatives would deal a huge blow to our commitment to the separation of church and state, and put the religious right one step closer to imposing their religious ideology on all Americans.

Next, they will refuse medicine because of ideology. Oh wait...

New Legislation Demands Scientific Fairness for Women

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced a new bill, the FDA Scientific Fairness for Women Act, in the House yesterday. According to Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center (NRC) for Women and Families, the legislation “prioritizes the importance of science and the health needs of women and helps to ensure that industry pressure and political ideology do not overrule scientific findings.” Under DeLauro’s bill, the director of the FDA’s Office of Women’s Health would report directly to the FDA Commissioner.

The bill specifically addresses women’s health issues related to emergency contraception (EC) and silicone breast implants. Earlier this summer, FDA scientists reported that the approval of EC over-the-counter was heavily influenced by political pressure, which delayed the drug’s approval. Even now, the drug will only be available without a prescription for women 18 years old or older.

FDA decisions surrounding silicone breast implants have also been subject to industry pressures, according to the National Organization for Women (NOW). Women with breast implants have higher rates of hazardous levels of an oxidized form of platinum in hair, urine, blood, and breast milk samples. Some women were unaware of these risks, and made their children sick after breast feeding.

Dr. Susan Wood, the former Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health of the FDA who resigned because of the agency’s delay in approving EC for over-the-counter status, spoke out in support of the bill, saying, “Let good science drive the decision. The role of Congress is to have oversight over the FDA and to ensure that it is strong and effective. This bill will try to restore integrity to the FDA and create an office that can shape women’s health and help to make sure data are reviewed appropriately,” according to NOW.

Link-A-Dink

Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani woman who became an international women’s rights activist after she was sentenced to be gang raped by a tribal council because of a crime her brother had committed, has started her own blog. Boo to the Hudood Ordinance.

The Michigan Senate on Wednesday voted 36-1 to approve two bills (SB 1416, SB 1417) that would require girls in the state entering the sixth grade in the 2007-2008 school year and beyond to have received Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports.

According to the Violence Policy Center (VPC), Alaska ranks #1 in the rate of women murdered by men.

A Chicago woman was awarded $2.4 million in damages, to be paid by the man who sexually assaulted her. The rapist, who was found guilty of misdemeanor battery, was sentenced to one year of "non-reporting supervision."

54 year-old Danielle Cornwell was fired last year after she told her employer she planned to undergo gender-reassignment surgery.

The Biting Beaver shares this infuriating blow-by-blow account of her (repeated) attempts to get emergency contraception.

Check out this op-ed in Ohio’s The Enquirer, "Let teens use emergency contraception".

The new Nepalese constitution recognizes reproductive rights.

The first campaign ads on the South Dakota abortion ban have started to air.

Pro-choicers across the country will be hosting potlucks the weekend of September 29th to show their support and raise money for the women of South Dakota.

Alabama approves a few more TRAP laws.

The Alabama Committee on Public Health on Wednesday unanimously voted to approve changes to regulations for clinics providing abortion services that would boost requirements for substitute physicians and increase the responsibility of medical directors, the AP/AlabamaLive.com reports.

Colombia's most popular telenovela is called "Without Breasts, There's No Paradise," and is about a flat-chested girl who gets implants to improve her life and ends up committing suicide.

What makes Focus on the Family's James Dobson come thisclose to swearing in the press? Republicans.

A new Norwegian law says that all public corporations there have a year to put women in 40 percent of boardroom seats.

Pregnant inmates face serious health risks.

Alan Moore's adult graphic novel Lost Girls sold out its entire first print run in one day, making it possibly the first piece of pornography to reach the Amazon Top 20.

There are more health warnings associated with the birth control patch.

A third grade teacher gave her students a handout showing an alphabet of pornographic stick-figures.

A recent study in the UK showed that women who attended single-sex schools have higher incomes than those from co-ed schools.

A New York abortion provider is being sued for "masquerading" as a crisis-pregnancy center.

Pennsylvania considers a bill requiring hospitals to offer EC to all rape victims.

The Advocate has released a guide to the country’s best 100 campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

Doctors in China have removed the world's first penis transplant after the recipient and his wife reported a "severe psychological problem" with the surgery,

A female soldier goes AWOL--no, not to avoid war, to avoid sexual harassment.

Via AdRants : check out this disturbing evidence that "hot pregnant women are the new advertising hood ornament."

The FDA's Accutane registry tries to ensure that teen girls are on birth control, but the "message is that contraception goes with Accutane, not that contraception goes with preventing unwanted pregnancies."

Operation Rescue no longer has tax-exempt status. Praise Jesus!

A Serbian man attempted to have sex with a hedgehog in order to cure his premature ejaculation. According to the local hospital, "The animal was apparently unhurt. The patient came off much worse from the encounter. "

Rebiya Kadeer, a Muslim Uighur leader and former political prisoner, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace prize.

China has its first openly gay female pop singer.

Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating federal laws designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and was fined $2.1 million.

A 19-year-old woman in Maine was kidnapped by her parents and nearly forced to have an aborion. This is something both sides agree on, just for different reasons is all. Pro-choice believes in choice. Where was her choice in this?
Portugal considers legalizing abortion.

South Dakota Pro-Lifers Face Off Against Planned Parenthood

Rev. Jerry Falwell has been spewing xenophobic, homophobic, and religiously zealous rants for decades -- all wrapped in the flag of patriotism from atop his "Liberty Mountain" in North Carolina.

This week, he's taking on South Dakota in his crusade to ban abortion throughout America. And he's doing it to the tune of $4 million dollars.

We can't let Jerry Falwell decide the fate of South Dakota's abortion law. Please give what you can to stand up for South Dakota: http://www.standupsd.com/falwell

Attached below is Falwell's latest call-to-action to his massive network of followers. In it, he warns of a multi-million dollar pro-choice "war chest," and commands people to open their checkbooks right away as an act of faith. His scare tactics would be laughable if they weren't so effective.

But the truth is, unfortunately, there is no war-chest for South Dakota. They don't have millions of dollars for TV commercials or glossy direct mail appeals. Every penny raised for this urgent fight is being spent in an intense voter-to-voter effort to tell the truth about this dangerous law.

According to Jerry Falwell, "What happens in South Dakota will literally affect the future of America."

Stand Up For South Dakota couldn't agree more. And neither could I.

The bottom line is -- upholding the abortion ban in South Dakota is the religious right's big chance to take on Roe vs. Wade. And it's your big chance to stop them.

**********************************************************************************

FALWELL CONFIDENTIAL
Insider weekly newsletter to The Moral Majority Coalition and The Liberty Alliance
http://www.moralmajority.com
From: Jerry Falwell
Date: September 14, 2006
South Dakota Pro-Lifers Face Off Against Planned Parenthood

The pro-life movement in South Dakota needs your help. In a moment, I'll tell you how you can help, but first, please allow me to explain the situation in the state.
Abortion-rights advocates have gotten a measure on the November ballot that, if passed, would repeal the state law (HB 1215) forbidding all abortions, except those that would save the life of a mother. The ban, which hasn't yet taken effect, will be activated if it passes the ballot initiative (even though it would likely would be challenged in the courts). The law states that individuals performing abortions would be fined $5,000 and be jailed for five years.
Here's the key problem: Planned Parenthood is now pouring money into the state, in hopes of killing this legislation without having to go to court.
************SPONSORED LINK************
SUPER CONFERENCE 2006 - OCTOBER 1-4Speakers: Dr. Jerry Falwell, Dr. Ergun Caner, Dr. David Jeremiah, Dr. Johnny Hunt and moreVisit www.superconference.us
************SPONSORED LINK************
Dr. Allen Unruh, of the South Dakota pro-life organization Vote Yes for Life (www.voteyesforlife.com), tells me that Planned Parenthood panicked after HB 1215 was passed in both state houses and Gov. Mike Rounds signed it into law. The state house voted 50 to 18 in favor of the bill, while the state senate passed it 23 to 12.
Dr. Unruh says the organization is mounting an $8 million media blitz over the next two months. He tells me this is a major propaganda campaign to demonize and distort the language on the ban on abortion in South Dakota.
Pro-life leaders in the state are now trying to raise funds to counter Planned Parenthood's campaign to defeat the law. They are now attempting to raise $4 million to offset Planned Parenthood's campaign to radical political agenda.
That's where I hope you will step in. I have told Dr. Unruh and his team that I will do my best to deliver thousands of people who will financially help to win this historic battle. We have to raise $4 million dollars -- very quickly -- in South Dakota to counter the propaganda Planned Parenthood will be putting on the airwaves prior to the November election.
Dr. Unruh and I believe that if there were ever a time when Christians need to invest in a pro-life effort, the time is now and the place is South Dakota. If the state wins this battle, other states could follow South Dakota's lead in the future, also determining to outlaw abortion.
I am urging my friends across the country to give generously to this vital campaign.
What happens in South Dakota will literally affect the future of America.

*******************************************************************************

Chile Teens' Sexual Health Sparks Storm

Chile's strict abortion ban and high teen pregnancy rates have drawn international criticism, but its efforts to ward off those critiques have sparked a moral debate, Jen Ross reports today. Chile's efforts to sign an international protocol may be delayed as a result.

Read the full story at: http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=2895

Quote Of The Day

Senator Kerry:

"I oppose abortion, personally. I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. ... But I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist ... who doesn't share it. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America."

I have complete respect for people who personally oppose abortion. Many do. Even some in the pro-choice movement personally wouldn't have an abortion, but understand and support why women must have ownership over their own bodies and their own decisions. I respect those who oppose abortion, as long as they don't force their beliefs or ideology onto me. Or anyone, honestly. Big Government can not enforce or decide morality for others.

Gonzales v. Carhart

On November 8th, the Supreme Court will review the constitutionality of the first-ever federal abortion ban in the Center For Reproductive Rights' case Gonzales v. Carhart. On August 10, the Center filed a brief outlining why the ban is unconstitutional. The brief argues that the ban endangers women's health, places an undue burden upon women's right to choose, and outlaws some of the safest and most commonly used abortion procedures.

Click here to read the brief > > (PDF)

The Center is armed with top-flight attorneys, an extraordinary depth of experience, and the confidence that they speak on behalf of you and many thousands of supporters.

This is why the Center will be launching the Voice4Choice website: www.voice4choice.org

This site will keep you informed about this groundbreaking case, help you mobilize your concerned friends, and empower you to join the battle to protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions.

King George De-Funds UNFPA For 5th Year

Feminist News Wire reports:

President Bush announced on Friday that he is withholding the $34 million Congress had allotted for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. This is the fifth year President Bush has withdrawn funding from UNFPA — a total of $161 million dollars lost in funding. UNFPA provides services to over 140 struggling nations, territories, and areas, funding programs to lower infant and maternal mortality, stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease, increase access to contraceptive services, and decrease incidence of obstetric fistula.

President Bush has withheld funding for UNFPA since 2001, after spurious claims that funding was going towards forced abortions and sterilizations in China. The claim was proven false by a Department of State investigation in 2001, though President Bush still uses the claim to withhold funding from UNFPA. The $34 million could have prevented 385,000 infant and child deaths, 27,000 maternal deaths, and four million induced abortions, or funded contraceptives to prevent 12 million unwanted pregnancies, according to PlanetWire.

"This is the 5th year in a row that this administration has listened to its far right constituency at the expense of the world's neediest women and children … It's another in a series of actions that pander to the base while severely impacting women's health. The administration didn't let facts get in the way of its decision, and women suffer," said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). "…The Bush administration is playing politics at the expense of providing women with the means to take control of their health, their families and their lives," said Dr. Lawrence Smith, Jr., president of the Population Institute, in a statement about the withdrawal of funding.

The President-In-A-Bubble is responsible for 385,000 deaths of children. 27,000 lives of women lost. King George is responsible for these deaths, thereby making him a serial killer. Yes, I said it. There is blood on the hands of the leader of this nation.

South Dakota Group Opposed to State Abortion Ban Launches Advertisement

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- a coalition that successfully blocked the July 1 enactment of a law (HB 1215) banning abortion in the state except to save a woman's life by gathering enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot -- on Monday launched its first television advertisement calling on voters to reject the law, the AP/Rapid City Journal reports. The ad asks, "Should a woman who's the victim of rape or incest be left with no option?" It adds that the law, on the November ballot as Referred Law 6, does not make exceptions to the abortion ban in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnant woman's health is in jeopardy. Leslee Unruh of VoteYesforLife.com, which supports the law, said the law "does give options" to rape or incest survivors under a provision that says survivors could obtain emergency contraception before a pregnancy could be detected by conventional testing. According to Jan Nicolay, co-chair of Campaign for Healthy Families, "The law allows the government to intrude into a difficult, private decision that should be made by a woman, her family and her doctor." Nicolay added, "I'm confident that when voters learn there is no exception for rape, incest or the health of the mother, they will vote against the ban".

Let's just make this clear once and for all: There is NO exception in this law for rape or incest, no matter what the nest of vipers say. How ironic that they suddenly support emergency contraception after fighting its FDA approval for 3 years. Funny how they suddenly don't agree with their own words, that EC is an "abortifacient". Where did that strong-held belief go? And let's not for a second think that EC is a true choice for rape victims. EC must be taken within 72 hours. Most rape victims are hardly in the state of mind to be on a timeline to prevent a potential pregnancy. Let's not forget that minors must still obtain a doctors script to receive EC at the pharmacy, so what if she is raped on Friday night at 7pm after doctor offices close? Nice.
Oh and yea, did these Fetus Fanatics mention that South Dakota has a law protecting rogue pharmacists from dispensing morals onto women? They are legally allowed to refuse to fill legal, valid prescriptions for birth control, all the while questioning women's behavior. Are you a pharmacist or my priest? The majority of South Dakota is rural, where is the next hospital? Where is the next pharmacy? If a woman does get there--she is NOT gauranteed EC. So tell me...where is the choice in that? Where is this so-called "exception"? Vinctims of repeat abuse will not seek EC after every assualt. It's just ridiculous to think this, or to even place that responsibility onto women.
Bag-o-douche Leslee Unruh and her Goons are contradicting their own words, attempting to replace EC with abortion as a true alternative and are simply a bunch of assbags.

The Christian Reich can twist and lie all they want, the fact remains that this law re-victimizes assault survivors, forces unwanted pregnancies onto women and strips them of any sense of personal autonomy. Big government does not own women's vaginas. Big government has no place, NONE, in medical decisions. Neither does anyone else. Women are not vessels existing solely to incubate the Supreme Fetus.

Kaiser Updates

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday by voice vote approved President Bush's nomination of acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to permanently head the agency, but potential holds to a full Senate vote on the nomination remain, the New York Times reports (Harris, New York Times, 9/21). Wesley Denton, press secretary for Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), said recently that the senator plans to place a hold on von Eschenbach's nomination unless "immediate steps" are taken to remove Danco Laboratories' medical abortion drug Mifeprex from the market.

The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday issued rules for a state law -- passed in 1995 but never enforced -- that requires parental notification for minors seeking abortions, the Chicago Tribune reports.

FDA on Wednesday announced it has updated the warning label on birth control patch Ortho Evra -- made by Ortho-McNeil, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson -- to include information from two conflicting studies on increased risk of blood clots among patch users, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.), who opposes abortion rights, on Wednesday is scheduled to announce he is introducing a bill that would aim to reduce the number of abortions by establishing health care- and child care-related programs to support pregnant women, Roll Call reports. The measure -- called the Pregnant Women Support Act -- is modeled after Democrats for Life of America's "95-10 Initiative," which aims to reduce the U.S. abortion rate by 95% over the next 10 years.

Many Australian physicians are not applying for permission to supply mifepristone to women in the country and instead are prescribing women a combination of methotrexate -- a drug licensed to treat cancer patients -- and misoprostol to induce a medical abortion, Caroline de Costa, a Cairns, Australia-based obstetrician, wrote in a letter to the editor in the Sept. 18 edition of the Medical Journal of Australia, Melbourne's Age reports.

Some abortion-rights advocates in Alabama say it has become increasingly difficult for abortion clinics to find local physicians who will serve as backups for abortion providers because of fears they will be targeted and harassed by abortion-rights opponents, AP/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who supports abortion rights, on Monday during a speech at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., said both abortion-rights supporters and abortion-rights opponents sometimes use "misleading and unconstructive" language and urged both sides to find "common ground," on the issue, the Boston Globe reports.

Encouraging News

"I haven't completely ruled out running for president again in the future but I don't expect to." -- Al Gore

Quote Of The Day

After feeling so testy about Collin Powell's criticisms, Cry-Baby King Bu$h declared: "It’s unacceptable to think that there’s any kind of comparison between the behavior of the United States of America and the action of Islamic extremists who kill innocent women and children to achieve an objective."

Link-A-Dink

Former Texas Governor and Feminist Leader Ann Richards Dies. Farewell, sister. And Ten reasons we already miss Ann Richards.

A big welcome to a wonderful blog on women’s health that’s recently been launched, Our Bodies, Our Blog.

South Dakota voters have a real chance this November to end the nightmare that is the state abortion ban, so Us at Planned Parenthood are doing everything we can to help! We're looking for folks to host a "Potluck for South Dakota" anytime during the weekend of September 29, 30, and October 1. The potluck host to raise the most money for South Dakota and you could also WIN a trip to NYC! Thank you for signing up to host now!

A man who was fired from his job when he became a woman has won the discrimination lawsuit.

Colombian women are taking part in a sex ban to discourage their men from gang activities.

From The Associated Press:
MI state Senate panel this week is expected to consider legislation that would require abortion clinics to screen women to determine if they have been coerced or intimidated into ending their pregnancies. So who will screen for women who have been forced or "coerced" into carrying their pregnancies at hospitals, huh? Will church leaders, our own legislators and even our president be held accountable? I bet not so much.

Pakistan: Reforms of Cruel Rape Law Fail. In a blow for women's rights in Pakistan, the government's proposals for reforming the country's cruel rape laws were dropped today.

Gendered Dress Codes in the Workplace Create Controversy. Both public and private institutions have sparked controversy by promoting gender-specific dress codes for employees.

Crude Awakening. U.S. Policies in Afghanistan and Iraq Sell Out Women in Favor of Oil

NOW News

In the 61 years since the U.N. was founded, no woman has ever held the position of Secretary-General, despite many qualified women candidates. Take Action.

NOW and other women's rights organizations plan to follow up on the U.N. Human Rights Committee (U.N. HRC) recommendations concerning sex-based employment discrimination in the United States. Read More.

This Emergency Contraception toolkit will help you take action to ensure access to EC for all women. Read More.

NOW condemns acts of violence, the perpetrators, and the military authorities who fail to take action to punish offenders and prevent further violence and applauds members of Congress who have pressured the Department of Defense to address sexual assault in the military. Read More
Resources for Women in the Military.

And make sure to read: Teens Meet Harassment In High School Halls, by Liz Funk, Young Feminist Task Force Member.

NOW President Kim Gandy writes that Bush "has been in the news a lot lately, spreading cheerful misinformation with the help of his media allies. And his friends in Congress still roll over when he tosses them a bone. But there is change a-brewin' ..."
Read more about feminist candidates for the House of Representatives.

Kaiser Updates

Still settling in from the big move, so here is another round of updates to keep you on your toes.

Black women living in South Carolina are more likely to develop and die from breast and cervical cancers, compared to white women, according to a study published in the Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, the AP/WHNS reports.

The Internal Revenue Service this week revoked the tax exemption status of the antiabortion group Operation Rescue West for violating electioneering prohibitions in the 2004 presidential elections, the New York Times reports.

Although the deaths supposedly associated with RU-486 are less than Viagra, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) plans to place a hold on President Bush's nomination of acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to permanently head the agency unless "immediate steps" are taken to remove Danco Laboratories' medical abortion drug Mifeprex from the market, DeMint press secretary Wesley Denton said recently, the New York Times reports.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who opposes abortion rights, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who supports abortion rights, and other House Democrats on Thursday at a press conference announced the introduction of legislation (HR 6067), the "Reducing the Need for Abortions And Supporting Parents Act, aims to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, Copley/Canton Repository reports (Krawzak, Copley/Canton Repository, 9/15).

Michigan Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom (R) on Tuesday introduced two bills (SB 1416, SB 1417) that would require girls in the state entering the sixth grade in the 2007-2008 school year and beyond to have received Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the Detroit News reports.

After Chile's Health Minister Maria Soledad Barria earlier this month announced the government's plans to distribute EC, the Appeals Court on Wednesday in a split decision issued a temporary injunction on the government's plan to distribute emergency contraceptive pills in public clinics to girls ages 14 and older at no cost and without parental consent until lawsuits challenging the plan are resolved, Reuters AlertNet reports.

Although sex education remains a taboo issue in much of China, some approaches to the subject recently have started to change and some schools have begun to teach the subject several times annually, the Washington Post reports.

Several survivors of state-sponsored forced sterilization programs recently have told their stories with the aim of compelling states to acknowledge the extent of the initiatives, the Chicago Tribune/Wichita Eagle reports. About 65,000 people, most of whom were women, were involuntarily sterilized in the U.S. from the 1920s through the 1970s, according to Paul Lombardo, a professor at Georgia State University College of Law.

The Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools' revised condom demonstration video has received positive reviews from members of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum -- one of the groups involved in a lawsuit against the school system regarding the original video and sex education curriculum -- the Washington Post reports (Aratani, Washington Post, 9/12).

Push-Polling lacks integrity. It is for the desperate and the conniving, it is for the nest of vipers who will lie, twist and manipualte anything for their so-called agenda of the minute. So leave it to Common Sense 2006, an Ohio-based group "targeting candidates who support abortion rights," who have launched a so-called "push poll" criticizing Sen. Lincoln Chafee's (R- R.I.) stance on abortion rights in an attempt to weaken his support before the state Republican primary on Tuesday, several voters in Rhode Island said, the AP/Eyewitness News reports.

U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott on Wednesday ruled against a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that aims to block an Illinois rule that requires pharmacies to dispense prescriptions for emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- saying the plaintiffs have a legitimate claim that the rule infringes on their religious rights, the AP/Belleville News Democrat reports.

Link-A-Dink

This is infuriating. The United Arab Emiratesgovernment will legalize abortions for "vaild reasons." Not being ready to be a mother isn't "vaild" enough? Who can objectively decide validity with emotions? This isn't a stats class, where validity can actually be objective. And oh yea...seems an invalid excuse for abortion is: wanting to get rid of "the baby" because you think you have had enough children. Didn't you know that you can't decide that for yourself, but the government can? Women can't be trusted to make these decisions, because vessels can't and shouldn't think.

Deborah Solomon interviewed Gloria Steinem on Sunday in The New York Times Magazine.

Terminator-turned-politician Arnold is considering a bill to distribute condoms in California prisons.

Gay-hater Fred Phelps has recorded a ten-minute video rant against Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, calling them "fag-enabling fools" who encourage the "satanic spirit of mockery."

Inspired by Jane's disgusting "De-virginize this woman!" competition, Salon takes a look at female virgins in their 20s and 30s.

The Association for Women in Psychology is accepting submissions for their March conference. Check out the conference blog here.

Insensitive headline: Slutty Schoolgirls and Self-circumcisions: All in a day's work for a Urologist. Why are the girls always associated with immoral behavior, yet the boys are just portrayed as a bunch of fools?

A new biography reveals that Karl Rove's dad was out and proud.

Tracy Costin, owner of DataUSA Inc. (now ViewPoint USA) pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. DataUSA Inc. has conducted polls for George W. Bush and Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

Check out this ABC News article that connects the Forbes madness with the gender pay gap in the U.S. and asks its readers, “Is there a war on women who work?”.

A Chinese survey reports that 90 percent of respondents thought that women who dress provocatively at work were "inviting harassment." Obviously, men are slaves to their penis and can not control themselves. Bumbling idiots they are, we should comfort them because it is just so hard to be a man.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story has ruled that prayers that refer to Jesus Christ do not violate the U.S. Constitution and may continue to be offered at the Cobb County, Georgia county commission meetings.

This Purity Princess Survivor Kit can be yours for a mere $65. The kit includes such virginial essentials as a pink abstinence card, nail glue, a sewing kit, STD information and a polka-dot shower cap.

A new study says that a big reason behind the pay gap between men and women scientists in the UK could be discrimination. Imagine that.

Womens-E-News Cheers And Jeers Of The Week

Cheers:

Chile announced it would offer emergency contraception pills free to women 14 years of age and older, LifeNews.com reported Sept. 6. This comes two weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Plan B pills for over-the-counter sale to women 18 and older.

Missouri's Department of Health expanded a state program to ensure that at least 3,000 women will be able to receive cancer screenings and treatment.

Nigeria's senate will consider a bill to stop domestic violence.

Jeers:

Sex trafficking of women and girls is the third-largest form of international trade, following the sale of arms and drugs. Of the 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked a year across international borders, 80 percent are women and girls.

The Women's Health and Wellness Act that bars discrimination against women seeking insurance coverage for contraception was challenged in the New York State Court of Appeals Wednesday by Catholic Charities, a social services network.

Sixty-eight parliamentarians in Pakistan threatened to walk out if the government amends the country's rape law that requires four witnesses be present to prosecute the crime. Under the existing law, a woman alleging rape who can't provide four witnesses can be convicted of adultery, which is punishable by death.

Noteworthy:

Katie Couric made her debut Tuesday as the first woman to take over as permanent anchor of a major U.S. broadcast station's evening news show. The CBS network broadcast attracted more than 13 million viewers, various news sources reported. This was the largest evening news audience since February 1998 when CBS aired the Winter Olympics in Nagano.

NOW Updates

A man arrested in Denver on illegal immigration charges has been named by US and Mexican authorities as one of three suspects in dozens of rapes and murders in Juarez, Mexico. Taken to El Paso to be turned over to Mexican authorities, Alvarez Cruz was under investigation in Mexico in at least 10 of the rapes and murders in Juarez before he fled to the US, according to the Associated Press. Three Male Suspects Identified in Connection to Juarez Murders.

Since October 2005, some 38 lawyers in Iraq have been killed, many of whom were defending women's rights. IRIN News, a United Nations humanitarian news and information service, reports that at least 120 lawyers have fled to surrounding countries since January because of the threats to their safety. Lawyers Killed in Iraq for Defending Women's Rights.

Kaiser Updates

World leaders must to do more to address the needs of migrant women and to protect them from human rights violations, such as human trafficking, according to this year's State of the World Population report released Wednesday by the United Nations Population Fund, New Era/AllAfrica.com reports. The report, titled "A Passage to Hope: Women and International Migration," examines the "scope and breadth of female migration, the impact of the funds they send home to support families and communities and their disproportionate vulnerability to trafficking, exploitation and abuse," AllAfrica.com reports.

As reported weeks ago, the fetus fanatic group Center for Bio-Ethical Reform last week began flying banners over Montana cities with the words "Stop the war" and "10-week abortion" and a picture of an aborted fetus, the Billings Gazette reports.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women this week is expected to finalize and release a draft report that says the Czech Republic government has not completely answered allegations that more than 80 Roma, or Gypsy, women from 1986 through 2004 were sterilized in the country without informed consent, the Christian Science Monitor reports. A 2003 report from the Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Center for Reproductive Rights cited 110 cases of Roma women who claim to have been forcibly sterilized since 1989 in state hospitals in eastern Slovakia because of widespread prejudice and fear against the Roma population.

Thirteen of the 79 Iowa judges who are running in the November election responded to a questionnaire sent by a conservative group that asked the judges to share their views on abortion rights and other issues, the AP/WHO-TV reports (Lorentzen, AP/WHO-TV, 9/6). The five-page questionnaire was sent by the group Iowans Concerned About Judges -- a coalition made up of the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America of Iowa, Focus on the Family, Iowa Christian Alliance, Iowa Family Policy Center and Professional Educators of Iowa.

Most people living in the U.S. disagree with the way liberals and Christian conservatives approach religious issues in the public forum -- including topics such as abortion and human embryonic stem cell research -- according to a recently released national survey on politics and religion, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the survey, 69% of respondents say that liberals have gone "too far in keeping religion out of schools and government," and 49% "express reservations about attempts by Christian conservatives to impose their religious values" on the public.

Abstinence-Only Education Is Morality Not Reality

Many teenagers and young adults fail to use condoms consistently, regardless of whether they have sex with a serious or a "casual" partner, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among more than 1,300 15- to 21-year-olds, those with casual sex partners had unprotected sex just as often as those in serious relationships -- about 20 times over the previous three months, on average.

Those who had casual sex were more likely to use condoms at least some of the time, the study found. But because they had sex more often, they ended up having unprotected intercourse just as frequently as their peers in steady relationships.

"Unfortunately, this reveals that teens may overestimate the safety of using condoms most of the time with a casual partner and underestimate the risk of unprotected sex with a serious partner," lead study author Dr. Celia Lescano said in a statement.

Imagine that, teens not understanding the safety of condoms. Perhaps it is because the Bu$h MISadministration only allows abstinence education that teaches ONLY the ineffectiveness of condoms and birth control. I wonder why they don't understand how to protect themselves against STD's. Perhaps it is because the Bu$h MISadministration refuses to allow condom presentations in classes. It refuses to discuss ANYTHING on how to protect oneself against STD's except for abstinence.

For study participants in relationships, one of the problems seemed to be their perception -- correct or not -- that their partner did not want to use condoms.

It's important, Lescano's team writes, that teenagers be taught that consistent condom use is necessary, regardless of who their partner is or how long they've been in the relationship.

Wow, I wonder how they came up with that. Keep your cross out of my crotch and find a way to become a part of the solution. King George and his goons are members of the Church of the Poison Mind and think those of us who oppose this mentality are godless sodomites. Then I say: Bend over bitch.

Santorum, AKA Shit Boy, Is Full Of Shit

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey (D), who is running against Santorum in the November election, on Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press showed "sharp" disagreement over FDA's recent approval of nonprescription sales of Barr Laboratories' emergency contraceptive Plan B to people ages 18 and older, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Casey, who opposes abortion rights, said he supports FDA's decision. "I think the science is clear ... EC is contraception, and I support it," Casey said, adding, "I think EC can reduce the number of abortions. That's what we should emphasize." Santorum said EC is an "abortifacient in certain circumstances," adding that "if the egg has been fertilized, ... and the pill is taken, it does cause an abortion". Santorum -- who also opposes abortion rights -- during the show also said he would support exceptions to abortion bans for rape, incest and to save the life of the woman in order to find "common ground" on abortion rights.

No assbag, it isn't an abortifacient. It has no effect if the woman is already pregnant, do some damn research before you open your mouth and spew your venom-filled lies.

Cervical Cancer News

Check out these articles pertaining to cervical cancer discoveries.

Researchers believe that a commonly used HIV drug could be used to prevent cervical cancer.
Read article here: BBC NEWS.

A study suggests the growth of cervical and womb cancers may be fuelled by a hormone-like molecule in semen. Read more here: BBC NEWS.

For more information on cervical cancer, click here: www.cancer.gov

Link-A-Dink

A Colombian news report on Tuesday "sparked controversy" after reporting that a Vatican official threatened to excommunicate physicians who perform abortions in the country, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. The country's highest court, the Constitutional Court, in May voted to effectively legalize abortion in cases of rape, incest, to save the life of the woman or when the fetus is expected to die after birth because of severe fetal abnormalities.

SD Progressive has an interesting review of Voteyesforlife.com and their admission that the abortion ban does not have a rape or incest exception in it as they have earlier claimed. There are no exceptions in the abortion ban.

Three weeks before Tennesseans go to the polls to vote on a gay marriage Amendment, James Dobson will hold an anti gay rally in downtown Nashville.

Help get the word out about The Carnival Against Sexual Violence.

Sexually transmitted infections are the main cause of infertility in sub-Saharan Africa, where the condition often brings stigma and social consequences to women who do not have children, according to Helen Pilcher, author of a article published in the Aug. 31 issue of the journal Nature, PRI's "The World" -- a production of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston -- reports.

From The Associated Press: The Texas Medical Board has adopted rules for minors getting abortions requiring written parental consent forms that must also be notarized, officials said.

A federal judge rejected a gag order that could have kept lawyers and even President George W. Bush from publicly discussing the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the slaying of her relatives. Read more here: CNEWS.

The Family Research Council will host the Lunatic Fringe, aka the Values Voters Summit, in Washington, D.C., on September 22-24.

Senator George "Macaca" Allen, who is fond of Confederate Flags, nooses and calling brown people monkeys, says Virginians don't care if racial slurs drop like excrement from the Virginia Senator's mouth.

Wal-Mart has formed a partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, a move that Wal-Mart calls "a very sincere effort to reach out to people who are a significant part of our customer base."

A few weeks back, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that the reckless endangerment statute does not apply to women who take drugs while pregnant.

3 teenage girls get drunk, run into a 35 year old man who proceeds to rape the 14 year old. Judge Stephen Erber had this to say at sentencing: "They were silly, vulnerable and very drunk and the major complainant was clearly flirtatious," he said. Hell with gasoline drawers, you fuck.

EC in Washington

A head in the right direction about EC, this time out of Washington:

A pharmacist who personally objects to a legal prescription, such as emergency contraception, would be required to fill it if it's in stock, or face sanctions, under a proposed rule adopted Thursday by the state Board of Pharmacy.

And the drawback to this:

The board's decision is in no way the end to the long-running controversy. Public hearings now must be held on the latest rule proposal. And chances are that many pharmacists will line up against it.

Check out NARAL Pro-Choice Washington for more information relating to the new ruling.