On Monday, April 22, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, marking one of the most significant cases on the issue of homelessness in years. This case comes amidst a record number of 650,000 people in 2023 reported as experiencing homelessness in the United States, a 12% […]
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Silenced No More
VA NOW President Lisa Sales stands for survivors at the SAAM press conference. On Wednesday, April 24th, survivors and activists gathered outside the Alexandria Federal Courthouse for a press conference organized by Lisa Sales, President of Virginia NOW, to raise awareness about the continued prevalence of sexual violence during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Speakers included […]
Supreme Court set to rule on Biden Administration’s ghost gun regulations
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on whether the regulations placed on ghost guns by the Biden Administration are lawful. Ghost guns are privately assembled through “buy build shoot” kits or are 3D-printed. They also lack a serial number, making them untraceable, and do not require buyers to have background checks conducted. […]
Supreme Court begins oral arguments on emergency abortion case
Physicians for Human Rights supporting EMTALA in front of the Supreme Court. In yet another recent Supreme Court case concerning access to reproductive healthcare, the state of Idaho has brought a challenge to EMTALA (the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) in Moyle v. United States. EMTALA, initially passed by Congress in 1986, ensures […]
Malnutrition: The Hidden Struggle of Afghan Women and Children
In times of conflict, political instability, and social unrest, women and children have always been the ones who face the most dire consequences compared to the rest of the population. It is nearly three years since the Taliban returned to power and their extremist views and restricting edicts against Afghan women has been one of […]
Unpacking Trump’s Unprecedented Legal Saga
Former President Trump is currently embroiled in four criminal cases, facing a total of 91 felony counts. Among these cases, The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump is currently underway, garnering significant media coverage. This case, commonly referred to as the “Hush Money Case,” is the first of the criminal […]
Swiss women win climate change case in European Court
On April 9th, Europe’s top human rights court delivered a landmark ruling, finding that the Swiss government had failed in its duty to safeguard the human rights of its citizens against the harmful impacts of climate change. The case originated in 2016 when a group of 2,000 Swiss women, all aged over 64, initiated legal […]
Polling reveals young voters’ priorities in the upcoming election
As the election approaches, attention remains focused on young voter engagement. On April 18th, the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics unveiled its Bi-Annual Harvard Youth Poll. From March 14th to 21st, the survey reached 2,010 young individuals aged 18 to 29. The findings shed light on key concerns among young voters, with Harvard’s Institute […]
Supreme Court Denies Appeal from Black Lives Matter Organizer
On April 15th, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of Deray Mckesson, a Black Lives Matter organizer and activist who led a protest in Louisiana where a police officer was hit by a “rock-like object” and injured. While Mckesson did not throw the rock, he is being sued by the injured […]
Afghan Women Express Dread and Anxiety at the Possibility of Taliban Recognition
In a country-wide women’s consultation conducted by three UN agencies, Afghan women have expressed “dread” and “anxiety” at the possibility of international recognition of the Taliban. 67% of women have said that recognition would severely affect their lives, especially as the Taliban is now often referred to as the de facto authorities (DFA). The consultations […]
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to include abortion protections
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has now been finalized by federal regulatory authorities, ensuring that workers are entitled to receive “reasonable” accommodations in line with their conditions arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. This also includes the right of a person to receive accommodations to have and recover from an abortion. This […]
Supreme Court votes to uphold Idaho bill banning gender affirming healthcare for LGBTQ+ youth
On Monday April 16th, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to recognize an Idaho ruling banning gender-affirming care for Idaho youth. The SCOTUS ruling affirms Idaho House Bill 71, which aims to ban gender-affirming care for Idaho citizens under the age of 18 and effectively creates a punishable offense for medical professionals who provide gender-affirming […]
Georgetown Law hosts ERA conference to strategize for the future
Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) join moderators for a discussion on the ERA. Last Friday, April 12th, Georgetown Law, in partnership with the ERA Project at Columbia Law, hosted an inspiring conference entitled, “The Present and Future of the Equal Rights Amendment,” bringing together distinguished legal scholars, members of Congress, and […]
Republicans’ Wavering Abortion Platform
Former President Donald Trump made headlines on Monday by releasing a video on Truth Social, where he expressed his view that abortion laws should be determined by individual states. “My view is now that we have abortion where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps […]
Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Archaic Abortion Law
On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, Arizona’s State Supreme Court upheld an 1864 abortion law that criminalizes abortions and imposes felony-time sentences on providers who perform them or assist women in obtaining them. Notably, the law does not provide exceptions for cases of rape and incest, but permits abortions solely to save a woman’s life. However, […]
Today Dolores Huerta is 93: Learn More About her Years of Activism and Inspiration
Today marks the 93rd Birthday of civil rights activist and labor union organizer Dolores Huerta, a close friend and Board Member of the Feminist Majority Foundation who has advocated for labor rights and women’s liberation for decades. With an extensive knowledge of the injustices that farm workers faced, Huerta teamed up with César Cháves to launch […]
Department of Justice awards $4.14 million settlement to UMBC student-athletes
*Trigger Warning* This article contains sensitive information and subjects of sexual abuse, harassment, and assault that may be triggering for some readers. Student-athletes are finally being heard after undergoing years of sexual harassment and sexual discrimination from the late Head Swimming and Diving Team Coach, Chad Cradock. On Wednesday, April 3rd, the Department of Justice […]
Betty Ford’s Legacy to be Honored with Commemorative Forever Stamp
On April 5th, three days before what would have been the former First Lady Betty Ford’s 106th birthday, the U.S. Postal Service held a dedication ceremony for a new commemorative Forever Stamp designed in her honor. The stamp’s design, which was unveiled at the White House by First Lady Jill Biden, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, […]
Florida Supreme Court’s ruling triggers DeSantis’ 6 week abortion ban
On April 1st, the conservative Florida Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to uphold the state’s 15-week abortion ban. As a result, the ruling has triggered Gov. Ron DeSantis’ extreme 6-week abortion ban, which is set to take effect in just 30 days. The state Supreme Court’s decision rests on the notion that the state constitution’s privacy […]
The Taliban Leader’s Order to Resume Public Stoning of Afghan Women Must Serve as an Urgent Call to End Gender Apartheid
In a distressing new statement released from Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban chief condones the public stoning of women for committing what the Taliban deems as adultery and other ‘crimes and violations’ of strict Taliban edicts. Such harsh and barbaric violence against women is the next step taken by the Taliban and their ruler […]