SCOTUSblog's got nothing on me
Today…
in 1970, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Phillips v Martin Marietta Corp, the first sex discrimination case under Title VII to reach the Supreme Court. Ida Phillips brought the case after being rejected for a job by the now-defunct aviation company because she was a mother of preschool-age children. (While fathers of young children were hired, no problem.) In the decision handed down in January 25, 1971, the Supreme Court ruled yeah, no.
is National Brownie Day. We’re still on a fudge kick, though. The last batch was a little on the too-sweet side, so this time we went with Ghiradelli 86%, the “Midnight Reverie.” Also opting for the shortcut three-ingredient recipe, just the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. I’ve done the traditional sugar on the stove version, which wants nothing more than to go grainy, and why. This is great.
I’d happily share with you if I could.
Abortion
Los Angeles Times | Republicans raise red flags over Becerra's nomination to lead Biden health department | Jennifer Haberkorn
At least three Republicans objected to Becerra’s endorsement of Medicare for All, a proposal for a government-run healthcare system, and his support for abortion rights and access.
The Hill | Biden picks thorn in Trump's side as new health secretary | Peter Sullivan
Kaiser Health News | Senate Republicans Throw the Brakes on Timing for Becerra Hearings | Emmarie Huetteman
Kaiser Health News | Xavier Becerra in His Own Words: ‘Health Care Is a Right’ | Lydia Zuraw
New York Times | Xavier Becerra, Surprise Pick to Run H.H.S., Is ‘the Latino Joe Biden’ | Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Shawn Hubler
Washington Post | Xavier Becerra has been defending the ACA in court. Now he could manage it. | Paige Winfield Cunningham
Missouri
St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Judge: Ashcroft move to squelch bid to overturn abortion law unconstitutional | Kurt Erickson
AP | Missouri referendum petition laws ruled unconstitutional | Margaret Stafford
Pennsylvania
Public News Service | PA Clinics May See More Patients if Roe v. Wade is Overturned | Andrea Sears
South Dakota
Rewire News Group | When COVID-19 Hit, Abortion Access Ended in South Dakota | Susan Rinkunas
LGBTQ
The Advocate | SCOTUS Lets Oregon School's Trans-Inclusive Policy Stay in Place | Trudy Ring
The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a school district's policy of letting trans students use the facilities matching their gender identity.
MarketWatch| Another barrier for transgender and non-binary minorities: getting mental health help | Meera Jagannathan
Transgender and non-binary racial and ethnic minorities experience “significant discrimination” in mental-health care access, suggests a new report distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Military Times | Retired surgeons general say Trump’s transgender ban damaged military readiness | Meghann Myers
Though Trump ostensibly sought to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military for the sake of readiness and unit cohesion, a recent study found that the policy has had the opposite effect on the force.
Slate | Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia issues pro-discrimination rule for government contractors. | Mark Joseph Stern
On Monday, the Trump administration finalized a sweeping new regulation that allows federal contractors to discriminate against racial and religious minorities, women, and especially LGBTQ people in the name of protecting “religious liberty.”
The Advocate | Trump Administration Expands Anti-LGBTQ 'License to Discriminate' Rule | Trudy Ring
The New Civil Rights Movement | Trump Guts Protections for LGBTQ Workers and Expands Religious Orgs' Ability to Discriminate in Final Weeks | David Badash
Washington Blade | Trump's Labor Dept. goes through with gutting LGBTQ workplace protections | Chris Johnson
California
Courthouse News Service | Fight to Block Gay Marriage Trial Video Hits Ninth Circuit | Nicholas Iovino
Florida
The American Independent | Trump judge doesn't think transgender discrimination is 'compelling' | Casey Quinlan
Louisiana
BookRiot | Louisiana Library Pulls LGBTQ Books From Children's Section | Kelly Jensen
Pregnancy & Parenting
The American Prospect | Child Care Left Behind in COVID Relief Talks | Tasmiha Khan
Time is running out to pass a spending bill to keep the government open and running before the December 11 deadline, and to include in it a COVID-19 relief package. Thankfully, negotiations are once again gaining momentum. But the most recent talks fall short in an important area of concern: funding for child care.
GEN Magazine | Motherhood in America Is a Multilevel Marketing Scheme | Meg Conley
Motherhood in America is a scam. We’re told if we work hard enough, raise our children well, and faithfully support the American dream, then we’ll end up on top. No one ever mentions how the hierarchy of success is shaped like a pyramid.
HealthDay | U.S. Moms-to-Be Are Much Less Healthy Now | Steven Reinberg
In the past 30 years, U.S. women have been in progressively worse physical shape as they become pregnant, a new study finds.
Well+Good | Here’s How Lactation Experts Are Working To Redefine and Decolonize Breastfeeding | Mara Santilli
BIPOC and queer lactation specialists are the ones educating their own communities on how to keep the practice going—should they choose. And choice is key, because for many years, these communities were denied the agency to make their own choices, coerced into using formula, or simply refused culturally sensitive lactation support.
Pandemic Pregnancy
Bloomberg Law News | Pregnant Workers Turn to Courts Over ‘Impossible’ Covid Dilemma | Erin Mulvaney
Forbes | Pregnant People Aren’t Receiving Mental Health Support During Coronavirus, Study Finds | Alice Broster
Rewire News Group | Could the Pandemic Change How the Country Handles Childbirth? | Melissa Anders
Pandemic Parenting
The Advocate Magazine | Being a Single Queer Mom in a Pandemic and the Unending Work | Desiree Guerrero
The Washington Informer | Challenges Black America Face with Distant and Virtual Learning During COVID-19 | Stacy Brown
Working Mother | Nearly 10 Million Working Moms in the US Are Struggling with Burnout | Audrey Goodson Kingo
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | In meeting of Senate Banking minds, Toomey and Brown eye Medicaid as a vehicle to improve maternal health | Daniel Moore
Work & Money
NPR | Tipped Service Workers Are More Vulnerable Amid Pandemic Harassment Spike: Study | Debbie Elliott
A new survey shows that tipped service workers are facing a marked increase in harassment during the pandemic.
Detroit Metro Times | The worst people imaginable are dining out, study finds | Jerilyn Jordan Cook
Fast Company | ‘Maskual harassment,’ angry customers, and no tips: The life of restaurant workers during COVID-19 | Talib Visram
Global Citizen | Service Industry Workers in the US Say Sexual Harassment Has Increased Amid COVID-19: Study | Leah Rodriguez
The Mary Sue | When Workers Need It the Most, People Are Tipping Less and Harassing More | Jessica Mason
VICE | The Pandemic Gave Men a New Way to Sexually Harass Female Restaurant Workers | Paul Blest
Essence | Black Women, COVID-19 And Equal Pay | Krystina Muhammad, Frankie Robertson
COVID-19 has exacerbated the unacceptable and constant issue of pay discrimination that disproportionately impacts Black women.
Forbes | Covid-19 Is Impacting Progress On Diversity And Inclusion Initiatives When Urgent Focus Is Required, New Report Finds | Kirstin Ferguson
In a year when millions of people across the world have struggled to manage their lives and work through a dual health and financial crisis, we have been reminded – yet again - why diversity and inclusion policies and practices are critical.
Forbes | Why Women’s Economic Exclusion Is Rampant - And What To Do About It | Linda Scott
There are lots of men - and women - in contemporary companies who still think the gender gap is a fiction or not a big deal, but we now have unequivocal quantitative evidence that the gender gap is global and that its effect is very negative.
Rewire News Group | What Sex Work in the Time of COVID-19 Looks Like | Shreya Bansal
Sex workers are still doing in-person work despite the risks—and relying on their tight-knit community more than ever to survive.
Washington Post | GOP women’s record-breaking success reflects party’s major shift on recruiting and supporting female candidates | Rachael Bade
Republican women will give the party a record number of female lawmakers in Congress.
Indiana
WBAA-FM (West Lafayette, IN) Advocates For Hoosier Women Outline Their Priorities For Upcoming Legislative Session | Justin Hicks
More, More, More
Prism | ICE is using obscure laws to target women in sanctuary | Tina Vasquez
“This is very difficult for me. Immigration keeps attacking me," one woman says.