Today’s Lady News: Rick Santorum Says Birth Control “Just Costs A Few Dollars,” Is Not Something “You Need Insurance For”

Birth Control Victory
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Birth control will be covered by most employers under health care reform. Read More »
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Rick Santorum birth control
  • Oh, Rick Santorum, just shut up already! He told conservatives at the CPAC  conference today that insurers shouldn’t cover the cost of birth control because it “costs just a few dollars. Is that what insurance is for?” He continued, adding “Things that are not really things you need insurance for, and still forcing on something that is not a critical economic need, when you have an economic distress, where you would need insurance. But forcing them even more to do it for minor expenses.” Regardless of what your opinions on health care reform are, Rick Santorum is just WRONG. It’s not “just a few dollars.” It’s not a “minor expense.”  My birth control pills had a co-pay of $60 — that’s with insurance — so I stopped taking them because they were out of my budget. [Think Progress]
  • Yes, let’s all fight about Liz Lemon on “30 Rock” some more. [NPR]
  • No female TSA agents on duty meant a Denver woman was not allowed to board a flight. She was not even allowed to sign a waiver and approve a male TSA agent pat her down.  How ridiculous! [KDVR
  • Blogger Alyssa Rosenberg on the New York Giants’ Brandon Jacobs, who suggested Gisele Bundchen “look cute and shut up,” and how sexism silences wives of famous men. [Think Progress] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Pregnant Woman Asked To Resign

  • A pregnant woman in Connecticut was asked to resign by her employers instead of taking maternity leave. Amy Zvovushe, 31, told her employers she was pregnant on Sept. 23 and was soon told she would have to resign, as she had not been with the company for 12 months, after which she would be eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under the federal Family Medical Leave Act. This is completely ridiculous — instead of giving her temporary and unpaid leave to give birth, they got rid of her. The person interviewed for the piece called it a “sexist irony” that the FMLA was used to fire, not protect, a working woman’s job — well put!  Fortunately, Amy Zvovushe recorded her crappy HR folks and had a lawyer contact them; as a result, she was able to take temporary leave to give birth and then return to her job. [ABC News]
  • Following a conservative “pro-family” group’s threat to boycott JC Penney for sponsoring Ellen DeGeneres’ lezbo-riffic TV program, Howard Stern has announced he will “defend her to the end” and will call on all his listeners to boycott JC Penney if they do drop Ellen.  That’s awesome. [Think Progress] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Judge Orders Abusive Husband To Take Wife To Red Lobster

  • Oh, Florida. A judge in the WTF-is-going-on-here state sentenced a man accused of shoving his wife against a sofa and grabbing her neck to take her on a date to Red Lobster and a bowling alley. No jail time! Cheddar biscuits instead! The judge called this incident “very, very minor” without any serious violence. I call this a warning sign to the wife that her husband is abusive and she should hightail it out of there. I also call this another example of this country not taking violence against women seriously. Domestic violence doesn’t have to be life-threatening for it to be troubling and if this guy gets off with a slap on the wrist (if you could call it that) this time, what’s to stop him from escalating next time?  Today it’s shoving her against a couch and grabbing her neck. What about tomorrow? Hopefully when this couple visits a marriage counselor — also a part of the man’s sentencing — the therapist can persuade the wife that no amount of lobster tails in the world excuses a partner using force against their loved one. [MSNBC] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Obama Could Compromise On Birth Control Coverage Under Health Care Reform

  • The Obama administration is open to a “compromise” on the health care reform requirement that religiously-affiliated employers cover preventative care, including birth control, without co-pays or deductibles. Some schools and hospitals balked that the only exemptions made were for explicitly religious employers. But this morning, David Axelrod, an advisor on the president’s re-election campaign, said the administration will “look for a way” to make everyone happy. [New York Times
  • Mitt Romney said that Susan G. Komen for the Cure was right to cut grants to Planned Parenthood. Perhaps he would not have held this same position years ago when he attended a Planned Parenthood fundraiser and his wife donated money to the clinics. Or, many years after that, when he signed a pro-choice pledge organized by PP. [Huffington Post, Think Progress]
  • HealthCare.gov now enables you to search for health plans with coverage for same-sex relationships. [Think Progress] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Komen For The Cure Insider Tells All About Planned Parenthood Tomfoolery

  • Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s VP Karen Handel, a former politician who ran on an anti-abortion platform and was endorsed by Sarah Palin, allegedly drove Komen’s decision last week to halt grants to Planned Parenthood, which were used to pay for breast exams for low-income women. An inside source at Komen has told the Huffington Post that Karen Handel herself came up with the plan of how to stop the funding: blame it on an “investigation” by an anti-abortion politician into whether Planned Parenthood uses public money to pay for abortions, which is illegal. Susan G. Komen for the Cure was swiftly rebuked last week for halting the grants and announced two days later the current grants would continue. [Huffington Post]
  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is launching a Women In Public Service Project (WPSP) at five women’s colleges — Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley — to get more women working in public service and create a 50/50 parity by 2050. [Women's Media Center] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Lesbian Couple Fights St. Joseph’s University Over Valentine’s Day Contest

  • St. Joseph’s University is hosting a Valentine’s Day contest run by the alumni association asking alums to write about finding the love of their life at the school. The winners of the contest get a $100 gift certificate to their favorite restuarant. But when lesbian couple Megan Edwards and her fiancée Katie McTurk entered their love story in the How I Met My Hawk Mate contest, they were told “nope, no lesbos!” After a Facebook campaign by the couple (and a little bad media coverage!), St. Joseph’s University reversed its decision and is letting the lesbian couple compete. I’m glad the school finally did the right thing. (Thanks to reader Kiki for the link!) [Jezebel]
  • Startling fact: all seven members of Facebook’s board are white men. [Bloomberg]
  • LIVESTRONG, the cancer charity set up by Lance Armstrong, announced it will donate $100,000 to Planned Parenthood after all this Susan G. Komen for the Cure foolishness.  [MarketWatch] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Billionaire Bloomberg Will Donate Up To $250K To Planned Parenthood

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  • Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire behind Bloomberg financial services and the mayor of New York City, announced today he would donate up to $250,000 in matching gifts to Planned Parenthood to make up most of what was halted from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure grants, which stopped earlier this week. The Komen foundation said it would not be granting money, which went to breast cancer screenings, because the clinics are being investigated at the behest of an anti-abortion Republican politician. Susan G. Komen for the Cure also recently hired a VP who ran for governor of Georgia on an anti-abortion platform and was endorsed by Sarah Palin. In a statement, Mayor Bloomberg said: “Politics have no place in health care. Breast cancer screening saves lives and hundreds of thousands of women rely on Planned Parenthood for access to care. We should be helping women access that care, not placing barriers in their way.” You can donate to Planned Parenthood here. Let’s secure that $250K! [New York Times]
  • By the way, here’s what Planned Parenthood actually does all day, in one handy dandy chart. No, it’s not abortions. [Washington Post]
  • How Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s defunding of Planned Parenthood will impact poor women of color. [Colorlines]
    Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: 14-Year-Old Wants Gay Marriage Voted Down As A Birthday Present

  • A 14-year-old girl asked the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee  yesterday to vote against legalizing same-sex marriage for her birthday. The girl, being called “Sarah” in the press, told the committee it “would be the best birthday present ever if you would vote no on gay marriage.” (Fortunately, the Maryland Senate is expected to eventually approve the bill.) [Raw Story]
  • Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) has pulled her support for Susan G. Komen for the Cure after the breast cancer charity announced it will halt funding to Planned Parenthood. [Think Progress]
  • The Women’s Professional Soccer League has suspended its 2012 season to it can address financial and legal problems. [Feministing]
  • Photographer Paul Phillips in Harlem is raising Kickstarter funds for a photo essay called “Beauty In Black” to portray the beauty of black women. [Madame Noire]
  • Blogger Jennifer Armstrong has launched a blog about “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and its feminist principles. Put that Nick at Nite addiction to good work, girl. [Mary Tyler Moore Show Book] Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Susan G. Komen Cancer Charity Halts Grants To Planned Parenthood

  • Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the charity synonymous with breast cancer research, has halted grants to Planned Parenthood — seemingly caving to pressure from anti-abortion activists who have the nationwide clinics under investigation. Susan G. Komen grants mainly were used for breast exams (and other breast health services) for women who otherwise could not afford them. But anti-abortion groups have targeted those charitable donations because some Planned Parenthood clinics also perform abortions. A CEO of a Planned Parenthood in Virginia, which received a 2010 grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, told the AP, “We’re kind of reeling … cancer doesn’t care if you’re pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative.” [Washington Post]
  • Meet Ava Duvernay, the first black woman to win the best director prize at Sundance for her film “Middle of Nowhere.” [ColorLines]
  • Ladybloggers: we have oh-so-many feelings. [n+1]
    Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Three Canadians Convicted Of So-Called “Honor Killings”

  • Three Afghan-Canadians have been convicted of murdering three teenaged girls and their dad’s first wife in so-called “honor killings.” Two of the daughters were reportedly killed because they wanted boyfriends against their fathers’ wishes; the father also said his daughters dressed in Western clothes. The eldest daughter at one point left home to live in a shelter because of abuse at home, which is reportedly when their father, brother and mother decided to kill the four women. What a terribly sad story. I am heartened, at least, to see the killers punished. [BBC]
  • GOP presidential wannabe Mitt Romney has trashed President Obama’s recent decision requiring religiously affiliated employers to offer birth control coverage in their health plans — despite the fact he made a similar decision himself as governor of Massachusetts. [Huffington Post] Keep reading »