• todays lady news

Today’s Lady News: Domestic Violence Victims Have More Health Care Costs, Says Study

  • A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that women who suffered from domestic violence have higher health care costs, even after the abuse ends. Female victims of intimate partner violence average over $1,200 more in health care costs during the first two years after the abuse ends, compared with women who have not been abused. The study examined the health care costs of 2,026 women — which included 859 victims of domestic violence— between 1992 and 2002. Said the study’s co-author, Amy Bonomi, in a statement, “If we can prevent domestic violence, we are not only helping the women involved, we are also saving money in our healthcare system.” [UPI]
  • A study from the University of Manitoba found fifty percent of women who’ve had an abortion struggle with depression or substance abuse. The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Psychology, examined data collected from 3,210 American women interviewed by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Drug Abuse between 2001 and 2003. Researchers say the findings should not suggest abortion causes drug/alcohol abuse or depression, as women may have had depression or substance abuse problems before terminating a pregnancy. [Montreal Gazette]

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Today’s Lady News: Woman Claims She Was Fired After Testing Positive For Breast Cancer Gene

  • Pamela Fink of Connecticut filed a complaint with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming she was fired from her job after she tested positive for BRCA2, the breast cancer gene. Fink claims that her company, MXenergy, violated the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act when she elected to have a double mastectomy on her breasts after learning BRCA2 gave her an 80 percent chance of developing breast cancer. Fink claims she received glowing reviews as recently as last August, but her responsibilities were slowly going away and reviews became negative after she returned from medical leave. [Connecticut Post]
  • Florida’s Senate voted yesterday on a bill to require that pregnant women seeking an abortion in the first trimester pay for and then view an ultrasound; Florida’s House approved the bill today. The bill also requires doctors and nurses to describe the stage of fetal development shown in the sonogram; women aren’t required to watch if they can show evidence of rape, domestic abuse, or incest. Abortion rights supporters say this bill unfairly penalizes lower-income women who seek abortions because the sonogram alone can cost between $200 and $1,000. The bill now heads to Governor Charlie Crist, who some say will veto it. [SunshineNews, Orlando Sentinel]

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Today’s Lady News: Navy Will Allow Women On Submarines

  • The Navy announced today that women will be allowed to serve on submarines for the first time ever beginning in 2012. Twenty-four women — for guided-missile attack subs and ballistic-missile subs at bases — will begin training to be sub officers this summer. “We’re going to look back on this four or five years from now, shrug our shoulders and say, ‘What was everybody worrying about?’” said Rear Admiral Barry Bruner. [AP]
  • President Barack Obama ordered flags at the White House and at military posts around the world to fly at half-mast today out of respect for civil rights and women’s rights crusader Dorothy Height, who passed away last week at age 98. She was laid to rest this morning at the Washington National Cathedral. [Essence]
  • A record number of Republican women are running for seats in the House of Representatives in 2012 and the overall number of women running for office will be the highest ever. So far, 239 women will run for the House and 31 will run for the Senate, beating 1992′s “Year Of The Woman” record (when 222 women ran for the House and 29 for the Senate). [Washington Post]

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Today’s Lady News: Iran Will Arrest Women With Suntans

  • Women in Iran sporting suntans can expect to be arrested for their “social misbehavior,” the Iranian police chief has warned. Iranian law decrees women’s skin must be fully covered. [AOL News]
  • Florida’s Senate passed an amendment to a health care bill today that will require a woman to have and view an ultrasound before she has an abortion. The woman can decline to view the ultrasound, but she must complete a form saying she declined to look at the ultrasound “of her own free will.” Rape victims are exempt from viewing the ultrasound if there is evidence of the crime. [TampaBay.com]
  • An article by Salon.com’s Broadsheet contributer Lynn Harris has inspired Reps. Joseph Crowley and Mary Bono Mack to introduce legislation called the Girls Protection Act to combat female genital mutilation. FGM is already illegal in the United States, but the Girls Protection Act would make it a federal crime to transport a minor outside the country for the purpose of FGM. [Salon.com's Broadsheet]

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Today’s Lady News: Oklahoma Pols Override Governor’s Vetoes On Scary Abortion Bills

  • The Oklahoma Legislature voted today to override two vetoes on bills restricting abortion, which Governor Brad Henry had vetoed last week. One bill requires a doctor to show a woman who wants an abortion an ultrasound and describe the development of the fetus, with no exception for rape and incest victims. The second bill protects doctors from malpractice lawsuits if they do not tell the parents that the fetus has birth defects. Gov. Henry said the first bill was an intrusion into a woman’s privacy and called the second bill immoral. Two other abortion-related bills are still working their way through OK’s legislature. [New York Times]
  • Did you know there are “chick cars” and “dude cars”? Automotive industry experts say accelerator and break pedals are now being made with womens’ high heels in mind and the 2010 Chevy Equinox comes with a spacious center console for a purse (although if you’re a dude, the salesman might tell you it’s for “a laptop”). A General Motors spokesman also said a back-up camera display in the rear-view mirror will be helpful for people who have trouble parallel parking, which we’re supposed to infer means women. Annoying. [Wheels.ca]

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Today’s Lady News: Lesbian Student In KY Attacked By Classmates

  • High school student Cheyenne Williams of McKee, Kentucky, an out lesbian, claims three female classmates kidnapped her and brought her to the woods where they beat her up and tried to push her off a 50-foot cliff. The alleged attack occurred on April 16, which high schools across the country recognize as the “Day of Silence” in a nod to gay and lesbian students. Police say Ashley Sams, 18, Corrinne Schwab, 18, and a 17-year-old female took Williams against her will to Flat Lick Falls, where they tried to push her off a cliff and she fought them off with a stick before running away. The suspects have been charged with kidnapping and attempted murder; police say they don’t have enough evidence to qualify the attack as a hate crime. [CBS News]
  • Eighty schoolgirls in northern Afghanistan are sick after a strange odor enveloped their classroom. Police are investigating whether extremists may have poisoned the school because they oppose girls receiving an education. [ABC News]
  • A court in San Francisco has ruled that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. must face a class-action lawsuit alleging the store discriminates against female employees. All women who have worked at Wal-Mart since 2001 may join in the class-action lawsuit, which Bloomberg News called “the biggest gender-bias case in U.S. history.” [NPR]

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Today’s Lady News: French Muslim Woman Fined For Driving While Veiled

  • A French Muslim woman received a $29 fine from police in Nantes, France, for wearing a veil while driving a car. Police say the body-covering veil — called a niqab, which only had slits at her eyes — restricted her vision and could have caused an accident. However, the 31-year-old woman’s lawyer said this is part of a larger campaign by the French government to place restrictions on Muslims, which some say is religious discrimination. [BBC]
  • A California appeals court has blocked director Roman Polanski‘s attempt to block his extradition to the United States from Switzerland, where he is under house arrest. Months ago, Polanski was arrested after 33 years as a fugitive from justice for raping a teenaged girl. Polanski only served 27 days in jail in 1977 for the incident. [New York Times]
  • Sarah Jessica Parker is going to narrate the “American Women: Fashioning a National Identity” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The exhibit looks at all the changes in women’s clothing from 1890 until 1940. [NYmag.com]

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Today’s Lady News: Report Says WellPoint Insurance Targeted Breast Cancer Patients

  • An exclusive investigation by Reuters alleges that health insurance company WellPoint used a computer algorithm to find breast cancer patients and drop their health benefits. This software tipped federal investigators off to a fraud investigation. Although many insurance companies have been known to drop clients who become ill — which is called “rescission” — investigators say WellPoint may be one of the worst offenders. In a statement to Reuters, WellPoint said there are various types of criteria that may prompt “rescission” of a policyholder. [Reuters]
  • A 12-year-old Saudi Arabian girl has been granted a divorce from her 80-year-old “husband.” Forced into a marriage at age 11 for a $22,000 dowry to her father’s cousin, the “child bride” protested so vehemently that she attracted international attention and support. The girl was represented by the state-run Human Rights Commission in court, which helped to privately settle the divorce. The HRC in Saudi Arabia also announced it would seek to set 16 years old as the minimum age for marriage. [AOL News]
  • Republican Review, a newsletter from the Medina County Republican Executive Committee in Ohio, thought the cleverest way to defeat Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) would be to say, “Let’s take Betty Sutton out of the House and put her back in the kitchen!” Face meet palm. Can I get a big ol’ WTF?! from my conservative lady-pals? [Emily's List]

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Today’s Lady News: Breastfeeding Billboard Pisses Off Peeps In Ohio

  • For some reason, people in Ohio are offended by a billboard that says “Breast Milk Satisfies” and shows a cute baby with milk — you know, breast milk! — dribbling out of his mouth. [Cleveland Leader]
  • Another day, another sketchy “plastic surgery” incident: cops in Venezuela arrested two beauticians who pretended to be doctors and gave women boob jobs and butt implants out of an apartment in Maracay. [Fox News]
  • A 22-year-old college student has filed a civil lawsuit against Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Eric Foster, accusing him of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and other charges. The student, who is a hotel receptionist, claims Foster assaulted her when she delivered dental products to his room. [AP]

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Today’s Lady News: Even Women With “Normal” Weight Are Worried About Getting “Fat”

  • Even women of “normal” weight with no history of eating disorders have a fear of getting fat, according to a study to be published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences in May. Said Professor Diane Spangler, who worked on the brain scan study, “Many women learn that bodily appearance and thinness constitute what is important about them, and their brain responding reflects that.” Uh, no duh, guys, I could have told you that! [UPI]
  • The good news? Fifteen FORTUNE 500 companies are run by women. The bad news? Fifteen FORTUNE 500 companies are run by women. Yahoo, Xerox, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Avon, and Western Union — we salute you. [Money.CNN.com]
  • Writing about how Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger has escaped indictment for a rape accusation (on account of lack of evidence), garden columnist (garden columnist?) Susan Reimer of the Baltimore Sun goes on a victim-blaming-palooza. Reimer seems to believe the 20-year-old accuser actually was raped by Roethlisberger, but, well, she was kind of asking for it because she was so drunk. Reimer writes, and I quote: “Girlfriend, if you get that drunk you bear some responsibility for what happens next, whether you get your purse stolen or you get roughed up in a dingy bar bathroom. And police reports suggest that the accuser was nearly incapacitated.” [Baltimore Sun]

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