This week is, of course, filled with far too much grieving. From the deaths-by-police of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile to the members of the Dallas Police Department and to the Bastille Day celebrants in Nice, France. And within the past month victims in Orlando, Istanbul, and Dhaka. As one editorial listed below reminds us, LA Times editorial editor Warnke, all of the perpetrators have been men, the single most shared demographic characteristic of recent terrorist attackers. An especially important comparison is between men and women police officers in the United States and deaths by police shooting. www.latimes.com/...
This week’s TWOW highlights presentations of the ultra-conservative, anti-woman positions of Trump Vice-Presidential choice Mike Pence, now Governor of Indiana. Abortion news continues to be prominent and I have combined it with current medical news, including a personal section on breast cancer in women over 60. Sexual assault, reactions to comments about assault, advice about getting women to say “yes,” online commentary by men about women’s issues, nationally and internationally, and gendered criticism of film, especially provoked by the new “Ghostbusters” with an all-female cast are all featured. International news includes some high spots with some success for women activists and the appointment of Carla Hayden, the first African American Librarian of Congress.
As usual, thanks to all of the news contributors: Besame, elenacarlena, ramara, Tara the Antisocial Social Worker, and officebss. Thanks for your help and good wishes. Keep talking out there, making our issues visible, timely, and urgent. Have a great week!
MIKE PENCE
rewire.news/...
Commentary by Jodi Jacobson on the selection of Mike Pence as Trump’s running mate.
rewire.news/...
ReWire story by Ally Boguhn on coalition of human rights groups against Trump-Pence.
nymag.com/...
New York Magazine brief article by Susan Rinkunas provides top five bad decisions made by Mike Pence as an elected official.
www.bustle.com/...
Bustle article by Morgan Brinlee outlining how bad Pence is on women’s issues. Really bad.
BREAST CANCER
A personal note on the topic of breast cancer: This week I had a “bad” mammogram, that is, one requiring a biopsy, now scheduled for the end of next week. I decided that I would explore the contemporary research on breast cancer in women over sixty. I was shocked and dismayed to find that a considerable number of studies regarded women in this age group as incapable in many ways—physically, cognitively, medically, and financially. When put into a cost-benefit analysis, these women often seemed not to merit aggressive treatment. In fact another chunk of this research commented on the undertreatment of women over 60, especially after initial surgery. Radiation in conjunction with “breast conserving surgery” [was lumpectomy] seemed to be the best practice, but many women were not receiving the radiation treatment post surgery. Other treatment was dependent on an array of tests to determine the type of cancer and sometimes this testing was not done in the age group. In fairness, I should say that there was also a good deal of study of beneficial treatments for women in this age group. I would advise anyone in any age group to make use of the very “public” PubMed and search for your cancer and age group. PubMed is free but it requires registration. We are all better off when studies of illness are better known rather than only known by insiders.
www.news-medical.net/...
From Medical News, 7/15/16, new approach to mapping proteins used by breast cancer cells.
www.news-medical.net/...
Reports study showing older women do not get the testing of Bone Mineral Density recommend for any women receiving aromatase chemotherapy and thus are not protected from bone failues.
www.news-medical.net/...
Weekly new report on medicine—has specific category women’s health. Reports on new studies in the research literature of interest to women. Seem to be free.
ABORTION
rewire.news/...
Rewire’s Jenn Stanley continues “Choiceless” series on Dr. Debra Stalberg and the consequences of mergers between secular and Catholic hospitals.
rewire.news/...
article for ReWire by Sharona Coutts on David Dadeideb and his false organization the “Center for Medical Progress,” producer and distributer of videos claiming PP was a human organ dealer. One interesting aspect was his submitting a crime report to a California county Sheriff’s office, providing him with cover for his illegal taping without notice.
rewire.news/...
Also ReWire story by Ally Boguhn and Amy Littlefield about conference promoting false information about abortion, such as abortion causes breast cancer.
FILM AND ENTERTAINMENT
womensenews.org/...
WeNews film critic reviews new all female cast Ghostbusters and other films of interest to women.
www.salon.com/...
Salon article by Nico Lang on female starring “Ghostbusters” and the dominance of male film critics trashing female oriented films. Quotes Meryl Street on women having to learn male perspective in film, literature, drama, while men almost never trained to see female perspective. Right on!
www.ew.com/...
Entertainment Weekly article by Justin Kirkland on Big Brother character Frank and his sexist, butt-slapping behavior. Comments include typical defense of Frank but also “In what world is it okay to slap anybody’s bum?” and “He should know because he’s 33 and it’s 2016 and he lives in the world.”
www.bbc.co.uk/...
BBC Life feature on Men’s Fitness article by Nick Savoy on getting women to change from no to yes. Writer Aura Bogardo tweeted that the article celebrated rape culture and of course she received replies to her tweet threatening rape. Sigh.
www.ravishly.com/...
Ravishingly writer Michelle Andrews pens apt responses to Savoy’s article.
jezebel.com/...
Jezebel article by Madeleine Davies on Eryka Badu’s donation from her Detroit concert to finally test 11.3k untested rape kits found at a decommissioned Detroit police station.
INTERNATIONAL
womeninnews.org/...
Women in News announces report on ten case studies world wide where gender issues are visible.
www.globalcitizen.org/...
Global Citizen article by Danielle Selby on worst countries for being a woman.
www.unwomen.org/...
A part of the United Nations endeavors to empower women. Includes news stories and highlights women doing important work.
For example UN Women Deputy Director Lakshmi Puri meets with United Arab Emirates government official Abdulrahim Yousif Al Awada, Assistant Minister of Legal Affairs on opening of UN Women Office in Abu Dhabi.
www.iwmf.org/...
Notice and full report of Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media. Data indicates men still control management and reporting, but women are advancing in senior professional positions.
www.theguardian.com/...
Only one woman on UN Committee on Diversity out of 18 members. Lack of representation, as discussed in article in Guardian by Munazza Gillani and Abia Akram. World-wide one in five women are affected by disability while one in right for mean. Great discrepancy of gender on committee.
www.ohchr.org/...
Listing of UN Human Rights committees organization and elections, including gender ratio. Previous count of Committee on People with Disabilities had women at one-third of membership.
www.latimes.com/...
Melissa Batchelor Warnke LA Times opinion piece on the single best demographic indicator of violence is to be male, “exponentially more prone to violence.”
GOOD NEWS
time.com/...
Carla Hayden appointed as Librarian of Congress, first African American appointed to the position.
capecodwomenforchange.com/...
New release from Equal Pay Coalition—MA House unanimously passes new equal pay legislation in Massachusetts.
www.globalcitizen.org/...
Article by Joe McCarthy on Global female activists fighting on key issues world wide—women of great courage!
www.theguardian.com/...
Update from the Guardian on successful women in global clean energy initiatives.
mic.com/...
Snarky article by Khushbu Shah on food.mic on foods harder to buy than guns.
www.walkfree.org/...
Petition on Walk Free to outlaw child marriage in Niger. Three-quarters of all girls are married before adulthood in Niger.
www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Article from earlier in July for World Post by Elizabeth Dwyer on child marriage in Bangladesh.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
nymag.com/...
New York Magzine article by Catie L’Heureux on Cornell frat president indicted for rape in Cornell frat house; he has sued Cornell. Again?? Do these stop?
www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Article by human rights activist Armine Sahakyann for World Post earlier in July about viral Facebook posting of Ukrainian journalist Anastayan Melchenko about sexual harassment of women. Male postings in response provided the same old, same old “it’s her fault for her clothing, her public presence, her . . .”
www.dailymail.co.uk/...
Article on Amy Schumer about first sexual experience non-consensual.
jezebel.com/...
Jezebel article by Anna Merlan on Phillips Exeter student “sentenced to penance” for groping a female student by being made to bake bread for her for part of a year. Actually “sentenced” her to having to see her groper over and over again.