Fat Tuesday, Dr. Oz, Big Food, Ag-Gag and Agri-Torture, Buzz-Kill; Abortion and Birth Control, Obamacare, VA, Think of the Children, Psych; Gone Viral, Vax Populi

Fat Tuesday

• Court: Teacher Teasing Overweight Student Is Child Abuse
• House GOP wants to cut Michelle Obama's healthy school lunches: These Republicans come from the unhealthiest states
• State high court rules NYC ban on large sodas is illegal—Suck it, Bloomie.
• China to recruit 'more portly' soldiers with brainpower—"China's military relaxes height, eyesight and weight requirements for soldiers in effort to attract more educated personnel, newspaper says."

Dr. Oz

• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Dr. Oz and Nutritional Supplements
• Why Dr. Oz can say anything and keep his medical license
• A Snake Oil Salesman Alive and Well in Dr. Oz
• Twitter gets predictably snarky when Dr. Oz asks, "What are you eating that is Oz Approved"? Salon

Big Food

• Chipotle's anti-Big-Food ad wins Cannes PR award
• How the US Government Helps McDonald's Sell Junk Food—"The feds also helped bring you the Taco Bell Cantina Double Steak Quesadilla and several other fast-food gems."
• Hamburger Chef Jamie Oliver Proves McDonald's Burgers "Unfit for human consumption"
• Monsanto Tries to Patent & Control Natural, Non-GMO Tomatoes
• Whole Foods to pay $800,000 in overpricing case
• U.S. meat producers square off against consumer groups in request to peel back on labeling
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Letter of the Week -- POM Wonderful

Ag-Gag and Agri-Torture

• Undercover animal abuse videos could soon be outlawed
• Canada's Largest Dairy Farm Employees Accused Of Animal Cruelty
• The Abstinence Method—"Dutch farmers just say no to antibiotics for livestock." Gerbert Oosterlaken, owner of Hoeve de Hulsdonk farm, "believes the more you can see, the better."

Buzz-Kill

• Obama orders review of pesticides' effect on bees
• Pesticides threaten birds and bees alike, study says
• Pesticides linked to bee deaths must be banned, scientists say
• French scientists revive assault on pesticide, GM corn
• Study links pesticide exposure in pregnancy to autism

Abortion and Birth Control

• Supreme Court says employers with religious objections can refuse to pay for contraception
• Corporations Are People, And They Have More Rights Than You
• SCOTUS end of term: The Supreme Court’s conservatives are using the First Amendment as a weapon
• 'Supreme Court strikes down abortion clinic buffer zone
• Anti-abortion protesters take advantage of Supreme Court ruling
• Alabama Abortion Clinic Forced To Close Because Its Hallways Aren't Wide Enough
• The Rise of the DIY Abortion in Texas—"A pill that revolutionized reproductive rights in Latin America is now gaining ground on the black market in South Texas."

Obamacare

• McAuliffe Defies GOP: We're 'Moving Forward' With Obamacare Expansion
• Capitol police gave House clerks access to governor's office—"Father's Day budget delivery to the governor's secure suite of offices prompts protests from the administration, which alleged an 'unacceptable' security breach."
• Emails: GOP Secured Majority After VA Dem Promised Job, Phone And Car
• Analysis Shows GOP Fear-Mongering On Obamacare Premiums Is Probably Bogus
• Republicans Finally Admit Why They Really Hate Obamacare
• Here Is the Most Shameless Anti-Obamacare Argument Yet

VA

• White House report: Overhaul VA's 'corrosive culture' Politico
• Letters Claim Vets Were Mistreated At West Palm Beach VA
• Acton Vet Finally Gets VA Doctor's Appointment – 2 Years After He Died
• Obama to name new VA chief

Think of the Children

• Alaska to put free pregnancy tests in bars to curb fetal alcohol syndrome rate
• Is veganism child abuse?—"A mother is arrested for infant neglect after a hospital crisis that began with her veganism." Salon
• Meet the con man selling fake stem cell treatments to children—"Davide Vannoni is playing with people's lives, and the Italian government is paying for it."
• No, PETA, Cow Milk Does Not Cause Autism—"The group that brought you animal-fur horror stories has just launched a campaign claiming cow's milk causes autism. Hold on to your Cheerios, this one needs explaining."

Psych

• Cost of not caring: Stigma set in stone—"People with mental illness face prejudice and discrimination nearly everywhere they turn, from friends and employers and even insurance plans."
• Minnesota teen who planned school massacre: 'I think I'm really mentally ill'
• Stop Telling Your Depressed Friends to "Cheer Up"—"It's more helpful to express that their feelings are valid."

Gone Viral

• Untreatable virus spreading in the Caribbean now afflicts 4,600 LA Times
• Doctors Without Borders: Ebola 'out of control'—Experts say it's just the 'tip of the iceberg' and it's getting worse [WaPo].
• CDC: Up to 86 workers possibly exposed to anthrax

Vax Populi

• One unvaccinated child was patient zero of a measles epidemic
• Measles cases are spreading, despite high vaccination rates. What's going on?—In other news, Jenny allegedly-not-against-vaccinations McCarthy is no longer on 'The View'. WaPo
• First measles case in at least 6 years reported in Pierce County—"The case is connected to eight confirmed cases being investigated in South King County, all among members of the same extended family, officials said."
• Judge Upholds Policy Barring Unvaccinated Students During Illnesses NYT
• Ohio Amish begin vaccinations amid largest measles outbreak in recent U.S. history
• Blast from the Past: Fear and frustration dominated Somali community forum on measles, vaccines and autism

Fat Tuesday; Obamacare, Medicaid, Single-Payer, Bills; Abortion and Birth Control; Health Issues; Language; Hypnosis and Mind Control; NSA Spying

Fat Tuesday

• Samoa Air says charging passengers by weight has been successful
• Low fat labelling may encourage consumption—"Foods labelled 'low fat' or 'low calorie' may encourage consumers to eat more, according to a study published in the journal Appetite."
• Two viral videos attack the beauty standard and fat talk

Obamacare

• Obamacare enrollment soars in November
• Many uninsured Americans still don't know about Affordable Care Act
• Members of Congress shocked to discover health care system sucks—"It's good that political elites are being exposed to what many of us already knew." WaPo
• Rubio enrolls family in Obamacare exchange
• 24 Republicans Not Practicing What They Preached About Obamacare
• A guide to Obamacare's ever-changing deadlines
• Jon Stewart Shoots Down Santorum: 'Obamacare Is Not Apartheid'

Medicaid

• Americans Discover They're Trapped In GOP's Medicaid Expansion Gap
• Wisconsin's rejection of Medicaid money will cost the state $1.8 billion in 2022
• The Next 5 Battleground States For Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion—Florida, Virginia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Maine.

Single-Payer

• Colin Powell Pitches Single-Payer Health Care in US
• Single Payer Is Getting a Second Life as Obamacare Frustration Peaks
• How to Revive the Fight for Single-Payer

Bills

• As Hospital Prices Soar, a Stitch Tops $500—"Hospital pricing is often convoluted, and hospital charges represent about a third of the total United States health care bill." NYT
• Paying a $1 million medical bill
• Why High Medical Bills Are Killing Us
• The U.S. Trillion-Dollar Medical Bill—"99.6% Is Not Related to Colonoscopy."
• The True Cost of Healthcare by David Belk MD

Abortion and Birth Control

• Thanks To Obamacare, The Number Of Women Who Aren't Charged For Birth Control Has Jumped 25 Percent
• Religious groups get win vs. O’care birth-control mandate
• MI Senator Shames Republicans Over 'Rape Insurance' Law—"A female state senator in Michigan shamed her Republican colleagues this week over a new law that requires women to purchase what she called 'rape insurance' by graphically retelling her own experience with sexual assault." The law was passed.
• Pregnant Woman Suffers. You Won't Believe Who's to Blame.—Mercy Health hospital opted to place its "Ethical and Religious Directives" over the well-being of the mother and ended up doing a lot of harm.
• IUD insertions on the rise in B.C.

Health Issues

• Measles cases in U.S. rise; most unvaccinated, CDC says
• HIV returns in two patients after bone marrow transplant
• Drug-Resistant TB a 'Ticking Bomb,' Warns WHO—"Half-a-million infected people threaten to spread the potent strand of tuberculosis further."

Language

• Scientists Used Facebook For The Largest Ever Study Of Language And Personality — And The Results Are Groundbreaking
• Children's language development: Talk and listen to them from birth.
• iPads help late-speaking children with autism develop language

Hypnosis and Mind Control

• Tamerlan Tsarnaev believed he was being fed orders through 'majestic mind control'
• Revealed: The Soviet Union's $1 Billion 'Psychotronic' Arms Race with the US
• Lad who refused to fly for 18 MONTHS is hypnotised so he can return from Dubai

NSA Spying

• NSA phone surveillance program likely unconstitutional, federal judge rules—Judge Leon says Americans have a "greater expectation" of privacy today.
• Everything You Need to Know About Today's Court Ruling on NSA Spying—"See why a federal judge slammed the government's surveillance program as 'almost-Orwellian.'"
• Snowden says ruling vindicates leak of NSA files—"He says decision that collection of phone data is unconstitutional is 'the first of many.'"
• White House: No amnesty for Snowden—So much for the NSA's plans.
• An NSA Coworker Remembers The Real Edward Snowden: 'A Genius Among Geniuses'—"I won't call him a hero, but he's sure as hell no traitor."
• NSA goes on 60 Minutes: the definitive facts behind CBS's flawed report—"Our take on five things the spy agency would like the public to believe about its vast surveillance powers."
• The truth about the NSA's bogus malware apocalypse—"Keith Alexander says China's BIOS virus could bring down the US economy — but could it?"
• Editorial: Rein in broad NSA snooping—"America's security should not come at the expense of constitutional protections. The head of the National Security Agency may give civil liberties a secondary priority. But Congress should not — and should insist that the nation's intelligence agencies rein in unwarranted snooping."
• The NSA: An Inside View—"In which I relate my experience as an NSA employee and impart my thoughts on the policies in place, my former coworkers, and the current cyber war."
• Top tech executives to meet with Obama to push for limits on surveillance WaPo

World AIDS Day; Pope Francis, Mormonic, Sex Abuse Scandals; Islamists; Church and State; Marriage Equality; Religion, Bad for Your Health; RIP Paul Walker

World AIDS Day

Pope Francis

• Pope Francis calls for decentralisation of Church powers—"Pope Francis has called for power in the Catholic Church to be devolved away from the Vatican, in the first major work he has written in the role."
• Pope Francis Calls Unfettered Capitalism 'A New Tyranny'
• Pope ramps up charity office to be near poor, sick—"Pope Francis has ramped up the Vatican's charity work, sending his chief alms-giver and a contingent of Swiss guards onto the streets of Rome at night to do what he usually can't do: comfort the poor and the homeless." WaPo
• Vatican Hires International Accounting Firm To Get Books in Order
• The PR Guru Behind the Pope Who Is Charming the World—"Every modern-day media darling needs a PR machine, and Pope Francis is no exception. Enter Greg Burke: the 53-year-old Fox News correspondent turned Holy See handler."

Mormonic

• Mormon Church in UT State Supreme Court CHALLENGING Reporting about Sex Abuse Victims
• Mormon church denies lawsuit's claims of sex abuse coverup
• Ex-Mormon bishop admits sex crimes with teen church members—"Ex-bishop Todd M. Edwards, 49, admits committing felony acts on two teenage girls who attended his Menifee church."

Sex Abuse Scandals

• "Rape the gay away" pastor won't serve time—"Iowa pastor and youth counselor Brent Girouex, who claimed with a straight face that he was trying to 'cure' teenage boys of their 'homosexual urges' by having sex with them, has had his sentence reduced from 17 years in prison to sex offender treatment and probation." Salon
• Australia: Pedophile priest guilty on new charges
• Disciplined Priest accused of abuse stripped of title
• Owner of alleged Satanic sex abuse daycare released as case against her falls apart—Kids' outrageous lies.
• Blast from the Past: Ex-priest convicted of trying to hire hit man to kill abuse accuser

Islamists

• Central African Republic 'descending into chaos'
• Jihadists cut down 150-year-old oak in Syria
• German writer Abdel-Samad missing in Egypt—"A German writer threatened with death after criticizing Islamists has gone missing in Egypt. Police suspect that Hamed Abdel-Samad was abducted by religious extremists, but the investigation is still ongoing."

Church and State

• Supreme Court will take up new health law dispute—"The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to referee another dispute over President Barack Obama's health care law: whether businesses may use religious objections to escape a requirement to cover birth control for employees."
• SC school cancels Christmas toy drive under legal pressure—American Humanist Association not acting humane.
• OH Supreme Court rules firing justified for teacher accused of advancing religion in classroom
• Science Education Advocates Thwart Late-Night Hijacking of Texas Science Textbook Adoption
• Atheists Take On The IRS—"IRS policies on church tax exemptions aren’t just potentially making America poorer – they also illegally discriminate against atheists, a lawsuit alleges."
• FFRF, Gaylor, Barker overturn 'parsonage exemption' clergy privilege—"The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker have won a significant ruling with far-reaching ramifications declaring unconstitutional the 1954 'parish exemption' uniquely benefiting 'ministers of the gospel.'"
• Gay snub Cornish B&B owners lose Supreme Court appeal—"The Christian owners of a guesthouse who were ordered to pay damages for turning away a gay couple have lost their UK Supreme Court fight."
• Moscow mayor: No more mosques in my city—"The mayor says that the move is meant to discourage illegal immigration, but critics say it is corruption that is fueling migration, not mosques."

Marriage Equality

• Jury Sends A Message On Marriage Equality And Fines Gay Couple One Cent
• Texas National Guard To Let Same-Sex Couples Sign For Benefits—State law was preventing it [WaPo], but using federal personnel overcomes that roadblock.
• Oklahama Gov. Fallin halts all spouse benefit applications at state-owned National Guard facilities
• Chattanooga: Domestic partner benefits passes on final council vote
• Mary Cheney Joins Fight Against Indiana Gay Marriage Ban
• Houston Mayor: Benefits will be offered to same-sex spouses of city employees
• Judge Allows Terminally Ill Chicago Woman To Marry Her Partner Before Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect
• Croatia holds referendum on same-sex marriage ban

Religion

• Right-wing "family expert": Treating husbands and wives as equals is unchristian—"Russell Moore called egalitarian marriages 'false gospel' that defy the Bible." Salon
• Head teacher apologises over 'racial discrimination' letter—"A head teacher has apologised for sending parents a letter saying a "racial discrimination" note would be added to their child's education record if they did not go on a religious trip."
• Christian leaders rage at naming of gay US ambassador to Dominican Republic—"The arrival of a new envoy and his husband in Santo Domingo has incensed prominent Catholics and evangelicals."
• Harvard Journal Essay Argues Jews Suffer Because They 'Killed Jesus'
• Costco Apologizes for Labeling Bibles as Fiction

Bad for Your Health

• Ohio Amish Girl, Family Flee to Avoid Forced Chemo
• Parents of Injured Baby Choose Emergency Baptism Over Hospital Visit, With Fatal Consequences
• The vaccination problem can't simply be prayed away—"Political correctness has meant practices that endanger children aren't publicly condemned."

RIP Paul Walker—Had a major crush on him over a decade ago. He'll always be a Walker to Remember.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women; Rape and Sexual Assaults; Sexism and Politics; Abortion and Birth Control; Obamacare

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

• Pakistan: 'I am Malala' banned in private schools
• Kuwaiti woman arrested in Saudi Arabia for driving her diabetic father to hospital—"Arrest comes a week after Saudi women staged a protest against the country's female driving ban."
• Female Genital Mutilation Cases Should Be Treated As Child Abuse: Report
• 'Honour killing': Case initiated against brother for murder
• Moroccan teen, forced to marry her rapist, commits suicide

Rape and Sexual Assaults

• Pakistan: Four-year-old sexually assaulted 'by cleric'
• 93 schoolgirls sexually harassed aboard Patna train
• NZ lawyer gives advice to rape victim, says you should have closed your legs
• If you can't stop rape, enjoy it, says CBI director Ranjit Sinha—"Sinha later told Hindustan Times he 'was just making a point, that it is very difficult to enforce a ban on betting, that you can make a law but there are already so many and it is difficult to enforce. Lotteries are already legal. So I said betting could be legalized, it can be taxed. To make this point, I just used a proverb.'" Culturally depraved statement.
• Kirsten Gillibrand: John McCain Was Wrong Then, And He's Wrong Now—Wrong on DOMA; wrong on military sexual assaults.
• Alabama Man Won't Serve Prison Time for Raping 14-Year-Old—"Austin Smith Clem raped a teenager three times. His punishment: supervision and probation."
• Los Gatos man gets probation for sex crimes; girls' parents outraged

Sexism and Politics

• Wendy Davis files for Texas governor—I wholeheartedly expect her vagina will not be an issue. /s
• Army Disciplines Two Involved In Email About 'Average Looking Women'
• Panel Led By NV GOP Chair Questions Women's Role In Workforce
• Scandal's Lisa Kudrow on Sexism in Politics (and That Epic Rant)
• Egypt 'worst for women' out of 22 countries in Arab world
• Women among the biggest losers in Arab Spring
• In Colombia, no sex till the road's fixed

Abortion and Birth Control

• Wendy Davis Slams Texas Republicans After Supreme Court Upholds State Abortion Restrictions
• Albuquerque voters reject 20-week abortion ban
• Vaginas Are Like "Little Hoover Vacuums," and Other Things Abstinence Lecturers Get Paid to Tell Teens
• The Tea Party's Attack on Women's Rights Politico
• Unsafe abortions: Haiti's abortion crisis
• Abortion in Tasmania is decriminalised, but it wasn't an easy battle—"Tasmania has removed abortion from its criminal laws after seven months of deliberations in parliament – but politicians have had to face a barrage of anti-choice tactics in the process."
• Bill Gates funds creation of thin, light, impenetrable graphene condoms

Obamacare

• Why Is Maternity Care Such an Issue for Obamacare Opponents?—"The ACA demands insurers fully cover 22 different women's health tests and visit types—yet few have raised conservative ire like covering expectant mothers."
• Corporations are claiming personhood to block Obamacare's contraception mandate
• Got Insurance? Obamacare ad outrages Rush Limbaugh and crew, who call women "prostitutes" for having sex

Gender Issues, Pycon, Sexism; Culture Clash; India; Abortion and Birth Control

Gender Issues

• 'Lean In': Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg Explains What's Holding Women Back—"That means that as a man gets more successful, he is better liked by men and women, and as a woman gets more successful, she is less liked by men and women."
• Do Masculine Names Help Female Lawyers Become Judges? Evidence from South Carolina
• The Decline of Marriage and the Rise of Unwed Mothers: An Economic Mystery—"The real question here isn't 'Why so many babies?' It's 'Why so few marriages?' And we have an answer."

Pycon

• "Donglegate" is classic overreaction—and everyone pays—"Or, how not to deal with difficult social issues."
• Adria Richards, PyCon, and How We All Lost
• The Biggest Problem in Technology—"[T]he technology industry, and the culture around it, has a serious, persistent problem with women."

Sexism

• Ford India Needs to Fire Its Advertising Execs
• Samsung: Sorry about that sexist show
• This strange neo-Victorian desire to save prostitutes and porn actresses—"Sex work isn’t stigmatised because it is dangerous. Sex work is dangerous because it is stigmatised."

Culture Clash

• 'Quarantine her!' Top Tunisian Islamist says topless girl needs stoning
• How Egypt's radical rulers crush the lives and hopes of women—"Women stood shoulder to shoulder with men in Tahrir Square in 2011. Now they are back on the streets, opposing a new constitution that sweeps away their rights and opens the way for girls of 13 to be married. And in Cairo's slums, life grows harder as the gulf between the sexes widens."
• Online protest over Maldives' rape sentence—"Campaigners target islands' tourist economy after teenage victim is ordered to be flogged."
• Hamas law promotes gender segregation in Gaza schools
• Flipside: Pakistani women 'break political barriers'—"Badam Zari and Nusrat Begum make history by becoming first women to contest parliamentary seats from tribunal region."

India

• 'If girls look sexy, boys will rape.' Is this what Indian men really believe?
• India tourist visits down 25% following fatal Delhi gang rape
• Lingerie to 'help' women fight sexual offences in India—"Three automobile engineers from Chennai have come out with what they claim can check sexual offences in India -- a lingerie laced with modules of GPS and capable of sending alerts to the girl's parents and police."

Abortion and Birth Control

• Teen Pregnancy Ads: Shame Campaign?
• New York Cops Will Arrest You for Carrying Condoms
• France expands access to abortion—"As of April 1 the French state will reimburse 100 percent of the cost of abortions while teenage girls will be offered free and anonymous contraception."
• USD$100,000 Grants Available for Developing the Next Generation Condom
• Philippines Supreme Court: Order vs RH law stays

International Day for Forests; Occupy Steubenville, Rape Culture; Gender Issues; Abortion and Birth Control; India; Culture Clash

International Day for Forests

Occupy Steubenville

• Two teens found guilty in Steubenville rape case
• Meet Reno Saccoccia: Steubenville's head football coach—"Evidence shows Saccoccia knew about the rape early on, but didn't report it. So why does he still have his job?" Salon
• Two girls charged with threatening Steubenville rape victim
• Steubenville Rapist to Appeal Because His 'Brain Isn't Fully Developed'—He was already tried as a minor.
• The Steubenville Victim's Name Aired on All Three Cable News Networks
• Steubenville rape trial forces depressed Ohio town to look inward for answers
• Steubenville, weary of investigation, faces new probe

Rape Culture

• CNN grieves that guilty verdict ruined 'promising' lives of Steubenville rapists
• CNN's Steubenville coverage called too sympathetic to teens found guilty
• The Steubenville Rapists Are Not Tragic Heroes—Scary how close to home The Onion hits with this piece.
• I Am The Blogger Who Allegedly "Complicated" The Steubenville Gang Rape Case -- And I Wouldn't Change a Thing
• Steubenville: this is rape culture's Abu Ghraib moment—"The pictures from Steubenville don't just show a girl being raped. They show that rape being condoned, encouraged, celebrated. What type of culture could possibly produce such pictures?"

Gender Issues

• Off The Battlefield, Military Women Face Risks From Male Troops—And all that awaits them after getting raped is a 'broken system.'
• CPAC: Where Ashley Judd Rape Jokes Happen
• Republican: Violence Against Women Act 'horrible' because it protects transgender people
• Bolshoi ballet was 'giant brothel' claims former dancer
• UN Declaration on women passes

Abortion and Birth Control

• Hawaii Senate OKs emergency contraception bill—"Republican Sen. Sam Slom tried and failed to amend the bill to allow hospitals to claim a religious exemption instead of distributing the morning-after pill."
• North Dakota lawmakers OK strictest abortion ban
• Sen. Rand Paul introduces 'fetal personhood' bill to outlaw abortion
• Kansas House members reject rape, incest exceptions for abortion
• "Fiscally conservative" lawmaker happy to spend taxpayer millions defending unconstitutional abortion ban Salon

India

• Six men arrested over gang-rape of Swiss tourist in India: woman must share blame for attack, say police—"[I]nspector says she should never have been camping in the area," and that "the tourists had been careless in travelling to a remote part of the country they knew little about."
• Woman gang-raped inside lawyer's chamber
• British tourist jumps from hotel balcony in Agra to escape sexual assault
• Lok Sabha passes anti-rape bill, age of consent stays at 18
• Five men arrested for allegedly teasing Norwegian woman

Culture Clash

• Muslim Brotherhood’s Statement on Women Stirs Liberals' Fears NYT
• South Africa: 'Over 25% of schoolgirls HIV positive'—"At least 28% of South African schoolgirls are HIV positive compared with 4% of boys because 'sugar daddies' are exploiting them, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said."
• Yemen: Brothers kill sister for eloping—"Four men shot dead their sister and her husband for bringing 'shame' to the family."

#Savita, Contraception, Life and Death Situations, Big Pharma, Issues, Diseases

#Savita

• Woman 'denied a termination' dies in hospital--Even though Ireland's law allows abortion when it's to save the life of the mother, the doctors refused to act.
• Husband: 'I still can't believe she's gone. She was so full of life' --He says her last days were full of pain from the ensuing blood poisoning, and she died in agony.
• Ireland Abortion Scandal: Death of a Pregnant Woman Prompts Soul-Searching--The Youth Defence group still had the temerity to say that "Ireland's ban on abortion does not pose a threat to women’s lives."

Contraception

• UN says access to contraception a human right
• Catholic Leaders Vow to Stand Against Contraception Mandate, Same-sex Marriage--What they're really against is sex outside marriage, but it seems like they've been avoiding mentioning that.
• Philippines: RH bill can't be held hostage by one senator--Some would rather see it killed outright.

Life and Death Situations

• Right-to-die law appalling, says Health Minister Anna Soubry--"Anna Soubry told the Times it was "ridiculous and appalling" that Britons had to 'go abroad to end their life.'"
• Life-support ruling upheld in case of starved girl--"The Alberta Court of Appeal upheld a ruling Wednesday to remove a child from life-support over the objections of her parents who are accused of beating and starving her."
• Study: Assisted suicide legality does not increase patient death wish

Big Pharma

• Cipla slashes prices of 3 cancer drug by up to 63%--"India's No. 2 drugmaker Cipla has slashed the prices of three of its anti-cancer drugs by up to 63%, a move that comes six months after it announced similar price cuts on three other anti-cancer products."
• Pfizer caught "gaming the system," loses Viagra patent in Canada
• Friends in Congress Have Helped Drug Compounders Avoid Tighter Rules NYT

Issues

• Bad to the bone: A medical horror story--"When medical device company Synthes decided to illegally test a bone cement on people, the results were disastrous. A disturbing tale of corporate crime and punishment."
• Italy: Mobile phones can cause brain tumours, court rules--"A landmark court case has ruled there is a link between using a mobile phone and brain tumours, paving the way for a flood of legal actions."
• 'Hypersensitive' Wi-Fi hater loses case against fiendish devices
• Most of what you read was wrong: how press releases rewrote scientific history
• Five photos that sparked body image debates

Diseases

• Steven Boone tried to spread HIV, Crown alleges--If this is what really happened, this is despicable.
• HIV 'made' new deadly Salmonella - study
• Outbreak of virus in SARS family has WHO on alert
• Scores isolated as new outbreak of Ebola fever kills 2 in district near the Ugandan capital
• London at risk of 'catastrophic' legionnaires' outbreak: Report
• The Rise of Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea--"Public-health experts are alarmed by the emergence of a strain of gonorrhea that is resistant to the last drug available against it, and they fear it's the harbinger of a sexually transmitted global epidemic."
• Three quarters of rats in parts of West 'resistant to poison'--Eek.

Abortion and Birth Control, International, Rape, Gender, Comics, Disney Princesses

Abortion and Birth Control

• GOP Delegate Says that Children with Disabilities are God's Punishment for Past Abortions--He's apologized for this sort of thing before.
• Parents, doctors allege sex-ed courses violate state law--"...by only teaching about abstinence and failing to include instruction about condoms and contraception."
• Pregnant at 49 NYT
• Red States = Teen Moms--I'm shocked--SHOCKED--that lack of proper sex education and access to real contraception leads to higher incidence of teen pregnancies.
• Blast from the Past: Do they really believe that abortion is murder?

International

• Clinton, others announce contraception deal--"Prices for long-acting contraception will be halved for 27 million women in the developing world through a new partnership...." But the Catholic Church is pushing back.
• UK: Sarah Catt jailed for full-term abortion of baby--One of the judges is linked to a conservative Christian charity.
• Uruguay lawmakers vote to legalize abortion
• Canada: Motion to study when life begins defeated in Parliament
• In Philippines, a 14-year fight for birth control--Catholic Church has been pushing back big-time.

Rape

• Father sells off rape victim following village meeting
• Outrage as Tunisia woman raped by police is accused--"Tunisian civil society groups expressed outrage on Wednesday after a young woman was accused of indecency by two policemen jailed for raping her, amid criticism of the Islamist-led government for rolling back women's rights."
• Aussia aid worker's family angry with DFAT--Alexandra Pippi cannot leave the country, and "Pippi's family believe the incident is connected to rumours that she had been sexually assaulted by a senior Libyan health official."

Gender

• 1,000 Nigerian Women Are Stranded in Saudi Arabia Because They Aren't Traveling with Men
• Harassment of women may be getting more violent, but activists are fighting back
• Ikea deleted women from Saudi version of catalogue
• Sexist remarks and wolf-whistles could become criminal offences--"PM to announce today that UK will sign up to Council of Europe's convention on violence against women, which could mean criminalising unwanted verbal conduct."
• Deutsche Bank Accused of Retaliation After Firing VP Who Sued for Being 'Mommy-Tracked'

Comics

• Wonder Woman leaps onto Ms. magazine's 40th anniversary cover
• DC Listens To Internet Criticism, Fixes 'Catwoman' Zero Cover
• Women Avengers... Assemble?

Disney Princesses

• Portrait of a Princess
• Oh No They Didn't! - Advice for young girls from a Disney princess
• The Hipster Disney Princesses Are Too Cool To Follow The Bouncing Ball In Their Own Sing-Along Video
• Disney princesses with a Hot Topic filter
• Disney Females Brought to Life
• Evil Disney Princesses
• Real-Life Disney Princesses

'Legitimate Rape', The Onion, Abortion and Birth Control, Planned Parenthood, "Honour" Killings

'Legitimate Rape'

• Republican Senate Nominee: Victims Of 'Legitimate Rape' Don't Get Pregnant--"Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri who is running against Sen. Claire McCaskill, justified his opposition to abortion rights even in case of rape with a claim that victims of 'legitimate rape' have unnamed biological defenses that prevent pregnancy." What do you think? (The Onion)
• Missouri Rep. Todd Akin says he 'misspoke' on rape and pregnancy--He claims he meant to say "forcible rape."
• Obama On Todd Akin: 'Rape Is Rape'--"And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me. So what I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn't have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women."
• CNN Host Makes Most of Akin’s No-Show--"When Representative Todd Akin abruptly cancelled an interview with Piers Morgan on Monday night, Mr. Morgan trotted out an empty chair instead." Piers also called Akin a "gutless little twerp" for not keeping his promise to appear on the show. NYT
• Thank you, Todd Akin--"The candidate exposed his party's misogyny, and the swift backlash is reason for defenders of women to celebrate." Salon

The Onion

• Republicans Condemn Akin's Comments As Blemish On Party's Otherwise Spotless Women's Rights Record
• Pregnant Woman Relieved To Learn Her Rape Was Illegitimate
• Akin: I Misspoke—What I Meant To Say Is 'I Am Dumb As Dog Shit And I Am A Terrible Human Being'

Abortion and Birth Control

• Pregnant teen dies after abortion ban delays her chemo treatment for leukemia--Pro-life kills. The Dominican Republic's constitutional amendment declares 'life begins at conception', but this just ended up killing the mother.
• Louisiana Department Of Education Orders School To Drop Ban On Pregnant Students--A public school planned to force pregnancy tests on its students.
• Health Care Reform Leaves Out Young Pregnant Women
• Komen president resigning, founder shifting roles
• Millions Lost: Rush Limbaugh Continues To Be Bad For Business
• Philippines: Catholic bishop goes after Ateneo professors for heresy--They warned other schools they'd be stripped of their status if they supported the Reproductive Health bill. 
• I Wish My Mother Had Aborted Me--"Lynn Beisner explains the difference between the two phrases 'The best choice for both my mother and me would have been abortion' and 'I wish I had never been born.'"

Planned Parenthood

• Actress Elizabeth Banks: Romney won't help women with 'a heavy flow'
• Texas Loses Entire Women's Health Program Over Planned Parenthood Law
• Kansas: All charges dropped against Planned Parenthood

"Honour" Killings

• Pakistani wife in disputed marriage gunned down in court by her brother
• UK court jails parents for life over honor killing of teen daughter
• Punjab girl hires contract killers to eliminate parents for opposing her marriage--"The girl, Manpreet Kaur, wanted to kill her parents and brother as they objected to her decesion of marrying her beau, who was already married." That's a new twist.

Abortion and Birth Control, Religion, Culture Clash, Male Rape, Sexism

Abortion and Birth Control

• Melinda Gates challenges Vatican by vowing to improve contraception--"Catholic philanthropist predicts women in Africa and Asia will soon ignore church teaching on birth control." And she also pledged $560 million for contraception.
• Republicans vs. Women--"Even with a persistent gender gap in a presidential election year, House Republicans have not given up on their campaign to narrow access to birth control, abortion care and lifesaving cancer screenings. Far from it." NYT
• Planned Parenthood Sues Arizona For Blocking Low-Income Women's Access To Health Clinics
• Philippines birth control: Filipinos want it, priests don't--"In the Philippines, access to contraceptives is limited for the most part to those with the means to pay. The Catholic Church has fought a 'reproductive health bill' in the legislature that would change that."
• Hundreds protest toughening Spain's abortion law--"Hundreds of Spaniards protested Sunday against the conservative government's proposal to roll back women's abortion rights, including in cases where the fetus is deformed."

Religion

• Dominican Republic abortion ban stops treatment for pregnant teen with cancer
• Girls denied cervical cancer jab--"Some schools in England have opted out of the HPV vaccination programme because their pupils 'follow strict Christian principles' and 'do not practise sex outside marriage.'"
• Parents deny daughter life-saving transplant--"An Auckland girl suffering a rare kidney disease has been put into the guardianship of the High Court because her Jehovah's Witness parents will not consent to her receiving a life-saving kidney and liver transplant."

Culture Clash

• Afghan female rights activist killed in latest act of violence against women
• 'Disgusted' by Her Dating, Man Beheads His Daughter, 20, In India NYT
• Pakistan policeman kills sister for wearing jeans

Male Rape

• Men Outnumber Women Among American Rape Victims
• US broadens definition of rape; includes male victims--"[T]he first major revision to the definition in more than 80 years."
• The silent male victims of rape

Sexism

• Michael Smerconish: Lazar Greenfield's 'Semengate' Stuns Scientific Community--"Dr. Greenfield noted the therapeutic effects of semen, citing research from the Archives of Sexual Behavior which found that female college students practicing unprotected sex were less likely to suffer from depression than those whose partners used condoms (as well as those who remained abstinent)."
• Science – It’s a Girl Thing (Insert Facepalm Here)
• 'You know what men are like': Indonesia to ban mini-skirts over links to rape
• Lego tries to get less sexist--"The toy maker's female-centric "Lego Friends" send a bad message for girls. But now there's hope for change." Salon
• Sexist Humor No Laughing Matter, Psychologist Says
• Seventeen Magazine Vows to Show Girls 'as They Really Are
• 'Princeless': A Fairy Tale Parody Where the Princesses Are Rescuin' For Themselves

Obamacare, Big Pharma, Health Scare, Abortion and Birth Control, War on Women, Culture Clash

Obamacare

• States With Most Obesity Oppose Obamacare The Most
• New Financial Forms Show Clarence Thomas's Wife Continued to Lobby Against Healthcare In 2011
• Affordable Care Act means $1.1 billion insurance rebate
• Yes, Actually, Obamacare Is the Biggest Tax Increase in History--"Just because a headline or an idea is repeated over and over again doesn’t make it true."
• Rick Perry To 6.5 Million Texans With No Healthcare-You're On Your Own
• Why have Republicans voted 30 times to repeal Obamacare? To increase uncertainty.
• Dems finally defend Obamacare--"After ignoring the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Democrats have begun using it as a political weapon this election." Salon

Big Pharma

• GlaxoSmithKline to pay $3bn in US drug fraud scandal
• How Not to Get Big Pharma to Change Its Ways--"$3 billion may sound like a lot of money, but during these years Glaxo made $27.5 billion on these three antidepressants alone, according to IMS Health...."
• Big Pharma criminality no longer a conspiracy theory: Bribery, fraud, price fixing now a matter of public record
• McCain Denounces Big Pharma Lobbyists Who Just Killed Cheaper Drugs Again
• Big pharma is cut out by India's plan to bring medicine to masses--"Ambitious $5bn push deals blow to global firms with focus on generic alternatives above branded drugs."

Health Scare

• Worst TB outbreak in 20 years kept secret--"The CDC officer had a serious warning for Florida health officials in April: A tuberculosis outbreak in Jacksonville was one of the worst his group had investigated in 20 years. Linked to 13 deaths and 99 illnesses, including six children, it would require concerted action to stop. That report had been penned on April 5, exactly nine days after Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill that shrank the Department of Health and required the closure of the A.G. Holley State Hospital in Lantana, where tough tuberculosis cases have been treated for more than 60 years."
• California doctors sue Aetna for coverage denials--"Thousands of doctors in California are suing the health insurance company Aetna Inc., claiming the company routinely denies patients access to out-of-network doctors even when the patient has purchased a policy giving them the right to choose providers."
• Use of government aid for junk food questioned--"As Republicans prepare to cut billions of dollars from food stamps, a Bay Area activist has stirred a hornet's nest on the left by questioning how much the program ends up benefiting corporations that peddle soda, candy and other junk food to low-income people."
• UK: Hospitals 'letting patients die to save money'--"Hospitals may be depriving elderly patients of food and drink to hasten their deaths as part of cost-cutting measures to free up bed space, leading doctors warn."
• Xavius Scullark-Johnson, Prisoner, Dies After He's Denied Health Care--"[W]hen an ambulance showed up to take Scullark-Johnson to a hospital, the nurse on duty, Denise Garin, turned it away. Scullark-Johnson was pronounced dead hours later. The Tribune notes that ambulance runs are 'strictly monitored' in 'an effort to cut costs' by Corizon Inc., the for-profit company contracted by the DOC to care for its prisoners."

Abortion and Birth Control

• Abortions Have Made Life Better for Millions Of Men: It's About Time to Speak Up in Support
• House GOP Blocking Abortion Access for Soldiers Who Are Raped
• Ohio personhood campaign aborted after signature drive implodes--"An Ohio campaign that sought to change the state’s constitution to ban all abortions and hormonal birth control drugs was itself aborted on Tuesday evening after organizers revealed that they had failed miserably at collecting the necessary voter signatures."
• Republican senator holds up flood insurance bill for a vote on abortion
• Rape Victim Can Sue for Denied Contraception--"A Tampa rape victim can sue the Hillsborough County Sheriff for allowing a jail guard to refuse to give her a prescribed emergency contraception pill because it was against the guard's religious beliefs..."
• More Irish women seeking help for British abortions, says charity--"Ireland's abortion ban means women with severe pregnancy complications are going abroad for terminations."
• After A Forced Abortion, A Roaring Debate In China--"Deng Jiyuan and Feng Jianmei, a couple from northwest China's Shaanxi province, have a 6-year-old daughter. Under China's complicated birth calculus, they were barred from having another child. But they tried anyway."

War on Women

• 1% Wives Are Helping Kill Feminism and Make the War on Women Possible
• GOP State Senator Will Teach Brooklyn Women To Act Like Ladies
• Rep. Joe Walsh Blasts Double Amputee’s Military Service, Says She’s Not A 'True Hero'

Culture Clash

• The crimewave that shames the world--"It's one of the last great taboos: the murder of at least 20,000 women a year in the name of 'honour'. Nor is the problem confined to the Middle East: the contagion is spreading rapidly."
• Sex Grooming Cases Spark Racial Tensions
• Popular female Pakistani singer killed in drive-by shooting--"A popular female Pakistani singer who defied the Taliban's decree against singing and dancing was shot and killed in northwest Pakistan Monday night, police and hospital officials told CNN."
• Militancy: A progressive voice for tribal women silenced in targeted attack
• Afghan woman publicly executed near Kabul
• Indian father accused of killing baby 'for being a girl'
• Indian man beheads daughter in rage over lifestyle--"Police say a man upset over his daughter's lifestyle chopped her head off with a sword and then paraded it through his village before surrendering to authorities in western India."
• Liberian effort to end female circumcision runs into opposition
• Saudi Arabian women risk arrest as they defy ban on driving
• Sweden moves to outlaw forced marriages

Fat Tuesday, In Sickness... And In Health, Abortion and Birth Control, States, Planned Parenthood, War on Women

Fat Tuesday

• True cost of obesity in America: $190 billion
• Pounding Away At America's Obesity Epidemic
• Obesity fight must shift from personal blame-U.S. panel
• One in 5 Kids Is Obese, Yet Congress Is More Concerned With Protecting Profits Than Kids' Health
• Obesity Rates Soaring In Brazil As Prosperity Flourishes
• 'I haven't taken my shirt off since I was 9' - Kevin Smith
• Why Black Women Are Fat NYT

In Sickness

• Portugal's sick economy triggers health crisis--"To cut costs, Portugal has increased the rates it charges for public health services. For many cash-strapped residents, the fee scheme has had a grim effect, potentially putting lives at risk."
• Coke and Pepsi alter recipe to avoid cancer warning label
• Couple Wins $2.9M for 'Wrongful Birth'--The doctor mistakenly took an "incorrect tissue sample in order to determine the chromosomal profile" of their daughter.

...And In Health

• Scientists may have found an achilles heel for many forms of cancer
• Early exposure to germs has lasting benefits
• How Interval Training Can Improve Health NYT
• 'Wired To Run': Runner's High May Have Been Evolutionary Advantage
• Serious Strength & The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution

Abortion and Birth Control

• Anti-Abortion Male Republican: 'Sacred Sperm' Bill Is 'an Egregious Attack on Personal Liberties from the Government'
• House GOP proposes end to 'telemedicine abortions'--"Forty-eight House Republicans on Thursday proposed a bill that would cut off public funding for abortion providers that use video consultations with doctors to prescribe the morning-after pill."
• Holding Birth Control Hostage--"Doctors still require women to submit to cancer screenings and pelvic exams to get birth control pills. Scientists say that shouldn't happen."
• Because Of Abstinence Education, 60 Percent Of Young Adults Are Misinformed About Birth Control's Effectiveness
• "I Can't Believe I Still Have to Protest This:" Abortion Rights in Canada

States

• Tennessee House Passes Bill To Allow Criminal Prosecution For Harming Embryos
• Requiring Ultrasounds Before Abortion: One Mother's Personal Tragedy--"Carolyn Jones made the wrenching decision to end her pregnancy after learning that her unborn son had severe disabilities. Before she could get an abortion, the law required her to view her baby on ultrasound and hear detailed descriptions of his anatomy, an experience she calls "barbaric."
• Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Signs Legislation Permitting Employers to Interrogate Female Employees About Contraception Use
• Kansas Abortion Bill: Lawmakers Pass Sweeping Measure--One of them would tax abortions and another would force doctors to lie to the patients about getting cancer from it.
• Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes Personhood Amendment from ballot, calls it 'clearly unconstitutional'
• Oklahoma Judge Overturns Law Restricting Abortion-Induction Medication
• Minnesota Governor Vetoes Medically-Unnecessary TRAP Law for "Unfairly Targeting Abortion Clinics"

Planned Parenthood

• Planned Parenthood 'targeted' by anti-abortionists
• Federal judge stops Texas from banning Planned Parenthood from receiving state funds
• Arizona Bans State Funding to Planned Parenthood
• GOP Freshman Breaks With His Party To Support Planned Parenthood Funding
• GOP foiled as funds flow to Planned Parenthood

War on Women

• The Real Battleground for 2012: Women’s Wombs.
• Fox News contributor laments 'mistake' of letting women vote
• John Boehner Throws a Tantrum on the House Floor Over War on Women: 'Give Me a Break!'
• Missouri GOP Senate Candidate 'Not Sure' What The Violence Against Women Act Is
• GOP's Violence Against Women Act Would Open Up Undocumented Victims To More Abuse
• Obama To Women At Barnard: 'I Will Be Right There With You'
• FunnyOrDie: Republicans, Get In My Vagina!--"Kate Beckinsale, Judy Greer and Andrea Savage 'spread' the message that the one thing women really want in their vagina is the government."

Obamacare, Abortion and Birth Control, States, Abs-teen-ence

Obamacare

• The Barbarism of the Health-Care Repeal Crusade
• Appeals court fires back at Obama's comments on health care case
• A Conservative Law Professor on the Obvious Constitutionality of Obamacare

Abortion and Birth Control

• Wisconsin Planned Parenthood Bombing Draws FBI Vow To Protect Public Access To Abortion Clinics
• A clinic's landlord turns the tables on anti-abortion protesters
• Komen quietly resumes Planned Parenthood funding
• That was fast: One month later, Limbaugh sees advertisers starting to return
• Catholic Bishops Lose a Big Battle Over Contraception
• Women Like Having Access to Contraception
• The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

States

• Judge says Oklahoma cannot force abortion patients to view ultrasound
• Idaho kills forced ultrasound bill
• Georgia: Terrible New Law Requires Women to Give Birth to Nonviable Fetuses
• Georgia State Rep Votes Against Radical Anti-Abortion Measure, Citing Daughter's Experiences
• Texas State Agency May Publicize Detailed Information About Abortion Patients
• Nebraska Couple Watches Their Baby Die Because of New Law
• Jan Brewer signs abortion ban defining pregnancy before conception --Arizona still wins.

Abs-teen-ence

• Teen Pregnancies Highest In States With Abstinence-Only Policies
• Abstinence isn’t working--"Teen births are down, thanks to contraception use. Why does the right ignore the facts and insist it's abstinence?." Salon
• Tennessee Senate Approves Bill To Warn Students That Hand-Holding Is A 'Gateway Sexual Activity'