Human Rights

Senate Passes Bill to Compensate Americans Exposed to Radiation by the Government

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law initially passed more than three decades ago. The bill by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., would... Read More

By Defining Sex, Some States Denying Transgender People Legal Recognition

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Mack Allen, an 18-year-old high school senior from Kansas, braces for sideways glances, questioning looks and... Read More

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Mack Allen, an 18-year-old high school senior from Kansas, braces for sideways glances, questioning looks and snide comments whenever he has to hand over his driver's license, which still identifies him as female. They've come from... Read More

2024-01-12 19:41:27
by Tom Ramstack
Consumer Group Accuses Starbucks of Exploitative Labor Practices

WASHINGTON — A consumer advocacy group filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Starbucks saying the company falsely labels its coffee and... Read More

WASHINGTON — A consumer advocacy group filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Starbucks saying the company falsely labels its coffee and tea as "100% ethical" despite a history of what it called "slave-like conditions" on farms where the coffee beans and... Read More

Drilling Under Pennsylvania's 'Gasland' Town Has Been Banned Since 2010. It's Coming Back.

A year after pleading no contest to criminal charges, one of Pennsylvania’s leading natural gas companies is poised to drill and frack... Read More

A year after pleading no contest to criminal charges, one of Pennsylvania’s leading natural gas companies is poised to drill and frack in the rural community where it was banned for a dozen years for polluting the water supply. Coterra Energy Inc.... Read More

Backlash to House Testimony Spotlights New Generation of Ivy League Presidents

WASHINGTON (AP) — The university presidents called before a congressional hearing on antisemitism last week had more in common than strife on... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The university presidents called before a congressional hearing on antisemitism last week had more in common than strife on their campuses: The leaders of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and MIT were all women who were relatively new in... Read More

Biden Administration Encouraging Conversion of Empty Office Space to Affordable Housing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty office buildings into housing units, with billions of federal dollars available to help spur such transitions. The new initiative, announced... Read More

What Is Indigenous Peoples Day? A Day of Celebration, Protest and Reclaiming History

From Alcatraz Island to a park in New York City, Native American people will celebrate their centuries-long history of resilience... Read More

From Alcatraz Island to a park in New York City, Native American people will celebrate their centuries-long history of resilience on Monday with ceremonies, dances and speeches. The events across the U.S. come two years after President Joe Biden officially commemorated... Read More

Centuries After Native American Remains Were Dug Up, They Are Returned for Reburial in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — For centuries, Europeans carving up the prairie to suit their own idea of settlement dug up... Read More

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — For centuries, Europeans carving up the prairie to suit their own idea of settlement dug up the graves of Native Americans as they conquered lands and pushed tribes to the West. Now, Native Americans whose ancestors'... Read More

Reflecting on the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington

The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom provides an opportunity for us to reflect on... Read More

The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the hopes and promises advanced at the March, and the actions and accomplishments that followed. The 250,000 participants in the... Read More

DeSantis Defending New Slavery Teachings. Civil Rights Leaders See Pattern of 'Policy Violence'

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first actions as Florida's governor. But four years later, as DeSantis eyes the presidency, their hope that the Republican would be... Read More

Parents of Transgender Youth Suing to Block Georgia's Gender-Affirming Care Ban

ATLANTA (AP) — Parents of four transgender children have filed a lawsuit challenging a Georgia law set to take effect Saturday that... Read More

ATLANTA (AP) — Parents of four transgender children have filed a lawsuit challenging a Georgia law set to take effect Saturday that bans most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender people under 18, their lawyers said. The lawsuit, which the... Read More

Arizona's Oak Flat Is Sacred Land to Some Native Americans, But it's Endangered by a Plan for a Mine

OAK FLAT, Ariz. (AP) — Azee Romero climbed barefoot on the wrinkled trunk of the massive Emory oak tree at... Read More

OAK FLAT, Ariz. (AP) — Azee Romero climbed barefoot on the wrinkled trunk of the massive Emory oak tree at the center of the Oak Flat Campground. The 5-year-old in his black dinosaur t-shirt with hair tied under a backwards... Read More

Moms for Liberty Rises as Power Player in GOP Politics After Attacking Schools Over Gender, Race

NEW YORK (AP) — To its members, it’s a grassroots army of “joyful warriors” who “don’t co-parent with the government.”... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — To its members, it’s a grassroots army of “joyful warriors” who “don’t co-parent with the government.” To anti-hate researchers, it’s a well-connected extremist group that attacks inclusion in schools. And to Republicans vying for the presidency, it... Read More

Biden Unveils LGBTQ+ Initiatives Ahead of Pride Month Celebration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday in a high-profile show... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday in a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack like never before and the White House has little... Read More

Largest US Gay Rights Group Issues Florida Travel Advisory for Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the U.S. joined other civil rights organizations Tuesday in issuing a travel... Read More

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the U.S. joined other civil rights organizations Tuesday in issuing a travel advisory for Florida, warning that newly passed laws and policies may pose risks to minorities, immigrants and gay travelers. The... Read More

Prominent Foe of Female Circumcision Wins $1.4M Templeton Prize

Edna Adan Ismail, a nurse-midwife, hospital founder, and health care advocate who for decades has combated female circumcision and strived... Read More

Edna Adan Ismail, a nurse-midwife, hospital founder, and health care advocate who for decades has combated female circumcision and strived to improve women’s health care in East Africa, was named Tuesday as winner of the 2023 Templeton Prize, one of... Read More

Kansas City Considers Becoming LGBTQ Sanctuary City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City Council committee will consider a resolution on Wednesday that would designate the... Read More

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City Council committee will consider a resolution on Wednesday that would designate the city as a sanctuary for people seeking or providing gender-affirming care, even as the state's attorney general is proposing a... Read More

Cosmetic to Critical: Blue States Help Trans Health Coverage

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For most of her life in New Mexico, Christina Wood felt like she had to hide... Read More

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — For most of her life in New Mexico, Christina Wood felt like she had to hide her identity as a transgender woman. So six years ago she moved to Oregon, where she had readier access to... Read More

Dying Patients Protest Looming Telehealth Crackdown

At age 93, struggling with the effects of a stroke, heart failure and recurrent cancer, Teri Sheridan was ready to... Read More

At age 93, struggling with the effects of a stroke, heart failure and recurrent cancer, Teri Sheridan was ready to end her life using New Jersey's law that allows medically assisted suicide -- but she was bedbound, too sick to... Read More

North Dakota Governor Signs Law Limiting Trans Health Care

North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law that restricts transgender health care in the state, immediately... Read More

North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law that restricts transgender health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18. Gender-affirming care for minors has been available... Read More

Twitter Removes Policy Against Deadnaming Transgender People

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,” raising... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,” raising concerns that the Elon Musk-owned platform is becoming less safe for marginalized groups. Twitter enacted the policy against deadnaming, or... Read More

US Reporter Held by Russia on Spying Charges Denied Release

A Russian judge ruled Tuesday that American journalist Evan Gershkovich must remain behind bars on espionage charges in a case that... Read More

A Russian judge ruled Tuesday that American journalist Evan Gershkovich must remain behind bars on espionage charges in a case that is part of a Kremlin crackdown on dissent and press freedom amid the war in Ukraine. Appearing in public for... Read More

Missouri to Limit Gender-Affirming Care for Minors, Adults

COLUMBIA. Mo. (AP) — Missouri's attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors... Read More

COLUMBIA. Mo. (AP) — Missouri's attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors in a move that is believed to be a first nationally and has advocacy groups threatening to sue. Attorney General... Read More

Abortion Pill Rulings in Conflict: What Happens Next?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Texas case that could cut off access to the most commonly used abortion medication has started... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Texas case that could cut off access to the most commonly used abortion medication has started on a path through the legal system that could quickly lead to the Supreme Court. The drug, mifepristone, was approved... Read More

Kansas Approves Bill to End Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas approved a plan early Friday to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth,... Read More

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas approved a plan early Friday to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth, capping a week of intensifying efforts to roll back LGBTQ rights. The Kansas House voted 70-52 to pass a bill requiring the state's medical... Read More

Veto Puts Kentucky in Thick of Fight Over Transgender Rights

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a bill aimed at transgender health care puts the state in the... Read More

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a bill aimed at transgender health care puts the state in the middle of a national fight, but with more immediate consequences as the state's looming election offers an early test on... Read More

GOP Sets Vote on Parents' Rights in Clash Over Schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will press forward Friday with a midterm campaign promise by voting on legislation to give... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will press forward Friday with a midterm campaign promise by voting on legislation to give parents greater say in what is taught in public schools, even as critics decry the “parents' rights” bill as a... Read More

School Library Book Bans Are Seen as Targeting LGBTQ Content

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Teri Patrick bristles at the idea she wants to ban books about LGBTQ issues in... Read More

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Teri Patrick bristles at the idea she wants to ban books about LGBTQ issues in Iowa schools, arguing her only goal is ridding schools of sexually explicit material. Sara Hayden Parris says that whatever you... Read More

US Government Ponders the Meaning of Race and Ethnicity

Nyhiem Way is weary of people conflating African American and Black. Shalini Parekh wants a way for South Asian people... Read More

Nyhiem Way is weary of people conflating African American and Black. Shalini Parekh wants a way for South Asian people to identify themselves differently than East Asians with roots in places like China or Japan. And Byron Haskins wants the... Read More

MLK Weekend to Feature Tributes, Commitments to Race Equity

Annual tributes and commemorations of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which begin nationwide on... Read More

Annual tributes and commemorations of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which begin nationwide on Friday, typically include a mix of politics, faith and community service. For this year's celebration, the 37th since its federal... Read More

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