New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is signing bills and taking names. While Democrats are thrilled with some of his recent gubernatorial decisions, there are some Republicans who have become frustrated with the pace of change. One of his recent decisions was to expand family leave provisions for residents of the Garden State, and now he’s making it … [Read more...]
Foster Agency Requires Parents be White, Straight, and Christian
You may not get to a foster a child in South Carolina anytime soon if you’re anything but a White, heterosexual, Christian couple after the Donald Trump administration recently granted a federally funded foster care agency in the Palmetto State the right to freely discriminate against potential foster parents who are LGBTQ, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, … [Read more...]
Where’s the Promised Paid Family Leave?
Ivanka Trump spoke on behalf of her father before the 2016 election and said that if Donald Trump were elected President of the United States, all people qualifying for paid family leave would receive it. The then future President Trump said the program “would pay for itself” (though many were and are still unsure what he meant by that). Fast … [Read more...]
Is the Foster System Falling Short on Monitoring Meds?
According to a report in childrensrights.org, there are approximately 438,000 children in foster care in the United States on any given day. In 2016, more than 687,000 children spent time in the American foster care system, and statistics indicate that on average, children remain in foster care for nearly two years before being adopted or “aging … [Read more...]
Angelina Jolie Dumps Divorce Lawyer Amid Custody Battle With Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie is no longer working with superstar divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, says Business Insider. Jolie has switched counsel to lawyer Samantha Bley Dejean. Jolie's spokesperson said, "Samantha's expertise is the protection and best interest of children." Wasser is Hollywood's most sought-after divorce lawyer, having represented many A-list … [Read more...]
DC Court of Appeals Delays Abortion of Illegal Immigrant
On October 20th, the DC Court of Appeals rendered a 2-1 decision in favor of the US government, allowing the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to refuse facilitating abortions for illegal immigrants being held by the government. The plaintiff, provisionally named Jane Doe (JD), will now have to wait at least 11 more days while the ORR attempts … [Read more...]
States Seek to Rescind New Anti-Contraception Rules
On October 9th, Robert W. Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington State, filed a lawsuit against President Trump in an attempt to rescind two new rules allowing employers and insurance companies to cut off coverage for reproductive care. In doing this, Ferguson joins a chorus of other states. The rules come as a response to Trump’s Executive Order … [Read more...]
Texas Supreme Court Delivers Major Blow to Gay Rights
On June 30th, the Texas Supreme Court concluded that though same-sex marriage is a guaranteed right, homosexual couples are not necessarily entitled to locally distributed benefits. The ruling (Pidgeon v. Turner) came after several years of controversy surrounding special benefits for Houston government employees and their spouses. The health and … [Read more...]
Leaked HHS Rule Could Majorly Reduce Coverage of Contraception
The Trump administration is moving ever closer to its goal of unraveling Obamacare’s contraceptive requirements. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most employers (except certain religious and non-profit organizations) must cover birth control for their employees. But thanks to a (leaked) proposal from the Health and Human Services (HHS), the … [Read more...]
US Citizen Disqualified From DC Tuition Assistance Program Due to Mother’s Immigration Status
Natalia Villalobos sought justice last month, with the help of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), when she filed suit against Muriel E. Bowser, the Mayor of D.C., and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). The suit came as a response to the OSSE’s refusal to grant Villalobos college tuition … [Read more...]
