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Watch Kamala Harris Expertly Question Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Reproductive Rights


The second day of the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings went late into the night Wednesday, but Senator Kamala Harris (D–Calif.) was ready when it was her time to question President Trump’s nominee for the highest court in the land.

As a former prosecutor (and former attorney general of California), Harris has perfected her cross-examination technique, and it is quite a sight to behold. Watching her line of questioning in Senate hearings has become a thing to watch. But there was one question in particular that had many women across the country cheering from their living rooms.

“Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?” Harris asked Kavanaugh. When he offered to answer a more specific question, she clarified, “Male versus female.” Then she repeated the question.

Kavanaugh stumbled over his words and finally responded: “I’m not thinking of any right now, Senator.”

There it is, right there—the crux of the frustration for women (and men) who believe in reproductive freedom. There is no comparable situation where the government gets to make bodily decisions for men in this country.

His answer is one of concern for those watching to see how Kavanaugh handles questions about women’s reproductive freedom. In an interview with Glamour shortly after Trump announced his nomination, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand expressed her fears that women would seek illegal abortions if the conservative judge was confirmed.

“We are at the brink of not having reproductive freedom in this country, not having the ability to decide when and how many children we’re going to have,” Gillibrand told Glamour. “This nominee believes that a boss should decide whether I get access to birth control…. We should fight back with everything we have—because everything’s at stake.” And Washington Senator Patty Murray told Glamour that a Kavanaugh confirmation would create “a court [with] five men on it who will overturn Roe v. Wade.

Kavanaugh continued to evade discussion of his views on Roe v. Wade when asked by Harris whether he believed that a woman’s right to privacy included her right to terminate a pregnancy. He danced around the issue of nominee precedent, saying that he should not comment on specific cases and the importance of judicial independence. (While Kavanaugh has been quoted as saying Roe v. Wade is “settled law,” a 2003 leaked email provided to The New York Times and published Thursday shows the judge challenging whether the case was “settled law of the land.”)

Harris didn’t just grill Kavanaugh on women’s rights; she also spent eight minutes on the Mueller investigation of possible collusion with Russia and asked Kavanaugh if he believed there was blame on both sides (referencing Trump’s response for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year during a white supremacist rally). He evaded concrete answers on both issues. “I am not here to assess comments made in the political arena, because the risk is I’ll be drawn into the political arena,” Kavanaugh said regarding Charlottesville.

Twitter was very much here for Harris’ tough questions and no-nonsense approach to the hearings.

The hearings continue today with more questioning from the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Senator Kamala Harris Introduces Bill To Combat Racial Disparities in Maternal Health Care


The U.S. is one of 13 countries in the world where maternal mortality rates are worse than they were two decades ago. And that alarming statistic hits one group of women the hardest.

For women of color, pregnancy and childbirth are often a matter of life and death. The risk of death from pregnancy-related causes for black women is three to four times higher than for women of other races. It’s something California Senator Kamala Harris has been vocal about in the past. And she’s pushing to make sure this maternal mortality crisis is being recognized and rectified through new legislation, as well.

Harris (along with 13 Democratic colleagues) introduced a bill Wednesday that she hopes will help lessen the discrepancies in treatment. The Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies (CARE) Act would create two grant programs. One will address implicit bias based on stereotypes by supporting special training programs in medical, nursing, and other training schools. The other will incentivize maternal health care providers to offer integrated health care services to pregnant women and new mothers and reduce adverse maternal health outcomes, maternal deaths, and racial health disparities.

“Health equity for Black women can only happen if we recognize and address persistent biases in our health system,” Harris said in a press release.

The maternal health of black women has long been suffered in the dark, but in recent months we’ve heard harrowing stories of pregnancy and childbirth complications from two of the most famous women in the world: Serena Williams and Beyoncé.

Williams has been incredibly open about her emergency C-section, followed by blood clots in her lungs that threatened her life and required further surgery. And the intensely private Beyoncé revealed in Vogue‘s September issue that she had been on bed rest prior to the birth of twins Rumi and Sir due to toxemia (or preeclampsia) which causes swelling and hypertension. She, too, required an emergency C-section as her life, and the lives of her twins, were at risk.

For Harris, the bill is a continuation of her fight to bring black women’s maternal health care front and center. Earlier this year, she introduced a resolution to designate April 11-17 Black Maternal Health Week.

According to the CDC, the cause of an increase of pregnancy-related mortalities in America is unclear. For women of color, who face a myriad of health care disparities from access to racial bias perpetuated by stereotypes, the combination has proved life-threatening. Racism, researchers say, is at the center of this crisis.

“For example, even when we take medical history into account, black women are two to three times more like to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women with the same condition. And while maternal mortality rates are certainly greater for poor women than wealthier women, poverty alone can’t explain these disparities either. An analysis of maternal deaths in New York City found that black women who had at least a college degree still had greater mortality rates than white women who had not graduated high school,” obstetrician and gynecologist Jamila Perritt wrote for Glamour after Williams came forward with her childbirth experience.

“The bottom line is, black women are dying wholly preventable deaths.”

The Los Angeles Times notes that Sen. Harris’ bill could face an “uphill battle” given that Republicans currently control Congress and few bills may pass in an election year. Other sponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tom Carper (D-DE), Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

“This bill is a step towards ensuring that all women have access to culturally competent, holistic care, and to address the implicit biases in our system,” Harris said.

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Taylor Swift's 'Reputation': All the Kimye, Joe Alwyn, Calvin Harris, and Tom Hiddleston References


It’s finally here, people: Taylor Swift‘s sixth studio album, Reputation. And it was well worth the wait because the record is good, plain and simple—a delectable collection of techno-heavy bops with poignant, petty, and wildly romantic lyrics. Like all Swift albums, though, fans will most likely care more about the words to these songs than the sonics.

So that’s where we come in: We went ahead and scoured Swift’s new album for all the Joe Alwyn, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston, and Kimye references—and there are a ton of ’em. Swift isn’t playing games this time around, and we love her for it. Dig in.

“Delicate”: This song is one of many odes to Alwyn on this album. She references his blue eyes (“Damn, never seen that color blue”), the women in England (“Do the girls back home touch you like I do?”), and the brevity of their relationship (“Is it too soon to do this yet?”).

“Dress”: “Flashback to when you met me / Your buzz cut / And my hair bleached,” Swift reveals toward the end of this song. Alwyn had a buzzcut while filming Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk, and Swift had bleached-blond hair for the first half of 2016. The “gold tattoo” reference could also be a nod to Alwyn’s golden blond hair.

“Don’t Blame Me”: There’s no specific references, but this entire song discusses how Swift’s “drug” is her “baby,” so it’s obvious who this is about.

“King of My Heart”: The “king” in this song is not American, because Swift says she’s his “American queen.” She also says this king “fancies” her, which is a British term. And we don’t have to remind you that Alwyn is British.

“Gorgeous”: “Gorgeous” is perhaps the most obvious tribute to Alwyn on the record. It includes lines explicitly referring to his accent (“I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk”) and his eyes (“Ocean blue eyes”).

“…Ready for It?”: Our money’s on this being yet another Alwyn song. The man on this track is “younger than her exes” (Alwyn is 26), and she references an “island.” (The U.K., where Alwyn lives, is an island.) Also, the concept of “games” comes up in this song, which might be a wink to Alwyn’s movie Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk.

“New Year’s Day”: There’s no direct references here, but it’s a very mushy, sweet love song—who do think is the subject?

“End Game”: Similar to “Ready for It,” the “game” reference here is a possible hat-tip to Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk.

“So It Goes…”: Swift says, “I’ll wear you like a necklace” on this tune, possibly referring to the “J” pendant she’s been spotted wearing at the Reputation secret sessions (and at her best friend Abigail’s wedding). Also, she talks about how she and this guy have done “numbers” on each other; Swift used numbers in the “…Ready for It?” video to reference herself (1989) and Alwyn (1991, his birth date).

“Call It What You Want”: The most obvious Alwyn reference on this tune is, “I want to wear his initial on a chain round my neck,” which references the “J” pendant mentioned in “So It Goes…” However, “My baby’s fit like a daydream / Walking with his head down” could also be a shout-out to Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk.

“Dancing With Our Hands Tied”: Swift references a locket on this song, and Harris infamously gave Swift a locket when they were dating. She also mentions she was 25 at the start of this relationship, which is how old she was when she started dating Harris.

“I Did Something Bad”: “If he drops my name, then I owe him nothing,” Swift sings on this tune, which might be a reference to Harris’ Twitter tirade against her after the “This Is What You Came For” drama exploded. (Remember: Swift was a secret contributor to the song, but all hell broke loose when she confirmed her participation in it.) Harris has also gone on the record several times about Swift and their relationship. Other lyrics from this song that point to Harris: “If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing” and “If he spends my change, then he had it coming.” (Because Harris is listed as the artist and producer on “This Is What You Came For,” he’ll receive more money for the song than Swift, even though she contributed to it.) Also, the title of the song, “I Did Something Bad,” is damning, since Harris said in July 2016 it was hurtful Swift’s team was going out of their way to make him “look bad.”

“Don’t Blame Me”: Swift talks about toying with “older guys” on this song. Harris is 33.

“End Game”: “I’ve got some big enemies,” she sings. That’s sort of self-explanatory.

“Gorgeous”: “I’ve got a boyfriend / He’s older than us / He’s in the club doing I don’t know what.” Harris, Swift’s ex-boyfriend, is a DJ (and presumably always in clubs)…and he’s older.

“Call It What You Want”: “All the liars are calling me one,” Swift sings here. It’s not far-fetched to think this is yet another mention of the “This Is What You Came For” falling out.

“Getaway Car”: “The ties were black / the lies were white,” Swift says at the top of this song, which could be a reference to the Met Gala, the star-studded, black-tie event where she and Hiddleston first got together. The “getaway car” here might personify Swift’s relationship with Hiddleston, which she presumably jumped into to end her time with Harris. “There were sirens in the beat of your heart,” Swift also a notes—a reference to that “I Heart T. Swift” shirt, perhaps? Another obvious jab: “With three of us, honey, it’s a sideshow”—the Swift, Harris, and Hiddleston love triangle was popular tabloid fodder in the summer of 2016.

“Don’t Blame Me”: Same as Harris. Hiddleston is 36—another “older guy” Swift “toyed” with.

“I Did Something Bad”: “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one / They got their pitchforks and proof / Their receipts and reasons,” Swift laments toward the end of this song—a clear nod to when Kim Kardashian posted a conversation between West and Swift to Snapchat about the song “Famous.” Kardashian asserted the conversation proved Swift consented to the “that bitch” line on “Famous,” but Swift said it didn’t.

“This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”: “It was so nice being friends again / There I was giving you a second chance” could possibly be referring to the fact Swift and West briefly made up in 2015 (she presented him with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at that year’s MTV Video Music Awards). She also clearly nods to the infamous phone call she and West had here: “Friends don’t try to trick you / Get you on the phone and mind-twist you.” And her lyric, “Here’s a toast to my real friends” mirrors this line in West’s song, “Runaway”: “Let’s have a toast for the douchebags.” It’s also plausible that Swift references West and Jay Z’s falling out when she sings, “I’m not the only friend you’ve lost lately / If only you weren’t so shady.”

“End Game”: Similar to Harris, the “I’ve got some big enemies” line could be about West and Kardashian.

“Look What You Made Me Do”: “Don’t like your tilted stage,” Swift quips here, which is assumed to be a dig at West’s Life of Pablo Tour, where he had a tilted stage. Plus, she sings about how the “old Taylor” can’t come to the “phone”—and West and Swift’s infamous feud is about the contents of a phone call.

“Call It What You Want”: “All the liars are calling me one / All the drama queens taking swings / All the jokers dressing up as kings,” Swift notes here. Swift contests what Kimye said about the Snapchat-leaked phone call isn’t true—this lyric could be a reference to that.

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Fans Think Taylor Swift's 'Ready for It' Music Video Is a Dig at Calvin Harris


Taylor Swift’s “Ready for It” video hasn’t even come out yet, and the Internet is flooded with fan theories. It’s understandable why: The 10-second video teaser Swift dropped earlier this week is stuffed with imagery. There was lot to unpack, which means decoding the actual video will be even more complicated.

For now, though, two “Ready for It” hypotheses are dominating Swiftie chatter. We called out one of them on Tuesday: that Swift being nude in the video is a dig at Kanye West’s song “Famous.” The other involves yet another person Swift feuded with in 2016: her ex-boyfriend, Calvin Harris. There’s one particular image in the “Ready for It” teaser that several fans think is clear shade at the DJ.

It happens at the top of the trailer when Swift’s name appears in front of a dark thunderstorm backdrop as lightning bolts clash furiously. Those bolts, in some fans’ eyes, are a direct reference to Harris’ song “This Is What You Came For,” which features lightning bolts on the single cover art. See the parallels in the tweet, below:

Swift taking a swipe at Harris—and “This Is What You Came For,” specifically—would make total sense. After all, that song is the biggest point of contention between the former couple. Swift and Harris wrote the tune together, but she was originally credited under a pseudonym (Nils Sjöberg) so their relationship wouldn’t overshadow it. But all hell broke loose when the truth came out. Harris went on a Twitter rant against Swift, writing, “I know you’re off tour and you need someone new to bury like Katy ETC, but I’m not that guy, sorry. I won’t allow it.” We’re sure this is all coming back to you now.

This apparent diss also thematically fits in with Reputation, which seems to be Swift’s holistic response to the tabloid rumors that’ve plagued her for the past two years. Regardless, though, this video needs to drop, like, now. All these theories make the waiting excruciating.

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