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Alabama Governor Has Signed the Nation's Most Restrictive Abortion Ban Into Law


Republican Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law an abortion bill that would outlaw the procedure as soon as the moment of conception. The only exception to the ban would be for women whose health is at risk. Additionally, doctors who perform the procedure could be punished with life in prison. The bill was passed by 25, Republican male state senators. There are only four women in the chamber—all of whom are Democrats—and they all opposed the bill.

Prior to signing the bill Governor Ivey had not commented on the law, though her pro-life stance was known. After the signing, she released the following statement regarding her decision.

“Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, a bill that was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature,” Governor Ivey wrote. “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.”

Governor Ivey also went on to discuss that while the new bill is likely to be unenforceable due to to Roe v Wade, their overall aim is to challenge that very decision.

“No matter one’s personal view on abortion, we can all recognize that, at least for the short term, this bill may similarly be unenforceable,” Governor Ivey added. “As citizens of this great country, we must always respect the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court even when we disagree with their decisions. Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”

This bill could now potentially go into effect within the next six months.

Read more about how you can help women in states with extreme abortion bans, here.



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A New Law in Iceland Has Made it Illegal for Men to Get Paid More than Women


Dust off your passports: Iceland has officially become the first country in the world to legalize equal pay.

On Janurary 1 the progressive nation made headlines when its parliament—composed of roughly 50 percent women, it must be said—passed a law prohibiting pay disparity between men and women doing the same work.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the new decree requires all companies and government agencies with 25 or more employees to “obtain government certification of their equal-pay policies.” In short: Effective immediately, businesses in Iceland are required to present proof of wage equity among their employees, and failure to do so runs the risk of criminal misconduct and being slapped with significant fines.

“Women have been talking about this for decades, and I really feel that we have managed to raise awareness, and we have managed to get to the point that people realize that the legislation we have had in place is not working, and we need to do something more,” Dagny Osk Aradottir Pind, a member of the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association, told Al Jazeera.

The newly initiated legislation brings Iceland just one step closer to reaching its ambitious goal of total pay equity by 2020. While it may not be all that surprising to hear that the liberal island country, located in the North Atlantic Ocean and composed of over 320,000 people, has implemented another attempt to bridge its longstanding wage gap (the nation has been ranked as the world’s most gender-equal country by the World Economic Forum for the last nine years, after all), the new law ultimately ensures a major win for women.

Your move, USA.



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Amal and George Clooney Donate $1 Million to the Southern Poverty Law Center's Fight Against Hate Groups


PHOTO: David M. Benett/Getty Images

Amal and George Clooney are adding their considerable power to the fight against bigotry and hate in the U.S. In a press release issued Monday, the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed that the Clooneys have donated $1 million via their Clooney Foundation for Justice to the center’s fight against hate groups.

“We are proud to support the Southern Poverty Law Center in its efforts to prevent violent extremism in the United States. What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate,” the new parents said in the release. SPLC President Richard Cohen added, “Like George and Amal Clooney, we were shocked by the size, ugliness, and ferocity of the white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville. It was a reflection of just how much Trump’s incendiary campaign and presidency has energized the radical right. We are deeply grateful to the Clooney Foundation for standing with us at this critical moment in our country’s fight against hate.”

In another statement released to Deadline, the power couple said, “Amal and I wanted to add our voice (and financial assistance) to the ongoing fight for equality. There are no two sides to bigotry and hate.”

The additional statement is possibly a direct reference to President Donald Trump’s own statement on the clash between white supremacist groups and counter-protestors in Charlottesville earlier this month, which resulted in the death of one counter-protestor. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides,” he said on Saturday, August 13, before doubling down in the following week, telling reporters, “I think there is blame on both sides. You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I’ll say it right now.”

Per the press release, the SPLC is a nonprofit watchdog organization that keeps a close eye on hate groups in America. “It currently tracks more than 1,600 extremist groups operating across the country, and has used litigation to win crushing court judgments against 10 major white supremacist organizations and 50 individuals who led them or participated in violent acts.” The Clooney Foundation for Justice was founded in 2016 “to advance justice in courtrooms, communities, and classrooms around the world,” according to its website. In the span of less than a year, the foundation has partnered with UNICEF to expand educational opportunities for Syrian refugees, offered support and assistance to Syrian and Yazidi refugees seeking resettlement in the U.S. and developed TrialWatch, an initiative to prevent especially susceptible courtrooms from committing human rights violations.



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