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MN STATE SENATOR CALLS PILOT A “STEWARDESS”👩✈️
Credit and thanks to @betches_news for finding this.
Delta Airlines pilot Laura Haynor testified at a Minnesota State Senate Labor Committee meeting this month. She introduced herself as a pilot on behalf of the Air Line Pilots Association International, the largest union of pilots. And after all this pilot talk, State Senator Gene Dornink asked her what her typical work week looks like — “as a stewardess.” Haynor calmly corrected him, then Dornink apologized and said, “I don’t know why I said that.” (We have a guess.)
Boy, I’ve certainly been there. Have you?
We were trying to think of other professions for which people feel the need to qualify a woman in that role as a “female ____.” (E.g. female pilot, female doctor, etc.) In what other fields/roles do you see this happen?
AZ STATE SEN ANNOUNCES ABORTION PLANS
Arizona State Senator Eva Burch is a registered nurse and a mother to two boys. She says she is also pregnant with a nonviable pregnancy, not for the first time. She got up in front of her fellow Arizona lawmakers to share her story — including her plans to abort her current pregnancy.
Burch, who worked for years as a nurse in women’s health clinics, said she thinks Arizona’s abortion laws “shame” women. AZ bans abortion at 15 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. Before the 15-week mark, by law pregnant people must undergo a transvaginal ultrasound, hear a list of “alternatives” to abortion (even when the pregnancy is nonviable), and wait 24 hours before getting an abortion. Burch called these requirements “cruel.”
Burch also told a story about prior challenges accessing abortion care in 2022, before Roe was overturned. She said she began to miscarry a pregnancy she had wanted, and despite the miscarriage hospitals wouldn’t perform her abortion earlier than scheduled because she “wasn’t bleeding out.” She was able to get an abortion at a clinic the following day. Just 2 weeks later, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.
Burch says she’s sharing her stories now not to justify her choices but to raise awareness of the impact laws have on real people.
What do you think of her choice to share her story? Would you like to hear more lawmakers stories around their own pregnancies?
Members of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus wore suffragette white to symbolize their commitment to women’s rights and in particular reproductive rights.
President Biden spent some time in his remarks on the Supreme Court’s ruling rolling back reproductive rights – and the political impact. President Biden said: “In its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the supreme court majority wrote: ‘Women are not without electoral or political power.’ No kidding. Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v Wade have no clue about the power of women in America. They found out, though, when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again, in 2024.
The President invited to the speech a woman who had to travel out of Texas to get an abortion when her health was in danger. Also in the chamber, another woman whose IVF procedure was put on hold in Alabama after the state supreme court put those who provide IVF services in danger of civil litigatin.
It was a feisty speech overall. The President also challenged Republicans on tax policy (vowing to ensure billionaires never have a lower % tax than working Americans); and immigration (asking republicans to support the border security bill they once wanted) among other issues.
The Democratic women’s caucus posted the following message on X: “For tonight’s State of the Union address, we’re in white and wearing ‘Fighting for Reproductive Freedom’ pins. Our message is clear: we won’t stop fighting until all women can access the health care they need to control their own lives and futures.”
TEENS & PHONES/SOCIAL MEDIA
Jonathan Haidt (@jonathanhaidt), NYU social psychologist and author of “The Anxious Generation,” says kids shouldn’t have smartphones. He argues that Gen Z’s mental health has been damaged by social media and smartphones, which he calls “the Great Rewiring of Childhood.” One path forward he suggests: creating new social norms around phone use and social media use, including waiting until high school to give kids smartphones.
Today Florida took a step towards something similar. Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed a law banning Florida kids under 14 from having social media accounts, and requiring parental consent for minors under 16 to create social media accounts. (The law also requires websites that host adult content to verify the age of users, possibly by uploading photo IDs.)
What do you think about all this? Should kids have phones and social media before high school? Whose job is it to protect kids online? Tell us your thoughts in comments.
And “The Anxious Generation” is available tomorrow, March 26, wherever books are sold.
🎥 via Joe Rogan Experience
OK TO “SAY GAY” IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS
Thanks to an out-of-court settlement, Florida teachers and students can now talk about gender identity and sexual orientation in the classroom, as long as it’s not part of the official school curriculum.
After the “Don’t Say Gay” first law took effect, many schools pulled books with LGBTQ themes from libraries. Teachers weren’t sure if they could reference their same-sex partners, and some students were afraid to display pride flags or stickers. A group of teachers, students, and parents sued the state arguing the law violated their rights. This settlement is the result of that suit.
Both sides of the settlement are claiming victory — Gov. Ron DeSantis says the law remaining intact is a “major win,” while a lawyer for the plaintiffs said the settlement affirms that “every kid in this country is entitled to an education at a public school where they feel safe.”
PRINCESS OF WALES ANNOUNCES CANCER
Catherine, Princess of Wales announced today she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. She explained her January abdominal surgery treated an issue initially believed to be noncancerous, but tests after the surgery revealed “cancer was present” in removed tissue. She said she’s now in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy to keep the cancer from returning. The Princess asked the public to respect her family’s privacy at this time as she continues to recover, and that she looks forward to returning to public work when she is better. She is not expected to appear publicly for Easter or anytime soon.
King Charles also has cancer, announced in early February. He has continued appearing publicly since revealing his condition, though has suspended certain public duties.
SCOTUS ON ABORTION PILL
The Supreme Court today heard arguments on the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone today. Here are the facts on mifepristone’s safety.
Mifepristone is safer than Tylenol, Viagra, and penicillin. That’s based on hundreds of clinical trials and real medical records. For reference, 49 in every 1 million people who take Viagra die from it. 5 in every 1 million people who take mifepristone die from causes related to it.
Depending on how the Court rules, abortion access for tens of thousands of Americans per year could be at risk – and one argument the plaintiffs are making could lay the groundwork for threats to all abortion and even birth control access, nationwide.
Read more about this in the latest News Not Noise Letter. Link in stories & bio.
#health #womenshealth #women #repro #supremecourt
@senkatiebritt is the new Senator from Alabama and a rising star in the GOP. She delivered the GOP rebuttal to the State of the Union. In rather dramatic fashion, she slammed Biden on the economy, the border, and framed her own story as one of progress for women rising to positions of power.
The thing that’s got everyone talking is this: she made it to the U.S. Senate. So why’d she give this speech from the kitchen?
PARIS OLYMPICS REVIVE INTIMACY POLICY
The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in the City of Love, and Paris is rolling back a pandemic-era restriction on physical contact and intimacy between athletes. To prepare, the IOC is stocking 300,000 condoms for the Olympic Village. Does anyone else hear Lady Marmalade playing or is that just me?
CONGRESS V CREATORS
Americans united today to fight a common enemy — the leaders who would ban TikTok.
That’s the dramatic version. The video includes just some of the TikTok’ers outraged about Congress’ action.
Here’s the less dramatic version: Today a subcommittee within the US House of Representatives advanced a bill that would require TikTok’s owner, Bytedance, to sell to a US company within 180 days of the bill’s passage. If Bytedance failed to do so, under the bill the app would not be available for download. (Note: Those who already have it on their phones could continue using it but wouldn’t be able to download updates in the US.) The bill would also allow the executive branch to bar use of an app if it’s deemed a threat to national security — under very limited circumstances.
The reason? Many US lawmakers have come to believe that TikTok gives the Chinese government outsize influence with American audiences. They believe it allows an adversary nation to both gather enormous data on Americans, and push messages and ideas that could sway public opinion or manipulate American audiences to serve interests at odds with the US.
I know that this is a sensitive subject and many of you love TikTok. It is also simply a fact that my own very senior national security sources have, for years, expressed this belief with me. For this reason, US national security officials, members of the US military and many others don’t use the app or download it on their phones.
Efforts to force divestment of TikTok or shut down the app have been stalled in the US for years. But today, the measure passed a House committee with a unanimous bipartisan vote. The House Speaker has expressed support for it and it could come to a vote of the full House soon. It would still have to pass the Senate.
What do you think of the effort to force divestment or shutdown TikTok?
STATE OF THE UNION
President Biden delivered feisty state of the union address tonight. It doubled as a campaign speech launching a re-election effort.
Here he got thunderous standing ovations and a number of times Democrats in the chamber broke out with chants of “four more years.”
He led a call and response with the chamber, when he shared plans to ensure the wealthiest never pay a lower tax rate than working Americans.
He vowed never to bow to Putin and called on House Republicans to find the votes to continue funding weapons in Ukraine. Note the nod of approval he received from House Speaker Mike Johnson.
He also called on the Republicans to support the border security bill they once wanted. Its chief architect, Oklahoma Republican Sen Laknford, mouthed “it’s true” when the President laid out the number of border agents and judges that would have been hired if the bill had passed.
He singled out justices on the Supreme Court for the decision overturning Roe v Wade and warned them women will turn out to flex their political power and protect their reproductive rights. He invited to the speech a woman who had to travel out of Texas to get an abortion when her health was in danger. Also in the chamber, another woman whose IVF procedure was put on hold in Alabama after the state supreme court put those who provide those services in danger of civil litigation.
He also announced plans to build a pier into Gaza to allow the delivery of significant amounts of aid entering by sea; and pledged US troops will not be on the ground. He also vowed to contribute to support Israel in its fight against Hamas; called for the release of the hostages; and the protection of Palestinian civilians.
He touted success bringing down inflation, keeping unemployment low, and powering a strong GDP. He stumbled on words or mumbled a number of times but he was feisty, high energy and seemed to be enjoying himself. Even the post-game pundits on mainstream channels seemed to agree he was high energy and outperformed expectations.
TIKTOK BILL ACHIEVES THE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE
National security officials fear TikTok is being used to drive divisions in American society. And opposition to TikTok has achieved the nearly impossible – uniting many House Democrats and Republicans.
With overwhelming and bipartisan support the US House of Representatives passed the bill that would force Beijing Headquartered company ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company or face a ban.
352 members voted in favor of the bill. 66 opposed. And one Democrat voted present. Nearly 200 Republicans and 155 Democrats supported the measure. Opponents included progressive Democrats and some Republicans who call the forced sale or ban a free speech violation.
US National security officials say that the app is a threat in two ways: it could allow the Chinese government to access US user data and/or it could/does manipulate US public opinion through content its algorithm pushes users, especially during an election year.
Chinese officials and TikTok representatives strenuously deny that the platform is or would be used in this way. The wildly popular app asked its users to flood their members of Congress with phone calls demanding they oppose the measure.
The measure now goes to the Senate – where a forced sale or ban is likely to encounter some opposition. President Biden has said he’d sign it, if it gets to his desk.
For more on this please see our most recent newsletter. Link in stories and in bio.
TikTok claims to have more than 150 million active users in the US.
Do you support this forced sale/ban? Why?
MEGHAN’S BACK ON IG
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has returned to Instagram today for the first time in 7 years, launching a new brand @americanrivieraorchard. This may seem noisy, but it’s also true that a) the royal family is everywhere in the news right now and b) this is news in the world of Instagram.
Tonight Prince William and Prince Harry are commemorating their mother at the Diana Award ceremony, which honors “outstanding young people selflessly creating and sustaining positive social change in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.” And around the world, the internet is fascinated with Princess Kate’s whereabouts after her January abdominal surgery and recent photoshop scandal.
This is a reminder that royals are expected to be public all the time. We’re intrigued to learn what @americanrivieraorchard is in the coming days. Welcome back, Meghan!
BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN BALTIMORE
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after it was hit by a cargo ship overnight. Officials are calling it a “mass casualty event” but say there are no signs of terrorism. The freighter reportedly lost power moments before colliding with the bridge. Maryland Governor Wes Moore told reporters that the crew on the ship sent a mayday and alerted authorities to close the bridge. He called them “heroes.”
National news organizations we trust aired or reported interviews with a number of bridge engineers who say that the collapse does not reflect a failure in bridge design. But a ship of this weight, hitting where it did, at this speed and angle would force a bridge down. They call it a rare and tragic event. Investigation is ongoing.
At least 8 workers who were filling potholes fell into the water in the collision. Only 2 have been rescued. Multiple vehicles also fell in and divers are searching the Patapsco River. The ship’s crew sent a mayday moments before the collision and officials on land were able to halt some traffic leading onto the bridge.
REMATCH 2024: BIDEN VS TRUMP
While not officially decided, after Super Tuesday the math makes it clear that this November we’ll be voting on a Biden/Trump showdown. There’s not much voter enthusiasm for the rematch, but we want to remind you: the election is between the candidates on the ballot not the candidates you wish you had.
Campaign messaging will be negative, focused more on the threat of “the other guy” than on the promise of “this guy.” While other candidates remain in the race, the numbers (and the way our system works) mean these others just don’t have a path to victory.
The top issues in the general campaign will likely be: immigration, economy, reproductive rights, democracy, and civility. What issues are we missing? Which are most important to you?
Kristen Sinema Won’t Seek Re-Election
Arizona’s Independent Senator @kyrstensinema announced today that she will retire at the end of her Senate term, leaving an open seat in Arizona to be filled in the November election. Sinema started her career as a Democrat but after regularly breaking with her party’s leadership she switched party affiliation in 2022.
In announcing her retirement, Sinema blasted the lack of civility in politics and attributed her departure to the difficulty of working in a bipartisan way in Washington. It’s also the case that she had so alienated progressive Democrats who once supported her in Arizona, that her path to winning re-election was extremely narrow.
It may seem logical that her departure benefit the Democrat in the race, political analysts assess that Sinema was drawing more from the Republican in the race, Kari Lake and her departure could actually be a boost to Lake’s candidacy. But it’s also early days and this race could be very close.
With Sinema’s departure the Arizona senate race is likely to be a matchup between Democratic Rep @gallegoforaz and TV news anchor and one-time Republican Gubernatorial candidate @karilake.
Among the ways Sinema has broken with the Democrats: she did not to support the original Biden Build Back Better package and has fought to protect the “carried interest” tax loophole that benefits private equity, hedge fund and other investment managers. She has also been a bridge to Republicans and helped craft the bipartisan border security bill that recently died in the Senate; President Biden is calling on President Trump to support that bill.
The race for Sinema’s seat could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate after the November election.
MCCONNELL ENDORSES TRUMP
Sen. Min. Leader Mitch McConnell put to rest doubts that he would endorse Donald Trump. Today he endorsed the former president’s candidacy for reelection. Despite years of tension between them — McConnell once blamed Trump for Jan 6 and Trump has repeatedly lobbed racist attacks at McConnell’s wife — McConnell said Trump “has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee” and “as nominee, he will have my support.”
HUNTER BIDEN GETS A COURT DATE
A federal judge ruled Hunter Biden must stand trial the week of June 3 for gun charges brought by a special counsel. He is charged with buying a weapon while using illicit drugs and lying about his drug use when making the purchase.
Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His attorneys have filed multiple motions to get the case thrown out — the judge said “I haven’t completely figured out what I’m going to do with” the multiple motions.
Looks like the US does enforce gun laws sometimes.
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH: HUMAN PATIENT GETS PIG KIDNEY
Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital transplanted a genetically-modified pig kidney into a patient with end-stage kidney disease. This is the first time such a procedure has been performed, and it could revolutionize treatment for kidney disease.
The patient, a 62-year-old Black man named Rick Slayman, is doing well. His new kidney is functional, and he is reportedly well enough to walk around the hospital.
There is currently a shortage of human kidneys available for transplant, while tens of millions of Americans have kidney disease. Over 100,000 Americans are in the kidney transplant waitlist. Black patients suffer disproportionately from end-stage kidney disease. With genetically modified pig kidneys, more of those in dire need of a kidney may have access to a life-saving transplant.
Doctors are still monitoring Slayman closely for any sign of organ rejection, but one doctor on his team said he’s recovering very well: “He looks like his own self. It’s remarkable.”
DOJ SUES APPLE IN ANTITRUST CASE
The DOJ and 16 states are suing Apple over an alleged illegal monopoly over the smartphone market. In court filings, prosecutors said Apple’s policies stifle competition, restricting innovation while keeping profits high.
The new suit takes aim at Apple’s product integration model that makes it difficult for competitive apps, operating systems, and more to work on (and compete with) Apple products. And the DOJ says Apple makes more than twice the profit margin on phone sales that other phone makers do. Apple says the suit is “wrong on the facts and the law.”
Under the Biden administration, the DOJ has also sued Amazon and Google in major antitrust cases.
If successful, the case would force changes in Apple’s App Store and could require the company to allow other technologies to integrate easily with the iPhone — including other messaging apps. Do you think Apple wields unfair monopoly power? Would you like to see these changes? Or if this is your area of expertise — would you please share more about the claims and counterclaims?
HALEY SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN
After Trump’s decisive win on Super Tuesday, Nikki Haley announced she’s suspending her campaign. Haley said she has “no regrets.”
Notably Haley did not endorse Trump, instead calling on him to “earn the votes” of her supporters. Haley only won one state on Super Tuesday (Vermont). She also won the District of Columbia, and sometimes more than 30% of the Republican vote in other states. In other words, a hefty portion of the Republican electorate chose not to support Trump, and in exit polls many indicated they won’t vote for him in the general. They’re gonna get a lot of attention in the coming months with both Biden and Trump looking to win their support. Many of these voters are women for whom the economy and reproductive rights are top concerns.
IS SURPRISE OVER?
This is what we message each other whenever another strange news story breaks: “Does anything surprise you anymore?” So we thought we’d bring you in on this conversation too.
Tell us in the comments whether anything surprises you anymore, and why you think that is. Are you surprised we asked?
#yourstory #quellesurprise #curiosity #askingquestions
SCOTUS ON MIFEPRISTONE
The Supreme Court today heard a case on the abortion pill mifepristone that could restrict access for all Americans. Those who want to restrict the pill argue — against evidence —that it isn’t safe; that its use violates the conscience of anti-abortion doctors; and that a no-longer-enforced obscenity law should be put to use to bar mailing this medication. We break down the arguments, share the data and sources on the pills safety, and explain the larger implications. Both birth control and even a nationwide abortion ban are at stake. It’s all in the latest News Not Noise Letter. Find it at the link in our bio.
SCOTUS ON MIFEPRISTONE
The Supreme Court today heard a case on the abortion pill mifepristone that could restrict access for all Americans. Those who want to restrict the pill argue — against evidence —that it isn’t safe; that its use violates the conscience of anti-abortion doctors; and that a no-longer-enforced obscenity law should be put to use to bar mailing this medication. We break down the arguments, share the data and sources on the pills safety, and explain the larger implications. Both birth control and even a nationwide abortion ban are at stake. It’s all in the latest News Not Noise Letter. Find it at the link in our bio.
