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America’s abortion war heats up

Abortion is still technically legal in America. Roe v Wade, the landmark decision which established that access to safe and legal abortions is a constitutional right, remains settled law. Nevertheless, conservatives seem optimistic that a beautiful future in which women are denied any autonomy over their own bodies is just around the corner, and are preparing accordingly. On Tuesday the Arkansas governor signed a “trigger law” that would immediately ban most abortion if the supreme court overturns Roe v Wade. Wouldn’t want to waste any time dictating what women can do with their bodies now, would we?

Arkansas is the fifth state to pass this sort of “trigger” ban: Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota have similar measures in place. Kentucky and Tennessee are also considering legislation that would prohibit abortion the moment Roe is overturned. Which feels unnecessary considering it’s already excruciatingly difficult to access abortion services in these places. Mississippi, Kentucky, North Dakota and South Dakota are all states where there is only one abortion clinic. Arkansas has three.

With Brett Kavanaugh in the supreme court, the idea that Roe might get overturned or dramatically undermined is starting to look increasingly possible. As is the possibility that access to legal abortions will face death by a thousand funding cuts. On Friday, the Trump administration issued a rule banning organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from getting federal family planning money. This rule could cut $60m in funding from Planned Parenthood, money which would likely be redirected to faith-based groups.

It is a grim time for reproductive rights in America but there is some good news. Pro-choice politicians in New York, Virginia and Vermont have responded to worries about Roe getting overturned by introducing laws protecting the right to have an abortion. Illinois Democrats have also introduced legislation that would expand access to abortion services. Just as anti-abortion activists have been energized by Trump and Kavanaugh, so too have pro-choice activists. Women are not going to let our rights get taken away without a fight.

Argentinians march for legal abortion

On Tuesday, thousands of Argentinian women rallied in Buenos Aires to demand legal abortion. Last year the country’s senate narrowly rejected a landmark bill that would legalize abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy; a new bill will be submitted to the government on 8 March (International Women’s Day).

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Silicon Valley still has a sexism problem

Here’s some depressing stats on start-ups: in 2017, only 16% of the $83bn invested in US venture-backed startups went to companies with at least one female founder; just 2.5% went to startups with all-female founders. Only 9% of the general partners at leading venture capital firms are women. Meanwhile, a new study of female-founded startups by a researcher at the Center for American Entrepreneurship has found that while the number of startups founded by women in the US is starting to grow, Silicon Valley is much worse at generating and nurturing female-founded startups than other entrepreneurship hubs. CityLab has a good overview of the report here.

Ex-Fox News psychiatrist accused of sexually abusing his patients

Dr Keith Ablow, a prominent psychiatrist and former Fox News contributor, is facing malpractice lawsuits from three female patients who say he allegedly lured them into abusive and exploitative sexual relationships. In case you’re trying to remember who Ablow is, he’s the world class scumbag who diagnosed Obama as a “sociopath” and blamed Jews for not doing enough to resist the Holocaust.

Former Time’s Up CEO resigns

Lisa Borders, the former CEO and president of Time’s Up, has resigned from the gender equality organization after her son was accused of sexual misconduct.

The right to bare breasts

A Virginia judge has jailed a New York activist who exposed her breast during a protest in support of the equal rights amendment. The judge has ordered Michelle Renay Sutherland be held without bond until trial, which is an unusual thing to do when it comes to nonviolent misdemeanors. But as we all know, breasts are very dangerous and should be treated with extreme caution. Once exposed, who knows what a nipple might do.