Your News for THIS WEEK!

A lot is happening in the news – both nationally and globally. Here are a few key stories this week…

• Green Book wins “Top Feature Film”
  The 2018 comedy-drama won a “Top Feature Film” award! Green Book is based on the true 1960s story of a blue-collared Italian-American bouncer and an African American classical pianist as they embark on a tour of venues in the American South. The film won the award over other leading films, such as: BalacKkKlansman, Back Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Rich Asians, The Favorite, A Quiet Place, A Star is Born, Vice, and Roma!Read more about it here: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/awards/green-book-wins-top-feature-film-award-producers-guild-n960656
• New Jersey Cory Booker announced his candidacy for the 2019 Presidential Election
  Booker is a Democratic New Jersey Senator and is running on a platform catering directly to marginalized groups such as African-Americans, Latinos, and females.Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/02/politics/cory-booker-campaign-rollout/index.html

   

• A woman in Nepal dies of suffocation in a “Menstruation Hut”
  21 year old Parbati Bogati was found dead on a smoke-filled hut by her mother-in-law. Parbati lit a fire to stay warm and due to lack of ventilation, died from smoke inhalation. Several communities in Nepal send menstruating women to huts away from home.Link to article: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nepali-women-dies-of-suffocation-in-outlawed-menstruation-hut-1987670?trendingnow

   

• Virginia Governor Ralph Northam faces pressure to resign
  A 1984 medical yearbook picture of Gov. Northam surfaced, with two people in black face and a KKK costume. It is unclear which Northam was but both parties are calling for Northam to resign. You can read more about this on @merm4idfeminist‘s blog from this weekend!Link to article: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/02/690916727/bipartisan-calls-for-virginia-gov-ralph-northam-to-resign-over-racist-photos

   

• Wife of California Governor becomes “First Partner of California”
  Jennifer Newsom, wife of CA governor Gavin Newsom, has decided to change her title to the “First Partner of California” instead of the traditional “First Lady of California”. Newsom said that being First Partner is “about inclusion, breaking down stereotypes, and valuing the partnerships that allow any of us to exceed.” YAY FOR GENDER EQUALITY!!Link to article: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jennifer-siebel-newsom-gavin-newson_us_5c375286e4b0c469d76b99a7
  
• “Fiji water girl” sues company
  The girl involved in photobombing Golden Globe photos while holding Fiji Water is now suing the company for using her “likeness and identity” for marketing without her authorization.Link to article: https://www.nbcneaws.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/model-center-fiji-water-photobomb-golden-globes-now-suing-company-n965796
  
• Versace is being sued by a former employee
  A former male employee is suing Versace. The employee worked at the San Francisco Versace outlet and claims that the store had a codeword for when black shoppers would enter. The code was “D410,” which is what the company uses to classify black shirts. After the employee told his manager that he was African American, the manager would not give him rest breaks and fired him 2 weeks after his hiring date because he “hadn’t lived the luxury life”Link to article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/former-versace-employee-says-store-uses-code-words-for-black-shoppers-a7496636.html
  
• Jussie Smollett performs for the first time since he was attacked
  Jussie addressed the crowd saying, “I had to be here, y’all. I can’t let the motherfuckers win.” He said that his ribs were bruised but not broken and that he was cleared by his doctors to perform. “And above all, I fought the fuck back.”Link to article: https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a26124718/jussie-smollett-first-performance-racist-homophobic-attack/

   

• 21 Savage arrested by ICE, may be deported.
  21 Savage was arrested on Sunday, February 3 in Atlanta. ICE claims that the rapper is a citizen of the U.K. and is in the U.S. illegally on an expired VISA from July 2006. He will face a federal discrimination judge.Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/03/us/rapper-21-savage-arrest-ice/index.htm

   

• Essex County Council uses a “wig” image to represent transgenders
  A library in England used a graphic of a man removing a wig to represent the word “transgender”. Many in the transgender community are upset and called for better education about what it means to be transgender. The library said that the image was used to help people with learning disabilities.Link to article here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-47069673?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cq23pdgvyr0t/gender&link_location=live-reporting-story

  And that’s your news for this week! Stay informed, feminists!

Authors: @just4titsandgiggles & @fakeblondee