We are @stillstanding99, @imabadwitch, and @thefeministsunflower, and this is your newsroom roundup of the week!
Local News: After a townhall meeting and advice from legal counsel, Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS) has made the decision to not adopt new inclusivity policies proposed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). These policies were proposed in response to a law passed at the 2020 Virginia Assembly, requiring that all Virginia school divisions adopt policies to protect transgender student rights. RCPS released a statement saying they believe that their “current inclusivity policy, which encompasses gender identity, was sufficient to meet the requirements of the law”. This decision has been seen by many as a way of evading the issue and will continue to be a hot topic in both Rockingham County and the entire state for months and years to come.
National News: Texas has passed an anti-abortion law that can fine anyone involved in the abortion process, except the patient, at least ten thousand dollars. This law makes abortion illegal after cardiac activity, which is around six weeks of pregnancy. Most women do not know they are pregnant at this stage. This law also makes no exception for rape or incest, and there is an anonymous hotline that people can submit tips on women who are believed to be violating the law. This patriarchal system of power has been in debate since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case, and will continue to be in debate as other states are looking to adapt a policy similar to this.
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International News: Afghanistan is currently facing a hunger crisis with the recent Taliban government takeover. The United Nations’ World Food Program will no longer be able to provide food to the country by the end of September. Out of 38 million people in Afghanistan, a third are facing food insecurity. Within the chaos of the Taliban takeover, the economic crisis in Afghanistan is worsening, which could potentially plunge the currency value and the loss of the control of food prices.
With so many unforeseen events happening in today’s world, it is important that we stay on top of news stories and educate ourselves on what is going on.
To read more about these news stories, here are the links to each article!
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/01/1033202132/texas-abortion-ban-what-happens-next
https://apnews.com/article/business-taliban-83b54183855df6f659fbccfc24ee9703
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