Tag Archives: Hyde Amendment

Arisha Michelle Hatch, ColorOfChange.org

The Supreme Court gutted Obamacare’s contraception coverage. We have a plan to fix it.

Last week, the Supreme Court sided with the far-right and gutted a key part of Obamacare’s protections for women’s health.

Black women are getting caught in the middle as the right-wing tries to chip away at the Affordable Care Act. Affordable access to contraception is a matter of life and death for Black women who are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. Many of us regularly use contraception to treat endometriosis, manage uterine fibroids and alleviate PMS symptoms.¹ The far-right is more concerned with tarnishing President Obama’s legacy than ensuring we have access to affordable healthcare.

But, we have a way to fight back!

The Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act was just introduced in Congress to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision gutting a woman’s right to birth control coverage. The bill states that federal laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act used by Hobby Lobby’s right-wing lawyers, do not allow employers to refuse to cover health care — including birth control — guaranteed by Obamacare. It would ensure women at corporations like Hobby Lobby could make important health decisions with their doctors, not their bosses.

Tell the Senate: Pass the bill to reverse the Supreme Court’s attack on Black women’s healthcare.

Black women overall are at a higher risk for unintended pregnancy but have less access to insurance and preventative care.² The contraception mandate in Obamacare would go a long way towards reducing cost barriers for our access to birth control and help close the gap in contraceptive use between Black women and our white and Latina peers — but we need Congress to reverse the Supreme Court’s damage. Politicians with an eye on November elections need to know that if they count on Black people to vote for them at the polls, they need to vote for the needs of Black women in Congress and pass this bill.

That’s why we’re teaming up with our friends at UltraViolet. If we shine a spotlight on this bill and bring it to a vote, we’ll know which members of Congress support Black women’s healthcare — and which side with 5 men on the Supreme Court. Will you sign?

Tell the your Senators: Reverse the Supreme Court’s attack our healthcare.

Thanks and Peace,

–Arisha, Rashad, Matt, Aimée, Johnny and the rest of the ColorOfChange team.
July 10, 2014

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

References

1. “How the Hobby Lobby Decision Impacts Black Women,” EBONY, 6-30-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3645?t=7&akid=3473.1174326.0t4Dbp

2. “Hobby Lobby Ruling Opens the Door to ‘Method Discrimination’ for Black Women,” The Root, 7-3-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3646?t=9&akid=3473.1174326.0t4Dbp

~ my 2cents ..., ~ pop culture

SWAY …

12/23/2014 Nativegrl77

SWAY: A dance Trilogy ends …

Reports are that this Production was hot, even better than the first SWAY which was a hit that led to SWAY2.0 and definitely a show they would love to see come back, with some adjustments to the Meet & Greet. The breakdown is that Tony …was beyond elegant, so smooth it brought back that classic club dance feeling with some skill sets that we just do not get to see that often when we watch Dancing With The Stars … We see you Tony. What I heard: The man can dance lest we talk about those insane lifts of his SWAY dance partner and dwts’s beauty Sharna Burgess. The group dances were fun, kitschy with a whole lot of amazing dancing and word is Henry, Serge & Artem have people wanting more. Well, all the dancers impressed and like dwts Season16, Zendaya & Val’s SWAY did not disappoint. We all know dance has evolved, this couple added some of their own texture with some urban splashed on it … those that went said their dancing seemed better than last time and made folks want to move, maybe take some classes. Honestly, who doesn’t want to try to SWAY like these fabulous dancers, but the main chatter was about Maks and Meryl. Yes, many fans watched Maks & Meryl’s SWAY videos and thought omg did she just say she never danced in a theatre setting. Well, they did not disappoint either. I have to say, after watching their video’s from SWDOI (Shall We Dance On Ice) and their SWAY, we can all agree that it was once again magical, breath taking, beautiful and passionate, but seemed way too short. The fans loved seeing Meryl in her dwts costumes, yet there was a new flavor, or feeling to their dances unlike their time on dwts Season18 … was it more passion? If they SWAY again, some hope to see them do a Paso, maybe some up-tempo stuff next time … the word from those who were able to go … amazing!

So, if you want SWAY 3.0 say so! http://dancewithmeusa.com/sway/

Folks had things to say …

Shout out to Alex for all he does for DWM

Please be a next time

Hey, when you see two people SWAY as they did … you do not want it to end

*******************************

hmmm …could we get a Maks Meryl / Val Zendaya dance piece …

*********************

Maksim, Tony & Val = SWAY

Do you want more SWAY … let DWM know !

LIVE ~~ (Westbury NY) ~~ LIVE

Maksim and Meryl’s SWAY was beyond words …

(http://dancewithmeusa.com/sway/)

Tony & Sharna were great

LIVE ~~ (Westbury NY) ~~ LIVE

and

Zendaya & Val were back and great !

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Turn up the heat on McDonald’s

11/24/2014 Nativegrl77

Let’s take to Twitter and tell McDonald’s there’s no excuse to continue buying palm oil that pollutes our atmosphere and drives forest destruction.

Turn Up the Heat on McDonald’s

Add your voice to publicly call out McDonald’s and tell them that—for the sake of our atmosphere, tropical forests, and endangered species—the time to act on deforestation-free palm oil is now.

Share our graphic today!

ACTION ALERT
Tell McDonald’s: It’s Time to Go Deforestation-Free!

Today, on National Fast Food Day, we need your help to turn up the heat on McDonald’s. Let’s take to Twitter to publicly call McDonald’s out.

As our report Donuts, Deodorant, Deforestation: Scoring America’s Top Brands on Their Palm Oil Commitments documented, a new standard for responsible palm oil—one that protects tropical forests and our climate—has emerged. As tropical forests are cleared to make way for plantations for palm oil production, carbon is released into the atmosphere, driving global warming and shrinking habitats for endangered species. Tropical deforestation currently accounts for about 10 percent of the world’s heat-trapping emissions.

More than 28,000 UCS supporters like you told six of America’s top brands that there’s no excuse to continue buying palm oil that pollutes our atmosphere and drives forest destruction.

And five out of six listened! Thanks to your letters, Dunkin’ Brands (owner of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins), Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, and PepsiCo released or strengthened their palm oil policies. Everyone, that is, except McDonald’s.

McDonald’s continues to use palm oil that could be wreaking havoc on our environment. As the largest fast food company in the world, McDonald’s should set the bar high and make a firm commitment to use only deforestation-free palm oil. Instead, they continue to stall.

Join our mass mobilization by tweeting our graphic telling McDonald’s that—for the sake of our atmosphere, tropical forests, and endangered species—the time to act is now. If you’re not on Twitter, you can still get involved.

Together, we are holding corporations accountable and transforming the palm oil industry.

Sincerely,

Miriam Swaffer
Outreach Coordinator
Tropical Forest & Climate Initiative
Union of Concerned Scientists

P.S. McDonald’s isn’t the only fast food laggard who continues to use palm oil that could be wreaking havoc on our environment. Join nearly 50,000 UCS supporters in telling the largest global fast food chains—including McDonald’s, Burger King, Yum! Brands, Wendy’s, Subway, CKE Restaurants (Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., La Salsa, and Green Burrito), Starbucks, Dairy Queen, and Domino’s—that for the sake of our atmosphere, tropical forests, and endangered species, now is the time to adopt strong deforestation-free and peat-free palm oil policies!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ABB Client Armanda Legros Testifies Before U.S. Senate Subcommittee!

11/20/2014 Nativegrl77

Armanda Legros, ABB Client & Community Advocate, testifies before the U.S. Senate HELP Committee

Dear Friend,

Two weeks ago, we honored ABB client Armanda Legros from Queens, NY for her inspiring advocacy on behalf of working families. By sharing her own story of pregnancy discrimination and speaking out for others like her, Armanda has become a powerful voice in the fight for fairness in the workplace.

Today, Armanda brought her message to Washington D.C., where she testified in a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions in support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and other protections for working families. We are excited by this movement in the Committee, but we need your help to make the PWFA a reality. Armanda also spoke about the importance of paid sick time and paid family leave. ABB will continue to fight for the PWFA and paid leave, so that no worker has to face the impossible choice between their economic security and taking care of their family.

“If you truly value families, and children,” Armanda told the Committee, “then you have to make sure that the women who bear those children and raise them can earn the fair and equal wages we need to support them.”

We are so proud to work with such a dedicated activist and would like to thank Armanda for her courage and leadership. The rest of Armanda’s testimony is available here.

Thank you for all that you do,

Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Liz, Elizabeth, Risha, Rachel, Morenike & Meredith

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Open Enrollment Starts

11/16/2014 Nativegrl77

In this week’s address, the President reminded Americans that Affordable Care Act open enrollment begins this weekend. In the past year more than 10 million people have gained health insurance, including more than seven million who enrolled in Health Insurance Marketplace coverage. They are proof that the Affordable Care Act is working, making health care more affordable, accessible, and of higher quality for millions of people. The President encouraged all Americans to take advantage of open enrollment, and remind their friends and families to do so as well.

Click here to watch this week’s Weekly Address.

Need health insurance? Go to HealthCare.gov right now.

The Week in Six Minutes: “The Future That We See”

This week, the President issued a statement on net neutrality, and convened both congressional leaders and his Cabinet to discuss the agenda in the years ahead. He also dove into an eight-day trip to China, Burma, and Australia to foster deeper relations with countries around the Pacific and open up markets and opportunities for businesses here at home.

This week, the President is traveling to Asia and Australia to highlight our country’s trade and investment ties to the region, and its critical role in our future economic growth and generating American jobs.

President Obama’s first stop was Beijing, China, where he attended the 2014 APEC Leaders’ Summit, met with leaders of countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and made historic progress on climate change with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

READ MORE

A Free and Open Internet

The Internet has unlocked possibilities that we could just barely imagine a generation ago. A big reason why we’ve seen such incredible growth and innovation is “net neutrality” — the principle that says Internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all Internet traffic equally.

That’s why President Obama asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality. The President’s plan would reclassify consumer broadband services under what’s known as Title II of the Telecommunications Act, and would work to “ensure the network works for everyone — not just one or two companies.”