- The Texas state Senate has passed a bill that would require a doctor to perform an ultrasound on a woman before she has an abortion and describe in detail the fetus’ current development. The bill is now headed to TX’s House of Representatives, where it is also expected to pass. [KGNS]
- Rep. Kristi Noem is none too pleased she has been voted the “hottest freshman” representative by Huffington Post. [Huffington Post]
- Love this anti-woman legislation Mad Libs spoof! [Jezebel]
- A bill in Washington state’s House of Representatives would require so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” to inform patients up-front that they do not provide abortions or birth control. Run by anti-abortion groups, “crisis pregnancy centers” are often located near abortion clinics and attempt to trick women into entering them instead so the CPCs can dissuade them from terminating the pregnancy. [Seattle Times]
- Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg have spoken out publicly against the House of Representatives’ vote last week to defund Planned Parenthood because it offers abortions. [Gothamist]
- And while we’re on the subject: let’s recap how the assault on Planned Parenthood will hurt women of color the most. [The Grio]
- A 25-year-old mother of four has been sentenced to 10 years for selling $31 of marijuana. Although I don’t support what Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow did — selling drugs in front of her young children — I strongly believe the time she is serving is way too severe. [Black Voices]
- Megan Carpentier, the new executive editor of the liberal blog Raw Story, weighs in on the controversy surrounding the number of women’s versus men’s bylines in so-called “serious” journalism. [Guardian UK]
- Check out this fascinating piece on race and vampires in pop culture. [Racialicious]
- The very classy “Real Housewives of Miami” is using the fact that “non-heterosexual women” are on the show as a selling point. Of course. [After Ellen]
- An art exhibit called “Sex Crimes Against Black Girls” inBedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, confronts incest in black families through artwork. [ColorLines]
- Female pro surfers are enjoying the best time period in history for their involvement in the sport — and yes, “Blue Crush” deserves some credit. [WomensENews]
- Lesbian director Lisa Cholodenko, who recently made “The Kids Are All Right,” has been hired to direct “The Abstinence Teacher,” based on the novel by Tom Perrotta. [After Ellen]
- Here’s a thoughtful post on plastic surgery that targets “ethnic” facial features. [ColorLines]
- I’m kind of in love with this graphical analysis of lady-hating online trolls and how they respond to stories about rape. [Jezebel]
- Peaches Geldof, socialite and Nylon contributor, has opened up about how she once dated a transgender man. [After Ellen]
INTERNATIONAL
- A representative from Marie Stopes — the European version of Planned Parenthood — was reportedly escorted off-campus at Maynooth University in Dublin, Ireland, after anti-abortion activists posed a threat to his or her safety. Water bombs may have been a factor. [Independent IE]
See a story that should be included in Today’s Lady News? Send it to me at Jessica@TheFrisky.com!
