All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Feministing Jamz: Talking feminism with Ana Tijoux

VBF: En Somos Sur trabajaste con la rapera palestina Shadia Mansour. ¿Cómo fue trabajar con ella? ¿Cómo relacionaron las luchas palestinas con aquellas chilenas?

AT: ¡Increíble! Fue una experiencia maravillosa. Teníamos algunos amigos en común y como una gran fan le escribí un email diciéndole que me habían dado su contacto y básicamente le dije que me gustaría colaborar con ella. Ella conocía mi trabajo y colaboramos a distancia, y las energías se dieron para traerla a Chile para hacer el video con ella. Fue increíble conocerla, superó todas mis expectativas, se transformó en una hermana de vida. Muchas historias entrecruzadas…hubo mucha conexión. Entre Palestina, Chile, sabiendo que en Chile hay una de las comunidades palestinas más grandes del mundo después de Palestina…fue increíble, algo que llevo en el corazón y en el alma.

via Feministing Jamz: Talking feminism with Ana Tijoux.

Study fingers chickens, quail, in spread of H7N9 influenza virus

“This work supports the field epidemiology studies that had identified live poultry markets as the likely source of the outbreak,” says Suarez. “The Chinese correctly closed the live bird markets where they had human infections, and that reduced the number of cases for a while. However, their efforts did not eradicate the virus and it has returned for a second wave.”

via Study fingers chickens, quail, in spread of H7N9 influenza virus.

Judge overturns Arkansas’s obviously unconstitutional 12-week abortion ban

However, this wasn’t a total win: The judge upheld the law’s requirement that the patient receive an ultrasound and be told if a heartbeat is detected–for no medically necessary reason whatsoever.

via Judge overturns Arkansas’s obviously unconstitutional 12-week abortion ban.

Great Animated GIFs by Kurt McRobert – The Fox Is Black

Brooklyn-based illustrator Kurt McRobert has been making some GIFs recently and I really like them. The one above is a particular favourite. It shows the dangers and challenges of life as a cyclist in New York City and features suspense, drama, action and comedy! In all honesty, what more could you want from a four second loop? It really does have everything!

via Great Animated GIFs by Kurt McRobert – The Fox Is Black.

Weekend Gun Report: March 14-16, 2014 – NYTimes.com

Four people were shot and wounded in Greensboro, N.C., early Sunday. Three siblings were killed and a woman was critically injured in a shooting at a home in Beaumont, Tex., Sunday afternoon. Four people were wounded in a shootout at a party venue in Burke County, Ga., early Sunday. Three people, including a 17-year-old, were shot and wounded at an after-hours club on the northeast side of Columbus, Ohio, early Sunday.

via Weekend Gun Report: March 14-16, 2014 – NYTimes.com.

100 serial rapists identified after Detroit finally processes untested rape kits

Back in 2009, over 11,000 kits were found abandoned in a Detroit Police storage facility. After processing just 1,600 of them so far, Detroit has identified about 100 serial rapists and ten convicted rapists. Those perpetrators have moved on from Michigan to commit similar crimes in 23 other states.

Of course, Detroit is not alone. Nationwide, there’s an estimated 400,000 untested rape kits. One of our favorite actress/activists Law and Order: SVU’s Mariska Hargitay (read her Feministing Five interview here) has been raising awareness about this issue for awhile now. Her organization, The Joyful Heart Foundation, has launched a project called End The Backlog to pressure cities and states to prioritize testing their kits. (She’s also producing a documentary about the problem.) And thankfully, 17 states have proposed new legislation to address their backlogs.

There’s a ton of reasons that the rape kit backlog is national shame. For one thing, as Hargitay notes, “One would assume that if someone endures a four- to six-hour invasive examination, that that evidence would be handled with care.” And while police departments say testing evidence is expensive and they just don’t have the resources, they’re making choices about which cases they believe are worth moving forward. Sarah Tofte, the director of policy and advocacy for Joyful Heart, explained to ThinkProgress, “They’re making subjective judgments about whether they’re likely to get a conviction, what this rape looks like, whether the victim is credible, and what the victim’s worth to society is…Ultimately, it’s about, does this victim deserve justice?”

via 100 serial rapists identified after Detroit finally processes untested rape kits.