Week in Headlines

Sphere: Related Content Politics
Democrats Maintain Edge in Party Support, but Gap Shrinks

Since the beginning of 2009 the Democratic Party has held a significant advantage over the Republican Party in terms of voters self identification, however, in the last six months that advantage has slipped. However, since 2005 the Democratic Party has enjoyed a significant lead over the Republican Party. The slip in percentage of self Identified Democrats from 52% to 49% has also come at a time when President Obama’s approval rating as fallen from 60% at the beginning of the month to 57% this week.

Texas Politics
Texas: The Red and the Blue

It would be possible to imagine Texas slipping back to the Democrats without much happening in consequence, except for two considerations. The first is that, should Texas go Democratic at the presidential level, the Republicans nationally would be in deep trouble: with its 34 electoral-college votes, Texas is the only big state they have regularly won in recent presidential elections. The second consideration is the Hispanics. As they become ever more powerful in an ever stronger Democratic Party, there is every chance that they will turn against a model that has left far too many of them behind.

Education
Perry Names Lowe Chair of State Education Board

After a week of rumors and speculation around who Governor Rick Perry would appoint to the Chairman of the State Board of Education to replace Don McLeroy, who was rejected by the Texas Senate, Perry announced that he will nominate Republican Gail Lowe. There had been speculation that Perry would nominate Republican Cynthia Dunbar, a board member who believes public education is “unconstitutional,” “tyrannical” and a “tool of perversion.”

Human Rights
Roadside Camp for Miami Sex Offenders Leads to Lawsuit

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County due to sex offender laws that have created a worse situation both for the convicted sex offenders and for the public. The Julia Tuttle Bridge has become the home of over 70 sex offenders because they have not been able to find a place to live that complies with the strict and tough Miami-Dade County laws that prohibit sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet of where children gather, which is over twice as far as the state law in Florida.

Health Care
Public Option Enemy No. 1

Who is behind the commercials misleading the American public about universal health care? Former hospital executive and longtime Republican donor Richard Scott; before Scott founded the Conservatives for Patients' Rights he was the head of a hospital that came under federal investigation. After seven years the hospital was found guilty of 14 felony counts of criminal misconduct and paid $1.7 billion to settle civil charges relating to over billing of state and federal governments which was the largest settlement of its kind in American history. So why is Scott telling us why we do not need the choice of a “public option?”

Reproductive Rights
Unintended Pregnancy Plunges Women in Pacific Northwest Into Economic Crisis

The economic downturn has had an effective on women’s access to reproductive health care, and in the Pacific Northwest increasing numbers of women have to deal with their own economic crisis when faced with an unintended pregnancy. However, organizations such as the Community Abortion Information and Resource Project are working to provide provides abortion funding and hotline support to women in the Pacific Northwest.

Women’s Issues
Sexism on Centre Court

On Saturday, at Wimbledon's Centre Court, Serena and Venus Williams extended their generational dominance of women's tennis in electric fashion. They went head to head for the twenty-first time and Serena took an 11-10 lead in their sibling rivalry. But amidst the drama of watching two of the finest athletes of their era clash, the specter of sexism haunted the All England Club. Early in the tournament officials blithely admitted that for women players "physical attractiveness is taken into consideration" when it comes to court assignments.

GLBT Issues
Indian American Gays Hail Ruling Decriminalizing Homosexual Sex in India

The Indian Delhi High Court recently handed down a ruling that repealed portions of Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes homosexuality, and Indians and the GLBT community in America has celebrated the ruling as a significant step in GLBT rights in India. However, the Indian and GLBT community has warned that this is only one of many steps that need to be taken; while homosexuality may have been decriminalized it has not yet been made legal.

Immigration
Rising Tide of Violence Against Immigrants

The rise in public debate about immigration has caused a rise in anti-immigrant violence from racists nativists hate groups, and the Southern Poverty Law Center released a report connecting one of these hate group’s leaders to white supremacy groups. Media outlets, such as Fox News, that give legitimacy to groups such as Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), are just as culpable as the people that commit the crimes.