NewsHero (beta) Afternoon Update Issue 17
Jan 22, 2020
Welcome to today’s afternoon edition of NewsHero for Wednesday, January 22, 2020.
As we cover topics of all subject matters we aim to seek out the heroes of the story. We know that whatever the situation it’s possible to find the people doing good over those doing harm. These are the heroes in the news, and they are in our headlines and at the forefront of our reporting.
Also, please consider sharing this public edition of NewsHero with those you think might want it (or might need it) as this will help us grow our team and become a self-sustaining news source.
Thanks for reading!
Team NewsHero
Terry Jones: Credit. Martyn Goddard/Corbis, via Getty Images
NewsHero Notes
Today we’re sad to say farewell to comedy legend Terry Jones. The Monty Python great passed away Tuesday night at age 77.
And now for something that sounds like it very well could have been a Monty Python sketch: the National Weather Service in Miami, Fla. has warned that due to low temperatures residents should be on alert for falling iguanas.
Also, it’s not difficult to find news on the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, whether it’s arguments over calling and blocking a witness or what kinds of leftover Halloween candy they eat in the Senate, but you can follow along with live updates of the proceedings here.
A word on Trump’s impeachment: There’s obviously coverage of this trial everywhere and from all angles, but we, team NewsHero, would like to say that in the best interest of America’s democracy we feel the more transparency—as in the more witnesses—the better. The public deserves the truth. The whole truth.
Afternoon Brief
LGBTQ+
Human Rights Watch reports that lawmakers in South Dakota will consider a bill that would make it a felony for medical professionals to provide gender-affirming care to minors. Doctors giving transgender children transition-related care would face up to 10 years in prison.
Environment
In “please drink responsibly” news, Brazilian beverages company Ambev SA, Latin America’s largest brewer, has set a goal of eliminating plastic pollution in its packaging by 2025, which could reportedly generate approximately $239 million in business.
Law
The Supreme Court has made a decision that allows residents of Flint, Mich. to sue state and local officials over the lead-tainted water crisis that caused at least 12 fatalities.
UN Names Themes For Women’s Rights In 2020
Six ‘action coalition’ topics announced by UN Women
A scene from the event, “Gender equality: From the Biarritz Partnership to the Beijing+25 Generation Equality Forum”, hosted by France and Mexico ahead of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, 2019. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, and UN Women has just announced six themes that will be featured at two Generation Equality forums coming later this year. On its website, UN Women says it “focuses on priority areas that are fundamental to women’s equality, and that can unlock progress across the board.”
The six “action coalition” themes unveiled are:
gender-based violence
economic justice and rights
bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive rights
feminist action for climate justice
technology innovation for gender equality
investing in feminist movements and leadership.
Each coalition will be led by a group of partners, including UN member states, women’s movements, civil society organizations, and corporations, plus some UN agencies.
Photo: UN Women/Bruno Demeocq
UN Women leads the Generation Equality forums with France and Mexico, where women-centered groups, “allied countries” and other partners will come together in Mexico City in May and Paris this July. Their goal is to further define the outline formed at the New York conference, striving to achieve gender equality, especially for young women, by 2030.
Extra, extra!
We reported in December 2019 when Finland elected 34-year-old Sanna Marin as its Prime Minister (the world’s youngest) to lead a coalition headed entirely by women, and we now deliver the news that Greece has named its first woman president. In the Jan. 22 vote, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, 63, received the support of 261 MPs in the 300-seat Parliament, far above the 200 required by the constitution, according to CNN.
Sources:
Terry Jones, Monty Python Founder and Scholar, Is Dead at 77 - The New York Times
National Weather Service warns of falling iguanas - CNN
Lawmakers in the US Unleash Barrage of Anti-Transgender Bills - Human Rights Watch
Supreme Court Allows Flint Water Lawsuits To Move Forward, Officials Not 'Immune' - NPR
Brazil's Ambev sets ambitious target to end plastic pollution in packaging - Reuters
The UN Unveils 6 Themes in a Big Year Pushing for Women’s Rights - Pass Blue
Katerina Sakellaropoulou becomes Greece's first woman president - CNN
What we do - UN Women – Headquarters - UN Women
Representitive Adam Schiff - Twitter
Where Senators Get Their Sugar Fix During the Impeachment Trial - The New York Times
Trump Impeachment: Live Updates of the Trial’s Opening Arguments - The New York Times
South Dakota Doctors Could Face Criminal Charges Over Prescribing Puberty Blockers for Trans Teens - Daily Beast
SD House Committee to Weigh Transgender Treatment for Minors - US News & World Report/AP
Supreme Court pushes forward Flint water crisis victims' case, says city officials not immune to prosecution - Fox News
Supreme Court Decision Means Flint Residents Can Sue Over Water Crisis - Eco Watch
Brazil's Ambev Sets Ambitious Target to End Plastic Pollution in Packaging - The New York Times/Reuters
Brazil’s Ambev aims to eliminate its plastic packaging by 2025 - Packaging Gateway
Who Is Sanna Marin, Finland’s 34-Year-Old Prime Minister? - The New York Times
Calling All Women’s Groups: Help Shape the Beijing+25 Agenda - Pass Blue
Generation Equality Forum - UN Women
What we do - UN Women