A New Hijab Bill For Iranian Women Means More Restrictions for a Historically Repressed Demographic

The bill, known as the Culture of Chastity and Hijab Bill, allows up to 10 years of jail time as punishment for women who choose not to wear the hijab or abide by Islamic dress code. Additionally, the bill permits flogging, fines of up to 360 million Iranian rials, and restrictions on travel and online access for women accused and convicted. 

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Iraq: Violence Against LGBTQ+ Community

“Homosexuality is still illegal in 66 countries across all continents except Western Europe, according to the Human Dignity Trust. After the Iraqi government proposed a new bill to criminalize homosexuality in August 2023, Human Rights Watch denounced their act as violating international human rights law. As a member of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, Iraq is responsible for providing its citizens the rights to "life, liberty, privacy, free expression and security of the person.”

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The State Budget Passed. What Does It Mean?

“H.B. 259 directly impacts personal finances, access to social services, and the economy and opportunities of the state. But, the budget is also an omnibus bill with broad policy changes in healthcare, education, government operations, environmental regulation, and more that directly impact all North Carolinians. H.B. 259 sets the guardrails for what the state can and cannot do in the next two years. Being informed will help residents understand and expect what is coming.”

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A Tale as Old as Time: Post-Wildfire Policies Open Deep Wounds for Native Hawaiians

In early August, the country watched fearfully as the deadliest series of U.S. wildfires in over a century broke out across Maui. Now, nearly two months later, Hawaiian citizens not only continue to mourn their losses but are speaking out against the state government’s recovery efforts, which many say have prioritized big development companies in the wake of the disaster and could threaten local environmental and cultural rights to Maui’s resources.

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“Hot Labor Summer:” 2023’s Organized Labor Surge and What it Means for the 99%

“As a rising cost of living continues to place more and more pressure on the working class, unionizing and organized labor are a potent tool to gain necessary concessions for workers of all kinds. Workers across the country are taking advantage of collective bargaining to secure themselves against price hikes and even improve financial outlooks.”

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Gov. Cooper’s Revealing Vetoes of Environmental Legislation

“One bill is a wide-ranging regulatory reform bill that would speed up environmental permits for projects like the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline. Another provision would change the regulations around hog waste lagoons, a move that opponents say could prevent state agencies from considering civil rights issues when they issue permits.”

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Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan Sets the Framework for the Town to Address Affordable Housing, Climate Action, and Racial Equity

“Increasing affordable housing takes funding and extensive organization; however, its attention in the plan marks a vital first step. One of the most important ways the plan will achieve affordable housing is by providing financial incentives like an increase in density bonus for rental units that provide housing to residents whose average income is below 80% of the Average Median Income, AMI, of the community.“

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If ‘Sportswashing’ Criticism is Going to Fly, It Needs a Retool.

“The recent barrage of sportswashing criticism evokes familiar Western-centric bias by singling out Middle Eastern human rights atrocities, glossing over the human rights violations that America, Europe, and the global West have sponsored. There is a double standard for which atrocities are worth outspokenly denouncing and which are not. If us Americans are going to continue to condemn sportswashing, we ought to hold the West to the same level of scrutiny as the Middle East.”

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Analyzing the Supreme Court’s Decision to End Affirmative Action

“The Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority found The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Harvard’s race-conscious college admissions process to be unconstitutional, effectively ending affirmative action and overturning forty years of legal precedent. “

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Supreme Court Rejects Affirmative Action in College Admissions

“On June 29, 2023 the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the use of affirmative action in all higher education admissions processes. Though the claims brought against affirmative action are deceivingly compelling, the harsh reality of overturning affirmative action will create barriers in achieving success through higher education for future students of color.“

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