It seems the only woman who’s had a good week in the US is Ghislaine Maxwell, who is getting soft treatment despite being a child predator. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from this week.
As always, this diary is a group effort. Thanks to mettle fatigue, Angmar, elenacarlena, and the WOW crew for links and discussion.
Violence:
Timeline of law enforcement failures on the Epstein/Maxwell case over thirty years.
Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway’s crown princess, has been charged with rape, domestic violence, and assault. (At least we know there’s someplace in the world where powerful men can still face accountability!)
British actor Noel Clarke lost his defamation suit against The Guardian for reporting on sexual misconduct. Witnesses note that without changes, there will be more Noel Clarkes to deal with.
After being stalked by her ex, a woman joined the Tea app for protection. Instead, her address was leaked.
Reproductive Rights and Health:
Anti-abortion politics may be blocking a breakthrough for breast cancer.
The FBI’s new hire is the Missouri AG who tried to subpoena abortion patients’ records.
Keeping this administration’s record of broken promises at 100%, they’ve dropped the promise for free IVF treatments, preferring to blame women for infertility.
Protests as infant removed from Greenlandic mother after “parenting competence” test.
Workplace and Economic Issues:
Women’s earnings never really recover after having children.
UK gender pay gap begins as early as graduation.
Closing the monetization gap in women’s sports.
PW Shira Perlmutter is once again urging the U.S. District Court to issue an injunction in her lawsuit against the federal government, which alleges that President Donald Trump wrongfully dismissed her from her position as register of copyright over the U.S. Copyright Office’s position on AI.
The Canadian government ordered striking Air Canada flight attendants back to work. The flight attendants, who are currently not paid for work they do while the plane is on the ground, answered with a resounding NO. Four days later, they have apparently reached an agreement with the airline that will end unpaid labor.
Law:
In many Asian countries, women face legal and cultural hurdles when trying to divorce.
Julie Suk on systemic misogyny, and how it shuts women out of power.
Kim Davis, the thrice-divorced former county clerk who made headlines when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, has filed a direct request for the conservative-majority Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality.
Democrats in the Texas state legislature have returned after fleeing the state to forestall the QOP’s attempts at gerrymandering. Dems were required to sign “permission slips” and have a police escort to leave the House chamber. One representative, Nicole Collier, refused to comply and has been basically held prisoner there since Monday. A few others, mostly women, have now joined her.
Media:
Camille Zapata is Digital Director in California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office. She is the mind behind the social media tweets mocking TFG's voice.
NYT - NO PAYWALL Maribel Perez-Wadsworth of the Knight Foundation, and other philanthropy CEOs, raise an immediate $26.5m in their aim for $50 million to stabilize the 115+ local community public radio radio and televisions at closure risk from cut-throat federal government defunding.
Among the 2025 Hugo Awards, Rebecca Roanhorse’s trilogy Between Earth and Sky (Saga Press), was awarded best series. This year’s awards included a special category, Best Poem, which went to Marie Brennan’s “A War of Words” (Strange Horizons). The Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book was given to Darcie Little Badger ( Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas) for Sheine Lende (Levine Querido), and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer went to Moniquill Blackgoose.
Uncategorizable:
Arwa Mahdawi on the weird push by AI companies to normalize the idea of “romance” with a chatbot.
Women Doing Amazing Things:
Lydia Lerma, a Lipan Apache mother and data analyst, got no help from an indifferent justice system when her son was sexually abused. She used the very tools of her profession, data analysis and investigation, to track down the perpetrator, Andrew Vanderwal, and built a movement that forced authorities to act.
Meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s.
“I am a gender-nonconforming woman. Here is what my life is like.”
Lucia Berdondini – Science in service, beyond borders: Celebrating women leaders in global humanitarian efforts.
