Kamala Harris Eyes March 3, 2020 California Primary | Early Voting Timed With Iowa + New Hampshire

Harris in Los Angeles with beneficiaries of the DREAM Act—which the senator has made a priority to protect. Photographed by Zoe Ghertner,Vogue, April 2018

As America readies another presidential election season and trained journalists are talking Iowa and New Hampshire — two states that do not at all mirror the voter makeup of America or the wins of the 2018 mid-terms — Sen. Kamala Harris is beating down door in California. Not content with a wait and see strategy, Senator Harris is locking down endorsements and financial contributions in her new Super Tuesday March 3 primary state — and her home state — that could give her an enormous edge in winning the Democratic nomination. The decision of California to move up its primary from being last in the country makes it suddenly very relevant.

If she has anything but stellar success in California, writes Politico, her presidential aspirations for 2020 could end quickly. Kamala Harris has a true political machine in California and no home-state challengers. Not that Harris isn’t busy making appearances out of California.

In particular, she’s courting voters in another Super Tuesday state — South Carolina. If Biden runs, he does have close relationships with African American voters in the South Carolina, but it’s pretty inconceivable that African American women won’t break big for Sen. Harris in South Carolina.

Dem. Rep Ilhan Omar Masterfully Questions Elliott Abrams About His Support For US Backed 80's Coups

Dem. Rep Ilhan Omar Masterfully Questions Elliott Abrams About His Support For US Backed 80's Coups

I so regret the tweets from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) about Jews from the other day and agree w/those who say she threw away some hard-won power and capital. This article by The Daily Beast shows another side of Omar, questioning Elliott Abrams, who has been appointed as the U.S. Special Envoy to Venezuela. Her questioning leaves me very proud of her.

Watch the video to see the fearless, composed, questioning that Omar is capable of doing. She confronts Abrams about El Salvador and how proud he is of the country as a democracy. Abrams is very dismissive of Omar, but she stays totally focused and on point. ***** (5-stars)

As women, we know this is a hideous answer from Abrams about a country — El Salvador — where femicide runs rampant right under the eyes and noses of the Catholic Church. Women are garbage in El Salvador, and Abrams' answer is very much the white male, hawk answer. She also challenges him on his past lies -- why is he telling the truth now. 

Related:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Emerging As Unlikely, Egoless Unifying Force Among Democrats

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Emerging As Unlikely, Egoless Unifying Force Among Democrats

No freshman member of the new House of Representatives has gained more national media attention than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Less than one week after her victory in the November 2018 midterm elections, AOC joined environmental activists in a protest in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. Politico published a story that AOC denied, advancing the theory that she was encouraging activists to primary Democratic incumbents in the 2020 elections.

The Republican obsession with Ocasio-Cortez has bordered on full-frontal misogyny, with many Dems reporting that “a cloud” of uncertainty hovered over her. Was she determined to build her own disruptive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brand? Or was she truly interested in passing collaborative legislation with fellow Democfrats.

Writing for Vanity Fair, Abigail Tracy says that AOC has emerged “as an unlikely unifying force for Democrats — and a surprisingly egoless champion of a new, progressive politics.”

Why Sierra Leonean Women Don’t Feel Protected By Domestic Violence Laws

Why Sierra Leonean Women Don’t Feel Protected By Domestic Violence Laws

By Luisa T. Schneider, Postdoctoral research fellow, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. First published on The Conversation

Sierra Leone has a long history of sexual and gender based violence, dating back to the colonial era and stretching into the years of independence which began in 1961. The country’s civil war, which raged between 1991 and 2002, brought international attention to the high levels of violence against women.

In this way, Sierra Leone is similar to many young democracies in Africa with a violent history; it struggles with patriarchal attitudes and high levels of violence against women and girls.

After the war, several legal changes were made to try and address this kind of violence. One was the Domestic Violence Act, ratified in 2007. It criminalises all forms of violence – physical, sexual, emotional and economic — against women and outlines strict punishments for perpetrators.

American Women's Satisfaction W/How They Are Treated Hits All-Time Low, But Men Think We Are Fine

American Women's Satisfaction W/How They Are Treated His All-Time Low, But Men Think We Are Fine

How interesting that Republican white men are saying that Democrats are undoing all the progress women have made. Politico has photographed the 36 new women members of the House. 35 are Dems; 1 lone WV woman is a Republican.

I would say that Republican white men are really running scared if electing women to Congress -- unlike their white men party -- represents a step backwards for women in 2019. Let that sink in. The party that elected 1 freshman woman to the House is telling the party that elected 35 freshmen woman to the House that we are setting women back.

Hey, boys, maybe your War on Women worked so well that once and for all, you stirred up a heap of trouble for yourselves. As for your inner fears . . . you probably should be runnin' scared.

For most of you -- the ones left -- you embrace a version of Christianity that says women must be subservient to men and obey you. No wonder you're confused about the hurricane arriving in DC. All your witches on brooms jokes will get you nowhere. DEAL WITH THEM. And just remember that you and your egregious, anti-people policies are a key reason they are so pissed off.

Related: Women’s satisfaction with how society treats them hits a record low. Marketwatch

Cate Blanchett Will Play Phyllis Schlafly In Nine-Part Series On FX 'Mrs. America'

Cate Blanchett Will Play Phyllis Schlafly In Nine-Part Series On FX 'Mrs. America'

Star actor Cate Blanchett is set to play the indefatigable anti-ERA activist Phyllis Schlafly. It remains one of the most astounding realities of modern life that one American constitutional lawyer. born in St. Louis, Missouri with a law degree from Washington University, a large family and conservative husband, hit the road and brought the Equal Rights Amendment to a grinding halt.

Arguing for traditional roles for women in American society, the self-described activist housewife Schlafly went to battle against Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelhaus. And she beat them.

Cate Blanchett is executive producing ‘Mrs. America’, in the upcoming limited nine-episodes series for FX, which is written and narrated through the lens of Schlafly’s feminist opponents. ‘Mrs. America’ is being written by Dahvi Waller, the Emmy-winning writer and producer of ‘Mad Men’, another show deeply rooted in evolving gender dyhamics in 20th century America.

Serena Williams Challenges Women To Make The First Move in Superbowl Ad | Dedicates Winning Australian Open Game 1 To Moms

Serena Williams Challenges Women To Make The First Move in Superbowl Ad | Dedicates Winning Australian Open Game 1 To Moms

The GOAT won the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, besting Germany’s Tatjana Maria in a 49-minute match. Serena competed in a green Nike Jumpsuit, which she calls a ‘Serena-tard’. The stories of black fishnets are erroneous, as her tights were flesh-tone fishnets with all the circulation-boosting support that Williams needs to keep her safe from bloodclots.

In a piece of old news, the Women’s Tennis Association in December 2018 issued a ruling that makes Serena’s controversial black catsuit from the French Open appropriate attire.

Nancy Pelosi Victorious – Why The California Democrat Was Reelected Speaker of the House

Nancy Pelosi Ready to Be Sworn In Again As Speaker of the House, Jan. 3, 2019

Nancy Pelosi Victorious – Why The California Democrat Was Reelected Speaker of the House

By Kathryn L. Pearson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Minnesota . First published on The Conversation.

Despite some brash and not insignificant opposition, California’s Nancy Pelosi is returning to her previous role as speaker of the House.

She will preside over a chamber that is 77 percent male and a Democratic Caucus that is 62 percent male.

When the Democratic Caucus held their leadership election on Nov. 28, Pelosi won the nomination on a 203 to 32 vote, falling 15 votes shy of the 218 she would later need to win the speakership with all members voting.

When a vote was taken on the House floor on Jan. 3, she won by a vote of 220 to 192, with 15 Democrats voting for someone else or voting “present.” The close vote illustrated, once again, Pelosi’s skill in coalition-building and counting votes, but also that some Democrats – particularly new members and those in swing districts – are dissatisfied with her as the party’s standard bearer.

As a political scientist who focuses on gender and party discipline in the House of Representatives, I have studied Pelosi’s leadership and how she was able to hold it for so long.

It’s important to realize that Pelosi’s battle to win over wavering Democrats didn’t begin in November 2018. Rather, it stretches back to when she was first elected to leadership in 2001. Her ongoing ability to rally members of her own party illustrates why she has been among the most successful U.S. House speakers. It also suggests her leadership will help Democrats in Congress as they negotiate with President Trump and Senate Republicans, even if Pelosi remains unpopular in some Democratic members’ districts.

Rising to power

Samar Badawi + Brother Raif Badawi Remain In Saudi Arabia Dhahban Central Prison, As Saudi Arabia Disallows Any Dissent

Samar Badawi + Brother Raif Badawi Remain In Saudi Arabia Dhahban Central Prison, As Saudi Arabia Disallows Any Dissent

Coming to grips with the horrors of Saudi Arabia’s torture of women’s activists at the same time Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud — or MbS — lifted the ban on women driving in the kingdom is no more complicated than following the daily mental machinations of Donald Trump.

Jailing the Saudi women activists behind the women driving campaign seems irrational, but only if one fails to understand that machinations are not rational thought processes. Perhaps this is why MbS and Donald Trump have such a lovefest. It takes a self-absorbed schemer to know one, which is precisely why they end up so often hanging out together as the world’s leading autocrats.

Updating AOC two days ago about the jailed women’s activists, I zeroed in on the name Samar Badawi, knowing her to be the sister of jailed liberal blogger Raif Badawi. In 2015 Raif was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1000 lashes for his writings. After receiving the first 50 lashes — which nearly killed him in front of the entire world — Raif Badawi has languished in Saudi prison.

Women activists arrested in Saudi Arabia include Loujain al-Hathloul, who I considered to be a major face behind the driving ban. Samar Badawi has campaigned for years against the most discriminatory of all the Saudi laws against women’s rights — as if it’s possible to enumerate them in order. Badawi opposes against the male guardianship system, under which women require the permission of a male relative to travel, marry, or work in certain jobs. In this article ‘Saudi Arabia: Where Fathers Rule and Courts Oblige’, Human Rights Watch details the mutual litigation of Badawi and her father against each other.

It was for this work that Samar Badawi received the US State Department International Women of Courage Award in 2012, when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. Note that Waleed Abu-al-Khair, Samar’s former husband and Raif Badawi’s lawyer, is also jailed for 15 years.

As Saudi Women Activists Suffer Horrific Torture, Kingdom Puts Women In Cockpits + Main Cabin

YASMINE AL-MAYMANY IS AMONG THE CERTIFIED SAUDI WOMEN PILOTS WHO TOLD ALARABIA IN AUGUST 2018 THAT SHE HOPED TO SOON BE IN THE COCKPIT WITH A JOB SANCTIONED BY THE SAUDI GENERAL AUTHORITY OF CIVIL AVIATION.

As Saudi Women Activists Suffer Horrific Torture, Kingdom Puts Women In Cockpits + Main Cabin

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is promising to not only put women in the cockpit as co-pilots but to train them as flight attendants as well. In January, 2018 Eqbal Darandari, a member of the Saudi Shura Council, called on national airlines to empower women by creating jobs. “We’ve seen Saudi women piloting aircraft outside the kingdom. Now it’s time for [Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority] to take the initiative. Saudi women deserve to find work in their own country,” he said at the time. 

Soon Saudi Arabia’s Oxford Aviation Academy opened it doors to women to train them as pilots. Six months later, Flynas, a domestic airline in Saudi Arabia, announced that it would be hiring female flight attendants after proper training. In the new year, a Saudi air hostess will fly this month, in another move forward for the severely-limited in rights Saudi women, writes Vogue Arabia.

The magazine’s website writes that Flynas will also hire women as co-pilots. “The move aims to enable Saudi women to have a greater role in supporting the Kingdom’s economy,” stated Bander Al-Mohanna, CEO of Flynas.

Eye: Dear Helena, Ashley, Chiara, Monica + | In Posing For Dolce & Gabbana Sp 2019 Campaign, Do You Give The Brand Cover?

Eye: Dear Helena, Ashley, Chiara, Monica + | In Posing For Dolce & Gabbana Sp 2019 Campaign, Do You Give The Brand Cover?

Some of AOC’s favorite models and talents led by Helena Christensen, Ashley Graham, Monica Belluci, Eva Herzigova, Karen Elson, Chiara Scelsi and more are supported by photographers including Angelo Pennetta, Luca & Alessandro Morelli, Giuseppe Tornatore, Branislav Simoncik, Franco Pagetti, Bruce Gilden and Alex Majoli in celebrating Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2019 ad campaign.

Complicity Among Creatives

We don’t have the answers to any key questions around the participation of these creatives in the Dolce & Gabbana campaign — except to say that we wouldn’t participate in the campaign in any way. That’s a tough decision to make in a world that feels increasingly politically correct, a world where disagreement and debate is not tolerated by either demanding progressives or right-wing conservatives. So unlike many voices, AOC won’t criticize talents using their gifts on behalf of the Dolce & Gabbana brand.

Caught in our own concerns about the intolerance of politically-correct, progressive demands, we also acknowledge the reality of a world marching towards intolerance generally. This right-wing intolerance derides women’s rights or even our intelligence, gay rights, protecting the environment and a host of other values that the fashion industry theoretically embraces.

Only 1 out of 36 Newly Elected Female Representatives In Congress Is Republican – Here’s Why It Matters

Photo by Alondra Olivas on Unsplash

Only 1 out of 36 Newly Elected Female Representatives In Congress Is Republican – Here’s Why It Matters

By Malliga Och, Assistant Professor of Global Studies and Languages, Idaho State University.. First published on The Conversation.

(Note from Anne. As a progressive Democrat, these views may not coincide with my own, based on my extensive research on Republican women voters. I share the research from Baylor University because as a Christian University — unlike a liberal media resource like The Atlantic— the conclusions are more difficult to condemn. Also, personal interviews were part of the Baylor study, which concluded that “Value gender traditionalism, feeling that men are better suited for politics and should earn more than women; women should provide primary child care; and working women are deficient as mothers” is a core belief among Trump voters, including Trump’s Republican women voters.“ This article is factually correct in its assertions and Och’s arguments, which is why I’ve published it on AOC. I admit also that I am actively involved in trying to recruit Republican women and registered Independent women to the Democratic party by acting in good faith. )

The 116th Congress will be the most diverse in U.S. history: 126 women will take office, including 43 women of color. Yet, as many have noted, this new diversity is confined to one side of the aisle.

The number of Republican women in Congress is actually dropping from 23 to 13. Only one out of 36 freshman female representatives is a Republican. So while 2018 certainly was the Year of the Woman, Republican women are watching from the sidelines.

Whether you are progressive or conservative, this is bad news. As political scientists, we strongly believe that both democracy and feminism work best when there is a critical mass of women in each major political party. A democracy should reflect the diversity of its society. Considering that women make up over half of the U.S. population but only 23 percent of Congress, American democracy already under represents women. For Republican women, the mismatch is even more pronounced.

Nearly half of all women in this country regularly vote for Republican candidates. For example, Donald Trump won 41 percent of the female vote in 2016 and Mitt Romney won 44 percent in 2012. Yet the overall numbers of Republican women candidates and elected women has stagnated at around 15 percent for the past two decades and is now declining.

This is important for many reasons.

Can GirlForward's Superior Program Structure For Refugee Girls Be Applied To American Girls?

Can GirlForward's Superior Program Structure For Refugee Girls Be Applied To American Girls?

The Austin, Texas branch of Girl Forward, a nonprofit founded in Chicago in 2011, is run exclusively by millennial women for high-school age refugee girls. Politico profiled the group in November 2018, landing in Austin. because Texas is second only to California in its refugee population.

GirlForward is predicated on the notion that refugee girls face particular hardships due not only to the tumultuous circumstances of their upbringing and relocation but also their gender. “Oftentimes, our girls haven’t been able to pursue education in the same way their brothers have,” Shannon Elder, 24, GirlForward’s Austin development manager, observes. “In countries of conflict, girls’ access to education can be much more limited than it is for boys,” said Arielle Levin, who runs the mentorship program. GirlForward recruits refugees through Austin nonprofits, schools, and word of mouth. It tries specifically to recruit the oldest daughter in a family, reasoning that they are usually shouldered with the heaviest burdens. “A lot of my family don’t speak English,” said Storai Rana, an 18-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, “so there was so many responsibilities of things I had to do. Like I had go to the bank, to the market,” she said.

Girl Forward attempts to help its girls lead lead full and rich lives, moving behind tangible tools like opening a checking account or learning how to use the local library.

Fatima Mirzakhail, an 18-year-old refugee, told Politico’s Ethan Epstein that her initial optimism on arriving in America and leaving her war-torn country of Afghanistan soon evaporated. “In Afghanistan I felt like I was in a box, and I couldn’t fly anywhere.” Fatima explained. Her expectations that life in America would be so different soon evaporated. Before becoming part of Girl Forward, “I was crying all the time, hating myself,” she said.  Now Fatima is blossoming “planning on attending a local community college next year before transferring to UT. “

SC Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Votes Against Trump Immigration Rules After Cancer Surgery

SC Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Votes Against Trump Immigration Rules After Cancer Surgery

As the Trump wrecking machine increasingly rattles much of America, progressives, Democrats and centrists alike got an unexpected blow in the gut on Friday with news that beloved Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 85, was in surgery at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York. Notorious RBG, as the pop icon Justice is called, is recovering from her third bout with cancer with the removal of two nodules from her left lung.

Sloan Kettering doctors insist that Ginsburg’s lung cancer did not spread to other areas of her body, leaving weeping Americans believing that she will make a full recovery.

Weeks ago, Ginsburg fell in her office, fracturing several ribs. During her treatment, scans revealed the cancerous growths. Even cancer surgery didn’t get in the Supreme’s way, as Her Honor cast a deciding vote from her hospital bed against US President Donald Trump’s attempts to place new restrictions on migrants seeking asylum in the US.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Film 'On the Basis of Sex' Draws Sold Out NYC Crowd With Clinton + Steinem

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Film 'On the Basis of Sex' Draws Sold Out NYC Crowd With Clinton + Steinem

“She’s not a superhero; she’s a woman like many others of her generation,” Mimi Leder, director of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biophic ‘On the Basis of Sex’ told the packed audience at New York’s Walter Read Theatre director on Sunday. The audience included Gloria Steinem (wearing an RBG-inspired Lingua Franca sweater that read “all rise”) and former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Vogue writes that RGB received a hero’s welcome from an audience that gave her a standing ovation at every opportunity.

“She is an exceptional woman who changed the culture with her intelligence and her eloquence, “ Leder continued, emphasizing the reality that themes of her story are universal: “She didn’t go into the law to become a champion for equal rights. She went into the law because she thought she could do that job better than any other.”

“I ask no favor for my sex,” Ginsburg’s voice says at the end of the film. “All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”

Justice Ginsburg’s nephew Daniel Stiepleman wrote the script for ‘On the Basis of Sex’, and her daughter Jane helped edit the movie script.

Emily Ratajkowski Sizzles, Talks Feminism + Sexuality For Vogue Australia January 2019

Emily Ratajkowski Sizzles, Talks Feminism + Sexuality For Vogue Australia January 2019

Top talent, model, activist, lingerie designer and actor Emily Ratajkowski covers the January 2019 issue of Vogue Australia. Jillian Davison styles Emily for images by Nicole Bentley.

Zara Wong interviews Emily, who is in Sydney to receive the International Woman of the Year award at the GQ Australia Men of the Year event.

The star is proud of her combination of beauty and intellect, believing that she herself is a vessel for discussions on the politics of feminism. AOC adds “and sexuality”.

“It’s a contradiction,” she says. “Firstly, I think it’s sexism. I think in general people don’t really want to hear women talk about these kinds of things, and especially women who make money on how they look: they especially resent them using their voice.”

She’s heard the criticisms of herself, and has considered them. “The only argument that I think is sort of interesting is the conversation that somehow I’m playing into a patriarchal society by looking the way I look and capitalising on my sexiness,” she says with a shrug. “But I don’t really care if me wearing a crop top is somehow playing into some patriarchy, because it makes me feel good about myself, and I shouldn’t be limited on that. Making rules as to what a feminist should look like or wear is insane to me.” It’s a thought she will touch upon again at her speech at the GQ Australia Men of the Year awards, where she was acknowledged for her activism – that she can wear a string bikini and have a stand on politics, too. “No-one should be shaming anyone, and women especially should not be shaming other women.” She probes further: “I think there’s a whole other level of women who are sexy and are promoting their sexiness or are comfortable with their sexinesss; they especially don’t want to hear it from them.”

As for GQ, they justified their award by saying Ratajkowski was key to the “modern feminist movement”.

“Spending the last few years travelling the world as one of the planet’s most in-demand models, she’s also established herself as a de facto face of the modern feminist movement, spreading a message of body positivity and a ruthless, no-holds-barred approach to sexual equality that has seen her sweep up both accolades and criticism across the globe,” GQ announced.

'Beale Street' Director Barry Jenkins Is Crazy In Love With Nancy Pelosi's Ravishing Red Max Mara Coat

'Beale Street' Director Barry Jenkins Is Crazy In Love With Nancy Pelosi's Ravishing Red Max Mara Coat

Barry Jenkins is in the news as Director of ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, nominated for a 2019 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Film. Jenkins was also nominated for screenplay, along with Regina King for supporting actress.

Based on James Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name, ‘Beale Street’ tells the 70s love story of a young black Harlem couple, Tish and Fonny. Devoted to each other since childhood, the young lovers are torn apart when Fonny is falsely accused and jailed for rape.

In a smile-worthy move, Jenkins had other matters on his mind after Nancy Pelosi’s epic TV performance at the White House Tuesday, when Donald Trump tried to negotiate a budget deal live before the American people. It did not go well for the US president, although Trump’s supporters surely disagree, especially if you like to see Trump constantly interrupting the next Speaker of the House and the most formidable woman in US politics.

Anne's Response to Women's March 'Founders' Response To Alyssa Milano and Theressa Shook

Anne's Response to Women's March 'Founders' Response To Alyssa Milano and Theressa Shook

This Women's March Founders battle goes on, and it's tough for me to see where it ends. My inability to buy into these words puts me on the outs with Women's March leaders, seeing no way back towards unity.

After what I've personally been through with these leaders, the words "As a Black woman, it hurts me to see the recent headlines regarding this movement. While you may think you’re helping, you are tearing a movement that was built on unity apart. This is not the time to strengthen the wedge between white women and people of color" are utter poppycock.

I'm sorry but this is Donald Trump talk #101. These four women wouldn't even allow Hillary Clinton to be one of over 20 honored at the Women's March. Do NOT talk to me about driving wedges, and this is BEFORE I share what has been privately said to me.

There is NOTHING in the quoted paragraph below that represents an olive branch. Rather, it's a reconciliation ceremony in which injured parties shares their own testimony. In particular white women are supposed to sit quietly and listen . . . indefinitely . . . for years.

I support reconciliation ceremonies and Laurene Powell Jobs is investing in the possibility of such an event in America over slavery. She is concerned it will become a horror show only, and is heavily involved with leaders in South Africa who have gone through this process to understand how to make such a reconciliation process successful in America. Her partner in this possibility is New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu.

My focus is saving America from Trump, cultivating a new democracy and also working for women's rights worldwide. There is not an indefinite time horizon on my life, and I am focused on both purpose and results. Decades of my life have focused on racial reconciliation in America and I've done my part. My eye is now on a larger ball -- aligning myself with hundreds/thousands of women of color worldwide who are willing to bury the ax with white women and move forward.

The leaders of the Women's March have no such goal. It's a Sartre play with no way out.

Queen Rania Speaks To Topic of 'Fake News' + 'Truth' At Arab Social Media Awards In Dubai

Queen Rania Speaks To Topic of 'Fake News' + 'Truth' At Arab Social Media Awards In Dubai

HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan was honored in Dubai on Monday, presented with the Influential Personality of the Year Award at this year’s Arab Social Media Influencers Summit. by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Queen Rania seized the moment to deliver a stirring keynote address during the third annual summit, urging attendees to use digital platforms for the good of humanity, in an era of “fake news”.

“Online, the plain truth is not appealing enough to be circulated and liked or to command power in the virtual world, despite the fact that it has never been more accessible than today. The truth is losing ground to emotional rhetoric and sensational rumors,” Queen Rania stated. “We owe it to the truth to seek it out and distribute it. It might not be the most appealing or fascinating, but not all that glitters is gold. Let us aim to give truth the final word.”

Queen Rania launched her first official social media pages back in 2009, and AOC celebrated it. The royal reminded her audience that it is estimated that the average person will spend over five years of his or her life on social media. “Social media has achieved much of what we had expected from it, but unfortunately, we still managed to transfer our human barriers to this world,” HM added, exploring the ways in which digital platforms have changed from spreading hope and connecting humans in a barrier-free landscape. “We now listen not to communicate, but to respond, closing ranks and isolating ourselves among those who resemble us and confirm our own convictions.”

Moving from the downside to the positive opportunity of social media, Queen Rania urged influencers to maintain a steady focus on positive change.

Amal Clooney Critiques Trump At UN Correspondents Dinner, Unveils New TrialWatch Initiative To Monitor Global Judicial Systems

Amal Clooney Critiques Trump At UN Correspondents Dinner, Unveils New TrialWatch Initiative To Monitor Global Judicial Systems

Alright. First things first. Amal Clooney made a stunning appearance at wednesday night’s United Nations Correspondents Associations (UNCA) Awards dinner in New York City. Ignoring frigid temperatures, the human rights lawyer, accompanied by husband George Clooney, wore a “breezy, blue and white warm weather frock by J. Mendel, writes ELLE UK. As always, Amal looked ravishing.

Amal Clooney was honored as Global Citizen of the Year by UNCA for her human rights work generally and her willingness to take on high-profile cases involving persecuted journalists, often putting her at odds with the world’s repressive regimes.

Clooney seized the opportunity to address not only the global risks for journalists, but US president Donald Trump for his own attacks on the press. She referenced the mistreatment of journalists in countries like North Korea, Turkey, Brazil, and the Philippines, saying that Trumps’ actions legitimized aggression against the press.

In the words of Emirates Woman, Amal Clooney “put US president Donald Trump on blast.”

"The U.S. president has given such regimes a green light, and labeled the press in this country an enemy of the people," Clooney said, according to a video of her speech. " She continued, "In many of the cases that I have worked on too, I have seen journalists and opposition figures ruthlessly targeted so that they can no longer criticize leaders." In March, it was reported that Clooney joined the legal team representing two Reuters reporters imprisoned in Myanmar. 

Amal also paid tribute to her client Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi refugee who survived sexual abuse by ISIS and will be honored Monday in Stockholm, as a co-winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Price. Clooney and Murad have worked together in trying to make ISIS legally accountable for the genocide of the Yazidi people.

On Wednesday. the Clooneys revealed their latest initiative, TrialWatch, which will monitor court trials where there is a risk of abuse, and rank countries’ judicial systems. The project is part of the Clooney Foundation for Justice. Amal released a statement regarding their latest endeavor saying, “Today, courts all over the world are used as tools of oppression. Governments get away too easily with imprisoning opposition figures, silencing critics and persecuting vulnerable groups through the courts. Trial monitoring will shine a light on these abuses.”