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Facebook messages lead to abortion charges for mother and daughter

Social media users have been warned that Facebook messaging isn’t as private as we think it is, with users being urged to even delete their Facebook accounts after private messages between two women were handed over to police and led to them being charged. Jessica Burgess was charged after allegedly obtaining and giving abortion pills to her daughter Celeste earlier this year. The then-17-year-old was 23 weeks pregnant when she and her mum discussed using medication to induce an abortion and burn the foetus afterwards. The pair were initially charged with the felony of removing or concealing a body, as well as concealing the death of another person and false reporting. But, after receiving a tip from a woman who said she was a friend of Celeste’s and saw her take an abortion pill, detective Ben McBride then applied for a warrant to seize laptops and phones from the pair, and compelled Facebook to turn over messages they sent on the platform. As a result of reviewing the messages, Jessica was also charged with performing or attempting an abortion at more than 20 weeks of pregnancy - which is illegal under a Nebraska law enacted after Roe v. Wade was overturned - and performing an abortion as a non-licenced physician. When they were first interviewed, Jessica and Celeste told investigators the baby was born unexpectedly as a stillborn in the shower, before taking the foetus and burying it several miles out of town. However, court documents said the body showed signs of “thermal wounds”, and that the daughter confirmed that she and her mother burned the foetus in an exchange where she wrote that they would “burn the evidence afterward”. The two women pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing last week, where the prosecutor said it was the first time he has charged anyone for illegally performing an abortion after 20 weeks. Before the controversial overturning of Roe v. Wade, states weren’t allowed to enforce abortion bans before the point where the foetus is considered viable outside the womb, which is roughly 24 weeks. In one of the messages, Jessica tells her daughter she has obtained the medication and instructs her on how to use them. According to court documents written by a detective, Celeste “talks about how she can’t wait to get the ‘thing’ out of her body”. “I will finally be able to wear jeans,” one message read. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, said the warrants from investigators hadn’t mentioned abortion, but the case has raised concerns about how data companies collect could help prosecutors enforce abortion restrictions. #DeleteFacebook has since been trending online, with many sharing their fury and urging women to delete their accounts. “Every woman should delete Facebook right now,” 19-year-old activist Olivia Julianna wrote. Journalist Emily Crockett <a href="https://twitter.com/emilycrockett/status/1557093270299328515" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the case occurred before Roe was overturned, arguing it was “just a preview of what’s to come”. “If you don’t #DeleteFacebook, at least make sure you never talk about anything over Facebook Messenger that you wouldn’t want turned over to the police,” she added. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Pregnant woman argues unborn baby counts as a passenger under new abortion laws

A pregnant US woman has argued her unborn baby should count as a second passenger in her car in the wake of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/heartbroken-high-profile-women-react-to-landmark-roe-v-wade-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roe v Wade being overturned</a>, after she was fined for driving in a lane that requires at least two people in the car. Brandy Bottone of Plano, Texas, was pulled over on June 29 after driving in a high-occupancy (HOV) lane by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department looking for drivers violating HOV lane rules, as reported by <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/pregnant-woman-cited-for-hov-violation-says-her-unborn-baby-should-count-as-second-person/3010193/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC-Dallas Fort Worth</a>. HOV lanes, also known as carpool and T2 lanes, require drivers to have at least one passenger in their car when they use the lane. When an officer told Bottone about the rule and asked whether she had any passengers with her, she said she did. “I pointed to my stomach and said, ‘My baby girl is right here. She is a person’,” the 32-year-old told <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/watchdog/2022/07/08/pregnant-woman-says-her-fetus-should-count-as-a-passenger-in-hov-lanes-she-got-a-ticket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dallas Morning News</a>. The officer argued that the rule applies to “two people outside the body”, to which Bottone responded that, since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, her unborn child is considered as a living person. “And then I said, ‘Well [I’m] not trying to throw a political mix here, but with everything going on, this counts as a baby’,” Bottone recounted. She said the officer told her he didn’t “want to deal with this”, insisting the law for HOV lanes required “two persons outside of the body” to be in the vehicle. While the penal code in Texas recognises a foetus as a person, there appears to be no language in the state Transportation Department’s code that recognises a foetus in the same way. Though deputies told Bottone that her case would likely be dismissed if she fought it, she still plans to fight the $215 ticket, arguing that her in-utero baby should count as another occupant. “This has my blood boiling. How could this be fair? According to the new law, this is a life,” she told The Morning News. “I know this may fall on deaf ears, but as a woman, this was shocking.” Image: NBC DFW

Legal

Instagram and Facebook have been hiding abortion posts

In the wake of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and placing the right to accessing an abortion in jeopardy, Instagram has been hiding posts that mention abortion from public view and, in some cases, asking viewers to verify their age in some cases to make posts visible. Several Instagram accounts run by abortion rights advocacy groups have found their posts and stories hidden with warnings that describe them as “sensitive content”. Bleu Grano, who runs the account Fund Aborition Not Police, found that a post containing a guide to abortion services - including how to obtain abortion pills through the mail - had been removed for violating the platform’s community guidelines on the “sale of illegal or regulated goods”. “I got really stressed that they were going to suspend the account,” Grano told <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meta-abortion-content-restriction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wired</a>. “I started to think it was specific to abortion, and stopped using the word ‘pills’ and only said ‘abortion by mail’.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/instagram-abortion-snip.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> A educaitonal post Bleu Grano, who runs the account Fund Abortion Not Police, shared on Instagram was removed for violating certain policies amid growing crackdowns on posts mentioning abortion. Image: Bleu Grano <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gav3/facebook-is-banning-people-who-say-they-will-mail-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motherboard</a> also found that posts like Grano’s were being restricted by Meta (which owns both Facebook and Instagram) for violating policies that restrict the sale of illegal or controlled substances on the platforms. On June 27, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/instagram-restricts-abortion-resource-posts-hashtags-rcna35522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC</a> reported that Meta was restricting search results for the terms “abortion” and “mifepristine”, one of two drugs commonly used to induce a medical aboriton. These reports have led to speculation that the company had changed its policies since the Supreme Court decision - though Meta has denied making any changes. However, pro-choice advocates have said this censorship isn’t new, telling Wired that the company’s AI moderation system has been seen tagging abortion content, oftentimes about abortion pills, as “sensitive”, decreasing its visibility, or removing the content altogether. “We have been seeing social media platforms, specifically Meta, suppressing abortion content for quite a while now,” Jessica Ensley, the digital outreach and opposition research director at Reproaction, a nonprofit that supports access to abortion, told the outlet. A volunteer moderator for a large Facebook group for American women seeking abortion information and support said recent content removals were “totally precedented”, with posts about abortion pills being removed by Facebook for years. “What’s wild is that you don’t know where the line is,” she said. “Every single post has to be seen by a moderator, because we don’t want people posting requests for pills, to request or to send pills, because that will get the entire group taken down.” In comparison, a similar group she moderates on Reddit also has rules about not selling or buying rules on the platform. But, sharing content and links discussing the pills aren’t removed by the platform or put the group at risk of being shut down. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/Meta-Censoring-Abortion-Content-Abortion-Finder-Business.jpg" alt="" width="794" height="987" /> Posts containing information about accessing abortion, like this one shared on Power To Decide’s Abortion Finder page, are being labelled as ‘sensitive content’ by the platform. Images: Power To Decide Though censoring this kind of content doesn’t seem to be a new issue, the platforms have only come under scrutiny for hiding this content but not others in the weeks since the Supreme Court decision. The <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/roe-v-wade-update-instagram-hides-some-posts-that-mention-abortion/1ce6239e-1337-4669-bc35-3a85c5cc1811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> recently identified nearly a dozen posts mentioning the word “abortion” which were covered up by Instagram, while an earlier report found that both platforms were deleting posts that offered to mail out abotion pills in states where their use was restricted. The platforms said the posts were being deleted because they violated policies relating to the sale or gifting of certain products, including pharmaceuticals, drugs, and firearms. But, the AP reported finding that similar posts offering to send guns or marijuan through the mail weren’t removed by Facebook, which is yet to respond to questions about the discrepancy. Images: Supplied

Technology

After Roe v Wade, here’s how women could adopt ‘spycraft’ to avoid tracking and prosecution

The art of concealing or misrepresenting one’s identity in the physical world has long been practised by spies engaged in espionage. In response, intelligence agencies designed techniques and technologies to identify people attempting to hide behind aliases. Now, following the US Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade, women in the United States seeking assistance with unwanted pregnancies have joined the ranks of spies. The ruling has resulted in several trigger laws coming into effect in conservative states to outlaw abortions in those states. These laws, coupled with groups targeting women’s reproductive rights protests, have raised fear among women of all ages about their data being used against them. Thousands have engaged with online posts calling on women to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/28/why-us-woman-are-deleting-their-period-tracking-apps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delete their period tracking apps</a>, on the premise that data fed to these apps could be used to prosecute them in states where abortion is illegal. At the same time, abortion clinics in New Mexico (where abortion remains legal) are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-mexico-shields-abortion-providers-ahead-expected-patient-surge-2022-06-27/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> bracing for an influx of women from US states. As someone who has served as a special agent for the United States Army and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and as a Senior Intelligence Officer with the US Defense Intelligence Agency, I can tell you deleting period tracking apps may not be enough for vulnerable women now. But there are some tools women can use to conceal their identities, should this be necessary – the same tools once reserved for professional spies. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Menstrual tracking app Stardust is one of Apple’s top three most-downloaded free apps right now. It’s also one of few apps that has said it will voluntarily—without being legally required to—comply with law enforcement if it’s asked to share user data. <a href="https://t.co/sJ17VAiLvp">https://t.co/sJ17VAiLvp</a> — Motherboard (@motherboard) <a href="https://twitter.com/motherboard/status/1541456351414583297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote> The privacy myth Apart from espionage, the emergence of the internet created a new impetus for widespread data collection by data aggregators and marketers. The modern surveillance economy grew out of a desire to target products and services to us as effectively as possible. Today, massive swathes of personal information are extracted from users, 24/7 – making it increasingly difficult to remain unmasked. Data aggregation is used to assess our purchasing habits, track our movements, find our favourite locations and obtain detailed demographic information about us, our families, our co-workers and friends. Recent events have demonstrated how tenuous our privacy is. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/22/20926585/hong-kong-china-protest-mask-umbrella-anonymous-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protests in Hong Kong</a> have seen Chinese authorities use cameras to identify and arrest protesters, while police in the US deployed various technologies to identify <a href="https://theconversation.com/police-surveillance-of-black-lives-matter-shows-the-danger-technology-poses-to-democracy-142194" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Lives Matter</a> protesters. Articles appeared in Australian <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/06/29/protests-police-government-surveillance-how-to-avoid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media outlets</a> with advice on how to avoid being surveilled. And people were directed to websites, such as the <a href="https://www.eff.org/wp/behind-the-one-way-mirror" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a>, dedicated to informing readers about how to avoid surveillance and personal data collection. What we’ve learned from both spy history and more recent events is that data collection is not always overt and obvious; it’s often unseen and opaque. Surveillance may come in the form of <a href="https://theconversation.com/surveillance-cameras-will-soon-be-unrecognisable-time-for-an-urgent-public-conversation-118931" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cameras</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-hide-from-a-drone-the-subtle-art-of-ghosting-in-the-age-of-surveillance-143078" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drones</a>, automated number plate readers (<a href="https://theconversation.com/number-plate-recognition-the-technology-behind-the-rhetoric-17572" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ANPR/ALPR</a>), <a href="https://www.q-free.com/reference/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toll payment devices</a>, <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/publication/acoustic-surveillance-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acoustic collectors</a> and of course any internet-connected <a href="https://theconversation.com/smartphone-data-tracking-is-more-than-creepy-heres-why-you-should-be-worried-91110" target="_blank" rel="noopener">device</a>. In some cases when your fellow protesters upload images or videos, crowd-sourced intelligence becomes your enemy. Data deleted, not destroyed Recently, a lot of the focus has been on phones and apps. But deleting mobile apps will not prevent the identification of an individual, nor will turning off location services. Law enforcement and even commercial companies have the ability to access or track certain metrics including: <ul> <li>international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), which is related to a user’s mobile number and connected to their SIM card</li> <li>international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), which is directly related to their device itself.</li> </ul> Ad servers may also exploit device locations. Private companies can create advertisements targeting devices that are specific to a location, such as a women’s health clinic. And such “geofenced” ad servers can identify a user’s location regardless of whether their location settings are disabled. Further, anonymised phone track data (like call signals pinging off nearby towers) can be purchased from telecommunications providers and de-anonymised. Law enforcement can use this data to trace paths from, say, a fertility clinic to a person’s home or “bed down” location (the spy term for someone’s residence). The bottom line is your phone is a marker for you. A temporary cell phone with an overseas SIM card has been the choice for some people wishing to avoid such tracking. Adding to that, we recently saw headlines about <a href="https://theconversation.com/bunnings-kmart-and-the-good-guys-say-they-use-facial-recognition-for-loss-prevention-an-expert-explains-what-it-might-mean-for-you-185126" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facial recognition technology</a> being used in Australian retail stores – and America is no different. For anyone trying to evade detection, it’s better to swap bank cards for cash, stored-value cards or gift cards when making purchases. And using public transport paid with cash or a ride-share service provides better anonymity than using a personal vehicle, or even a rental. In the spy world, paying attention to one’s dress is critical. Spies change up their appearance, using what they call “polish”, with the help of reversible clothing, hats, different styles of glasses, scarves and even masks (which are ideally not conspicuous these days). In extreme cases, they may even use “appliances” to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-cias-former-chief-of-disguise-drops-her-mask-11576168327" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alter their facial characteristics</a>. Then again, while these measures help in the physical world, they do little to stop online detection. Digital stealth Online, the use of a virtual private network (<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-virtual-private-network-vpn-12741" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VPN</a>) and/or the onion browser, <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-the-dark-web-46070" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tor</a>, will help improve anonymity, including from internet service providers. Online you can create and use multiple personas, each with a different email address and “personal data” linked to it. Aliases can be further coupled with software that removes cookies and browser history, which will help conceal one’s online identity. One example is <a href="https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CCleaner</a>. This program removes privacy-violating cookies and internet history from your device, while improving your device’s privacy. There are also plenty of online applications that allow the use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-phish-food-tips-to-avoid-sharing-your-personal-information-online-138613" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporary email addresses</a> and phone numbers, and even temporary accommodation addresses for package deliveries. To some, these may seem like extreme privacy measures. However, given the widespread collection of identity data by commercial companies and governments – and the resultant collaboration between the two – there’s reason to be concerned for anyone wanting to fly under the radar. And for women seeking abortions in the US, these measures may be necessary to avoid prosecution. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Not to be that guy but it seems like it really should be bigger news that the national guard is now helping crack down on abortion protests <a href="https://t.co/DGh83in0Cm">https://t.co/DGh83in0Cm</a> — Read Wobblies and Zapatistas (@JoshuaPotash) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1541527897273409536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dennis-b-desmond-1252874" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dennis B Desmond</a>, Lecturer, Cyberintelligence and Cybercrime Investigations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of the Sunshine Coast</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-roe-v-wade-heres-how-women-could-adopt-spycraft-to-avoid-tracking-and-prosecution-186046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Legal

"Heartbroken": High-profile women react to landmark Roe v Wade decision

When the US Supreme Court made the landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday June 24, women across America and all around the world took to social media to express their anger, disgust, sadness and outrage. A range of celebrities and high-profile women spoke out over the decision, as they grieved the loss of fundamental women's right and bodily autonomy in the eyes of the law. Roe v. Wade was implemented to grant women in the US the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, regardless of their reasoning. The landmark abortion ruling, which has been in place since 1973, was officially overturned last week, meaning individual states in America now have the right to ban women from seeking legal abortions – which several states have now already done. Australian model Robyn Lawley made a statement on her Instagram as she wrote on her torso, "My body my choice". The model shared her disgust for the ruling, while also empathising with women living the US of the challenges they are about to face. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfOyiHmO1ud/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfOyiHmO1ud/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robyn Lawley (@robynlawley)</a> </div> </blockquote> Former First Lady Michelle Obama posted an emotional statement online, which has been shared millions of times by men and women alike who are in disarray over the ruling. In the statement she wrote, "I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land - a time when women risked their lives getting illegal abortions." "That is what our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers lived through, and now we are here again." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfMSJTKu_XY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfMSJTKu_XY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Michelle Obama (@michelleobama)</a> </div> </blockquote> Pop star Taylor Swift was one of the many who reposted Obama's message, adding, "I'm absolutely terrified that this is where we are – that after so many decades of people fighting for women's rights to their own bodies, today's decision has stripped us of that." Kim Kardashian echoed the thoughts of many as she shared that "In America, guns have more rights than women," as the overturning of Roe v. Wade has somehow taken priority over tighter gun restrictions, despite there being over <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/02/mass-shootings-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">250 mass shootings in 2022</a> so far. Hillary Clinton also chimed in on the decision, saying overturning Roe v. Wade is "a step backward". "Most Americans believe the decision to have a child is one of the most sacred decisions there is, and that such decisions should remain between patients and their doctors," Clinton said. "Today's Supreme Court opinion will live in infamy as a step backward for women's rights and human rights." Everyday women across America shared their fear over the ruling, with many encouraging others to delete their period tracking apps, to have real conversations with their partners about their intimacy, and to start savings accounts to travel out of their state for an abortion if needed. As protestors took to the steps of the Supreme Court to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade, online spaces were dominated with anger, as "my body, my choice" began trending on Twitter and became the battle cry for the women of the United States and around the world. Image credits: Getty Images

Body

Queen’s private jet forced to abort landing

A plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II was forced to abandon its initial landing due to severe weather conditions. The pilot was due to land at RAF Northolt, about 20km from Windsor Castle, after leaving Aberdeen but was unable to because of a severe electrical storm, rain and hail. The plane remained in the air for an extra 15 minutes before the pilot successfully pulled off a second attempt at landing. The 96-year-old monarch was then taken to Windsor Castle to prepare for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations that will run until June 5. Revellers have already begun camping outside the castle hoping to get a glimpse of the royals during the exciting days ahead. The Platinum Jubilee will kick off with Trooping the Colour Parade on Thursday. It remains unclear how many events the Queen will attend due to her mobility issues, with the Palace no longer announcing whether she will attend an event in person until the day. Instead, it is assumed that her son Prince Charles, 73, will take her place as he has been doing for quite some time. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

US Senate to vote on abortion rights bill – but what would it mean to codify Roe into law?

The U.S. Senate is <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/11/1097980529/senate-to-vote-on-a-bill-that-codifies-abortion-protections-but-it-will-likely-f">expected to vote on May 11, 2022</a>, on a bill that would enshrine the right to an abortion into law. The Democrats’ bill, the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3755/text">Women’s Health Protection Act</a>, isn’t expected to pass – a previous attempt was blocked by the Senate. But it reflects attempts by abortion rights advocates to find alternative ways to protect a woman’s right to the procedure following the publication of a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473">leaked draft opinion</a> from Justice Samuel Alito indicating that a majority on the Supreme Court intend to overturn Roe v. Wade. But is enshrining abortion rights via legislation feasible? And why has it not been done before? The Conversation put these questions and others to <a href="https://www.bu.edu/law/profile/linda-c-mcclain/">Linda C. McClain</a>, an expert on civil rights law and feminist legal theory at Boston University School of Law. What does it mean to ‘codify’ Roe v. Wade? In simple terms, to <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/codify#:%7E:text=To%20codify%20means%20to%20arrange,by%20subject%2C%20into%20a%20code.">codify something</a> means to enshrine a right or a rule into a formal systematic code. It could be done through an act of Congress in the form of a federal law. Similarly, state legislatures can codify rights by enacting laws. To codify Roe for all Americans, Congress would need to pass a law that would provide the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/us/what-is-roe-v-wade.html">same protections that Roe</a> did – so a law that states that women have a right to abortion without excessive government restrictions. It would be binding for all states. But here’s the twist: Despite some politicians saying that they want to “codify Roe,” Congress isn’t looking to enshrine Roe in law. That’s because <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18">Roe v. Wade</a> hasn’t been in place since 1992. The Supreme Court’s <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1991/91-744">Planned Parenthood. v. Casey</a> ruling affirmed it, but also modified it in significant ways. In Casey, the court upheld Roe’s holding that a woman has the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy up to the point of fetal viability and that states could restrict abortion after that point, subject to exceptions to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman. But the Casey court concluded that Roe too severely limited state regulation prior to fetal viability and held that states could impose restrictions on abortion throughout pregnancy to protect potential life as well as to protect maternal health – including during the first trimester. Casey also introduced the “<a href="https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/WWH-Undue-Burden-Report-07262018-Edit.pdf">undue burden” test</a>, which prevented states from imposing restrictions that had the purpose or effect of placing unnecessary barriers on women seeking to end a pregnancy prior to viability of the fetus. What is the Women’s Health Protection Act? Current efforts to pass federal legislation protecting the right to abortion center on the proposed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3755/text">Women’s Health Protection Act</a>, introduced in Congress by Rep. Judy Chu and sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Richard Blumenthal in 2021. It was passed in the House, but was <a href="https://time.com/6152473/abortion-roe-v-wade-democrats/">blocked in the Senate</a>. Democrats put the bill forward for a procedural vote again after Alito’s draft opinion was made public. Supporters of the bill are still expected to fall short of the votes they need. Rather, the vote is being used, in the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/10/1097820801/senate-democrats-plan-a-vote-on-abortion-rights-but-its-unlikely-to-pass">words of Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar</a>, “to show where everyone stands” on the issue. The legislation would build on the undue burden principle in Casey by seeking to prevent states from imposing unfair restrictions on abortion providers, such as insisting a <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/vbnqw4/abortion-clinics-are-closing-because-their-doorways-arent-big-enough">clinic’s doorway is wide enough</a> for surgical gurneys to pass through, or that <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/targeted-regulation-abortion-providers">abortion practitioners need to have admitting privileges</a> at nearby hospitals. The Women’s Health Protection Act uses the language of the Casey ruling in saying that these so-called TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) laws place an “undue burden” on people seeking an abortion. It also appeals to Casey’s recognition that “the ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives.” Has the right to abortion ever been guaranteed by federal legislation? You have to remember that Roe was very controversial from the outset. At the time of the ruling in 1973, most states had restrictive abortion laws. Up to the late 1960s, a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/gallup-poll-finds-public-divided-on-abortions-in-first-3-months.html">majority of Americans opposed abortion</a>. A poll at the time of Roe found the public evenly split over legalization. To pass legislation you have to go through the democratic process. But if the democratic process is hostile to what you are hoping to push through, you are going to run into difficulties. Under the U.S. system, certain liberties are seen as so fundamental that protecting them should not be left to the whims of changing democratic majorities. Consider something like interracial marriage. Before the Supreme Court ruled in <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1966/395">Loving v. Virginia State</a> that banning interracial marriages was unconstitutional, a number of states still banned such unions. Why couldn’t they pass a law in Congress protecting the right to marry? It would have been difficult because at the time, the <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/163697/approve-marriage-blacks-whites.aspx">majority of people were against</a> the idea of interracial marriage. When you don’t have sufficient public support for something – particularly if it is unpopular or affects a non-majority group – appealing to the Constitution seems to be the better way to protect a right. That doesn’t mean you can’t also protect that right through a statute, just that it is harder. Also, there is no guarantee that legislation passed by any one Congress isn’t then repealed by lawmakers later on. So generally, rights have more enduring protection if the Supreme Court rules on them? The <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/constitutional.aspx">Supreme Court has the final word</a> on what is and isn’t protected by the Constitution. In the past, it has been seen as sufficient to protect a constitutional right to get a ruling from the justices recognizing that right. But this leaked opinion also points out that one limit of that protection is that the Supreme Court may overrule its own precedents. Historically, it is unusual for the Supreme Court to take a right away. Yes, they said the <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537">Plessy v. Ferguson ruling</a> – which set up the legal basis for separate-but-equal – was wrong, and overruled it in <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483">Brown v. Board of Education</a>. But Brown recognized rights; it didn’t take rights away. If Alito’s draft ruling is to be the final word, the Supreme Court will be taking away a right that has been in place since 1973. For what I believe is the first time since the end of the Lochner era, the Supreme Court would be overriding precedent to take away a constitutional right from Americans. While Justice Alito notes that, in 1937, the Court overruled “an entire line” of cases protecting “an individual liberty right against federal health and welfare legislation,” that “right” to economic liberty and freedom of contract was as much one of businesses as much as for individuals. The Court has not overruled of the long line of cases (in which Roe and Casey fit) protecting “liberty” in making significant decisions about intimacy, sexuality, family, marriage, and reproduction. Moreover, the leaked opinion is dismissive of the idea that women have to rely on constitutional protection. “Women are not without electoral or political power,” <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/read-justice-alito-initial-abortion-opinion-overturn-roe-v-wade-pdf-00029504">Alito writes</a>, adding: “The percentage of women who register to vote and cast ballots is consistently higher than the percentage of men who do so.” But this ignores the fact that women <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/roe-v-wade-overturned-supreme-court-abortion-draft-alitos-legal-analys-rcna27205">rarely make up close to half</a> of the members of most state legislative bodies. So are the promises to get Congress to protect abortion rights realistic? Republicans in the Senate successfully blocked the proposed Women’s Health Protection Act. And unless things change dramatically in Congress, there isn’t much chance of the bill becoming law. There has been talk of trying to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-abortion-move-sparks-calls-ending-senates-filibuster-2022-05-04/">end the filibuster rule</a>, which requires 60 votes in the Senate to pass legislation. But even then, the 50 votes that would be needed might not be there. What we don’t know is how this Supreme Court leak will affect the calculus. Maybe some Republican senators will see that the writing is on the wall and vote with Democrats. Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski <a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senators-collins-and-murkowski-introduce-bill-to-codify-supreme-court-decisions-on-reproductive-rights_roe-v-wade-and-planned-parenthood-v-casey">introduced legislation</a> earlier this year that would codify Roe in law, but isn’t as expansive as the Women’s Health Protection Act. Senator Collins has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/05/sen-collins-voices-opposition-legislation-that-would-create-statutory-right-abortion/">recently indicated</a> that she will not support the Act out of concern for religious liberty of anti-abortion health providers. And then we have the midterm elections in November, which might shake up who’s in Congress. If the Democrats lose the House or fail to pick up seats in the Senate, the chances of pushing through any legislation protecting abortion rights would appear very slim. Democrats will be hoping that the Supreme Court ruling will mobilize pro-abortion rights voters. What is going on at a state level? Liberal states like Massachusetts have <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/policy/2020/12/29/massachusetts-senate-override-abortion-access/">passed laws that codify Roe v. Wade</a>. Now that the Supreme Court’s apparent intentions are known, expect similar moves elsewhere. Massachusetts and other states are looking to go a step further by <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/01/1095813226/connecticut-abortion-bill-roe-v-wade">protecting residents who help out-of-state women</a> seeking abortion. Such laws would seemingly counter moves by states like Missouri, which is seeking to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-03-11/editorial-missouri-might-make-it-illegal-to-help-a-woman-get-an-abortion-elsewhere-thats-ridiculous">push through legislation that would criminalize helping women</a> who go out of state for abortions. Wouldn’t any federal law just be challenged at the Supreme Court? Should Congress be able to pass a law enshrining the right to abortion for all Americans, then surely some conservative states will seek to overturn the law, saying that the federal government is exceeding its authority. If it were to go up to the Supreme Court, then conservative justices would presumably look unfavorably on any attempt to limit individual states’ rights when it comes to abortion. Similarly, any attempt to put in place a federal law that would restrict abortion for all would seemingly conflict with the Supreme Court’s position that it should be left to the states to decide. This is an updated version of an article <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-would-it-mean-to-codify-roe-into-law-and-is-there-any-chance-of-that-happening-182406">originally published on May 5, 2022</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182908/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linda-c-mcclain-1343287">Linda C. McClain</a>, Professor of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/boston-university-898">Boston University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-senate-to-vote-on-abortion-rights-bill-but-what-would-it-mean-to-codify-roe-into-law-182908">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Wordle changes answer amid abortion rights debate

The New York Times has swiftly changed the answer to its daily Wordle puzzle out of fear it would be interpreted politically amid the debate on abortion rights in the US. The wildly-popular browser-based game, which was bought by the masthead in January, gives users six attempts to guess a five letter word each day which is chosen in advance and at random by a computer program. On Monday, the Times scrambled to change Monday’s word which was “fetus”, using the American spelling. The word could have been seen as a controversial choice given the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/america-s-roe-v-wade-abortion-law-could-be-overturned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent leaked report</a> of a draft decision from the Supreme Court to overturn two laws that grant women the right to access abortions. In a message to readers on the same day, the newspaper said the word choice was “entirely unintentional and a coincidence”. “At New York Times Games, we take our role seriously as a place to entertain and escape, and we want Wordle to remain distinct from the news,” the message said. Monday’s word was changed and a spokesman said a “vast majority” of users saw that, save some who hadn’t refreshed their page and saw “fetus” instead. Many New Zealand users reported seeing “fetus”, according to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/wordle-answer-changed-to-avoid-fraught-word-ny-times-says/2ZONMXP5ZTIXJGVZR2YMJWHZPI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. However, Cohen wouldn’t say whether the Times received any complaints about the word choice. Image: Getty Images

Legal

America’s Roe v Wade abortion law could be overturned

Leaked US Supreme Court documents revealing that the Roe v Wade abortion law is set to be overturned have sparked outcry across the US - prompting protests and widespread debate online - and made headlines around the world. The documents, first published by <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> and <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/read-justice-alito-initial-abortion-opinion-overturn-roe-v-wade-pdf-00029504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared in their entirety</a>, contain a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that rejects two significant decisions for abortion rights: 1973’s Roe v Wade and the subsequent Planned Parenthood v Casey. Roe v Wade allowed women the right to access abortions during the first two trimesters, with restrictions in the second trimester. In 1992, Planned Parenthood v Casey replaced the trimester framework with restrictions depending on whether the foetus could survive outside the womb. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Thousands out in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoleySquare?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoleySquare</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbortionIsHealthcare?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbortionIsHealthcare</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BansOffOurBodies?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BansOffOurBodies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoeVWade?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoeVWade</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abortionrights?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abortionrights</a> <a href="https://t.co/4JS3vQ3nhp">pic.twitter.com/4JS3vQ3nhp</a> — Melissa Bender (@mbendernyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/mbendernyc/status/1521638278843273217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> In the leaked documents, Justice Alito wrote that Roe v Wade “was egregiously wrong from the start”. “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” he wrote in a document labelled as the ‘Opinion of the Court’. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” Where previous arguments to overturn the decision have stemmed from the rights of the foetus, Justice Alito reasoned that it has no ties to the US Constitution, which makes no reference to abortion rights specifically. “Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Consitution does not prohibit the citizens of each state from regulating or prohibiting abortion,” he wrote, noting that the right to an abortion isn’t “implicitly protected by any constitutional provision”. As a result, some experts are concerned that this reasoning could also see the right to contraception be targeted next, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2022/05/03/after-roe-v-wade-vote-access-to-contraception-could-be-under-scrutiny/?sh=2b09b0566a29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forbes</a>. Jamie Raskin, a constitutional scholar and Congressman, explained to the Rachel Maddow Show that Roe is based on an earlier case, Griswold v Connecticut, which struck down a law banning birth control and that overturning Roe and Casey could result in Griswold falling too. “We know there is a right-wing war on contraception now, but if Casey is to fall, if Roe v Wade is to fall, then Griswold v Connecticut, presumably, is to fall as well, because the word ‘contraception’ or ‘birth control’ doesn’t appear in the Constitution,” Mr Raskin said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> PSA: if Roe falls, your constitutional right to birth control will also be in jeopardy. This has never just been about abortion. It’s about controlling & criminalizing our bodies. — Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBarbaraLee/status/1518667259413245953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote> Aside from affecting family life, restricting access to birth control also has repercussions on women’s careers and salaries. Harvard economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/117269.pdf?casa_token=HuDCGE6BhzgAAAAA:0txAsdJnXKkosw8IWUugCK7SinBvLRsFfMWkbJ78jKDMb3RYZr_j83avLtoyRC7mcAQkFMpO4jaMid5sBJm2g-WlhlnbE-ikIdLHjhrwjQg_oUQ0TapA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have pointed out</a> that access to contraception and abortions prompted the increase in women who were ‘high-powered professionals’ since the 1970s. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/contraception-birth-control-access-contributes-to-womens-wage-increases-says-new-study.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another study</a> found that women with access to legal contraception earned 11 percent more by year by the time they turn 40, with the study authors suggesting that women can choose to delay having children and invest more in their education and occupation. Current and former leaders have since weighed in on the documents, with President Joe Biden arguing “basic fairness” demands the Supreme Court not overturn the decision, per <a href="https://time.com/6173002/joe-biden-abortion-fundamental-right/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TIME</a>. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker for the House of Representatives, described the potential decision as an “abomination”, as reported by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/03/supreme-court-roe-v-wade-draft-abortion-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>. “If the report is accurate, the supreme court is poised to inflict the greatest restriction of rights in the past 50 years - not just on women but on all Americans,” she said. “The Republican-appointed judges’ reported votes to overturn Roe v Wade would go down as an abomination, one of the worst and most damaging decisions in modern history.” Though the Supreme Court has confirmed that the leaked documents are authentic, a court statement has emphasised that the draft isn’t the judge’s final word and could change according to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-04/us-supreme-court-investigate-roe-v-wade-leak/101035852" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. Chief Justice John Roberts has also said he has ordered an investigation into the situation, which he called an “egregious breach of trust”. Image: Getty Images

Legal

“My darkest secret until now”: Uma Thurman’s emotional confession

Uma Thurman has shared her “darkest secret” in an emotional essay published this week in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/21/uma-thurman-abortion-law-texas/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>. The Kill Bill star criticised the Texas abortion ban after revealing she had an abortion in her “late teens”. Thurman shared her own experience in the hope of “drawing the flames of controversy away from the vulnerable women on whom this law will have an immediate effect”. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUGfL7TMVKT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUGfL7TMVKT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Uma Thurman (@umathurman)</a> </div> </blockquote> “This law is yet another discriminatory tool against those who are economically disadvantaged, and often, indeed, against their partners,” Thurman wrote. “Women and children of wealthy families retain all the choices in the world, and face little risk. “I am grief-stricken, as well, that the law pits citizen against citizen, creating new vigilantes who will prey on disadvantaged women, denying them the choice not to have children they are not equipped to care for, or extinguishing their hopes for the future family they might choose.” In her story, Thurman described how she fell pregnant by accident to “a much older man” while “living out of a suitcase in Europe, far from my family, and about to start a job”. After seeking advice from her parents, including her gravely ill mother, Thurman came to the decision that she would terminate the pregnancy. Thurman noted that she didn’t have the means to provide a stable home for a newborn at the time, and that her decision then allowed her to have children when she was ready. “The abortion I had as a teenager was the hardest decision of my life, one that caused me anguish then and that saddens me even now, but it was the path to the life full of joy and love that I have experienced,” she wrote. “Choosing not to keep that early pregnancy allowed me to grow up and become the mother I wanted and needed to be. “It has been my darkest secret until now. “I am 51 years old, and I am sharing it with you from the home where I have raised my three children, who are my pride and joy.” Thurman shares two children with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, and a daughter with ex-fiancé Arpad Busson. Thurman ended the piece by appealing to the women and girls affected by the controversial new law and sharing an inspiring message. “To all of you - to women and girls of Texas, afraid of being traumatised and hounded by predatory bounty hunters; to all women outraged by having our bodies’ rights taken by the state; and to all of you who are made vulnerable and subjected to shame because you have a uterus - I say: I see you. “Have courage. You are beautiful. You remind me of my daughters.” Image credit: @umathurman / Instagram

Caring

Prince William and Harry’s nanny compensated for abortion claims

The former nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry will reportedly be paid damages over claims BBC reporter Martin Bashir alleged she had an affair with Prince Charles that resulted in her aborting his child. Investigations into how Bashir secured the tell-all 1995 interview with Princess Diana found that Bashir had faked an abortion receipt for Tiggy Pettifer - née Legge-Bourke. Bashir told Diana that Charles was in love with the nanny, claiming the pair went on a holiday together for two weeks. A source told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/09/17/former-royal-nanny-offered-significant-damages-bbc-martin-bashir/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> that the BBC will pay Ms Pettifer £100,000 ($AUD 189,119) in damages after acknowledging the suffering that resulted from the false claims. “Tiggy Legge-Bourke was right at the centre of Bashir’s manipulation and it is right that the damage caused to her is recognised by the BBC,” the source told the publication. At the time of Bashir’s interview, Diana’s friend Rosa Monckton confirmed in The Daily Mail that Bashir’s claims had had a significant impact on the princess. “Diana changed from being very concerned with day-to-day matters, just like any normal friend, to suddenly becoming obsessed with plots against her,” she wrote at the time. Ms Monckton said Diana had also become “obsessed” with the idea that Prince Charles was having an affair with Ms Pettifer and believed claims the nanny was pregnant. The abortion and affair claims were some of the alleged underhanded methods Bashir used to secure the interview. Since the allegations have come to light, Bashir has stood down from the BBC. Ms Pettifer was hired by Prince Chales as a nanny shortly after he and Diana separated in 1993. Ms Pettifer would join the family on holidays and has maintained a close relationship with the royals, especially with the princes. She attended both of their weddings and was named as the godmother of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first child, Archie. Image: Getty

Legal

“Refuse to have sex with men”: Bette Midler’s response to new Texas law

Bette Midler has advised women to not have sex with men following the recent introduction of strict abortion laws in the US state of Texas. Midlers’ stern statement comes as the new law renders abortions “illegal” after six weeks. “I suggest that all women refuse to have sex with men until they are guaranteed the right to choose by Congress,” Midler tweeted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I suggest that all women refuse to have sex with men until they are guaranteed the right to choose by Congress. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/1433626916003586053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2021</a></blockquote> High profile stars shared their praise for Midler’s stance, with singer Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra’s daughter, replying “my dad actually suggested that decades ago”. Midler continued to speak about the issue, writing, “this isn’t about guns, speech, money or war. It’s about women, their lives, their bodies, and their autonomy.” “That’s what allowed the court to do shoddy work, with careless disregard, because who’s going to stop it? They only did the thing in the dead of night, without care or effort, because they believe women are so used to being gaslit that of course, they’ll just tolerate it,” she said. “They did the thing in the dead of night, without care or effort because they genuinely believe that they’re only women, and they deserve what they get.” The new law, known as SB8, prohibits abortions beyond the point where medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which usually occurs at around six weeks, before some women know they’re pregnant. The law also does not make exceptions for those who are pregnant as a result of incest or rape. Private citizens are allowed to sue abortion clinics if they suspect them of performing illegal abortions under the new law. Many celebrities have spoken out against the bill, with singer P!nk writing, “I stand in solidarity with people in (Texas) who, as of today, face an extreme 6-week abortion ban”. “The ban… will be the blueprint for bans across the US. Unless we do something about it,” she added. Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria Baston wrote: “It’s pretty simple. We should all be able to make decisions about our health & future. “But between (Texas’) extreme abortion ban & states passing a record number of abortion restrictions this year, we have to fight for everyone’s reproductive freedom.” The outcry from Midler and other celebrities comes as the US Justice Department sues Texas over the new law, arguing the law was enacted “in open defiance of the Constitution”. Image: Getty

Relationships

Passengers outrage as plane aborts take off at the final second twice

Passengers have spoken about the rage they felt after their flight aborted take-off at the final second twice in a row. Travellers were heading to Auckland from Kuala Lumpur when their flight came to a sudden stop, as the plane was unable to take off. Passengers were then put on another flight the following day, only for the same issue to happen again. One passenger was so distressed that an ambulance was called, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7858863/Malaysia-Airlines-flight-stops-just-seconds-twice-two-days.html">The Daily Mail</a>. Serjit Singh said that passengers jolted in their seats after the pilot slammed on the breaks. “I was in utter shock and disbelief. The exact same issue that was meant to have been fixed was not and the lives of all passengers and crew on board were risked,” Mr Singh told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12298558">New Zealand Herald</a>. “I told the head steward that I wanted to get off the plane immediately.” Staff were quick to assure passengers that the problem was being fixed, but passengers refused to board the plane again. “We refused and said we are not getting on the same plane and we are not to be used as crash test dummies. This was the collective view of the entire flight,” Singh said. The plane landed in Auckland 24 hours later than they were expected and passengers have not received an apology from the airline.

Travel Trouble

“Completely deluded”: Fiery backlash after Israel Folau linked Aussie bushfires to abortion and same-sex marriage

Ex-Wallabies star Israel Folau ruffled feathers after claiming that the bushfires that have devastated Australia and left six dead are God’s punishment for legalising abortion and same-sex marriage. The 10-minute recording has Folau, 30, saying that the timing of the bushfire crisis is no coincidence, but a taste of God’s judgement should nothing change. “I’ve been looking around at the events that’s been happening in Australia, this past couple of weeks, with all the natural disasters, the bushfires and the droughts,” he says. He then reads from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible: “The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore, earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.” Folau continued with his sermon, saying that it’s okay to “murder” unborn children. “The events that have happened here in Australia, in the last couple of years – God’s word says for a man and a woman to be together … they’ve come and changed this law,” he says. “Abortion, it’s OK now to murder, kill infants, unborn children.” “Look how rapid these bushfires these droughts, all these things have come in a short period of time. Do you think it’s a coincidence or not? “God is speaking to you guys. Australia, you need to repent and take these laws and turn it back to what is right.” Many have hit back at his comments, including a Twitter account run by “God”. “Don’t tell me how to do My job, Izzy. I don’t go to your job and … oh wait, you don’t have a job anymore,” the Twitter account “TheTweetofGod” wrote. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Don't tell me how to do My job, Izzy. I don't go to your job and... oh wait, you don't have a job anymore. <a href="https://t.co/B9nnjYNg5l">https://t.co/B9nnjYNg5l</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/smh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@smh</a> — God (@TheTweetOfGod) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTweetOfGod/status/1196232777676386305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 November 2019</a></blockquote> Hillsong Church Founder Brian Houston tweeted a message of support to Australians impacted by the bushfires, with a shot at Folau saying: “Pray for your Nation, don’t condemn it.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Pray for your Nation, don’t condemn it. 🇦🇺 John 3:17. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” <a href="https://t.co/MWT0cSGXB3">https://t.co/MWT0cSGXB3</a> — Brian Houston (@BrianCHouston) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianCHouston/status/1196323979134263297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 November 2019</a></blockquote> Ex-Ireland rugby player Allan Quinlan told Off The Ball that Folau has “lost the plot”. “It’s becoming sad at this stage. This guy is obviously completely deluded,” Quinlan said. “It’s shocking bulls*** that he is continuously preaching to people. Some will argue that it is just him preaching in his church, but he knows it is going to get out. “I’d say now, aside from believing any of this stuff, he’s damaging his case against Rugby Australia even more so, and I don’t think he’ll ever win that case. “People talk about free speech, but this is crazy speech. He’s saying it is out of love, but people have died here – Jesus, did you ever hear such crap in all your life?! There’s no way back for this guy now.” Even Prime Minister Scott Morrison denounced the comments from Folau. “I thought these were appallingly insensitive comments,” Morrison said to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/fiery-reaction-after-israel-folau-links-australian-bushfires-to-same-sex-marriage/news-story/35d07139e6ba4b69fae67a3388071a97" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “They were appalling comments and he is a free citizen, he can say whatever he likes. But that doesn’t mean he can’t have regard to the grievous offence this would have caused to people whose homes have been burnt down. “And I’m sure to many Christians around Australia for whom that is not their view at all and who’s thoughts and prayers, let me stress, are very much with those who are suffering.”

News

“God is speaking to you”: Israel Folau preaches that bushfires and drought are God’s punishment for abortion and same-sex marriage

Israel Folau has caused further outrage by suggesting that the current bushfires and drought that is ravaging Australia is God’s punishment for legalising same-sex marriage and abortion. Folau spoke at The Truth of Jesus Christ Church in Kenshurt, north west of Sydney. “The message I mainly want to speak about today is mainly for the people who are outside within the world,” he began. “I’ve been looking around at the events that have been happening around Australia in the last couple of weeks with the bushfires and the droughts and all these things that are currently happening.” "I'm doing this out of love for people to be able to hear this message and receive it with open hearts." He said that Australians could solve the problems within the country by repealing these laws. "I am speaking to Australia - they have changed this law and changed the ordinance," he said. "They have changed that law and legalised same-sex marriage and now those things are okay in society, going against the laws of what God says. “Abortion - it's okay now to murder and kill infants, unborn children, and they deem that to be okay,” he continued. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F592277641115135%2Fvideos%2F528446637884157%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> "This scripture is speaking to Australia. You have changed the law and changed the ordinance. Look how rapid these bushfires, these droughts, all these things that came in a short period time. "You think it's a coincidence or not? God is speaking to you guys, Australia, you need to repent and you need to take these laws and turn it back to following what is right by God, what God says in his word." Many people have been outraged by his comments, as four people have died in NSW alone and bushfires continue to threaten homes in NSW and QLD. However, Folau warned that the worst is yet to come. "What you see out there in the world, it's only a little taste of what God's judgment is like," he said. "The news now are saying that these bushfires are the worst they've ever seen in Australia - they haven’t even seen anything." Longtime supporter and 2GB radio host Alan Jones is usually a fan of Folau, but has quickly urged him to “button up”. “Israel is a lovely human being, I know him well. Israel, button up. Button up. “These comments don’t help.”

News

Barnaby Joyce continues to spread abortion lie

Politician Barnaby Joyce continues to make his stance on the decriminalisation of the abortion bill in NSW known as he said that pro-choice activists said “throw the foetus in the bin” while protesting. He repeated the claims to Sunrise. "The pro-side is walking down the street saying 'we will fight, we will win, throw the foetus in the bin'. It just feels evil." However, there is video footage posted by Joyce himself proving that the protesters are chanting “put the bigots in the bin”. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBarnabyJoyceMP%2Fvideos%2F1219144111619029%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="463" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Joyce also links to a video posted by LifeChoice Australia, where you can hear the protesters chanting. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLifeChoiceAu%2Fvideos%2F676717269473334%2F&show_text=0&width=476" width="476" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Despite the captions on the video saying “Put the foetus in the bin”, if you listen closely, they are chanting “put the bigots in the bin”. Women who attended the protest told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/ginarushton/barnaby-joyce-abortion-rally-chant" target="_blank">Buzzfeed News</a> that the chant was misquoted. "The chant was 'we will fight, we will win, put the bigots in the bin'," Sydney woman Chloe Barron said. "The word foetus was not used," she said. "It never left my mouth and I didn't hear it once."

News

“Not OK”: Ben Fordham criticised for posing inappropriate question to NSW Premier

Federal Minister for Women Marise Payne has slammed a Sydney radio host after he asked a question to New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian or whether she would have an abortion. Sitting down with 2GB host, Ben Fordham, Berejiklian was grilled about the bill to decriminalise abortion that is before the state’s parliament. The Premier has been heavily criticised as accusations have been made against her saying she tried to rush the bill through Parliament, with members of her own government furious as to how she handled the situation. During the interview, Fordham asked Berejiklian whether she would ever consider having an abortion. “I can’t speak for what circumstances I’d be faced with,” she said. “I don’t want to make people feel guilty who have had to go down that path. “I’m not someone who’d be comfortable going through that process, but that’s just me, I can’t speak for other women.” Senator Payne was angered by the interview, saying it was inappropriate to ask such an invasive question. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask anyone publicly, male or female, about sensitive health questions like that and it’s not OK,” she told the ABC’s Insider program on Sunday. The exchange between Fordham and Berejiklian went as follows: Fordham: Under no circumstances? Berejiklian: I can't speak for, I can't speak… Fordham: But within, Gladys, Gladys from Willoughby or wherever you live… Berejiklian: But I can't, but heaven forbid, I've not been in a situation where I've had to contemplate that, and nor would I. But I can't make a vote according to me and my beliefs, I cast my vote because I know other people don't have the life experiences I've had, don't have my beliefs. Fordham: You didn't want your faith or your personal beliefs to flow over into everyone else's views. Berejiklian: That's right. Fordham: But for the record, your own personal view. Not your parliamentary view, or your Premier view. Berejiklian: My personal view is I'm a very conservative person who would not feel comfortable in having that process, but that is just me, and it's not fair for me … and Ben, you've been naughty in pushing me to say that, because I don't want anyone to feel guilty about decisions they've made, because I'm not in their shoes. Senator Payne, who is currently the most senior woman in the federal Liberal Party due to also being Foreign Minister, said that the bill should be left up to New South Wales politicians to decide. “But I do think it’s appropriate for that matter to be decriminalised in New South Wales, yes.”

Body

Barnaby Joyce threatens to quit the National Party over abortion debate

Barnaby Joyce has said he will quit the National Party if his party members declare they have lost faith in him. The former Nationals leader told <a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/barnaby-joyce-threatens-to-quit-the-nationals-party-over-abortion-c-414112">7 News</a> that he will resign from the party and sit on the crossbench as an independent to ruin Scott Morrison’s one-seat majority in federal parliament if at least four members of the state Nationals make public statements saying they no longer support him. The statement came after fellow members of the NSW Nationals reportedly discussed the idea of expelling Joyce over his involvement in the campaign against changes to abortion laws. “I am not going to deal with another whisper campaign,” Joyce told <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/08/22/barnaby-joyce-switch-crossbench-abortion/">The New Daily</a>. “Come out and say in public that you want me out. I believe I am entitled to that.” While many of the Nationals in the state parliament support <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/barnaby-joyce-threatens-to-quit-the-nationals-party/news-story/4fac8fe39d20b1b555e77d8512063d31" target="_blank">taking abortion out of the criminal code</a>, Joyce has continued to make his anti-abortion stance known. Earlier this week, Joyce gave a speech at an anti-abortion rally outside parliament, claiming the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill “is not a reflection of a civilised society”. After reports emerged that his colleagues explored the idea of ousting him over his ongoing campaign against the bill, Joyce told 7 News, “Let’s get out from behind the shrubs and say it publicly … If we can get four [party members] at a press conference to say so, then I will resign.” As a federal MP, Joyce could not vote on the NSW bill. Earlier this week, premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters, “The NSW parliament is for NSW parliamentarians to get views from their communities, to look at their own consciences and vote accordingly. “This is an issue for NSW MPs.” Joyce’s youngest daughter has also <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.whitsundaytimes.com.au/news/dont-support-you-daughter-lashes-joyce/3812326/" target="_blank">slammed her father’s stance on abortion</a>, with the teenager sharing an article titled “Barnaby Joyce leads Sydney anti-abortion protest” on Instagram and adding her comment: “Once again, I do not support you.”

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Critics slam Barnaby Joyce’s controversial anti-abortion speech

arnaby Joyce has landed himself in hot water after he used the birth of his infant son as a reason as to why abortion should not be decriminalised in NSW. He made the statement to the House on Thursday just before Question Time regarding the bill, which will be discussed in state parliament next week. If it passes, NSW will become the last state to decriminalise abortion. Critics were quick to condemn his argument, which involved the second birth of his son Tom. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> In politics you have to fight the hard fights not just easy ones. I believe the other side of this debate is not being heard and I have a duty to ventilate it. This legislation must go to a committee so others can have the same right, to ventilate an alternate view. <a href="https://t.co/2BQciRChth">pic.twitter.com/2BQciRChth</a> — Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) <a href="https://twitter.com/Barnaby_Joyce/status/1156795801646985216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">1 August 2019</a></blockquote> Joyce’s statement can be seen below. “On the first of June, Vikki’s and my son Tom took his first breath. This was not the start of his life. The reality is, he was part of this world for some time and was merely passing from one room to another,” the former deputy prime minister said. “We have, and had, an absolute responsibility to Tom, but we never owned him. He was more than merely a property right. He was a person. “He attained this indivisible right by being alive long before he was born. Tom had rights even though he was not conscious of them. They should not be removed by a parliament. He committed no crime. “The hour of birth is an arbitrary point in modern medicine. “Inside the womb, Tom kicked, punched, grabbed his umbilical cord, felt pain, slept and dreamt. With ultrasound he was most certainly seen in real human form. “To say he didn’t have the rights of other human life is to say he must be subhuman. “I don’t believe that any person, any doctor, any parliament, has the power today to declassify another person as less than human, and by so doing removing their fundamental right to be alive. “In the NSW parliament they are debating whether Tom had no classification of human rights. Whether before his umbilical cord was cut, he was subhuman,” Joyce finished. After his statement, Labor MPs erupted, shouting at him to “sit down”. Many on Twitter took issue with Joyce’s statement. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Just when you thought the world has had enough white, middle aged men preaching about abortion...enter Barnaby.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://t.co/2IulI5WC39">https://t.co/2IulI5WC39</a> — Nick Squillari (@N_Squillari) <a href="https://twitter.com/N_Squillari/status/1156813832867594241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">1 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Many people welcome a developing pregnancy and an ensuing healthy baby, <a href="https://twitter.com/Barnaby_Joyce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Barnaby_Joyce</a>, but not all. Abortion is a reasonable choice, for some <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/qt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#qt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChildrenxChoice2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChildrenxChoice2019</a> — Jim Little (@JimLittle1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimLittle1/status/1156794020808417280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">1 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> If you don’t have a uterus it’s none of your damn business — That Dr Sheep Person🌱💧 (@noplaceforsheep) <a href="https://twitter.com/noplaceforsheep/status/1156851646250405888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">1 August 2019</a></blockquote> However, Joyce stands firm in his opinion saying that he believes that the “other side of this debate is not being heard and I have a duty to ventilate it”.

Family & Pets

Crisis averted as British Airways jumbo aborts landing

A dramatic video shows the pilot of a British Airways A380 aborting a landing when the plane is just feet above the ground. Footage captured at Vancouver International Airport in Canada shows just how close the flight from London Heathrow came to touching down, appearing to "float" along the runway before performing a go around. An airline captain told the Mail Online the missed landing was likely due to pilot misjudgement. "I would say that the pilot put in too much elevator input at 50ft meaning that the aircraft 'floated' along the runway rather than continuing down to touchdown," he said. "Once beyond the end of the touchdown zone the pilots rightly elected to go around - a normal flight manoeuvre practiced every six months in the flight simulator and briefed before the approach commences. "So, it looks cool but isn't dangerous by any means." On the second attempt, the A380 made a safe landing. How scary! We’re glad the pilots were able to make a successful landing on their second attempt. Have you ever had a close call in the air? Let us know in the comments. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/03/strange-and-unique-airports/">7 strange and unique airports</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/04/landing-plane-on-bhutan-paro-airport-runway/">The world’s most difficult runway to land</a> <a href="/travel/travel-tips/2016/06/passengers-share-their-worst-ever-travel-experiences/">Passengers share their worst ever travel experiences</a>

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Barnaby Joyce threatens to quit the National Party over abortion debate

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