By Sarah Dougherty
● On May 20th, 2021, Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, agreed to a ceasefire that would take effect on May 21st, 2021, 2 a.m. This comes after a week of conflict and violence that took the lives of hundreds, primarily Palestinians. In a speech calling for a ceasefire, the Secretary General stated “If there is a hell on Earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza today.” Later, the news of the ceasefire prompted many celebrations, yet skepticism, in Tel Aviv and Gaza. As of May 22nd, the truce, which is being brokered by Egypt, has appeared to be holding. (CNN)
● At University of Oregon, COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for students and employees starting fall term, according to a May 10th announcement. However, those that would like to be exempt to the requirement for medical, religious, philosophical, or other reasons will be able to do so. You can find information on on-campus vaccination clinics at: https://coronavirus.uoregon.edu/vaccination-clinics.
● On May 19th, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a “heartbeat bill” that bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. As this could be as early as 6 weeks, the law makes Texas the largest state to ban abortion at such an early stage in pregnancy. It is especially limiting, as many women do not know they are pregnant this early and there will not be exceptions for rape or incest, only medical emergencies. Additionally, the bill is unique in that people will be able to sue abortion providers and those that help women who receive an abortion after the detected heartbeat. After news broke, the newly signed law caused a stir on social media and has prompted many to speak out on the pro-choice movement. (NPR)
● Due to the pandemic, Pride month celebrations will largely be virtual or in small gatherings. Last year, NYC’s Pride organization canceled their in-person event to go virtual, which happened to be the 50th anniversary of Pride. This June, though, there will be mostly virtual events, such as movie nights and a rally in New York, a streaming concert in Los Angeles, and movie nights in San Francisco. (NBC)
Comments