Originally published by Jeffrey Collins COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — At first glance, the all-male South Carolina Senate subcommittee deciding whether to approve a proposal to remove the sales tax from feminine hygiene products was a reminder that as recently as 2012 the state had no women in its Senate. But progress is being made. The election of a sixth woman to the 46-member Senate in January pulled South Carolina up from last place in the U.S. in the percentage of women in its upper chamber. No one noted the composition of the all-male Senate Finance subcommittee and they listened to f ..read more

Originally published by Emily Reynolds for BPS There are numerous topics we’re advised not to bring up in polite conversation — sex, religion, and politics being just a few examples. Yet although the latter topic is often seen as needlessly provocative, the idea of ‘talking across the divide’ remains compelling, with many regularly seeking to engage with (and sometimes change) views outside of their own political circles. There are even regular columns in national newspapers that ask whether we can bridge our political differences and find common ground. Often, the answer is yes. So ..read more

Originally published by Jennifer Barton for TASB A recent Education Week article highlights the range of biases that women leaders experience when serving in top positions. Disparity in Women Leadership Women Leading Ed, a network of superintendents committed to expanding the ranks of women leaders, surveyed 110 women in educational leadership roles between November 2023 and January 2024. Positions included superintendents, central office leaders, and state education officials. While current research shows the number of women leaders is growing, the disparity between women and men is still ev ..read more

Originally published by Errin Haines for The 19th Call it The Year of the Woman for college basketball.  This week, an average of 18.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the women’s NCAA championship game, setting a record and eclipsing the ratings for the men’s championship for the first time in tournament history. (See what I did there?) The tournament also set records for attendance. More than half a century after the landmark Title IX legislation clearing the way for gender equity in college sports, the women’s game is having a hard-fought, well-deserved moment.&nb ..read more

Originally published by for the New York Times Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Marian Sousa moved to California to care for the children of her sister Phyllis Gould, who had gone to work as a welder in a Bay Area shipyard. Just a year later, Ms. Sousa, at 17 years old, joined the wartime work force herself, drafting blueprints and revising outdated designs for troop transports. Wearing a hard hat and with a clipboard in hand, she would accompany maritime inspectors on board ships she’d helped design and examine the product of her labors. She and her sister were just two of the ..read more

Originally published by Cheyanne McDaniels for The Hill A new generation of Black women is seeking to bring change and diversity to the GOP as the party looks to broaden its appeal with constituencies that have long shunned it.  While Black women have made history in numerous political areas over the last four years — including Vice President Harris, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sen. Laphonza Butler — most have been aligned with the Democratic Party.  But in recent years, Black women have increasingly made inroads in the Republican Party, signa ..read more

Originally published by Katelyn Burns for MSNBC This year’s NCAA women’s college basketball tournament was the most watched — and arguably the most successful — women’s college sporting event in history. Millions tuned in to see whether the South Carolina Gamecocks would achieve a perfect championship season, to see how much Iowa Hawkeyes legend Caitlin Clark would light up the scoreboard in her second straight finals appearance and whether her final college game would be a victory. But on Saturday, the eve of the national championship game, which  ..read more

Originally published by Maggie Brown for WIS The South Carolina Judicial Merit Selection Commission announced its six candidates for the next open state supreme court seat. In South Carolina, the supreme court is chosen by the commission, which is made up of 10 people. Six of those members are elected representatives from the house and senate. Four of the members are not representatives. Justice Donald Beatty ― who has reached the South Carolina Supreme Court’s age limit ― is retiring this year. After his retirement, Justice John Kittridge will become chief and take Beatty’s place. The six ca ..read more

Originally published by Katie Martin and Alix Sullivan for Governing The makeup of city councils nationwide tends to change every four years because of resignations, the election of new members and term limits, among other reasons. A review of 15 large-city councils by The Pew Charitable Trusts highlights some major changes in 2024, particularly in the share of seats held by women. The analysis provides a snapshot of the city councils in Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; San Antonio; San Diego; San Jose, Calif ..read more

Originally published by Zachary Roth And John Cole for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star This year’s presidential election will be the first since generative AI — a form of artificial intelligence that can create new content, including images, audio, and video — became widely available. That’s raising fears that millions of voters could be deceived by a barrage of political deepfakes. But, while Congress has done little to address the issue, states are moving aggressively to respond — though questions remain about how effective any new measures to combat AI-created disinformation will be. “I thin ..read more