Organizers of the Next Millenium Conference opened the four-day domestic violence awareness event yesterday with a videotaped address by First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who declared, "Citizens and governments around the world will recognize that domestic violence is not a custom, it is a crime."
More than 2,000 domestic violence experts, survivors, and advocates assembled for the Chicago conference, which was organized by the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) are just two of the conference's scheduled speakers.
Anna Belle Burleson of Austin, Texas, is one of the many domestic violence survivors participating in the conference. After 10 years in an abusive marriage, Burleson finally was prompted to leave after she "looked death in the face." Burleson explained, "The last time I was assaulted, it was very severe and I realized that if I did not get out of this relationship, I was going to be murdered." Burleson is now divorced and works tirelessly on behalf of other domestic violence survivors.
6/18/2013 Supreme Court Strikes Down Proof of Citizenship Voter Requirements - On Monday, the United States Supreme Court struck down an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before being allowed register to vote.
In an opinion written [PDF] by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that the Arizona statute violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA, also known as the "Motor Voter Law") of 1993, which created a federal form that individuals can mail in to register to vote in federal elections. . . .
6/18/2013 Pakistani Women's University Bus, Hospital Bombed - A bus for a women's university in Pakistan and the hospital that treated victims from the blast were bombed on Saturday, killing 14 students and 24 others at the hospital.
The bus was transporting female students and teachers from Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University in Quetta, located in the southwestern part of Pakistan. . . .
6/18/2013 Taliban Attack In Afghan Capital As NATO Transfers Power - Yesterday, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) transferred responsibility for the country's security forces to the Afghan government after a bomb blast targeting a political official left three civilians dead in Kabul. . . .