A short round up of quotes and facts you may have missed in the news.
Quotes:
“My relatives and friends had been poisoned, my government wants me dead, but I don’t regret anything. If Pussy Riot’s story can inspire a new generation of rebels, it was all not in vain.”
Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot on deadline.com
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost. I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to.”
Taraji P. Henson during a SiriusXM interview with Gayle King
“As a child of immigrants…I don’t need a dream. I need to know that I can have dental, and I can get an eye exam once a year.”
“It is finally time for me to raise my voice and speak out, and my fans deserve to hear it directly from me. No more conspiracy, no more lies—just me owning my past, present, and future.”
Britney Spears reflecting on her memoir, The Woman in Me, in People
“While I enjoy an incredible career full of opportunity that I have fought hard for…I know that the vast reality for Latinos in this industry is that it’s as difficult today as it was 16 or even 22 years ago when I started out.”
Stats
5
Number of female professors who filed a class-action lawsuit in 2023 against Vassar College claiming they were paid differently based on gender
1 in 5
Number of abortions performed in the first half of 2023 that involved someone who traveled across state lines.
16.7%
Average U.S. tariff rate for women’s clothing, whereas men’s clothing is taxed at only 13.6%.
67%
Percentage of people killed in the Gaza War between October 7 and November 22 estimated to be women and children, according to UN-Women.
Good News/Bad News
Good News: The Professional Women’s Hockey League kicked off its first inaugural 72-game season on January 1, 2024.
Bad News: The league took years to get going after a series of past startup women’s hockey organizations—beginning in 1999—folded due to lack of funding and support.
TARAJI P. HENSON PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANIQWA JARVIS; AYO EDEBIRI PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA LOPEZ; AMERICA FERRERA IMAGE COURTESY OF THEATREPIX / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
