THE BIG STORY
The bar exam is incredibly difficult to pass. It's even harder for those who are pregnant or nursing. |
Maddie Abuyuan / BuzzFeed News; Courtesy Estefania Parra Simmons; Getty Images; The State Bar of California |
Today, law school graduate Estefania Parra Simmons will take the California bar exam to become a licensed attorney for the second time. Since the first time she took the test, Parra has given birth — but she will not be allowed longer breaks to accommodate the physical toll of nursing. In February 2021, Parra endured severe pain during the two-day exam while six months pregnant; now, she'll be unable to pump milk for her 1-year-old child outside the allotted test breaks. "My boobs are going to harden, they become like rocks," Parra told BuzzFeed News. "And it really hurts — it's like little needles being stuck into your boob." The bar is famously arduous, anxiety-provoking, and difficult to pass. Less than 40% of people passed the California exam Parra took in 2021. But for pregnant or nursing test takers, one of the biggest challenges can be accessing the accommodations they need. The rules for accommodations vary widely by state — and even for meticulous future lawyers, the process can be perplexing and unforgiving. As a result, parents regularly have their requests denied, putting them at a disadvantage that can hinder them in beginning their careers. The inflexible exam schedule can also mean they're unable to express human milk as often as they need to, leaving them at risk for health complications including painfully engorged breasts, a reduced milk supply, clogged ducts, or even bacterial infection. "It sounds hyperbolic, but it's basically saying to someone, 'You can either be a mom or you can be a lawyer — which one do you choose?" said one advocate for mothers in the legal field. |
STAYING ON TOP OF THIS "In this sense nobody is safe" |
- Russian gas company Gazprom announced on Monday it's severely cutting supply to a pipeline in Germany. EU leaders plan to meet today to discuss the possibility of a winter with unpredictable gas supplies from Moscow, the New York Times reports.
- Moldova, which borders Ukraine, fears an invasion by Russia. "If a country can start an annexation war without any regard for, you know, international law, then in this sense nobody is safe, and I think that a lot of countries are worried," Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita told CNN.
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Meme creators want to meme in peace without being blacklisted. At a protest outside Instagram's NYC headquarters, one organizer said that "having the income that I make through having my platform is what keeps me afloat and gives me the potential to be an autonomous artist who isn't stuck in corporate hell." Kate Moss gave a rare interview and said she knows "the truth" about Johnny Depp after defending him in his lawsuit against Amber Heard. In May, Moss testified against claims that Depp once pushed her down a flight of stairs while they were dating in the mid-1990s.
An exclusive interview with the infamous nightmare oyster mascot. We spoke with the terrifying mascot for the Halifax Oyster Festival about gender fluidity, hot shuckers, and whether or not she plans to destroy humankind.
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WHITE COAT PROTEST Michigan medical students walked out of their white coat ceremony in protest of an anti-abortion speaker |
Brendan Scorpio / Via Twitter: @PEScorpiio |
Seconds before a University of Michigan keynote speaker began her speech on Sunday, medical students got up and walked out during their white coat ceremony in protest of her anti-abortion views. The speech by Dr. Kristin Collier continued despite a smaller and stunned audience. Collier is a primary care physician at the University of Michigan Canton Health Center, as well as a clinical assistant professor and the director of the medical school's Health, Spirituality, and Religion Program. She is not speaking to the press, according to the university. Prior to the ceremony, students discovered Collier had shared anti-abortion views on her public Twitter account and in interviews with media. Students put together a petition signed by 420 people including current and incoming students, physicians, alumni, and more, calling on the school to choose someone else to deliver the keynote address.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, 26 states are now expected to ban abortion early in pregnancy or outright, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Seven states, including Texas and Mississippi, have already revoked abortion access. On Monday, Indiana's state legislature began a two-week-long special session on abortion, with multiple bills expected to limit further access.
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A CASE OF YOU Joni Mitchell performed in public for the first time in nine years |
Canadian folk icon Joni Mitchell surprised and stunned fans on Sunday when she showed up at Rhode Island's Newport Folk Festival to perform a set full of her biggest hits. Mitchell first appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967 and then again in 1969, but this was her first time back in over 50 years. With the help of stars like Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd, and Allison Russell, Mitchell crooned through songs like "A Case of You" and "Big Yellow Taxi." She also performed a gut-wrenching rendition of "Both Sides Now," during which Wynonna Judd could be seen weeping openly behind Mitchell, just months after her mother Naomi Judd died. Mitchell had an almost fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. In order to be able to perform after her aneurysm, Mitchell explained to CBS Mornings that she had to relearn how to play the guitar from scratch by watching videos online. "You have to learn all these things by rote again," Mitchell said. "You're going back to infancy almost. You've got to relearn everything." |
I hope today is steady and sweet for you, Alexa |
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