NEW YORK — Diahann Carroll, the Oscar-nominated actress and singer who won critical acclaim as the first black woman to star in a non-servant role in a TV series as "Julia," has died. She was 84. Carroll's daughter, Susan Kay, told The Associated Press her mother died Friday in Los...
Marjaree Mason Center Unveils Top 10 Women Honorees
Marjaree Mason Center has announced the honorees for its 36th Annual Top Ten Professional Women and Leading Business Awards. Ten women and one local business made the list unveiled by the center, Fresno County's only dedicated provider of domestic violence shelter and support services. The honorees include Lindsay Callahan, president and...
R. Kelly Pleads Not Guilty to Sexually Abusing Women, Girls
NEW YORK — R&B singer R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges he sexually abused women and girls who attended his concerts. The 52-year-old Kelly was denied bail in a New York City courtroom packed with his supporters. He appeared sullen as prosecutors told Magistrate Judge Steven Tiscione...
Saudi Arabia Allows Women to Travel Without Male Consent
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia on Friday published new laws that loosen restrictions on women by allowing all citizens — women and men alike — to apply for a passport and travel freely, ending a long-standing guardianship policy that had controlled women's freedom of movement. The new laws,...
Should Deputies Provide Security for Men-Only Bohemian Club?
SAN FRANCISCO — An annual retreat in California put on by an elite club whose ranks included former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and powerful business leaders is facing scrutiny for excluding women after female county supervisors questioned whether they should continue allowing sheriff's deputies to provide security for...
Alabama Governor Invokes God in Banning Nearly All Abortions
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama's Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. "To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that...
Fewer Babies as US Birth Rate Fails to Rise With Economy
America's baby bust isn't over. The nation's birth rates last year reached record lows for women in their teens and 20s, a government report shows, leading to the fewest babies in 32 years. The provisional report, released Wednesday and based on more than 99% of U.S. birth records, found 3.788...
North Carolina Lawyer Cheslie Kryst Named Miss USA 2019
RENO, Nev. — A 27-year-old lawyer from North Carolina who represents prison inmates for free won the Miss USA title Thursday night, describing herself as a "weird kid" with a "unibrow" who's now part of the first generation of truly empowered women. Asked in the final round to use one...
Pelosi's Advice for Biden: Stop Being Touchy-Feely With Women
WASHINGTON — As former Vice President Joe Biden's camp scrambles to contain any political damage over his past behavior with women, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has some words of advice: Keep your distance. "Join the straight-arm club," Pelosi told a breakfast hour Washington event on Tuesday. In other words, keep...
Why Birthrates Among Hispanic Americans Have Plummeted
By Sabrina Tavernise WENDELL, N.C. — Yoselin Wences grew up with a constant refrain from her parents, immigrants from Mexico who became a landscaper and a cook. “The mindset was, ‘Don’t be like us,'” she said. “'Don’t get married early. Don’t have children early. Don’t be one of those teen moms. We...