BUST.com is launching a new daily feature: a compilation of the most important feminist political and pop culture stories. Today's picks for February 13, 2018—also known as Galentine's Day—encourage you to celebrate your friends and catch up on current events.
Photo via NBC / Parks and Recreation
On this day, U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim became the youngest female athlete to claim an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding. Congratulations, Chloe! For more on her achievement, see ESPN.com.
Netflix's upcoming series Umbrella Academy will feature Mary J. Blige as a time-traveling assassin. The show adapts Gerard Way's comic series, and Ellen Page is also part of the cast. Additional details are available on the Hollywood Reporter.
At least five women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against James Franco. Despite this, Franco will continue starring in and producing the second season of HBO's The Deuce. Co-creator David Simon told Variety that Franco was "entirely professional" in his roles on the show.
On a positive note, the Olympics have introduced Gender Equality Support Centers at the PyeongChang Olympic Park, offering guidance and a safe space to discuss sexual and gendered violence. Counselor Jeon Won Hee told NBC News that the initiative was inspired by athletes like Aly Raisman. "The important thing is knowing that sexual violence can occur anywhere at any time," Jeon said.
The Trump administration is proposing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would restrict food choices for low-income Americans, reducing the budget. Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg criticized the move as taking "over $200 billion worth of food from low-income Americans while increasing bureaucracy and reducing choices." Read more on NPR.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is signing a bill that ensures women who become pregnant from rape do not have to grant parental rights to their abusers. Maryland joins over 40 states with similar legislation. Details from The Washington Post.
A bill in Arizona to provide unlimited menstrual products in state prisons has stalled. In response, activists are sending pads, tampons, and cash to the Arizona Department of Corrections, demanding that incarcerated women receive these supplies. Learn more about #LetItFlow.
Lupita Nyong'o's Allure cover story for the "Culture of Hair" issue has generated excitement. Nyong'o and hairstylist Vernon Francois had creative freedom, and she discussed her hair history in a memorable interview: "My hair is like clay in the right hands. Clay can be dirt in the wrong hands, but clay can be art in the right hands." Read the full story.
According to Deadline, Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy will star in The Kitchen, a mob movie directed by Andrea Berloff for DC Entertainment. A Haddish-McCarthy collaboration? We can't wait!
Main image credit: usskiandsnowboard.org
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Lydia Wang is a writer, pug lover, and romantic. Based in New York, she contributes to BUST and tweets at @lydiaetc.
