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Week of
February 16, 2012 | | QUESTIONABLE The recent crisis over the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to de-fund—and then re-fund—Planned Parenthood has put its founder and CEO, Nancy Brinker, under intense scrutiny, with observers questioning everything from her management style to her earnings to her spending. The Daily Beast’s Abigail Pesta and Aram Roston found that Brinker billed the foundation for $133,507 in expenses from June 2007 to January 2009, according to her filings with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. At the time, she was a full-time federal employee, serving as chief of protocol for the State Department. The Komen foudnation declined to comment on the $133,507 in expenses. Rick Cohen, who analyzes nonprofit management for the journal Nonprofit Quarterly, says, “If she was paid $133,000 for expenses related to Komen while she was working full time for the federal government, that is a distinctly unusual situation.” TRAGIC Whitney Houston’s untimely death has fans analyzing her life’s work—and insurmountable hurdles. While Houston’s production team did its best over the years to mold her into the pop star that would sell millions (seven of her albums went platinum), they also tried to pull her out of the abyss of drug and alcohol abuse. She was said to be unhappy with the image carved out for her, sometimes referred to as “White-ney.” Her life on the edge led to her eventual downfall, with one source saying that at the time of her death, “she hadn’t really been sober in many, many years.” ABORTION DEBATE Oklahoma legislators moved a step closer in their attempt to outlaw abortion on Wednesday as the state Senate passed the “Personhood Act.” The bill gives individual rights from the moment of conception, although proponents say contraception methods would not be outlawed. Its author, Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, said the bill is a statement that Oklahoma is “pro-life.” Opponents say the bill—modeled after a Missouri law—could lead to “dire consequences,” as the bill does not single out cases of rape or incest. Virginia’s House passed a similar bill Monday, and its GOP-controlled Senate will vote on it next week. In Oklahoma, the bill now moves to the House, where pro-life Republicans outnumber Democrats two-to-one. SEXISM A new study has found that women are lagging behind men in the restaurant industry—especially in wages, where women earn just 68 percent of what their male colleagues bring in. The disparity is more staggering for black women, who earn just 60 percent of what men do. It’s not just the front of the house where women are behind: 81 percent of top chef jobs are held by men. The study also found that women experienced more sexual harassment at the workplace, as well as having less schedule flexibility, health care, and paid leave than in other industries. The study, “Tipped Over the Edge: Gender Inequality in the Restaurant Industry,” gathered data from several sources, including the Current Population Survey and the Occupational Employment Statistics. To get involved, visit Equal Rights Advocates, which helps low-wage workers advocate for their legal rights. AMICABLE Divorce parties are on the rise as splits become more acceptable...for the rich and famous. The Daily Beast’s Rebecca Dana talked to designer Douglas Hannant, who called it quits with his partner of 20 years—and no one threw a tantrum, just a party. In May, billionaire Charles Bronfman and his wife, Bonnie, also commemorated their divorce by telling party guests: “As we change the parameters of our relationship, our mutual admiration and caring is constant.” If only it were so for everybody. | | 
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