United States of America

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the demure firebrand who in her 80s became a legal, cultural and feminist icon, died Friday. The Supreme Court announced her death, saying the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas.

The court, in a statement, said Ginsburg died at her home in Washington surrounded by family. She was 87.

A research study conducted by Utah State University’s Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP), in conjunction with USU Extension, reports that women hold 42.5% of leadership positions within county governments in Utah.

Susan Madsen, founding director of the UWLP and inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in USU’s Huntsman School of Business, said that number shows a positive representation of the state average, but many county governments are lower.

Local female leaders in Norman and Oklahoma City have been subject to threats, harassment and sexism in recent months.

The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with urgent calls for racial justice have stirred a new group of vocal critics, with their anger spilling over into emails, tweets and direct messages to their city councilors.

For local female politicians, that outcry comes with a layer of sexism veiled in gendered insults, name-calling and personal attacks directed at their appearance.

Having a woman as governor of a U.S. state is associated with fewer COVID-19 related deaths, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The study also found that women governors exhibited greater empathy and confidence during their public briefings, which may help explain the association.