Article here. Excerpt:

'It seems crazy the amount of media attention Tiger Woods' alleged infidelity has received, especially when you consider the fact that Tiger is not alone in his indiscretions. Prevalence aside, it's always a major blow to the person who has been deceived. Tiger's wife is undoubtedly in this boat, as are millions of his fans left shocked by his behavior. The Woods scandal has occupied dinner table conversations around the country, and has once again forced us to re-evaluate the state of marriage today. Why do people cheat? What can you do to prevent it? And how can you move on if it happens to you? We spoke with M. Gary Neuman, rabbi, marriage counselor and author of The Truth About Cheating, who through his research gave insight on how to keep a healthy marriage.

Story here. Excerpt:

'Cincinnati Bengals Wide receiver, Chris Henry, is no stranger to trouble. He has been arrested several times and suspended from the NFL since he was drafted in 2005. In an effort to get his life back in order, Henry attempted to turn a new cheek, but his life at home was not that great.

A source close to the situation has exclusively told Bossip that Henry’s fiancée, Loleini Tonga has a history of domestic violence and a severe drinking problem. The source states, “I knew the next time Chris would get in trouble it would be because of that girl. She drinks all the time, they get into fights, and she has even bragged about getting into disputes with former boyfriends.”

Chris was injured after falling out the back of Tonga’s pickup truck after a heated argument. He was found on the side of the road with fatal injuries to his head. Currently homicide detectives are looking into the case. Henry and Tonga currently have two children together, and one child a piece from previous relationships.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'It had been a stressful night for the 18-year-old mother of two, who organized a party for a dozen and then saw 40 show up. Her mom didn't make it, and she was left to run Pin the Tail on the Donkey by herself.

Her outburst was the default reaction of a teenager raised in a home where violence was the accepted way of dealing with frustration. And her struggle represents the challenge of teaching a youngster how to manage the stress of motherhood and break the intergenerational cycle of violence.

Thomas is working to alter her aggressive tendencies, and help at the party came in the form of Cynthia Brown, her counselor in a parenting program.

"Shantell," Brown said, "maybe we can think about a better way to say that?"

Thomas dropped the knife to hip level and relaxed her shoulders. "OK, OK, back up, everyone," she said, her voice still tense. "Back up!"

Story here. Excerpt:

'LIDO ISLE – A Newport Beach woman was arrested today after her boyfriend's boat caught fire following a domestic dispute. According to police, Nicole MacDonald, 40, threatened her boyfriend Ian Prider, of Costa Mesa, with a knife while on his boat in Newport Beach Harbor. Prider was able to disarm her, but she is accused of setting fire to the boat while he left to call police, said Newport Beach Police Department Public Information Officer Evan Sailor.

MacDonald was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, arson, driving under the influence and child endangerment, Sailor said.

At about 2 p.m. police responded to a call about disturbing the peace involving a fight between a boyfriend and girlfriend, police Sgt. Steve Burdette said.

Shortly after, police contacted the boyfriend who told officials he'd argued with his girlfriend, officials said.

"And the next thing you know his boat is on fire," Burdette said.

Story here.

'OCEANA COUNTY — A 38-year-old Hesperia-area woman was arrested by Oceana County Sheriff’s deputies early Sunday after allegedly shooting at her husband during a domestic dispute. He was not injured.

Lt. Craig Mast said the incident occurred at the couple’s home in the 4300 block of S. 184th Avenue in Greenwood Township. He said deputies had previously responded to several domestic-related calls at the residence.

Mast said the woman fired two rounds from a .44-Magnum rifle. “We believe one round was fired into the air and the other at (the husband), who was in his vehicle,” Mast said. The 46-year-old man drove off and contacted police.

The wife was arrested and lodged in the Oceana County Jail. A warrant was pending Monday.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'The Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating the possibility that Tiger Woods and wife Elin Nordegren were involved in a domestic dispute with a weapon, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

According to police dispatch notes obtained exclusively by Radar, DCF attempted to make an in-home visit to the Woods’ residence last weekend, accompanied by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The notes use police code, and reportedly detail a domestic incident that took place in front of their young children involving a weapon, which sources say is a golf club.

DCF asked the Sheriff’s office to assist Friday. Deputies arrived at Woods’ gated community shortly after 3 p.m. and the police involvement was over shortly after 4 p.m. The report noted “negative contact,” although police involvement in the case is closed.'

Ed. note: This is dated Dec. 14, 2009, three days prior to this post's date.

This is one to watch. Will the 'unidentified' woman face the same level of investigation as a man in a similar situation? Excerpt:

'CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has died, one day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck in what authorities described as a domestic dispute with his fiancée.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Henry died at 6:36 a.m. ET Thursday. Henry was 26.

"We knew him in a different way than his public persona," Bengals owner Mike Brown said of the player who was suspended five times during his career. "He had worked through the troubles in his life and had finally seemingly reached the point where everything was going to blossom. And he was going to have the future we all wanted for him. It's painful to us. We feel it in our hearts, and we will miss him."

Police spokeswoman Rosalyn Harrington said homicide detectives have been assigned to the case but had no further information.'

Letter here.

'In the editorial "Work to end domestic violence must carry on 20 years later" (Dec. 8), the author writes "if young women are not aware of the prevalence of domestic violence, how do they prepare themselves for it?"

No young woman should have to "prepare" for abuse -- rather, the roots of violence against women need to be exposed through school curriculum for boys and girls that addresses sexism and healthy relationships.

The author wonders if the lessons from 20 years ago at L'Ecole Polytechnique have been learned -- if Harper's pending closure of most Status of Women Canada offices across the country is any indication, the answer is a resounding "no."

Any effective strategy to curb violence against women in our society would require that the government shift its focus from criminalizing offenders to funding feminist organizations to do research, public education and advocacy to address the systemic roots of women's inequality.

Article here. Excerpt:

'After New York state Supreme Court Justice William M. Erlbaum announced his decision on Dec. 4 to sentence a Queens' senator to three years probation for assaulting his girlfriend, women's rights groups say they are disappointed.

They are now awaiting the decision of the Senate's committee of special inquiry's investigation of the senator, hoping he will be forced from the legislature's upper house by Democratic colleagues.

Hiram Monserrate, D-Queens, was acquitted in October of felony charges which would have forced him to give up his seat in the Senate. Due to his misdemeanor conviction, he could have spent a year in prison, but received probation for assaulting his girlfriend — a move Marcia Pappas, the president of the National Organization for Women-New York state, did not agree with.

Article here. Excerpt:

'From an economic standpoint, will 2010 be the year of the woman? As part of the Roosevelt Institute's ongoing 'Feminomics' series, running on the New Deal 2.0 blog, I was asked to reflect on women's changing roles in the economy. Here's my take on how the New Deal advanced the cause of women's equality.

Earlier this year, the National Organization for Women reported that it was pleased with the way Congress and the Obama administration had approached the need to ensure that women workers benefited from the federal stimulus program. NOW played an important behind-the-scenes role in making sure that the federal dollars not only went to "shovel ready" infrastructure projects (like roads, bridges and other construction work), but also to our nation's "human infrastructure," especially those occupations -- such as nursing, teaching, and social work -- that are frequently held by women.
...

Article here. Excerpt:

'Millennia of male dominance in workplaces, governments, companies and countries could come to an end in the next few decades.

The resulting changes will reverberate through every aspect of our lives and society. And, as with all revolutions, it may not go smoothly.

This revolutionary power shift isn't due to social programs or social engineering. It's about economics. Some call it "womenomics" because women already account for 80 per cent of all purchasing decisions.

Article here.

'There are real victims in Biurny Peguero Gonzalez’s fake rape story.

In 2005, the Union City woman told authorities in New York that William McCaffrey, a construction worker from the Bronx, and two other men kidnapped and sexually assaulted her at knife point. She now admits it never happened.

McCaffrey was three years into a 20-year sentence when a judge ordered him freed, based on Gonzalez’s admission. She now faces seven years in prison herself.

The other victims in this case are the true victims of rape. Andrea Spencer-Linzie, executive director of N.J. Coalition Against Sexual Assault, estimates that 80 percent of sexual assaults go unreported, often because victims fear they won’t be believed.

"There’s a very prevalent myth that there are a lot of false allegations, so whenever there is one, it plays into the myth," she says.

That’s a real crime. And another reason Gonzalez deserves to be punished.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'LIBODE, South Africa — The lucky ones survive with mutilated penises and shameful scars for the rest of their lives, but that's the high price boys in rural South Africa pay to become a man.

In the Eastern Cape province, the ethnic Xhosa boys graduate to manhood through a sacrosanct ritual of circumcision.

But every year, the custom among the country's second-largest ethnic group sees young initiates die of complications from botched circumcisions by ill-trained traditional surgeons.

Boys still flock to traditional initiation schools in the bush, because the faster and less painful medical method can result in a lifetime of rejection.

"When you are uncircumcised regardless of your age, society will never regard you as a man, you will always be a boy. No one wants to live with that," said Athenkosi Mtirara, who is about to undergo the procedure.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'REGINA — A 28-year-old Regina woman has been charged with stabbing, assaulting and threatening to kill another woman over a 10-hour period last week.

Jodi Buckles made her first appearance in Regina provincial court on Monday.

Regina police spokeswoman Elizabeth Popowich said officers were sent to a hospital shortly after 4 a.m. on Friday, where a 24-year-old woman was being treated for stab wounds, numerous bruises and swelling.

Popowich said Buckles is accused of going to the victim's house at 6 p.m. Thursday. The victim was then assaulted, stabbed, robbed and confined in her house for several hours.

The woman was released at about 4 a.m. the next day, and was then taken to hospital by a friend.'

Story here.

'MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. — A U.S. Congressman says a Brazilian court has ordered a 9-year-old who has lived there for the last five years to be handed over to his father and returned to New Jersey.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith says a court meeting in a closed session Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro ruled 3-0 that the Sean Goldman should be handed over to his father, David, at a U.S. Embassy on Friday.

Goldman has been trying to have his son returned since his wife took the child to her native Brazil in 2004, saying she's be back in two weeks. She divorced him there, remarried, and then died in childbirth last year.

Her Brazilian husband argued that he should have custody.

A federal court on Wednesday agreed with Goldman that the boy belongs in New Jersey under an international treaty governing cross-border child abductions.'