NY Times Changes Yvonne Brill Obituary After Criticism

The New York Times responded to a chorus of critics on Saturday after it published an obituary about a famed female rocket scientist that led with her accomplishments as a wife and mother.

Yvonne Brill died on Wednesday at the age of 88. President Obama awarded her with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2011. Under the Times' headline, "Yvonne Brill, Pioneering Rocket Scientist, Dies At 88," the lede read:

She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job and took eight years off from work to raise three children. 'The world’s best mom,' her son Matthew said.

Some readers tweeted their dissatisfaction, making fun of the Times' inclusion of her cooking skills and wondering if an obituary for a male rocket scientist would lead with anything but his professional accomplishments. The Times' public editor Margaret Sullivan even chimed in, saying that she agreed with the criticism and linking to aCJR article about how news coverage of women scientists often leads to gratuitous gender profiles.

Later, the Times dropped the beef stroganoff reference and changed the lede of the online obituary to:

She was a brilliant rocket scientist who followed her husband from job to job and took eight years off from work to raise three children. 'The world’s best mom,' her son Matthew said.

The Times did not attach a note to the online article notifying readers of the change.

HuffingtonPost

Who Did This To Goodluck Jonathan?

I stumbled on this on facebook and thought I should share. LWKMD.....

Good luck Jonathan walks into a bank to cash a cheque. As he approaches the cashier he says, 'Good morning Ma'am. Would you please cash this cheque for me?'

Cashier: 'It would be my pleasure, Sir. But could you please show me your ID?'

Jonathan: 'Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. [Don't you know me?] I am Jonathan, the President...'

Cashier: 'Yes sir, I know who you are. But with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of impostors and forgers and requirements of the CBN, I must insist on seeing some ID.' 

Jonathan: 'Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am.'

Cashier: 'I am sorry, sir, but these are the bank rules and I must follow them.'

Jonathan: 'I am urging you, please, cash this cheque.'

Cashier: 'Sir, here is an example of what we can do. One day, Tonto Dike came into the bank to cash a cheque without her ID. To prove herself, she started singing, the guard dog fainted and the computers went off. So we knew it was her and cashed the cheque.'

'Another time, Governor Fashola came without his ID to cash a cheque. We doubted him at first but when our dispatch rider rode in on a motorbike and he screamed, 'Arrest that bike rider,' we cashed his cheque!' 

'So sir, what can you do to prove that it is you and only you, as President?'

Jonathan stands there thinking and thinking, and finally says, 'Honestly, my mind is totally blank... There is nothing that comes to my mind. I can't think of a single thing. I have absolutely no idea what to do. I just don't have a clue.'

Cashier: 'Very good, Sir. It is you, alright! Now we're convinced! Do you want N500 or N1,000 notes?

 

- Happy Sunday to you all!!!

TalkOfNaija

Dele Momodu: Ave unbreakable, Cum salutant

By Dele Momodu

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Fellow Nigerians, today is not a normal day. It is so abnormal that I had to search for the appropriate Latin expression for the title of my epistle to you. For the second week running, I’m compelled to pay tribute to one of our fallen heroes. Last week was dedicated to the master storyteller, Chinua Achebe. This week, it is the turn of our big brother, mentor and friend, Chief Oluwole Bolade Akanni Awolowo, one of the friendliest souls I ever encountered.

As a matter of fact, the death of Achebe had eclipsed the passing of two other great Nigerians I had known and received tremendous inspiration from in my growing up days, Evangelist Timothy Oluwole Obadare and High Chief (Dr.) Oreoluwa Ilemobayo Akinnola MFR, The Lisa of Ondo Kingdom. I still vividly recollect how I used to be part of a mammoth crowd to witness the special prayers and the miracle-filled crusades of the great Prophet at the Christ Apostolic Church, in More, Ile-Ife, before the New Age Pentecostal Churches became the norm. We all believed in the spiritual efficacy of such Aladura version of Christianity. Despite his blindness, Apostle Obadare could see what those with complete vision could not see. He was one of those who helped to soak our lives in the blood of Jesus and fortified our future in a land littered with all manner of spirits, good and bad. His death was definitely a blow to his many followers worldwide.

As for Baba, High Chief Akinnola, an esteemed journalist par excellence, he was one of the most cosmopolitan Nigerians that ever lived. His impeccable dress sense and adept command of English language was always a beauty to behold and enjoy. He spoke the Queen’s English like a man who was brought up in the inner precincts of Buckingham Palace. As a budding writer, I used to visit him as regularly as possible at his New Bodija residence in Ibadan. He was one of those who inadvertently laid the foundation for whatever our media exploits has become today. We were greatly blessed to have such resourceful men of uncommon pedigree to boost our morale and set us on the path of honour.

If I was moved by the death of all those great men, I must confess that I was totally shattered by that of Chief Oluwole Awolowo on March 27, 2013, in the city of London, just a few hours after I left his bedside. I have never seen anything so gripping and dramatic in my nearly 53 years on earth. The love Uncle Wole (as we all called him) and I shared was deep. From the moment we first met through his niece, Olukemi, nee Oyediran, who’s married to my best friend, Prince Adedamola Aderemi, in 1986, it was a case of love at first sight. Uncle Wole and the then Editor of the Sunday Tribune, Mr Folu Olamiti, gave me all the necessary encouragement to write weekly in their influential newspaper. They did not mind that I also contributed occasionally to the opinion page of Nigeria’s most intellectual newspaper, The Guardian, where I encountered some of the most cerebral and iconic writers like Stanley Macebuh, Olatunji Dare, Patrick Dele Cole, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Andy Akporugo, Odia Ofeimun, Edwin Madunagu, Amma Ogan, Chinweizu, Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, and others, and learnt the ropes of editorial writing. That was Nigeria’s golden era when there was no pressure or desperation to write for money. I wrote free of charge for The Sunday Tribune while The Guardian offered a honorarium of N25 per article and I usually waited to publish four articles before travelling from Ile-Ife to Rutam House in Lagos to collect N100.

Uncle Wole became one of my biggest fans and discussed my articles anytime I had the opportunity to run into him. The first thing that struck me about this wonderful man was his total and uncommon objectivity without minding if the issue affected his own family. I remember an occasion when I wrote a story as the Editor of Classique magazine about the Awolowos which the family felt was a bit controversial and His Imperial Majesty, The Ooni of Ife, had instructed me to travel to Ikenne, to explain what I wrote and apologise to Mama, Chief Mrs Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo. On getting to Ikenne, the first person I approached before going in to see Mama was Uncle Wole who assured me he had read the story but could not see what the fuss was about. He told me that he was certain Mama would not have complained but for some people who would have gone to sell ulterior motives and conspiracy theories to her. He then advised me not to argue but just go in and tell Mama to forgive and forget. I was so touched by his candour and unflinching support and loyalty to a young friend. That was the hallmark of the Man.

Truly, when I went in Mama was seated with The Tribune Editors, Biodun Oduwole and Folu Olamiti, as witnesses. As soon as Mama saw me, she told me in her usual sonorous voice, “Dele, iwo omo onikokuko yii, ewo tun ni eyi too ko yii?” (Dele, you this reckless writer, which one is this you’ve written again?). Based on my strategic meeting with Uncle Wole, I did not say much, I just went flat and prostrated to Mama, and others in the sitting room did the same and supported my sincere apology. After I reassured Mama that I would be more careful and sensitive in the future, Mama calmed down and returned to her affectionate role to everyone around her. I continued to visit and stayed occasionally in the house with her grandson-in-law, Adedamola and Mama would ensure we were all catered for. The first thing Mama would always ask for, till this day, is “Damola ati Dele, ki le maa je, ki le maa mu?” (Damola and Dele, what shall you eat and drink?). Even on a recent trip, Mama took the pain to cook Ikokore and fish, an Ijebu delicacy because I had specially requested for it ahead of time.

Uncle Wole was a friend of young people whose growth he nurtured. He never discriminated on account of age, gender, religion or social status. He was as cool as the cucumber and he attracted everyone the way the mango attracts flies. There was our group of friends that met him at the home of Prince Adedamola’s mum in the Apata area of Ibadan one afternoon many years ago. Our group was a potpourri of strange bed-fellows who were either children of sworn enemies and political foes or children of friends and associates, and a few of us with no political pedigree. This informal association included Wole Adelakun of the Eruobodo Busari Adelakun Family of Ibadan and Ladiran Ladoke-Akintola who married Bola Ige’s niece Oluwatoyin Dele-Ige despite the rift between their families. On the other hand was the case of Prince Adedamola Aderemi, the grandson of The Ooni Oba Titus Tadeniawo Adesoji Aderemi who married Olukemi, the grand-daughter of Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo. Interestingly, Prince Adedamola’s maternal grandfather was also a Premier in the old Western Region, Alhaji Dauda Adegbenro from Abeokuta who was a stout member of the Action Group. The other outsiders were Adedokun Abolarin, and yours truly. Our friendship was so tight that if you saw one, it was as good as seeing all of us. Uncle Wole was always fascinated by that bond, and when he saw us in Ibadan, he sat down with us and told us never to let go of our close ties.

The last time I visited Uncle Wole in Ikenne before he was flown abroad this final trip for treatment, he was thrilled to see three members of our group, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, now a king The Orangun of Oke-Ila in Osun State; Prince Adedamola and I. Despite his obvious excruciating pains, he kept referring to me as “My President in waiting, your own time will come.” I was deeply touched by his endless love. He had never been tired of going out of his way to support us no matter how inconvenient it was on his person.

How can we ever forget how he once jumped on the train with us in London when Prince Adedamola wanted to contest the Governorship election in Osun State. Uncle Wole travelled with us to Kent where we met the Late Cicero of Esa-Oke, Uncle Bola Ige, to intimate him of our plans in 1999. Chief Bola Ige kept calling Uncle Wole “the Unbreakable”, an acronym Chief Obafemi Awolowo had given his son for his tenacity in the face of adversity. We spent quality time with Uncle Bola who also showed his culinary expertise to younger friends including Femi Alafe-Aluko. It was always a pleasure having Uncle Wole around during my exile years. He would call as soon as he landed and invite us over to his regular hotels at Regent’s Park and Portland Place from where we would take a walk to the West End. He and Chief Segun Osoba were fond of such walks.

For a man that active, you can imagine Uncle Wole’s acute frustration after the debilitating accident that incapacitated him since the past seven years. He had undergone all manner of surgeries and only his unbreakable spirit kept him going. I’m happy he achieved one of his wishes which was to attain the age of 70, even if it met him on the hospital bed. The prayer had become intense when he received no comfort from treatments that took him to several continents.,

Prince Adedamola and I had visited him two days after his 70th birthday on December 5, 2012, at The Wellington Hospital in St. John’s Wood where he was already in Intensive Care Unit. We were so moved when we walked in and announced our presence and we instantly saw how he was struggling to communicate with us but unsuccessfully. We prayed for him and spent time watching all the gadgets of modern medical science all around him. I wished a day would come when Nigerians would have no need to travel long distances to seek medical miracles.

Uncle Wole had not improved by the time I visited him on March 27, 2013, at the same hospital. I stood by his bed and offered silent prayers even if he was totally oblivious of my presence. Somehow, I felt a premonition it was going to be my last time of seeing a man I had grown to love like a blood brother. I left the hospital after spending over two hours with his daughter, Lola and niece Olukemi. My thoughts remained with him and I was sad at our helplessness.

The news of his demise would hit me like thunderbolt later that evening. I had just discussed with Damola who said he was on his way to visit him. I told him to hurry. It was as if I knew he would not meet Uncle Wole alive. A poignant reminder to us all that death waits for no one, not even Princes. As soon as I saw Olukemi’s missed calls, I knew there was some bad news. I called back and my worst fear was confirmed. I was so enveloped by the trauma that I automatically broke out in excessive sweat despite the chilly winter cold. I broke the sad news to Prince Adedamola who was still on his way and we agreed to meet at the Wellington Hospital. I quickly dressed up and headed for the hospital where I joined his two eldest daughters, Yejide and Lola; his niece, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo and nephew-in-law, Prince Adedamola Aderemi.

Soon enough, the undertakers arrived to pick up his remains. We peeped as they did their job with clinical precision. There was no sign of emotion on their part as they must have become accustomed to death. In a few minutes, they were done and as they took our great Egbon away, I renewed my belief in what I had always known, that this life is all but vanity.

Uncle Wole, thanks for being our great teacher to the very end. Thanks for reminding us that man came from nothing and he shall return to nothing.

You were unbreakable to the very end. Though your body may have been broken, your spirit never was and you remained resolute and determined to the last. Now in death your remarkable spirit lives on in perpetuity.

Ave Unbreakable, cum salutant. Good bye, our very dear and unforgettable Brother.

DailyPost

Theophilus Ilevbare: Who will call Governor Akpabio to order?

By Theophilus Ilevbare 

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It is as reckless as it is feckless for Governor Godswill Akpabio to fritter away with zing the patrimony of Akwa Ibom state on his political associates, friends and sycophant in a showy and flamboyant manner to massage an over bloated political ego. It is the height of profligacy.

The latest gaffe of the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum has seen him enmeshed in yet another round of controversy. He confessed on camera that he manipulated the election result of the 2007 PDP senatorial primary election in the state by single-handedly replacing the winner with the name of his preferred candidate. The video has since gone viral on the internet.

This is coming on the heels of the recent wave of criticism that has greeted his financial recklessness, making more headlines than his role as chief servant of the people of Akwa Ibom state. Just when folks where torn in two minds if the spendthrift governor was doling out private or state money, at a press conference recently, he erased any doubt as he owned up that his string of father christmas donations have been from government coffers.

“Anything connected with my donation is captured within the law of the State.”  Struggling to sound convincing, “The budget is the law and there have been provisions that allow for grants for donations and for hospitality as enshrined within the budget.”

As the custodian of the state treasury, one begins to wonder what constitute donations for hospitality to Mr Akpabio. Is it hospitality to splash N230m of state funds as donation on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum, for the erection of an Anglican Church in Otuoke, the home town of President Jonathan? For him to be subsequently berated by other PDP governors who said they were not carried along before the donation was made is a pointer to where the millions were drawn. That provisions were made in the law for donations and hospitality should not be an excuse for such jamboree. The constitution certainly does not empower the governor to frivol the commonwealth of Akwa Ibom state at will.

What better use should such grants be put if roads in Akwa Ibom, like the Eket–Ibeno road leading to the venue of Tuface Idibia and Annie Macaulay’s traditional wedding ceremony, was in deplorable condition. The governor had to apologise to guests at the event that when next they come visiting the road would have been rehabilitated. It is noteworthy, that youths of Eket sometime ago protested that the road be reconstructed.

The rudderless governor scandalized many, when he gifted the couple with Two Toyota Prado SUVs, though the state government later issued a statement, claiming it was one. To underscore his infamy, he made a pledge to bankroll an all expenses paid trip for 20 delegates from the state who wished to attend the nuptial of the Idibia’s in far away Dubai. The reveler that he is, present at a lavish party organized in honour of the couple, again, gifted the newly wed with N3m. He has since taken financial recklessness and extravagancy with the people’s resources to an obscene level.

To Mr Akpabio’s  defence was his Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umana, spewing inanities like his spendthrift Boss; “Looking carefully at the surrounding events in perspective, Mrs. Annie Idibia, nee Macaulay, is a daughter of Akwa Ibom State and the gift of a Prado SUV from her governor is only a gesture of love and goodwill. Her resolve to stand by her husband on this journey right from his days of youthful beginnings to stardom even in the face of challenges was commendable and a true attribute of the Akwa Ibom women.”

From Umana’s perspective, governor Akpabio might now have to donate a Prado Jeep to every Akwa Ibom daughter who decides to put up with the escapades of her boyfriend or fiancée to justify Annie’s gift. Publicity Secretary, Oscar Onwudiwe of the South-South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN) rightly queried the rationale of the Commisionner when he said “Will such largesse be extended to every newly-wed couple in the state and will that pass as the mean test for judicious management of limited resources?” He further warned that ”The frugal management of state resources are indispensable values necessary for the actualisation of our development plan, so we appeal to the state governors not to trifle with these essential requirements.”

The PDP will have us believe that the chairman of it’s Governors’ Forum is being magnanimous, which they believe is a virtue. Truly, this is the kind of virtue that has existed at all levels of the party typified in the present Nigeria with all the symptoms of a failed state.

At every event Akpabio is present, he sees a window for frivolous gifting. Last year the profligate governor, gave a cash gift of N10m for a return leg win against Mali by the national Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, in an African Under-17 Championship qualifier in Calabar. Just for a win.

Nollywood were not left out behind as Mr Akpabio instituted a N50 million endowment fund to honour exceptional actors and actresses in the industry.

The ungodly display of reckless wastefulness by Akwa Ibom state spender-in-chief, took a ridiculous twist at the South-South PDP reconciliation meeting in Port Harcourt where he embarrassed six state chairmen of the party with N6m for Mr Biggs (Lunch), after describing them as “hungry.”

“My brother (Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan) said you people (PDP South-South members) are hungry, to take care of your hunger, I’m donating the sum of N1m each to the South-South secretariat of PDP and I would want each of the chairmen to come and collect the sum at the end of my speech so that members could use that to buy (lunch) at Mr. Biggs!” Governor Akpabio said, descending from the absurd to the jejune. It was a bovine display of financial rascality. Expectedly, Uduaghan, Amaechi and other PDP chieftains walked out on him while he was still speaking.

Recently, he took delivery, of two exotic bullet-proof sprinter luxury vans from US-based Texas Armoring Corporation (TAC) customized to his specifications, at about N300 million. Why should he feel so insecure among his kinsmen contrasting a reputation he projects with numerous ads on TV and papers showcasing his “excellent performance” in office, claiming Akwa Ibomites love him to pieces. The prodigal PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman, has since joined the elite league of private jet flying governors with his top of the range, $45 million Bombardier Global Jet.

His much publicised achievement is light weight when compared with its monthly allocation, which is more than four times what some other states get from the federal allocation. This is aside internally generated revenue. In spite of this, Salaries of civil servants in the state are often owed. Same goes for pensioners. The state has one of the country’s highest rate of unemployment, the reason its indigenes are scattered across the country settling for menial jobs. Key sectors of the economy are below par with what is obtainable in states without the oil revenue Akwa Ibom attracts.

Governor Akpabio must retrace his steps. It calls for serious concern from those connected to the state. It becomes more worrisome when the state house of assembly look the other way. The EFCC can’t come within touching distance of the governor either so long as he continues to harp President Jonathan’s 2015 ambition from the roof top. The onus is now on the people of the state to call governor Akpabio to order.

DailyPost

Power Outage Disrupts Jonathan’s Easter Service In Lagos

President speech was interrupted as the power outage occurred while he was delivering his speech to the congregation.

He was talking about his administration’s restructuring of the Nigerian economy when the church was thrown into darkness as seen in the picture on a very sunny day in Lagos.

Laughing along with the cheering congregation, Dr Jonathan remarked that by the power outage, officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria are telling him not to sleep until the nation’s power crisis is fixed.

He however vowed that by next year the power in the church will be uninterrupted.

The Easter Sunday service also had in attendance, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon.

TalkOfNaija

E-X-P-O-S-E-D Jonathan using SURE-P funds for 2015 campaign, ACN insists

The action of the Nigerian President resident is a very serious violation of the constitution, the ACN says.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN has said that the crisis tearing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos apart over the sharing of SURE-P funds in the state has vindicated its stand that the funds, meant to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal, have now become a 2015 campaign war chest for President Jonathan.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said when it alerted the nation to the abuse of the SURE-P funds in a statement on February 3, the Nigerian Government as well as SURE-P managers rushed to deny any abuse of the funds and called the party unprintable names.

“Today, the truth has prevailed as the PDP members themselves have confirmed that the SURE-P funds are being shared among them across the federation.

”Thanks to the alleged hijacking of the SURE-P funds meant for the PDP members in Lagos State by the Bode George faction and the crisis that it has generated, the nation can now see that the Jonathan administration has willfully converted the money accruing from SURE-P to campaign funds,” Mr. Mohammed said.

The ACN spokesperson said the action of the president ”is a very serious violation of the constitution, because the State Implementation Committee, SIC, a body not recognized by law, has been set up to distribute the SURE-P largesse to PDP members in all the states”.

According to Mr. Mohammed, money being spent on fuel subsidies was in the past taken out of the Federation Account, hence its is money that would have been divided among the three tiers of government in accordance with the revenue allocation formula.

”But by virtue of the SURE-P arrangement, part of the funds are now available for the FG to share freely by approving contracts, programmes and activities in accordance with its whims and caprices,” he said, adding that the PDP-controlled FG has now seen the accruing huge funds as money which may well be spent with special favour for its cronies and party affiliates, without regard to the constitution.

“For President Jonathan, this is an impeachable offence,” ACN said.

The party said in order to buttress its point on the abuse of the SURE-P funds, most – if not all – state coordinators for President Jonathan’s campaign in 2011 are also the current state coordinators for SURE-P, adding that this is not a mere coincidence but a well-orchestrated attempt to give the Jonathan campaign an unfair head-start ahead of 2015 – with public funds.

It listed some of the coordinators as Bode Oyedele (Lagos); Joseph Ishekpa (Nasarawa); Garba A. Kurfi (Katsina): Aliyu Mamman (Niger); Adamu Yaro Gombe (Gombe); Femi Akinyemi (Ekiti); Jarigbe Agbom Jarigbe (Cross River); Abdullahi Ohioma (Kogi); Dare Adeleke (Oyo); Al-Kasim Madoka (Kano) and Kolo Bukar (Borno).

On the crisis in Lagos PDP over the SURE-P largesse, ACN said a public statement by a faction of the PDP in Lagos has let the cat out of the bag.

The PDP factional statement said, inter alia; ”Bode Oyedele cannot coordinate Sure-P in Lagos State. We reject him. He has packed all Bode George’s agents as Sure-P beneficiaries. Is this the objective of Sure-P? Some local governments like Eti-Osa, Ajeromi, Lagos Islands etc. Please, find out how they got the beneficiaries.

”In Eti-Osa there are names of criminals as beneficiaries, especially Ward HI. This is a waste of subsidy money and defeating the objective of the programme. There are responsible eminent citizens who should be contacted to verify and screen the submission of names for beneficiaries but Bode George’s loyalists are putting names of touts and miscreants for his own personal agenda. We won’t allow this to happen. We intend to go to court to obtain an order to dissolve the state exco if the Caretaker Committee won’t do it,” the statement by a faction of the Lagos PDP noted.

The ACN said that the statement by the Lagos PDP faction should leave no one should in any doubt that the SURE-P funds have now become campaign funds for President Jonathan and his party ahead of 2015.

”On the basis of this, we are now calling for an independent investigation into how the money accruing to SURE-P has been disbursed since the inception of the programme, with a view to establishing to what extent the funds have been abused, and in order to prescribe the appropriate sanctions for those found culpable,” it said.

Culled from Premium Times

Abortion Laws In Arkansas, North Dakota Set Stage For Legal Battle

By DAVID CRARY

Rival legal teams, well-financed and highly motivated, are girding for court battles over the coming months on laws enacted in Arkansas and North Dakota that would impose the nation's toughest bans on abortion.

For all their differences, attorneys for the two states and the abortion-rights supporters opposing them agree on this: The laws represent an unprecedented frontal assault on the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion.

The Arkansas law, approved March 6 when legislators overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, would ban most abortions from the 12th week of pregnancy onward. On March 26, North Dakota went further, with Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple signing a measure that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, when a fetal heartbeat can first be detected and before some women even know they're pregnant.

Abortion-rights advocates plan to challenge both measures, contending they are unconstitutional violations of the Roe ruling that legalized abortion until a fetus could viably survive outside the womb. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks.

"I think they're going to be blocked immediately by the courts – they are so far outside the clear bounds of what the Supreme Court has said for 40 years," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The center will be leading the North Dakota legal challenge and working in Arkansas alongside the American Civil Liberties Union's state and national offices. Both Northup and ACLU lawyers say they have ample resources to wage the battles, and they expect victories that would require their attorneys' fees to be paid by two states.

Dalrymple, in signing the ban, acknowledged that its chances of surviving a court challenge were questionable, but said it was worth the eventual price tag – at this point unknown – in order to test the boundaries of Roe.

North Dakota's attorney general, Wayne Stenehjem, initially said lawyers from his office would defend any lawsuits but is now considering hiring outside help. His office is working on a cost estimate for the litigation that could be presented to lawmakers soon.

"We're looking at a sufficient amount to adequately defend these enactments," Stenehjem said.

A lead sponsor of the Arkansas ban, Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert, said threats of lawsuits "should not prevent someone from doing what is right."

He contended that the ban had a chance of reaching the U.S. Supreme Court through the appeals process and suggested that the victory predictions made by abortion-rights lawyers amounted to "posturing" aimed at deterring other states from enacting similar bans.

In both Arkansas and North Dakota, the states' lawyers will be getting pro bono assistance from lawyers with Liberty Counsel, a conservative Christian legal group.

Mathew Staver, the group's chairman, said supporters of the bans were resolved to fight the legal battles to the end, and issued a caution to the rival side.

"They ought to hold off on their celebrations," he said. "The cases have a long way to go through the court system."

The North Dakota ban is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1, along with two other measures that have angered abortion-rights backers. One would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, the other would make North Dakota the first state to ban abortions based on genetic defects such as Down syndrome.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is reviewing its options regarding the latter two bills, but definitely plans to challenge the 6-week ban before Aug. 1. Northup said her team is pondering whether to file suit in state court or U.S. district court.

In Arkansas, where the 12-week ban would take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session, abortion-rights lawyers plan to file their challenge in federal court within the next few weeks.

Bettina Brownstein, who will be representing the ACLU of Arkansas in the case, said the U.S. district court with jurisdiction over Little Rock had issued rulings in past abortion-related cases that gave her confidence of victory this time.

"Eventually it could go to U.S. Supreme Court on appeal, but that would take a while, and they may not want to hear it," she said. "It's a question of how much money the state wants to spend."

Northup chided officials in both Arkansas and North Dakota for their willingness to spend taxpayers' money on difficult and divisive legal cases.

"It's important that the citizens of those states realize that every dollar spent to defend blatantly unconstitutional laws is taxpayers' dollars wasted," she said.

Attorneys' fees for the upcoming cases are impossible to estimate at this stage, but Northup said her organization received $1.3 million in fees from Alaska after that state lost a recent case regarding an abortion-related law.

The last few years have been intensely busy for the Center for Reproductive Rights, the ACLU and other abortion-rights legal groups as Republican-controlled legislatures have enacted scores of laws seeking to restrict access to abortion. At least two dozen such measures are currently the target of lawsuits, said Northup, who vowed that her organization "will not let unconstitutional laws go unchallenged."

Some of the recent laws place new requirements on abortion clinics, others require abortion providers to perform certain procedures or offer state-mandated counseling before an abortion can take place.

At least 10 states have passed bills banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy on the disputed premise that a fetus can feel pain at that stage. One of those laws, in Idaho, was struck down by a U.S. district judge on March 6, while the laws in Georgia and Arizona have been temporarily blocked by judges pending further court proceedings.

Abortion-rights advocates, while eager to defeat the new bans in North Dakota and Arkansas, worry about the impact of the broader surge of restrictions.

"I don't believe these bans are going to take effect, but the danger is that they make the other laws look reasonable," said Talcott Camp, deputy director of the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project. "The ultimate goal is to take this decision away from a woman and her doctor and give it to the politicians."

One of the most frequent targets of the anti-abortion laws is the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which – in addition to providing a range of other health services – is the nation's leading provider of abortions.

Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, said she found it frustrating that women "continue to be a political punching bag." But she saw an upside to the wave of anti-abortion legislation: more members and more donations for her organization.

"These attacks have served to energize our supporters," she said. "We've gained 2 million members in the past two years."

There's new energy on the other side as well.

The tough North Dakota laws have been welcomed by the protesters who gather weekly in Fargo outside the state's lone abortion clinic.

Among those on hand for the latest protest at the Red River Women's Clinic was Scott Carew, 50, who had brought two anti-abortion posters nailed to pieces of wood.

"Certainly, we're proud of the governor standing up for life," Carew said. "We're going to keep standing up for life until we can't stand up anymore."

___HuffingtonPost