The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Lily Lines: This leads to almost half of the murders of women

Plus, a live birth that was the first of its kind

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December 9, 2018 at 9:21 p.m. EST

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This week:

A live birth that was the first of its kind, a recommendation for winter gloves, and actress Betty Gabriel fills in the blank.

Intimate partners are responsible for nearly half of the murders of women

A Washington Post analysis of the slayings of women in 47 U.S. cities found that 46 percent of the women who were killed in the past decade were murdered by a current or former intimate partner. In a more in-depth look at five of the cities, the report found that about a third of the male killers were known to be a threat ahead of the killing.

Domestic-violence cases, police say, are often very complex, as the abused tend not to seek help out of fear of retaliation from partners. Another notable finding was that strangulation is virtually only involved in domestic attacks on women, and it can also be a warning sign: Researchers say it’s a strong indicator of whether an abusive relationship could turn fatal.

Woman gives live birth with transplanted uterus

Doctors reported the first instance in which a woman who received a uterus transplant from a deceased donor gave a successful live birth in Brazil. The case study was detailed in the Lancet: The subject, who had been born without a uterus, received the transplant from a 45-year-old woman who had died of a stroke. Doctors implanted the uterus with one of the patient’s own eggs, and a six-pound baby girl was later delivered through cesarean section, according to researchers. While women receiving uterine transplants from living donors have succeeded, transplanting uteri from deceased women could drastically increase the availability of the organs.

Ruth Buffalo takes historic oath in North Dakota’s state legislature

Last week, Ruth Buffalo became the first Native American Democratic woman to be sworn into North Dakota’s state legislature. During the ceremony at the state Capitol, Buffalo wore a traditional Native American dress and held a fan made with eagle fathers. “It’s part of my identity and who I am,” Buffalo told HuffPost of the traditional clothing. “It was to honor my ancestors, those that have gone before me, and the future generation.”

Buffalo unseated incumbent state Rep. Randy Boehnig — who had sponsored a voter ID law some feared would disenfranchise Native American voters in the state — in an upset victory during the midterms.

James Alex Fields Jr. convicted of first-degree murder in Charlottesville case

On Friday, James Alex Fields Jr., 21, was found guilty of first-degree murder for killing Heather Heyer, 32, at the “Unite the White” rally in Charlottesville, Va., last year. Fields, a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi, had rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at the white-supremacist event, killing Heyer and injuring 35 others; a jury of seven women and five men decided that Fields acted with premeditation. He was also found guilty of eight counts of malicious wounding. The verdict came after six days of testimony, during which Susan Bro, Heyer’s mother, sat near the front every day. Fields is set to appear before the jury today for a sentencing hearing.

Soccer officials in Afghanistan suspended over abuse allegations

The president of the Afghanistan Football Association, along with five other members, have been suspended following allegations that they sexually and physically abused members of the Afghan women’s national team. The International Federation of Association Football initially opened the investigation into the AFF, and senior officials associated with the women’s team told the Guardian the abuse took place inside the country and at a training camp in Jordan last February. Coaches and members of the women’s team expressed deep relief that the AFF suspended the men. “I stopped in my tracks when I saw the news and felt for once in these women’s lives they can see that unity can lift them out of despair,” said Kelly Lindsey, the team’s former coach.

Second ruling on ‘wolf pack’ case in Spain prompts protests

On Thursday, a Spanish court upheld a previous ruling on a case in which five men took turns filming themselves sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in the lobby of a building in Pamplona, Spain. The court found the men guilty of “continuous sexual abuse,” not rape — the country’s legal distinction between sexual abuse and rape comes down to whether the attack was violent or included intimidation.

The second ruling set off a wave of protests, and the case will now head to the country’s Supreme Court. The woman’s lawyer said the men’s sentences, nine years in prison each, are too lenient, and activists are using the case to argue that Spain’s laws on sexual violence are patriarchal. In Spain, the men have become known as the “wolf pack,” because they were members of a WhatsApp group of the same name.

The Chinese dream: The story behind Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou

On Friday, a prosecutor in Vancouver laid out the fraud charges against Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada last week changing planes. Meng now faces extradition to the United States, where prosecutors are investigating whether Huawei violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. If she’s found guilty, she could face up to 30 years in prison. This all came as President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping decided to end their trade war, and now threatens to upend the relationship.

Huawei Technologies is the world’s largest maker of telecommunications network equipment, but it is the result of a rags-to-riches story: Meng’s father, Ren Zhengfei, had been born into a poor family and started the company in 1987 with the equivalent of $3,000. Now, Ren, 74, is one of China’s richest and most well-connected men, and he has, for decades, been grooming his daughter to take control of the company. She started at the company in the 1990s working the switchboard, and steadily climbed the ranks, eventually setting up global service centers around the globe and leading a partnership between Huawei and IBM.

Targeting Meng, who’s seen as one of China’s most high-profile successors, has drawn a strong rebuke from the government. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng has summoned the U.S. and Canadian ambassadors to China in protest over the arrest.

You may recognize Betty Gabriel as the maid from the Oscar-winning 2017 film “Get Out.” She’s been busy since, most recently with roles in the action movie “Upgrade” and the HBO hit “Westworld.” Now, she’s stepping into the spotlight as Naya Temple in the second season of the Starz spy series “Counterpart,” which premiered yesterday. This week, we asked Gabriel to fill in the blank.

The Golden Globe nominations were announced Thursday, and while some strides were made toward inclusivity, the awards show has continued a trend that has drawn criticism. In the category for best directing in a motion picture, the nominees are all men for the fourth year in a row. But history was also made: FX’s hit show “Pose” became the first series with a majority transgender cast to be nominated. And actress Sandra Oh, who is nominated for best dramatic actress in a TV series for “Killing Eve,” will make history as the first person of color to host the show when it airs on Jan. 6. The Grammy nominations were also announced last week, and women dominated in three categories: album of the year, best new artist and best pop vocal album. The show is set to air Feb. 10.

—Macy Freeman, Washington Post multiplatform editor

Freehands leather gloves

As a California transplant to the East Coast, I’ve spent a lot of time searching for the perfect winter glove. Touchscreen gloves quickly felt limiting, and by mid-winter I would just stop wearing them altogether. Fingerless gloves weren’t warm enough, but the most practical warm gloves weren’t stylish. Then, I thought of photography gloves, which have finger tips that open for dexterity. These gloves are my perfect combination of functionality and fashion. I can easily use my phone, unlock my bike (which I honestly do not ride very often in the winter) and put headphones on — all while looking chic and keeping my digits warm.—Maya Sugarman, Lily video editor

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