Tarana Burke tells Marc Lamont Hill on Epstein, Trump and how widespread sexual violence is in the United States.
In 2017, a reckoning over sexual violence called “#MeToo” swept the globe. Eight years later, has the movement done enough for survivors? And what will it take for some of the world’s most powerful men accused of sexual misconduct to face consequences?
This week on UpFront Marc Lamont Hill speaks to founder of the Me Too movement, Tarana Burke.
The Department of Justice has released files related to the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein after mounting pressure led President Donald Trump to sign the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month. Trump, who himself has been accused dozens of times of sexual assault and misconduct, has already appeared in photos, emails and other documents in connection with Epstein, causing a rift in his base. Other business elites, academics, politicians and world leaders have also been named in connection to Epstein. While some have faced minor consequences, only Ghislaine Maxwell has been criminally convicted as part of Epstein’s sex trafficking of minors. Will newly released documents lead to new convictions and genuine accountability for survivors?
Holders Chelsea have been handed a home tie against second-tier Crystal Palace in the draw for the fourth round of the Women’s FA Cup.
Six-time winners Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 in last season’s final to secure a domestic treble, while Palace were relegated from the Women’s Super League (WSL).
League leaders Manchester City travel to third-tier leaders Bournemouth, while 14-time winners Arsenal host fellow WSL side Aston Villa.
Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham also play an all-WSL tie at home to Leicester City, while Manchester United face third-tier Burnley.
London City Lionesses face a trip to WSL 2 side Sunderland, while Brighton host second-tier Nottingham Forest.
The fourth-round ties will take place on the weekend of Saturday, 17 January, with the date of each tie yet to be confirmed.
Rugby World Cup winner Lark Atkin-Davies has announced she is pregnant with her first child.
The Bristol Bears hooker has not played for her club during this Premiership Women’s Rugby season.
Atkin-Davies has 74 caps for the Red Roses and played in all six matches, scoring three tries, as England won the World Cup on home soil in September.
In a video posted on her Instagram, the 30-year-old said she was due in June.
Bristol Bears said they “can’t wait to welcome a new bear cub”.
Atkin-Davies made her England debut in 2015.
Her England and Bristol team-mate Abbie Ward gave birth to a daughter in 2023, returning to the sport just 17 weeks later.
England players are entitled to 26 weeks’ fully-paid maternity leave, as well as funds for children to travel to games with them, after the Rugby Football Union updated its maternity policy in February 2023.
Afghanistan’s International Olympic Committee member Samira Asghari says the Taliban authorities must face the stark truth that if they are ever to be accepted internationally, they must respect the rights of women to education and sport.
Asghari, who at 31 is living in exile for the second time, does, however, favour engaging with Afghanistan’s rulers.
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The Taliban government have banned girls from schools beyond the age of 12, and barred women from most jobs and public services – and from playing sport.
Asghari, who in 2018 became Afghanistan’s first ever IOC member, accepts her “situation is quite challenging” and beating the drum for Afghan women’s sport “does require certain precautions”.
Nevertheless, the former international basketball player, like many top Afghan women athletes, is undeterred in speaking out about the treatment of women under the Taliban authorities.
“The reality is that when you take a public stand for women’s rights you do become a target, but I believe strongly in communication and engagement,” she said in an email interview with the AFP news agency.
“As long as the Taliban remain the reality on the ground in Afghanistan, we cannot afford to waste time doing nothing.
“In my role, I have tried to help smooth the discussions between the IOC and those currently in control, focusing on the sport rights of women and girls and particularly primary school girls who are still inside Afghanistan.”
Asghari, one of four children born to a retired professional makeup artist mother and a father who was a manager in the Afghan Olympic national committee, says the “conversations are not always easy”.
“They are not about legitimising any government,” she said.
“But they are very important for creating tangible opportunities for future generations of young boys and girls in Afghanistan.”
‘I hope FIFA can align with IOC talks with the Taliban’
With Afghan sportswomen spread around the globe, putting together teams is complex.
“This support for athletes outside Afghanistan is just the first step, and I hope FIFA can align with the IOC’s ongoing talks with the Taliban,” she said.
Asghari, who had been involved in the “project” for more than a year, hopes the message gets through to Afghanistan’s rulers.
“The Taliban were given the country and now they’re trying to maintain power while ignoring fundamental human rights, particularly for women,” she said.
“It’s very difficult for them to continue ruling Afghanistan this way in the long term, and the Taliban need to understand that their international acceptance is directly linked to respecting human rights, including the rights of women to education and sport.”
Asghari, who attended the recent Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, where Afghan women and men competed, said she hoped for “small openings” in the Taliban’s stance.
“I also believe that if we can find small openings — like developing sport in primary schools where girls are still allowed to attend up to sixth grade — we should take them,” she said.
“This isn’t about accepting the Taliban’s restrictions, it’s about not abandoning the girls and women of Afghanistan.
“We have to work with reality, while continuing to push for fundamental change.”
Asghari says even achieving small breakthroughs like that could prevent the long-term harm women suffered during the Taliban’s first spell in power, from 1996 to 2001.
She said she had seen the impact on her return from her first period of exile, in Iran.
“What concerns me deeply is that we’re creating another lost generation,” she said.
“I remember when I was in sixth grade aged 12, and there was a 20-year-old woman sitting next to me in the same class because she couldn’t go to school during the previous Taliban era.
“I didn’t know how to communicate with her and it was difficult for both of us, but especially for her because she had lost so many years.
“I cannot accept seeing this happen again. That’s why even small opportunities matter so much.”
Asghari retains hope despite the bleak outlook and believes in “continued engagement and dialogue” with the Taliban.
“The future of Afghanistan is this young generation. We need to give them every opportunity we can, no matter how small, and never, ever give up on them.”
Billie Jean King, who won 39 Grand Slam titles and is founder of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), believes the organisation’s billion-dollar deal with Mercedes-Benz shows that the tour “continues to lead the way” in women’s sport.
The Women’s Tennis Association has announced a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz which has the potential to be the largest in women’s sport.
The German car manufacturer will become the premier partner of the WTA and pour $50m (£37.5m) per year into women’s tennis for up to 10 years.
The deal has been described as the “most significant” in the WTA’s history, and could ultimately be worth up to half a billion dollars (£375m).
The National Women’s Soccer League in America signed a $240m (£180m) four-year media rights deal in November 2023, while Nike has invested $350m (£262m) across multiple women’s football leagues.
Announced on Wednesday, the WTA deal will help with the tour’s commitment to have equal prize money at events where both men and women feature by 2027 and at non-combined events by 2033.
Equal prize money was one of the key goals when the WTA was founded in 1973.
American tennis great Billie Jean King, who founded the WTA and was its first president, said the deal shows the tour “continues to lead the way in women’s sport”.
“Our mission statement when we founded the WTA was that any girl born in this world, if she was good enough, would have a place to compete, be respected and make a living playing tennis,” King told BBC Sport.
“This is a real partnership and Mercedes are in it for the long term.
“Seeing a brand like that stand with us sends a message that echoes far beyond tennis.”
KATIE Piper has swapped the Loose Women panel to soak up the sun on Spain’s Costa Brava.
She’s battling it out with two of her ITV co-stars to find out who can organise the best excursions from horse riding to making human towers on The Great Escapers.
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Katie Piper has ditched the ITV studios for Spain’s Costa BravaCredit: ITVShe stayed in the beautiful Tossa de Mar on the northeastern coastCredit: Alamy
Katie Piper, 42, has ditched the gloomy UK weather for a slice of Spain alongside Sunetra Sarker and Denise Welch, so how did she feel about jetting off with her colleagues?
Katie told Sun Travel: “Whether you go away with friends or family, travelling in a group is difficult.
“You want everyone to be having the food they like, doing the trips they like, and everyone has different ideas of fun.
“Then, don’t forget if you throw in a bit of competition and jeopardy as well – it starts out friendly, but everyone wants to win.”
Katie, Sunetra and Denise headed to Spain to organise the best excursions with the help of Jet2holidays‘ Gio who helped them create the ultimate holiday experience.
Once everyone has completed the excursions, the ladies take a vote to decide whose were the best and who is ‘The Great Escaper’.
For the Loose Women, activities ranged from going horse-riding, to trekking and even spending time on a luxury boat trip.
Katie however avoided the holiday stereotypes and instead, joined in the human tower festival which is a Catalan tradition.
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She said: “I wanted to show people local culture and to see what brings people together.
“It happens during some evenings for people of all ages and anyone can get involved – men, women and children. It made me laugh thinking about British culture at 7pm in the evening.”
Sunetra, Denise and Katie compete for the best excursion to be be crowned ‘The Great Escaper’Credit: ITV
Katie continued: “We’re watching I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! with a takeaway on the sofa. But in Costa Brava, they come out straight from work and they stand on each other’s shoulders.”
The three ladies tried everything out – but there’s one thing that they couldn’t do.
Katie confessed: “The only thing we didn’t do was fly and flop, we never got a tan. I came back the same white as a sheet colour as when I went out.”
During the trip, Katie stayed in Tossa de Mar, which is on the coast and has pretty beaches, coves and is centred around a walled medieval old town.
Katie is a mum of two, Belle, 11, and Penelope, 7, and heading to the Costa Brava has meant it’s been added to their family’s travel list.
She said: “I think I’ll go back with my girls, the kids will watch the show and go ‘it’s so unfair you got to go’. It’s affordable and accessible, you can go self-catering or stay in an Airbnb – I think we will plan a trip there.”
“I’ve been to other much more touristy Spanish places, like the Costa del Sol.
“The Costa Brava is a bit of a hidden gem, it’s touristy enough to take your kids out and walk on foot to restaurants.
“But it’s not lost its culture, like along the strip there’s lots of architecture like gorgeous churches, cliffs, castles – it’s not neon signs and karaoke. It’s a great place for families as well because it’s such a short flight.”
Katie chose the human tower as one of her excursionsCredit: ITV
The fact that the trip to Costa Brava was not a family holiday was a strange experience for Katie.
She said: “Usually any holiday for me is putting the kids first – we go somewhere that serves chicken nuggets.
“Our next holiday will be to Tenerife where there’s a kids’ club and water slides – we’re doing five days during half-term.
“We tend to keep it cheap and stay in and around Europe where the flights are shorter.”
Katie is no stranger to a staycation though, in fact South East of England is where she spent lots of time on holiday.
She told us: “My mum and dad didn’t have a lot of money, so we didn’t really go abroad. Instead, we went Kent most years; Margate, Deal, and Broadstairs.
“We’d watch Punch and Judy on the beach, there would be donkey rides and we’d eat big sticks of rock and go to the arcades – we absolutely loved it.
“Then as I got older, we went away with family friends to Spain, Greece or Portugal. It would be like your typical package holiday and we’d go to the kids’ club all day.
“Looking back I think my mum and dad were drinking all day and then we’d go out at night. They’d let us stay up late and we’d all play card games like Snap and Happy Families.”
The beaches of Tossa de Mar are bright blue with golden sandsCredit: Alamy
For her next trip, Katie and her husband Richard, are planning on keeping it Britain-based too.
She said: “We’re looking into a trip at the moment that we want to do in the Easter which is to go to Scotland.
“We’re trying to plan to do it on the sleeper train because it’s a bit of an adventure to go on a sleeper train and my kids have never done that.
“We’ve got a dog now. We got a puppy this year if we go on a sleeper train, then we can take her on the train with us.”
Watch the Loose Women on The Great Escapers on ITV, Sunday, December 14, at 6PM.
