Many friends of mine were in Austin, Texas last Thursday, as an all out battle over proposed Texas abortion legislation launched by the Republican War on Women and Texas pro-choice women. After a middle of the night protest Thursday night, prochoice activists returned Sunday afternoon at 1pm in a protest session that went on until 4:30 am.

Rachel Maddow — and my Texas friends — just reported that after Republicans in the Senate failed to muster enough votes to suspend a rule that prevents bills from being debated for 24 hours, Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis, of Forth Worth, will take to the floor and talk for 13-hours straight until sine die strikes at midnight Tuesday. Republicans had hoped to force a 36-hour filibuster but couldn’t muster the votes.

Rise Up! Shoulder to Shoulder for the Equal Rights Amendment

Meanwhile, a new Facebook group — of which I am a founding member -- formed today, bringing together some of the best women’s rights activists committed to finally passing an Equal Rights Amendment for America. Many of us have worked together across a wide range of women’s rights projects.

The project is a digital one, and not a specific one you must attend, like the April 28th, 20121 national women’s rights rallies. Please join us!!

1. Following the Food Network saying it would not be renewing its contract with Paula Deen, the southern hostess with the mostess — when the topic is butter and lard to fee the family southern style — lost another business relationship — Smithfield Foods, who says they will cut all ties with Deen as her legal case proceeds. Deen and her brother are accused of racial discrimination in her business empire.

2. New documents show that the IRS targeted liberal groups much more extensively than Republicans reported in their assertion that the tax agency improperly singled out Tea Party groups for extra scrutiny and harassment.

“There was a wide-ranging set of categories and cases that spanned a broad spectrum” on the lists, newly appointed IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said on a conference call with reporters.

Groups whose titles included ‘Progressive” and ‘Occupy” went through the same scrutiny as Tea Party groups writes the New York Times.

3. Italy’s former Premier Silvio Berlusconi has been convicted of paying for sex with an underage prostitute during infamous “bunga bunga” parties and then using his influence to launch a cover-up.

Berlusconi, 76, was sentenced to seven years in prison and barred from public office for life. There are two more levels of appeal before the sentence is final. Prosecutors had initially asked for a six-year prison term and lifetime ban on public office.

Italy recently ratified a treaty combating violence against women in a bid to redress growing violence against women, including acid attacks.

4. The Sunday People reported yesterday that Nigella Lawson is preparing to divorce husband Charles Saatchi. Especially in America, it’s believed that Nigella’s career will nosedive under the appearance of a woman who accepts domestic abuse.

An aide in touch with the Sunday People all last week said: “Neither she nor Charles are interested in counselling or trying to save the marriage. It seems they’re done and she is broken and desolate.”

A separation agreement is expected shortly and a divorce in two years.

5. 18-year-old Pakistani actress Bushra Waiz, known as Shazia Aziz, is in critical condition, the victim of an acid attack in the early hours of Saturday morning. Her brother Akhtar Waiz told CNN that the family was asleep in their courtyard in the city of Nowshera, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when the man executed the acid attack as a reprisal for Bushra Waiz’s rejection of a marriage proposal.