June 23, 2025 marks the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the groundbreaking civil rights law that reshaped American education by prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any federally funded school or program. Enacted in 1972, Title IX opened doors to classrooms, athletics, and leadership opportunities for millions of women and girls, transforming what equality in education could […]
Three Years of Dobbs: Mapping the Post-Roe Reality
Three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the effects on abortion access and reproductive healthcare are significant and ongoing. The decision allowed states to set their own abortion laws, leading to bans and restrictions in more than a dozen states. At the same time, states […]
At UN Human Rights Council, Afghan Women Demand Action
At the opening of the UN Human Rights Council’s 59th Session in Geneva, Afghan women took center stage, urging the international community to formally recognize Taliban rule as gender apartheid and take concrete steps toward justice. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women and girls in Afghanistan have faced what many legal […]
Supreme Court Ruling Weakens Legal Safeguards for Trans Youth
The Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law restricting gender affirming care for minors on Wednesday, June 18. This 6-3 ruling delivered a major blow to not only Tennessee transgender youths, but also trans youth across the nation. 24 other states have already enacted similar laws that restrict access to gender transition surgery, puberty blockers, and […]
The Cost of Fine Dining: Claims of Sexual Harassment and Union-Busting at D.C.’s Elite Restaurants
While the elite of Washington, D.C., enjoy expensive meals at famed restaurants such as Pastis, Le Diplomate and Rasika, the workers behind the scenes have reportedly contended with sexual harassment, union-busting or both. STARR Restaurants, the high-end hospitality group led by CEO Stephen Starr, owns several hotspots, including Le Diplomate, St. Anselm and Pastis, as […]
Melissa Hortman: Honoring the Life and Legacy of a Fearless Minnesota Leader
On June 14, 2025, Minnesota lost one of its most dedicated public servants. Melissa Hortman, Speaker Emerita of the Minnesota House of Representatives, was assassinated alongside her husband, Mark, in their Brooklyn Park home. The shooting, described by authorities as a “politically motivated act of domestic terrorism,” shocked the state and the nation. The attacker, […]
Public Health Experts Alarmed by CDC Advisory Committee Overhaul
On June 9, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the independent panel responsible for making evidence-based vaccine recommendations in the United States. Kennedy cited concerns over “conflicts of interest” and a need to restore public confidence in vaccine […]
Southern Baptist Convention Calls to Ban Same-Sex Marriage
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the nation’s largest protestant denomination, gathered for their annual two-day meeting in early June. Discussing a wide variety of topics, ranging from transgender youth to gambling, the convention ultimately endorsed resolutions to ban same-sex marriages, calling for a reversal of the ten-year-old Supreme Court precedent. This decision signals the SBC’s […]
The Abortion Pill Is Under Siege—Again
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, mifepristone has become the focal point of current abortion debates, and now, the FDA itself is may be moving to restrict or eliminate access to this safe, widely used medication. The FDA, under influence from the US Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr., has […]
House Judiciary Committee Advances Bill to Repeal FACE Act
On June 10, the House Judiciary Committee voted 13–10 to advance H.R. 589, which would repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Enacted in 1994 with bipartisan support after a wave of violent attacks, including the murder of abortion provider Dr. David Gunn, the law makes it a federal crime to use force, threats, or physical […]
Protests Sweep Los Angeles in Wake of ICE Raids
On Friday, June 6, 2025, protests against immigration raids started in Los Angeles, California after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entered several city locations to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants. Over the course of several days, ICE agents conducted raids at multiple worksites, including clothing warehouses and public areas throughout Southern California, resulting in the […]
Trump Revokes Guidance Requiring Hospitals to Provide Life-Saving Emergency Abortions
On Tuesday, June 3, the Trump administration announced that it would rescind guidelines to U.S. hospitals directing them to provide emergency abortions when necessary to save a woman’s life. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)—a federal law passed in 1986—hospital emergency rooms are required to give patients life-saving and stabilizing care, including […]
The Maternal Mental Health Crisis: How America Is Failing Its Mothers
Maternal health crises often make headlines, but behind the statistics on mortality and physical complications lies another quiet epidemic: the mental health of new mothers. And it’s getting worse. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the number of mothers experiencing poor mental health has increased over 60% since 2016. In recent […]
Senators Shaheen and Murkowski Condemn Termination of Afghan TPS as “Historic Betrayal”
In a bipartisan effort, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) have publicly denounced the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 8,000 Afghan nationals currently living in the United States. The senators expressed their profound concern in a joint letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland […]
“Immigrant Reality Show” Pitched to the DHS Mocks Survival as a Game
Amidst the terrifying state of immigration under the current administration, it appears that some view the best way forward is with casually cruel and blatantly insensitive mockery: the kind you would only find on a reality show. Recently, reports began to circulate of a competition show being pitched to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), […]
The Take It Down Act Becomes Law: A First Step Against Digital Exploitation
On May 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan “Take It Down Act” into law, establishing a federal framework to combat the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes. This legislation criminalizes the act of knowingly publishing or threatening to publish explicit images without the subject’s consent, marking a significant step in addressing […]
Memorial Day Reflections: The Forgotten Legacy and Future of Women in the Military
This Memorial Day, like so many others, was filled with quiet moments of reflection, flags waving, wreaths laid, heads bowed in remembrance. But too often, when we honor those who have served and sacrificed, we forget about the women who were there as well. Women have been part of the U.S. military for more than […]
Judge Strikes Down Federal Rules Requiring Paid Time Off for Abortions
On Wednesday, May 21, a federal judge in Louisiana struck down regulations that require most U.S. employers to provide their employees with time off and other accommodations for abortions. Abortions are one of many pregnancy-related medical conditions covered under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed in December 2022 with the goal of improving the […]
Missouri Lawmakers Aim to Undo Abortion Protections Passed by Voters
Last November, 52% of Missouri voters passed Amendment 3 to the state constitution, presenting a beacon of hope for women’s bodily autonomy post-Dobbs. The amendment guaranteed abortion rights up to fetal viability—generally considered around 24 weeks of pregnancy—along with fundamental reproductive freedoms such as birth control, pre- and post-natal care, and “respectful” birthing conditions. However, […]
Southern California Fertility Clinic Bombing Highlights Ongoing Threats to Repro Healthcare Providers
“Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is,” the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) Fertility clinic, located in Palm Springs, California, wrote in response to the recent bombing attack they faced. No members of the clinic were injured, nor […]
