Author: Olivia Mccabe

Olivia McCabe is an editorial & digital media intern for Ms. originally from outside Boston. She is currently based in New Orleans, having recently graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor's degree in political science and English, and is now completing her master's in English. Her interests include amplifying women’s voices in politics and leadership, as well as covering the judiciary along with state and federal government. She writes the monthly global column for Ms., focused on women's stories internationally.

Retention or Removal? How a Quiet Judicial Election Could Reshape Pennsylvania

Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht

Pennsylvania voters are heading into a typically low-profile election, but this year’s outcome could reshape the state’s legal landscape. On Nov. 4, three Democratic justices on the state Supreme Court—Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht—face retention votes that could influence rulings on abortion, redistricting and voting rights for years to come.

Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority, but Republicans see an opening: If even one justice is voted out, the balance could shift, setting up a new partisan election in 2027.

Ms. Global: Starvation’s Effects on Women in Gaza, Gisele Pelicot Awarded France’s Legion of Honor, Taliban Enforces Dress Laws for Women, and More

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The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This week: News from Gaza, Thailand, Canada, and more.

‘They’re Not Following the Law—They’re Imposing Conservative Values’: Key Takeaways From the Ms. 2025 Supreme Court Term in Review

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Friday, June 27, marked the final day of the ’24-’25 Supreme Court term. This year brought a series of stunning, high-stakes decisions that delivered major setbacks for reproductive rights and civil liberties—from a landmark case threatening judiciary checks and birthright citizenship and a ruling that expands parental opt-outs in public schools, to the Court’s decision to uphold both South Carolina’s ban on Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood and Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for trans teens.

On July 2, the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University hosted its annual Supreme Court Term in Review, co-hosted by Ms. magazine, Ms. Studios, the Brennan Center for Justice and the American Constitution Society. The event brought together legal scholars, litigators, journalists and activists to reflect on the most consequential rulings of the 2024-’25 term.

“We should not have to have seances with slave owners to know what our rights are today.”
—Lourdes A. Rivera

“The president can, with the stroke of a pen, revoke your constitutional right to citizenship.”
—Jamelle Bouie

“The Supreme Court and Congress are basically enabling this. Not just being feckless, but enabling it.”
—Lourdes A. Rivera

“I thought Justice Barrett was extraordinarily disrespectful toward Justice Jackson in that opinion.”
—Mark Joseph Stern

“We get hope from our clients and the communities that are stepping up when many elite institutions are not.”
—Skye Perryman

Ms. Global: Climate Change Linked to Increases in Cancer for Women, U.K. Parliament Votes to Decriminalize Later Abortions, and More

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The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This week: News from Nigeria, South Australia, Canada, and more.

How a Liberal DA in Louisiana Is Fighting for Reproductive Rights in a Post-Roe South

In a post-Roe America, where reproductive freedom depends not just on where you live but who your prosecutor is, New Orleans District Attorney represents a growing number of local officials refusing to criminalize care. His goal: to protect bodily autonomy and keep women out of prison.

As one of the few progressive prosecutors in the Deep South, Williams operates under intense pressure—from conservative lawmakers, a hostile state government and a legal landscape increasingly tilted against reproductive rights. But he’s doing so with clear priorities: decriminalize pregnancy outcomes, defend healthcare providers and prioritize the health and dignity of Black and low-income women in his parish.

Ms. Global: Police Target Georgian Women Protesters, Dominican Republic Deports Pregnant Haitian Women, and More

The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This week: News from South Korea, Mexico, Poland, Australia and more.

Ms. Global: England Bars Trans Women from Women’s Soccer, Iran Sees Surge in Femicides, and More

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The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This week: News from England, the Dominican Republic, UAE, Togo, and more.

A Historic Win in Wisconsin: What Susan Crawford’s Victory Signals

In a record-breaking election, Wisconsin voters elected liberal judge Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court, defeating right-wing candidate Brad Schimel in what became the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. With over $100 million spent, the race became a referendum not just on abortion rights and union protections, but on billionaires like Elon Musk attempting to buy political power. 

Crawford’s win is more than just a victory for Democrats. It is a rebuke of President Trump, aggressive masculinity and right-wing efforts to strip away reproductive freedom. It also marks a turning point in organizing, as voters turned out in force to defend their rights and shape the future of the court.

Ms. Global: Canada Scraps Gender Equality Minister, Brazil Celebrates Trans Rights at Carnival, And More 

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The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. As the world continues to reel from Trump’s haphazard tariffs—for which women, families and everyday citizens will pay the price—Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.

This week: news from the U.K., Brazil, Canada, and more.

From Feminists, Messages to Young People Currently Living Through History

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Here is a collection of inspiring words from the National Young Feminists Leadership Conference held last weekend in Washington, D.C.—for any young feminist who might need some inspiration and encouragement right now.

“Yes, this work will break your heart. Some days, it will exhaust you—and still, you must continue, because here’s what the research ultimately shows: When younger people lead, democracy doesn’t just survive; it thrives.”

“We are living in a time where fundamental rights are under relentless attack, but history has shown us that when young people show up, when we organize, when we mobilize, we have the power to change everything.”

“Progress we fought for is being rolled back, and it is exhausting. But extortion is not the same as defeat.”