‘A Thousand Miles for Care’: Vanessa Carlton and Center for Reproductive Rights Spotlight the Women Forced to Travel for Abortion Care

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, more than 20 states have completely banned or severely restricted abortion. In 2023 alone, over 171,000 women were forced to travel out of state—in some cases, several states away—to have an abortion. The Center for Reproductive Rights unveiled a national video campaign last week highlighting the distances women have been forced to travel for abortion care after their own states criminalized the procedure.

Women on abortion road trips all listen to Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” … in the car, on the bus, on the highway, at the gas station; the song becomes part of a communal soundtrack as the women cross state lines for abortion care. They all end up in the same medical waiting room.

Documentary ‘Zurawski v Texas’ Shows the Horror of Abortion Bans—and the Bravery of Those Who Fight Them

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by | UPDATED 8/5/2025 at 9:37 A.M. PT

The critically acclaimed documentary Zurawski v Texas is now available for rent in the U.S. on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play and YouTube.

Executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, the film achieves the remarkable, bringing audiences directly into the lives of three plaintiffs and their lawyer in the groundbreaking lawsuit from the Center for Reproductive Rights challenging Texas’ abject failure to honor medical exceptions under its abortion ban. The documentary gets up close and personal, shedding light on the devastating consequences experienced by each of the women—their doctor’s appointments, family interactions, surrogacy attempts, courtroom testimonies and a heart-wrenching funeral—at the hands of the state.

The Crusade to Elect Three Democrats to the Texas Supreme Court

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by

“The Texas Supreme Court took our freedoms. And what we need to do about it in November is vote out Jimmy Blacklock, John Devine and Jane Bland,” said Gina Ortiz Jones, Texas woman and founder of the Find Out PAC.

Jones said she’s confident that “people are very motivated to hold somebody accountable” for their loss of reproductive rights in Texas, and that flipping three seats on the state Supreme Court may not be as difficult as it seems.

“When people say, ‘Oh, that’s really tough’—well how do we know?” she said. “We’ve never tried.”

Michelle Obama to Men: Take Our Lives Seriously

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by

In her first appearance on the campaign trail since her electric speech at the Democratic National Convention, former First Lady Michelle Obama pleaded directly with men to take women’s lives seriously this election.

“To the men who love us … I am asking you from the core of my being to take our lives seriously. Do not put our hands in the lives of politicians—mostly men—who have no clue or do not care about what we as women are going through.”

Putting Periods in Pop Culture

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by

Last month at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) in New York City, Ms. joined “Spotlight on Periods: A Call for Menstrual Health Equity,” an event that brought together film, music, and sports trailblazers, influencers and activists to discuss their call for action to close the gap in menstrual health.

“As creators, we have a responsibility to tell the story and also have the inner dialogue to develop a loving relationship with our bodies and periods, to be able to show up and bravely educate others,” said Madame (Kiran) Gandhi, a musician and activist, who ran the London marathon on the first day of her period. “Women bleed all over the world and we are not rewarded and celebrated. And we are expected to hide it away in shame.”

Mass Deportation Won’t Solve U.S. Immigration Policy. Here Are Three Things That Will.

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by

There are three things the U.S. government must do to address immigration. None entails policing the U.S. border, and none are prioritized by U.S. politicians today. 

Support of land sovereignty, reproductive autonomy and safe borders would do far more to address the problems accompanying U.S. immigration, than threatening expensive deportation and promising ineffective border walls.

How I Talk to My Daughters About Kamala Harris

PUBLISHED 10/29/2024 by

When Vice President Kamala Harris held her first rally as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, my husband and I watched intently as our daughters wandered into the room. They could see how excited we were—standing close to the TV, our hands clasped tight, my eyes welling up with tears. They asked us who she was, and we told them, “That’s Kamala Harris. And she is going to be our first woman president.”

“She looks like me,” said my 6-year-old, the daughter of a Nigerian American father and white mother.

Immigration Is an Opportunity, Not a Problem: The Ms. Q&A with Tolu Olubunmi of ‘How to Speak American’

PUBLISHED 10/28/2024 by

Naturalized citizens made up one in 10 U.S. voters in 2020. Yet, there are few organizations dedicated to supporting this growing segment of the electorate.

Tolu Olubunmi, who grew up undocumented in the United States, is trying to change that by sharing her story and encouraging civic participation of immigrants through her new organization, How to Speak American. Olubunmi’s advocacy is premised on the idea that immigration presents an opportunity rather than a problem and that this often-ignored group could make a measurable difference in protecting our democratic ideals.

“I went to an immigration lawyer who said, ‘You’re a pretty young thing. Find a nice young man and get married,’ because that’s the only path available,” Olubunmi said. “I decided to help change U.S. law instead.”

How Care Became a Key Issue This Election

PUBLISHED 10/28/2024 by

In response to voters’ needs and demands, the issue of care has been receiving outsized attention during this year’s election season. 

“If there’s no one to work because there’s no one to care, then we have a problem,” said Ai-jen Poo, founder of Caring Across Generations.

“If the lack of affordable and accessible childcare is what’s holding women back from reaching their economic potential, then we should make childcare affordable and accessible,” said Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First. “As we head into the final weeks of the election, one thing is clear: The conversation has shifted. Childcare has finally been elevated into the national conversation.”

Ms. Global: Women in Turkey Protest Teen Femicides, South Korea Rules Misogyny as Hate Crime, and More

PUBLISHED 10/28/2024 by

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.’ most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.