Justice & Law

Trump’s War on Older Women

PUBLISHED 4/4/2025 by

By now we all know that President Trump’s various policies and announcements have targeted immigrants, institutions with DEI programs and several federal agencies, including ones that focus on media, libraries, museums and ending homelessness.

But one of the biggest groups caught in his crosshairs is older women.

Here’s the truth: Social Security is the foundation of retirement security for most American seniors, and the damage, especially to women, is likely to be severe. Women account for more than half (56 percent) of the total beneficiary population aged 65 or older; they are the vast majority (78 percent) of widowed retirees.

South Carolina Wants to Block Medicaid Patients From Planned Parenthood. Will SCOTUS Let It?

PUBLISHED 4/4/2025 by

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, a case that could determine whether Medicaid patients have the right to sue when states deny them access to qualified healthcare providers like Planned Parenthood.

While the legal question is narrow, a ruling in favor of South Carolina could embolden other states to cut off Medicaid funding for reproductive healthcare, disproportionately impacting low-income patients and people of color.

From Feminists, Messages to Young People Currently Living Through History

PUBLISHED 4/3/2025 by and

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.”

They Were Critically Ill. Abortion Could Have Saved Their Lives. They Weren’t Given the Option.

PUBLISHED 4/3/2025 by

We don’t have the full picture of what abortion bans have wrought. We might never know the full scope of the damage, because the same people leveling these brutalities are the ones in charge of tracking them.

Instead, what we have are snapshots: data pulled by intrepid reporters. Women and their families brave enough to speak to the press. Doctors willing to speak anonymously with careful researchers.

Invading Pharmacies, Intimidating Cities and Terrorizing Healthcare Providers: Extremist Antiabortion Groups Escalate Tactics

PUBLISHED 4/1/2025 by and

Antiabortion group invasions and disruptions are surging dramatically since the pardon of 21 convicted extremists, and California is becoming ground zero for aggressive tactics by extremist groups. “Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust” (Survivors) is at the forefront of these actions, coordinating intimidation campaigns against pharmacies, clinics and local city councils.

Antiabortion Extremists Blockade Milwaukee Abortion Clinic as State Supreme Court Election Looms Large

PUBLISHED 3/31/2025 by | UPDATED 4/2/2025 at 7:23 A.M. PT

On Thursday, March 27th in Milwaukee, anti-abortion extremists blocked access to Affiliated Medical Services, refusing to leave until police physically removed them. This calculated act in defiance of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act occurred just days before Wisconsin voters decide a critical State Supreme Court race that will determine the future of abortion rights in the state.

Social Movements Constrained Trump in His First Term—More Than People Realize

PUBLISHED 3/30/2025 by

As The New York Times noted not long ago, Trump “had not appeared to be swayed by protests, petitions, hashtag campaigns or other tools of mass dissent.” That’s a common perspective these days. But what if it’s wrong?

In fact, popular resistance in Trump’s first term accomplished more than many observers realize; it’s just that most wins happened outside the spotlight. In my view, the most visible tactics—petitions, hashtags, occasional marches in Washington—had less impact than the quieter work of organizing in communities and workplaces.

Understanding when movements succeeded during Trump’s first term is important for identifying how activists can effectively oppose Trump policy in his second administration.

The War on Women Report: Women Jailed for Miscarriages, Dragged from Town Halls, and Denied Healthcare

PUBLISHED 3/29/2025 by and

MAGA Republicans are back in the White House, and Project 2025 is their guide—the right-wing plan to turn back the clock on women’s rights, remove abortion access, and force women into roles as wives and mothers in the “ideal, natural family structure.” We know an empowered female electorate is essential to democracy. That’s why day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

Since our last report:
—At a town hall in Idaho, men from a private security firm grabbed Teresa Borrenpohl and forcibly dragged her from the room.
—Georgia relaunched a new maternal mortality committee, but will not reveal who the new members are.
—In a win for Montana, a district court permanently blocked multiple restrictions that would have effectively eliminated abortion access for most patients on Medicaid.

… and more.

Amid Support from Doctors Group, Bill to Clarify Texas’ Abortion Ban Does Little to Save Lives, Critics Say

PUBLISHED 3/28/2025 by and

A bipartisan bill to clarify exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban garnered widespread support Thursday from healthcare professionals and abortion opponents who said the bill would remove any hesitation doctors might have to save a pregnant woman’s life.

Critics, meanwhile, told lawmakers that Senate Bill 31 doesn’t go far enough to protect women facing pregnancy-related medical emergencies and even quietly resurrects 160-year-old laws that could be used to criminalize those who have undergone an abortion or have helped those who receive an out-of-state abortion.