The Ms. Must-Read

Project 2026 Declares Open War on Women’s Rights

PUBLISHED 12/13/2025 by

When The Heritage Foundation released its new policy blueprint for 2026 this week—an extension of the now-infamous Project 2025—it did so with the calm confidence of an institution convinced no one will stop it. The document is shorter than last year’s 900-page “Mandate for Leadership,” but no less dangerous. It is, in fact, more candid.

Project 2026 lays out a government redesigned to control women’s bodies, erase LGBTQ+ lives, dismantle civil rights protections and roll back decades of hard-won progress. Wrapped in the language of “family,” “sovereignty” and “restoring America,” it is a direct attempt to impose a narrow, rigid ideology on an entire nation.

Make no mistake: This is a plan for forced motherhood, government-policed gender and the end of women’s equality as we know it.

But Project 2026 is not destiny. It is a warning—and one we must answer with the full force of a movement that has never accepted a future written for us by someone else.

Republicans’ ‘National Backdoor Abortion Ban’

PUBLISHED 12/8/2025 by | UPDATED 12/9/2025 at 8:55 A.M. PT

Millions are on the brink of seeing the costs of their health insurance skyrocket if Congress fails to extend the ACA tax credits due to expire Dec. 31.

Now, Republicans are seeking to use the debate over the tax credits to pursue what Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has warned is a “national backdoor abortion ban” by expanding the scope of the Hyde Amendment.

Since 1977, the Hyde Amendment has prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion except under limited exceptions for cases where the life of the woman is in danger, or in cases of rape or incest. But opponents of abortion in Congress want to prohibit ACA marketplace plans from covering abortion even in states where abortion remains legal. This means that even if a state requires insurance plans to cover abortion, and uses its own funds to do so, federal law would block it. Private insurance plans sold through the ACA marketplace would also be impacted.

A vote on the issue is expected in the Senate on Thursday, Dec. 11. 

Republicans Are Holding Women’s Health Hostage

PUBLISHED 10/6/2025 by

As the government shutdown drags into another week, women and their families have the most to lose. The Republican budget that triggered this fight guts Medicaid and rolls back ACA tax credits that make health insurance affordable for millions—what experts are calling a “quiet repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 50 years after Rosie Jiménez died because she was denied Medicaid coverage for abortion, we’re watching the same systems endanger women’s lives all over again.

And yet, there’s reason for hope: The FDA just approved a new generic version of mifepristone, expanding access to medication abortion at a moment when it’s most under attack.

Strong Women, Loud Backlash. We’re Ready.

PUBLISHED 9/20/2025 by

Those who raise their voices—whether for equality, democracy or reproductive freedom—are facing escalating threats. Online harassment spills into real-world violence, antiabortion attacks continue, and even professors, journalists and entertainers are being punished for speaking too boldly. Powerful institutions and individuals are working to chill movements for justice.

But history reminds us that these attacks are not signs of our weakness—they are signs of our progress. The louder the backlash, the clearer it is that our words and actions are reshaping the world.

Beneath every battle lies a deeper truth: Without explicit constitutional equality, no right we’ve won is truly safe—not reproductive freedom, not equal pay, not protection from violence. That’s why so many continue to press for recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. With 38 states already ratified and constitutional scholars confirming the legal foundation is there, what remains is political will—and in this moment, the outcome may be decided in the very districts and states where women’s votes will soon be cast.

Whose Violence Is Taken Seriously Is Political

PUBLISHED 9/15/2025 by

Weeks of shocking political violence has made one thing painfully clear: Whose suffering is taken seriously is deeply political. From the assassination of Charlie Kirk, to attacks on Democratic elected officials like Minnesota’s Melissa Hortman and her husband, the public and media response reveals a stark double standard.

While some deaths are weaponized to fuel extremism, others—like domestic violence victims, immigrants and marginalized communities—are routinely ignored.

This selective attention reflects the gendered and ideological framing of violence in the U.S. Today, more than ever, it’s crucial to recognize how political rhetoric and societal blind spots shape which acts of violence are acknowledged—and which are dismissed, leaving vulnerable populations at heightened risk.

Women Confront GOP Attacks in Statehouses and Demand Transparency in Congress

PUBLISHED 9/8/2025 by

As Texas escalates its war on women, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein take the fight to Congress.

There is a simple truth at the core of the current Republican agenda, and our current moment: It is unsafe to be a woman in today’s America. And that situation is by design—whether through abortion restrictions, questioning the safety of the most effective forms of contraception, or RFK Jr.’s targeting of safe and effective vaccines, and other proven public health interventions that save lives. We will all suffer the consequences—regardless of our politics. 

Trump’s Stunts Hide His Real Agenda: Rigging Elections and Gutting Safety Nets

PUBLISHED 8/18/2025 by

Trump’s latest antics—from patrolling D.C. with border agents, to announcing a White House “UFC cage match”—are meant to generate headlines and distract from the real story. Behind the spectacle, his budget slashes SNAP, Medicaid and other lifelines for women and children, while Republicans escalate redistricting schemes to rig the 2026 elections.

Don’t let the chaos fool you: These moves will have devastating, lasting consequences for our democracy and our lives.

Trump Officials Wage War on Women, Immigrants and Accountability

PUBLISHED 8/4/2025 by

A dozen Democrats in Congress sued the Trump administration last week for limiting their access to ICE detention centers. The lawmakers argue that the DHS, which oversees ICE, has inhibited lawmakers’ oversight responsibilities and violated federal law in denying members of Congress access to the facilities.

And the cruelty we’ve seen over the past several months extends far beyond this country’s borders. The U.S. is still on track to destroy over $13 million worth of contraceptives, paid for with U.S. taxpayer dollars, and intended for women in poor nations—a move that itself will cost an additional $167,000. Trump officials have also turned down offers from multiple aid agencies to distribute the supplies at no cost.

Trump’s Support Erodes as Women, Workers and Even Republicans Push Back

PUBLISHED 7/28/2025 by

It seems like with each week, Trump just keeps getting more and more unpopular—even among those who are most primed to like him. Trump’s approval rating is currently the lowest it’s been this term, seeing a significant decline among Independents and even some decline among Republicans.

And the “Big Beautiful Bill” has played no small role: Polling shows that majorities of voters continue to disapprove of the Republican economic plan. Seventy percent are concerned about cuts to Medicaid (which, by the way, remains overwhelmingly popular in the polls), regardless of when those cuts go into effect—indicating that the Republican strategy of delaying the cuts’ implementation till after the midterm elections might not be working.

Regardless of how dark things feel, there are countless feminist battles in our past, both near and far, that we can draw hope and strength from.

What’s Up With Men?

PUBLISHED 7/14/2025 by

What the hell is up with men these days? It’s clearer than ever that (mostly white) men are hurting—but why is this happening, and what can be done to change things?

We go in search of the answers to these questions on the latest episode of On the Issues, where host Michele Goodwin is joined by Jackson Katz, Gary Barker and Cody Thompson to talk about the issues facing men—and how we can address them, in order to get our democracy back on track.

If you want to go even deeper, Katz also guest-edited a special “Report on Men” for our Summer issue (which you can get right now as a standalone for just $5)—including pieces that delve into the rise of the “bro-casts,” the clinicians combating the “male loneliness epidemic,” JD Vance and the performance of masculinity, and so much more.

If you’ve been enjoying the recently-released documentary Dear Ms. on HBO, and want to go deeper into the history and legacy of Ms., you’re in luck! Our latest podcast Looking Back, Moving Forward explores through the lens of Ms. not only how we got to where we are now, but how our shared histories illuminate the path toward an intersectional feminist future