In a landmark move with sweeping implications for human rights and diplomacy, Russia has officially recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The announcements, made by the Russian and the Taliban Foreign Ministries on Thursday, July 3, mark the first time a major global power has extended formal recognition to the Taliban since […]
War’s Hidden Burden on Women
As tensions escalate in the Middle East, civilians across the region face devastating consequences. In early 2024, missile strikes, drone attacks, and proxy clashes reignited fears of a broader regional war, spilling across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and even Iranian cities. Families in northern Israel once again crowd into bomb shelters, re-traumatized by memories of past […]
New Supreme Court Ruling Could Restrict Access to Reproductive Health Providers
On Thursday, June 26, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, ruling that individuals do not have the right to sue under the “free choice of provider” clause of the Medicaid Act. This decision reversed lower court rulings and remanded the case back to district courts. Medina v […]
Supreme Court Reopens Challenge to New York Abortion Coverage Rule
The Supreme Court has revived a legal challenge to a New York state regulation that requires employers to cover abortion services in employee health insurance plans. In a brief, unsigned order issued on June 17, the justices instructed a lower court to reconsider the case brought by a group of Catholic organizations, including the Roman […]
Historic UK Parliament Vote Ends Criminalization of Abortion for Women
In a recent victory for abortion rights activists, the United Kingdom has decriminalized abortion for women in England and Wales. The vote on June 17 amended the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, which introduced abortion-related offenses and threatened women with prison time for attempting to obtain an abortion. Although enforcement from the Offences Against […]
Policy Shift at the VA Raises Concerns About Discrimination and Access to Healthcare
The Department of Veterans Affairs has made a quiet but significant change to its hospital bylaws, removing language that explicitly protected patients from being denied care on the basis of political affiliation, marital status, and other personal traits. The change came in response to a January 2025 executive order issued by President Trump, titled “Defending […]
Rep. Kat Cammack’s Ectopic Pregnancy Highlights the Dangers of Florida’s Abortion Laws
Kat Cammack, a Republican congresswoman representing Florida’s 3rd district, recently found herself at the center of a national conversation surrounding abortion access after experiencing a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy. Cammack’s experience has brought renewed attention to the consequences of restrictive abortion legislation in Florida, highlighting the complexities surrounding reproductive healthcare in the state. In April, Cammack […]
Title IX at 53: Celebrating a Legacy of Equality and Protecting Its Future
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 […]
