Politics

Five Reasons for Hope: Activism and Resistance in 2025

Since the presidential election on November 6, 2024, many have felt uncertainty and concern about the policy changes implemented by the new administration. Issues such as immigration, reproductive rights, and gender equality have faced new challenges, making it easy to feel overwhelmed. However, staying engaged and motivated is essential for advocating for a better future. […]

Climate Change

Trump’s National Park Agenda: Firing Rangers and Fast-Tracking Oil Drilling

Trump’s administration is ramping up efforts to open national parks and public lands to oil and gas drilling while simultaneously firing probationary park rangers. In recent weeks, the National Park Service (NPS) has dismissed employees still within their probationary period, a decision that some see as part of a broader restructuring designed to weaken internal […]

Afghanistan Womens Rights

Allies Feeling “Betrayed” and “Disappointed” by the Closure of the Afghan Resettlement Program

The order the State Department has received to close the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) by April 2025 has left many Afghans and military veterans shocked and upset at this decision. The program has not officially closed yet, but all signs point to its permanent shutdown. The decision to close CARE means […]

Courts

Michelle West Granted Clemency After 31 Years in Prison

Michelle West is finally free after serving 31 years of an unjust double life sentence plus 50 years for a nonviolent drug conspiracy charge. Her clemency is a hard-won victory, led by The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, and a testament to the power of relentless advocacy and collective action.   […]

Afghanistan Immigration

Plan to Shut Down Afghan Resettlement Office Leaves Thousands of Afghan Allies in Limbo

The U.S. State Department has ordered the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to prepare for closure by April 2025, a decision that has raised significant concern among advocates and Afghans awaiting resettlement. The decision affects some 200,000 individuals, including family members of Afghan-American U.S. military personnel, minors awaiting reunification with their […]

On the Hill

Russel Vought, Project 2025 Co-Author, Confirmed as Federal Budget Chief

On February 6, the Senate confirmed Russell Vought as the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought’s nomination was heavily contested, primarily due to his history as the co-author of Project 2025, an extreme conservative agenda listing Trump’s priorities for his second term.  Project 2025, created by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent right-wing […]

Global

The Cost of Cutting Foreign Aid

In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all federal funding for foreign aid for 90 days. The order, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” is expected to have detrimental effects on health, safety, and essential services in communities worldwide.  Following this order, Trump and Elon Musk have […]

Education

Trump Labels Discussions of Race, Gender and Sexuality in School as “Radical Indoctrination”

On Jan. 29, President Trump signed an executive order entitled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” which restricts discussions on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues in public schools. Instead, schools are directed to focus on “patriotic education,” which should be grounded in “an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational […]

Afghanistan Immigration

Over 100 Organizations Urge Congress to Reverse Trump’s Executive Order on Refugee Resettlement

A coalition of 123 national, state, and local organizations from across the United States (U.S.) is calling on Congress to rescind President Trump’s executive order “Realigning USRAP.” The executive order has suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and frozen humanitarian assistance to millions of people needing assistance. The Feminist Majority Foundation, among the signatories, […]

Immigration

Guantánamo Bay Revived as Immigration Detention Site, Raising Human Rights Concerns

The current administration has begun transferring migrants to Guantánamo Bay, reviving one of the darkest chapters in U.S. immigration policy. The decision to detain people, many of them fleeing violence and poverty, at a military base long criticized for human rights abuses raises serious legal and ethical concerns.   Reports indicate that the first group of […]

On the Hill

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research Hosts Briefing to Outline Path towards Equality

Panelists at the IWPR briefing (Marisa Conners) On Wednesday, Feb. 5, The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) hosted an event titled “2025 Federal Policy Solutions to Advance Gender Equity,” where policymakers, experts and advocates gathered to strategize on the urgent need to safeguard and expand women’s rights. The panelists included President of the National […]

Election

The SAVE Act: A Voter Suppression Tactic Disguised as Election Integrity

Photo from Unsplash Under the guise of “election integrity,” new legislation threatens to create unnecessary barriers to voting. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, H.R. 22 in early January, with a vote expected in the coming weeks. This legislation is yet another attempt to suppress the votes of marginalized […]

Courts

Pennsylvania Court Case Could Reshape the State’s Medicaid Abortion Coverage

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania re-heard a civil case against the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The case, Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, represents a decades-long fight by reproductive health organizations to remove Medicaid restrictions on abortion funding. Medicaid is a government-funded health insurance program that […]

Abortion

Missouri Republican Introduces Federal Abortion Ban in the House

Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) has introduced a new bill in the House, the so-called “Life at Conception Act” (HR 722), which would ban abortion across the nation. According to a press release from Burlison’s office on Jan. 24, “This landmark legislation declares that unborn children are ‘persons’ under the 14th Amendment to the United States […]

Politics

Trump Offers Buyout to Federal Employees

On January 28, the Trump administration sent a letter to all federal employees outlining a buyout scheme called “Deferred Resignation.” According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, this program would allow federal employees to resign between now and February 6, with the resignation taking effect on September 30. In the meantime, employees would be […]