With Today at Ms.—a daily newsletter from the team here at Ms. magazine—our top stories are delivered straight to your inbox every afternoon, so you’ll be informed and ready to fight back.

Abortion rights protesters at a rally at the Tucson Federal Courthouse in Tucson on July 4, 2022. (Sandy Huffaker / AFP via Getty Images)

BY SHOSHANNA EHRLICH | The Arizona Supreme Court ruled to let a law banning almost all abortions in the state go into effect. The justices ordered the state to wait 14 days before beginning to enforce the ban, to give advocates time to ask a lower court to pause it again.

Voters may be able to weigh in on the issue this November: Last week, Arizona for Abortion Access, a coalition of abortion rights organizations, announced it had gathered enough signatures for a ballot measure that would ask voters to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s Constitution.

(Click here to read more)

BY LAURA VALLE GUTIERREZ, JULIE KASHEN, FAITH JALANGO, KATHY MENDES and JAIMIE WORKER | In 2021, the Century Foundation published its first care policy report card, “Care Matters,” which graded each state on a number of supportive family policies and worker rights and protections, such as paid sick and paid family leave, pregnant worker fairness, and the domestic worker bill of rights. The 2021 report card revealed the tremendous gaps in state care policies and a fragmented and insufficient system of care workers and families in most states.

This year’s update, co-authored with Caring Across Generations, takes another look at how states are doing.

(Click here to read more) 

Dual-language kindergarten students at Coldwater Canyon Elementary on Aug. 14, 2023 in Valley Glen, Calif. In the U.S., the annual cost of care has risen to over $30,000 for 20 percent of families. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

BY REBECCA E. GOMEZ | Since Congress failed to extend the childcare stabilization funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in September 2023, the supply of childcare has fallen off a cliff in many places across the United States, and its effects on families and the early childhood education (ECE) workforce are being felt more than ever. 

If you haven’t already done so, it is time to sit up and pay attention. As childcare programs increase fees to make up for budget shortfalls, the annual cost of care has risen to over $30,000 for 20 percent of families in the U.S., with another 50 percent paying approximately $20,000 annually. These costs often exceed the cost of college tuition. 

Research has long shown the cognitive and social emotional benefits of early learning, and an overwhelming majority of Americans feel that childcare is a good use of their taxpayer dollars. Congress’ disconnect on this issue remains unconscionable.

(Click here to read more) 

Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on

Apple Podcasts + Spotify.

The fight to enshrine gender equality in the U.S. Constitution is more urgent than ever. Nobody knows this better than Susan Frietsche—who recently secured an incredible victory for women in the state of Pennsylvania in terms of then power of the Equal Rights Amendment as it relates to reproductive freedom. In this episode, we delve into how Susan’s work sets an important precedent for protecting women’s rights—and how it relates to the fight to secure the federal ERA in the Constitution.

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

READ THE REST | GET THE MAGAZINE | SUPPORT MS.

Enjoy this newsletter? Forward to a friend!
Was this email forwarded to you by a friend? Subscribe.

Ms. Magazine
1600 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 801
Arlington, VA 22209
United States

Manage your email subscriptions here

If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please 

unsubscribe.