Dear John,

Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee for president, has picked up a remarkable amount of steam for her campaign in a short amount of time—from raising unprecedented amounts of money and garnering tens of thousands of new volunteers, to dominating the public discourse. A huge reason why Harris is raising so much—and polling so well? Her support for abortion rights. 

Harris is one of the Democratic party’s biggest abortion advocates, as contributing editor Carrie Baker writes in Ms. this week. In the wake of the Dobbs decision that overturned the right to abortion in the U.S., she traveled the country convening state legislators to discuss reproductive rights, and speaking with healthcare providers, constitutional law experts, state attorneys general, disability rights leaders and women’s rights advocates.

Polling has shown that abortion is a top issue for many voters this election—especially women voters. According to a poll conducted by Lake Research Partners for Ms. and the Feminist Majority Foundation, nearly three-quarters of voters support a women’s right to make their own reproductive decisions without government interference. And according to Pew Research, almost two-thirds of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Abortion rights are popular with Americans—and we know that candidates who support abortion rights can win elections. (Look below to find out how you can become a paid poll worker in your state!)

In Austin, Texas on Monday, President Biden cited Dobbs as he made an impassioned call for reforming the Supreme Court. In a speech delivered at the LBJ Presidential Library, Biden called for term limits for justices, a binding code of conduct for the Court, and a constitutional amendment stripping the president of immunity for crimes committed while in office. “The courts determine the scale and scope of our laws. … In recent years, extreme opinions the Supreme Court has handed down have undermined long established civil rights principles and protections,” he said. The speech makes Biden the first sitting president in generations to call for such drastic reforms to the judicial branch—and VP Harris has endorsed the changes. 

Finally, if you, like me, have also been glued to the television coverage of the Olympics this past week, you might have noticed something: this year, for the first time ever, there are an equal number of men’s and women’s events across all competitions. We've been cheering on as Katie Ledecky set the record for the most Olympic medals won by a woman swimmer, and gymnast Simone Biles secured her second all-around gold and led the U.S. women to a team gold as well. And we salute their endurance and determination as they continue to dominate their sport.

Whether it’s politics or sports, we know the importance of gender parity. 

 
Onward,

Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor

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

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In this episode, we’re joined by two co-hosts of the Webby Award-winning #SistersInLaw podcast to discuss where our nation stands as we approach the 2024 elections—from the ongoing trials faced by former president Donald Trump, to Nikki Haley, to the Supreme Court’s recent opinions and so much more.

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

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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