Here's what the bill will do:

The House vote today was so close -- 218 to 214. This November and next November, we will be voting like our lives depend on it. Because they do.

(Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash)

Rep. 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. Rep. 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, Rep. Cammack experienced severe abdominal pain during an event in her district. Initially hesitant to seek medical attention, she eventually required emergency surgery after doctors discovered she had an ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, making pregnancy non-viable and incredibly dangerous, even fatal. According to the Mayo Clinic, if the fertilized egg implants and grows in the fallopian tube, it can cause the tube to rupture and the patient to bleed out, a life-threatening event for the pregnant person. Despite the severity of this condition, strict abortion laws in Florida have made healthcare providers cautious, leading to confusion over what constitutes permissible emergency care.

Following her health crisis, Rep. Cammack publicly criticized Democrats, asserting that healthcare providers’ confusion over Florida’s abortion restrictions stems from a political campaign to generate fear. She claimed that this uncertainty, rather than the law itself, endangered her life. Her stance has sparked controversy, with many arguing that her criticism deflects from the underlying issue: overly restrictive abortion laws create dangerous ambiguity for medical professionals and patients.

Rep. Cammack’s legislative history demonstrates her consistent support for anti-abortion measures. In January 2025, she voted in favor of H.R. 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which passed the House on a 220-210 vote. The bill mandates medical care for infants born alive after abortion attempts and includes criminal penalties for healthcare providers who fail to comply.

Florida’s six-week abortion ban includes limited exceptions for life-threatening conditions. Still, it remains vague enough to cause medical providers to second-guess their legal safety when performing procedures related to miscarriage or ectopic pregnancies. Medical professionals have reported increased caution, often waiting until a patient’s condition significantly worsens before intervening.

While Rep. Cammack attributes the blame to her political opponents, the real issue lies in legislative language itself. Her situation is not unique; patients across the state report delays in treatment due to healthcare providers’ fears of prosecution, putting their health at severe risk.

This incident illustrates how even lawmakers who support restrictive abortion measures can become vulnerable to the consequences. Rep. Cammack’s experience highlights the importance of clear guidelines in reproductive healthcare legislation and the direct impact such laws have on women’s health and safety.

Ultimately, the ongoing debate over Florida’s abortion laws demonstrates how political rhetoric often obscures urgent health risks faced by women. Rep. Cammack’s own experience serves as a reminder that reproductive rights and access to timely medical care should transcend partisan divides, highlighting the necessity for clear, medically informed policies.

(Photo from Getty Images)

SARAH HAMIDI | JUNE 23

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 experts now call the most extreme and systematic gender-based oppression in the world. Now, a growing coalition of countries, legal scholars, and Afghan women themselves are pushing the world to name it for what it is—and act towards holding the Taliban accountable for their crimes.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, laid out a stark assessment: “The Taliban have institutionalized large-scale and systematic gender-based discrimination and violence… amounting to gender persecution and possibly other crimes against humanity.” In his remarks, Bennett called for the international community to “leave no stone unturned” in pursuing accountability—including supporting a new UN investigative mechanism and working toward formal recognition of gender apartheid as a crime under international law.

But it was the words of Afghan women that struck the most powerful chords on the global stage.

“My mother wasn’t allowed to study under the Taliban in the ‘90s. Now I’m banned too.”

Zahra*, a former teacher and survivor of child marriage, recounted the loss of her freedom and identity under Taliban rule—first in 2000, and now again in the present. “I lost my job. My daughter lost her school. Our home became a cage,” she said. Zahra described being publicly beaten by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue as her children watched in terror. “That day, it was not only the women who were punished. Our whole society’s dignity was crushed.”

Fatima Amiri, an education activist and survivor of a bombing at the Kaaj Educational Center in Kabul, spoke of resilience in the face of repression. “My mother wasn’t allowed to study under the Taliban in the ‘90s. Now I’m banned too,” she said. Having lost an eye and part of her hearing in the attack, Amiri described how she continues to learn in secret.

“Don’t recognize the Taliban,” she urged. “If the UN cannot change their policies, at least don’t join them.”

The testimonies underscored how the Taliban’s crackdown extends beyond education. Women are barred from most employment, restricted from traveling alone, and denied access to justice. The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has reversed divorce rulings, forcing women back into abusive marriages, and women no longer have access to licensed female lawyers, judges, or prosecutors. Courts routinely reject women’s legal complaints unless brought by a male relative.

Maryam Mitra, a poet and women’s rights activist, called on member states to match condemnation with action. “Afghan women are resisting at extraordinary personal risk. But resistance alone cannot dismantle a system built on erasure.” She demanded the creation of humanitarian corridors, urgent support for grassroots women-led organizations, and the inclusion of Afghan women in all diplomatic talks moving forward.

The Council meeting marked a turning point in global dialogue. Countries including France, Canada, Luxembourg, and Australia echoed Bennett’s framing and voiced support for accountability efforts—including referral of Taliban leadership to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and strengthening evidence-gathering initiatives.

UN Women and UNICEF also called for immediate action. Over 2.2 million Afghan girls are currently barred from school. UN Women warned that the justice system is being weaponized to entrench oppression, while UNICEF emphasized that the longer girls are kept out of education, the more permanent the damage to Afghan society will be.

“The Taliban are not simply restricting rights,” said Bennett. “They are engineering a system where women and girls cease to exist as public beings.”

Still, with much of the world focused on geopolitical bargaining and regional stability, Afghan women fear that their pleas could be ignored again. As Zahra concluded in her address: “We are not asking for privilege, only rights. If the world stays silent, the circle of fear and false choices will continue.”

The meeting left no doubt that Afghan women are watching—and waiting. Whether the world will answer their call remains to be seen.

PETITION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

BREAKING NEWS: Russia becomes the first country to officially recognize the Taliban Government of Afghanistan on July 3. 

Sign below to add your name to this urgent call — we're delivering this petition directly to the United Nations Secretary-General and to the President of the General Assembly to make sure our voices are heard at the highest level. Every signature shows the growing public demand for action. The more names we gather, the stronger our message will be.

Add your name to call on the United Nations to:

FMF Team flyering outside of Pastis (Madelyn Amos)

JULIETTE KREVAT | JUNE 23

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 well as restaurants in Philadelphia, New York City, South Florida and Nashville. 

According to Unite Here Local 25, a union representing D.C.-area hotel, restaurant and casino employees, two workers at Pastis were subjected to sexual harassment by a supervising chef. The union claimed that the women experienced unwanted touch and verbal harassment, such as being grabbed by the neck from behind, being asked to kiss the chef and being called “babygirl” and “princess.” 

Although the workers reported him to STARR human resources, the chef remains employed at Pastis—and according to Local 25, one of the employees who came forward about the alleged harassment was later scheduled to work alongside him.

The union claimed that during an anti-union town hall, STARR management reportedly responded to the sexual harassment claims by saying that such behavior occurs “everywhere,” without taking specific responsibility.

Local 25 and its allies, including the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), are mobilizing against STARR Restaurant Group.

On May 29, FMF led a delegation to Pastis to demand that STARR take a stand against sexual harassment and delivered a letter to the restaurant management. FMF was joined by Reproaction, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Unite Here Local 25 as well as the women who were said to have experienced the harassment by the Pastis chef. 

But reports of sexual harassment are only part of the problem. STARR’s workers are also fighting for a fair process to decide on unionizing. Despite Le Diplomate, arguably D.C.’s most prominent restaurant, generating almost $30 million yearly, many employees say they struggle to earn a living wage.

In January 2025, the majority of workers at St. Anselm, Pastis and Le Diplomate called on STARR to voluntarily recognize their union—a move recently embraced by renowned chef José Andrés in his own restaurant. 

However, the union claims that STARR launched a campaign to undermine unionization efforts. According to Unite Here Local 25, workers were offered raises and promotions in exchange for their support in campaigning against unionization. Anti-union “persuaders” supposedly were hired for daily campaigns against unionization, and the company is said to have threatened workers.

In February, St. Anselm’s workers voted to join Unite Here Local 25. Still, STARR Restaurants refused to recognize the vote. Instead, they filed objections, arguing that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) cannot approve the results of union elections unless there are a sufficient number of board members. They also accused the union of coercive tactics like waiting outside workers’ homes and offering immigration assistance in exchange for voting yes—claims Local 25 has strongly denied. According to the union, similar elections at Pastis and Le Diplomate also experienced interference. The workers at Pastis voted down the union, and according to Local 25, STARR cancelled the Le Diplomate election. 

The workers who power D.C.’s most celebrated restaurants are speaking out, organizing, and demanding better. They are sending a clear message: Profit must not come at the cost of their humanity.

No Kings protest (Madelyn Amos)

Over 5 million people across the United States came together Saturday June 14 to protest the military parade organized to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Army (which just so happened to coincide with President Trump’s 79th birthday). Deemed the “No Kings” protests, over 2,000 nationwide demonstrations were planned by a coalition of organizations. 

Although this was far from the first nationwide protest against the Trump administration, it was most definitely the largest. Participants ranged from all races, ages, sexes, and economic backgrounds, but came together to support the fight against fascism and authoritarianism in America. 

Described as a joyful and peaceful atmosphere, these protests were a positive recess from the seemingly consistent flood of negativity in our nation today. 

A veteran from Denver found comfort amongst the protesters; she now knew she wasn’t alone in this fight. “There was dancing, laughter and relief in the realization that this is not a struggle we undertake alone,” she told the Washington Post. She was also struck by the care shown amongst the crowd, noting how multiple people asked her throughout the day if she needed food, water, and other necessities. “This is why we come together: to remember who we are and that we are not alone.”

A participant in Mililani, Hawaii reflected on the peaceful nature of the protests and how that can create positive change. Like many, she was worried about the possibility of violence throughout the day, especially due to the week-long military presence in Los Angeles. “But instead, both protesters and police showed restraint and demonstrated how protest and free speech are supposed to work,” she told the Post. She called on all protesters to reflect on this moment of peace and understand that they have a responsibility to uphold nonviolence. “Disagreement does not have to spiral into division, division need not fester into hate, and hate must never explode into violence.”

This day of protest also cemented the rising resistance against Trump’s second term. Many noted the lack of defiance during the first few months of 2025 and wondered if fatigue had plagued the once lively retaliation against the Trump administration. The No Kings protests proved this inaccurate: with its enormous turnout and extensive organization, this demonstration showed that even if anti-Trump coalitions are tired, they will not be giving up in this fight. 

Another encouraging fact: there have now been three times as many anti-Trump protests compared to 2017, which notably held the Women’s March, the largest single-day protest in American history at the time. 

Singing, dancing, laughing, and celebrating are defiance. The positivity that radiated off the No Kings protests denies the Trump administration from obstructing the nation’s energy. Together, this joy became its own form of resistance; a powerful reminder that even in the face of oppression, the spirit of the people cannot be dimmed.

School: Miami University (OH)

Major: Political Science

What has been a standout moment for you in your feminist activism? One of the most meaningful parts of my activism journey was working with Vote for Equality in the 2024 election and getting to meet so many amazing women that were fighting for progress. I learned a lot about myself and how to engage others in effective conversations on why civic engagement matters. It was really uplifting to find a community on campus that shared my values and even more rewarding to help spark change within it.

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