[[link removed]] Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest
Letter from an Editor | July 26, 2025
Dear John,
It seems like with each week, he just keeps getting more and more unpopular—even among those who are most primed to like him. Trump’s approval rating is currently the lowest it’s been this term, seeing a significant decline among Independents and even some decline among Republicans, according to polling from Gallup and The Economist/ YouGov. “At 100 days, Trump was once again the most unpopular president since modern polling began, with 61 percent of Americans disapproving of his handling of the economy and 60 percent disapproving of his handling of foreign affairs,” reports contributing editor Carrie Baker in Ms. this week. “According to polling by Fox News, he’s even lost ground with white men without a college degree—his approval rating fell 22 points by April 21 with his primary demographic.”
And the "Big Beautiful Bill" has played no small role: polling by Navigator shows that majorities of voters continue to disapprove of the Republican budget bill. Seventy percent are concerned about cuts to Medicaid (which, by the way, remains overwhelmingly popular in the polls), regardless of when those cuts go into effect—indicating that the Republican strategy of delaying the cuts’ implementation till after the midterm elections might not be working. Meanwhile, the final report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicates that over the next decade, the bill stands to increase the federal deficit by $3.4 trillion—and has the potential to cause 10 million people to lose their health insurance.
Navigator’s polling also shows that a majority believe that the bill will overwhelmingly benefit the rich—not everyday Americans. And the more they learn about the bill, the more they are against it, especially among independents, passive news consumers, and even among Republicans, especially non-MAGA Republicans. Baker reports further on how Trump’s cuts and actions specifically impact women—from the Medicaid and SNAP cuts, to the implementation of Project 2025 and rescinding of Biden-era Title IX rules and more—in her piece, which you can read below.
Not even a year into Trump’s second term, the hits are coming fast, and I know it can be hard to remain hopeful. But fortunately, we aren’t operating without a playbook. We’re learning from the past to fuel our fight forward, on our latest podcast from Ms. Studios, Looking Back, Moving Forward —this week, host Carmen Rios traces the feminist fight for bodily autonomy [[link removed]] with guests Renee Bracey Sherman, Michele Goodwin, Angie Jean-Marie and Amy Merrill, Susan Frietsche, and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
Regardless of how dark things feel, there are countless feminist battles in our past, both near and far, that we can draw hope and strength from.
For equality,
[[link removed]]
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor
P.S. — There’s a lot we can learn from those who have taken Trump on—and won. This week on On the Issues, host Michele Goodwin is joined by E. Jean Carroll and her lawyer Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan, who made headlines in 2023 and 2024 for winning a significant legal battle against Trump, with a jury finding him guilty of both sexual abuse and defamation, and awarding Carroll $5 million and $83.3 million, respectively. I’d encourage you to take a listen. [[link removed]]
This Week's Must-Reads from Ms.
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America Turns on Trump: Growing Pushback Against the President’s Unpopular Actions [[link removed]] Trump’s History of Misogyny Was Obvious Long Before the Epstein Files Scandal [[link removed]]
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‘Women Here Are Going to Have Access to Abortion’: How Gov. Maura Healey Made Massachusetts into a Beacon for Reproductive Freedom [[link removed]] With New DOJ Ruling, Women Fleeing Gender-Related Persecution Will Have an Even Harder Time Winning Asylum [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on
Apple Podcasts [[link removed]] + Spotify [[link removed]] .
Everyone’s been asking: what’s up with men these days? From high rates of gun violence and domestic violence, to the “manosphere,” Andrew Tate, and the “male loneliness epidemic,” it’s clear that (white) men are hurting. But why is this happening—and what can be done to change things?
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 over 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 [[link removed]] . We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity .
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