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By Jodi Enda | Her friend Melissa Hortman, a longtime Minnesota lawmaker, was murdered at home in June—shot by a man posing as a police officer who had also wounded two others and left behind a hit list of dozens of abortion-rights supporters. Among the names was Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States. “It was one thing to get a threat; it’s another to have confirmed threats where you have a friend and colleague who is assassinated,” she told Ms.

This tragedy unfolded against a backdrop of federal retreat: Trump pardoned extremists convicted of clinic blockades and violence, and his Justice Department declared it would largely stop enforcing the FACE Act, the law meant to protect providers. Advocates warn these decisions have emboldened extremists, leaving abortion providers more vulnerable than at any time in decades.

(This piece is the first in a four-part Ms. series on the escalating crisis of antiabortion violence in the United States.)

(Click here to read more)

 (Joe Stumpe / AFP via Getty Images)

By Jodi Enda | Julie Burkhart has spent decades on the frontlines of abortion care—from witnessing the “Summer of Mercy” blockades in Wichita to reopening a clinic after her mentor, Dr. George Tiller, was assassinated in 2009. In 2022, before she could open a new clinic in Wyoming, an arsonist burned it down. “It’s definitely more of an unsettling time,” Burkhart told Ms.

The threats extend beyond firebombs. In Pennsylvania this summer, antiabortion activists staged a Red Rose Rescue invasion, disrupting care with fake IDs, “holy water,” and “tickets to heaven.” Several participants had been pardoned by Trump months earlier. Advocates say such incidents show a growing pattern: emboldened extremists traveling across state lines to terrorize clinics.

(This article is Part 2 of Ms.’ four-part series on antiabortion violence. Part 3 publishes Thursday, Sept. 18.)

(Click here to read more)

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By Ms. Editors | Robert Redford, who died Sept. 16 at 89, was more than a Hollywood legend—he was also a man unafraid to stand with women.

In October 1975, Redford appeared—back turned, jeans and T-shirt on—with a rolled-up copy of Ms. tucked into his pocket for our “Special Issue on Men.” The image, art-directed by Bea Feitler, became one of the magazine’s most iconic covers, making a simple but bold statement: Women’s rights are a men’s issue too.

That appearance wasn’t a one-off. Redford consistently used his platform to support social justice, environmental causes, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s voices in film—including through his Sundance Institute, which opened doors for countless underrepresented filmmakers. He welcomed the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements as a long-overdue tipping point, insisting that men’s role was to listen.

Of course, he also knew when to speak up. In fact, what made Redford timeless was not just his artistry, but his insistence on speaking out. 

On change and equality (2018): “I consider that change is inevitable and that it will happen very soon. I am optimistic. Women will have a more important place in society. The role of men from now on will be to listen to women and talk to them about many important things.”

On the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements (2018): “What it’s doing is bringing forth more opportunities for women and more opportunities for women in film to have their voices heard and do their own projects.”

(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.

In this episode, as families prepare to send their kids back to school this year, some parents must face a new worry: Will their children make it home safely, or will they be there to greet them, at the end of the day?
Trump’s immigration crackdown is taking a toll on families across America, particularly under new guidance that allows ICE to arrest people in places where they were formerly prohibited from doing so—like schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship. How will this impact students and families across the nation—and what can we do to fight back?
Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest: Kevin R. Johnson.

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

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