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MORE THAN A MAGAZINE, A MOVEMENT
Today at Ms. | September 18, 2025
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.
University Leaders Must Act: An Open Letter on the Threats Facing Critical Interdisciplinary Programs Like Women’s and Gender Studies [[link removed]]
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(Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images)
By Carrie N. Baker, Michele Tracy Berger, Christa Craven and Janell Hobson | Academic leaders today face a defining test. As the Trump administration seeks to strip research funding, eliminate diversity and inclusion, and give political appointees sweeping control, presidents and provosts must decide what legacy they will leave. The attacks on women’s, gender and sexuality studies—as well as Africana, Indigenous, disability and other interdisciplinary programs—are part of a broader campaign to delegitimize fields that challenge systems of privilege. We are again in turbulent times, not unlike past eras when leaders had to defend the teaching of evolution, admit women and Black students, or resist political interference. The choices made now will echo for decades.
Despite claims that these programs are too small or unsustainable, the evidence tells a different story. These courses draw students across disciplines, fulfill general education requirements, and prepare graduates for a diverse global workforce. Market data show they are often cost-effective, with faculty teaching across departments and reaching wide audiences. Employers stress the importance of the very skills our graduates carry: critical thinking, collaboration and cultural humility. The question for higher education leaders is clear: Will you stand with these programs that represent the best of our democratic values—or allow them to be dismantled by political opportunism and short-sighted cuts?
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Five Best Books on Black Women’s Political Leadership [[link removed]]
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(W. W. Norton & Company)
By Keisha N. Blain | Essential reading on the courage, vision and enduring impact of Black women who shaped American politics and fought for equality.
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‘Dad Went to War’: The Radical Faith Behind the Minnesota Assassinations [[link removed]]
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(Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images)
By Jodi Enda | When Minnesota police arrested 57-year-old Vance Boelter after a two-day manhunt, they uncovered notebooks filled with names and address es of elected officials and abortion providers. The suspect, who authorities say stockpiled 48 firearms, had already gunned down two people and left others gravely wounded. His writings and sermons hint at extremist religious currents, including ties to the New Apostolic Reformation.
“Their vision is violent at the outset,” says Frederick Clarkson, a longtime researcher of Christian extremism.
Advocates warn that rhetoric casting abortion as a holy war is not fringe—it is increasingly mainstream within the movement, fueling both deadly plots and everyday harassment of patients and providers.
(This is Part 3 of Ms .’ series on antiabortion violence. The final installment publishes Friday, Sept. 19.)
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[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]] .
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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