Everything you missed at Ms. this week.
Ms. Weekly Digest | August 8, 2020

Dear John,

This week marked the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act being signed into law. And now, more than half a century after this landmark legislation prohibited racial discrimination in voting, the right to vote is under attack once more.

Voter suppression efforts, from purges of voter rolls to closure of voting locations to unnecessary voter ID laws, threaten the core value of ‘one person, one vote’ that has fueled our democracy. In recent weeks, President Trump has openly threatened election interference. A pandemic rages on, leading to a severe shortage in poll workers (who are more often than not older folks and therefore a high risk group for Covid-19). And as the health crisis leads more Americans to want to vote-by-mail, the U.S. Postal Service is facing unprecedented budget shortages, and a Trump-appointee for Postmaster General has implemented policies that create massive delivery delays.

As a country, we are at a true crossroads. We can either continue down this path of corruption, voter suppression and disenfranchisement for millions of our fellow Americans. Or we can step up and get involved in the coming weeks and months.

Sign up to become a poll worker. Volunteer to do voter protection work, especially if you have a legal background. Encourage your friends and family to register to vote—and double check your own registration. Then, help your loved ones sign up for vote-by-mail ballots or offer to give them a ride to the polls on Election Day.

This year, more than ever, we cannot afford to sit back and allow voter suppression tactics to go unchallenged. It’s the most important election of our lifetimes, and we must all step up to protect our democracy in whatever ways we are able.

We’ve been reporting on these critical issues at Ms. and will continue to do so through the Election and beyond. We understand your desire for reporting that will tell it to you straight. That’s why, in such unprecedented times, we promise to continue reporting, rebelling and truth-telling—just like we have been for the past 48 years. But we can’t do it without your support. That’s why I am asking you to make a tax-deductible donation now, to fuel our independent, feminist reporting through November. We’re all in this together.

BY RYAN MCCARTHY & MARYAM JAMEEL | Postal delays have marred primary voting, and after years of budget cuts and plant closures, mail delivery has slowed so much that ballot deadlines in many states are no longer realistic.

BY AUDREY GIBBS | Premiering this week, the short film Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote helps Americans stay informed about the pervasive methods of voter suppression we’re up against this November.

BY MARTHA BURK | Introducing a new series from Ms. magazine’s Money Editor, Martha Burk! Every other week, we'll be investigating “What’s at Stake” in the run-up to the elections this fall. This week, Ms. reports on the U.S.’s failing paid family and medical leave system—and how voters can hold candidates accountable for their positions on making the workplace more family-friendly.

BY JENNIFER WEISS-WOLF | A lawsuit was filed on behalf of an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome that challenges her expulsion from a federally-funded after-school program in Austin, Texas. Why was she forced out? Because she began to menstruate. The young girl’s lawsuit—and her demand that menstruation be considered under Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972—has the potential to break new ground.

BY VIOLET RAWLINGS | Democrats and Republicans on the Hill are currently negotiating a deal on the next—and likely last—COVID-19 relief package. We can’t allow this package to ignore survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, like the three before it.

BY THE TEAM | In this week's episode, Dr. Goodwin and her guests tackle toxic masculinity and the deadly violence perpetrated by some in the so-called “men’s rights movement.” We hope you'll subscribe, rate and review today!

BY KATIE FLEISCHER | Girl Scouts' new civic engagement badges are designed to help girls get involved and make a difference in their communities.

BY CYNTHIA RICHIE TERRELL | Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with another installment of her weekly column, rounding up some of her favorite stories about women’s representation in the news this week.

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