Letter from an Editor | October 3, 2020

Dear John,

Well, in the last edition of the Ms. Weekly Digest , I wrote about what a heavy week it had been, and then… the past seven days astounded even the biggest news junkies among us. Last Saturday, President Trump announced his nomination for the Supreme Court (Amy Coney Barrett — an extreme right-wing ideologue and the polar opposite of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in every way that counts. Read more about the harm Coney Barrett would do if confirmed below). Then, The New York Times released the President’s tax returns showing that he paid just $750 in federal income taxes ( significantly less than the vast majority of Americans). On Tuesday, viewers tuned into the first Presidential Debate (a “degrading moment of political theater" that you can read about below). And late Thursday night, news broke that President Trump and the First Lady—after months of downplaying the risks and seriousness of the pandemic—tested positive for the coronavirus.

And so today I will share with you what I reminded the Ms . staff of on Friday— it all comes down to the election. When each day brings what feels like a month’s worth of breaking news, we cannot let our attention stray from the goal at hand: protecting our democracy and turning out the vote in record numbers. Every single American deserves the right to know that their vote counts and their voice has been heard.

This week, we released a special bonus episode of our podcast, On The Issues with Michele Goodwin [[link removed]] , asking the question that I feel has been floating around in many of our minds: does the President have the power to suspend or delay the elections? The short answer: No . But while the law is clear, President Trump’s efforts to delay the elections, sow distrust in our democratic processes, and wreak havoc on the U.S. electoral process are already well underway, and his Tweets and public comments raise serious questions about the integrity of the upcoming elections.

So—what to do about all of this? Make a voting plan today . Even if you are a lifelong voter, make a plan —this is not your normal election. Ask yourself: have I registered to vote and/or confirmed my registration? Will I vote in person or by mail-in ballot? If I’m voting by mail-in or absentee ballot, can I drop my ballot off in person, and have I made a backup voting plan in case my ballot doesn’t arrive in time? Head to vote.org now to make your plan. [[link removed]] One month to go until Election Day.

For equality, Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor


This Week's Must-Reads from Ms .

The Gender Gap Plays a Critical Role as the Real Election Starts [[link removed]]

Amy Coney Barrett is a Grave Threat to Women’s Rights [[link removed]]

Amy Coney Barrett Will Put an End to Affordable Health Care [[link removed]]

Boxing Metaphors and the Importance of Gender in the Trump-Biden Debate [[link removed]]

On The Issues with Michele Goodwin Podcast, Bonus Episode: Can the President Suspend the Elections? [[link removed]]

Equality by Initiative: Ballot Measures to Watch This November [[link removed]]

Representation Roundup: “Words Clinton Could Never Utter, Biden’s Campaign Will Use on T-Shirts” [[link removed]]

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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