Today at Ms. | January 12, 2026 |
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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. |
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(Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images) |
By Jill Filipovic | Trump has been in office for less than a year. The Supreme Court killed Roe v. Wade less than three years ago. And today, if you are a woman in the United States, your rights change when you cross state lines—men’s rights do not.
It’s easy to lose sight of just how debilitating this administration has been for reproductive rights, because they are doing so much else so loudly. (Apologies to Greenland.) But this administration has quietly attacked abortion rights from just about every angle. A new report from the Center for Reproductive Rights makes clear just how aggressive they’ve been.
Here are seven quiet moves from the Trump administration that are costing women and girls their lives. (Click here to read more) |
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(Courtesy of New Virginia Majority) |
By Monét Johnson and Carl Poole | In Norfolk, Va., parents were worried about their children’s safety while getting off school buses, after noticing an uptick in gun violence that coincided with school dismissal times. In response, community members—organized by nonprofit advocacy group New Virginia Majority—launched the “Take Back the Bus Stop” campaign, petitioning for emergency call boxes and mobilizing neighbors to show up in force. In the Calvert Square and Young Terrace neighborhoods, organizers and residents were physically present at bus stops each afternoon—greeting students as they arrived home and helping to deter violence through collective care and visibility.
(This essay is part of a collection presented by Ms. and the Groundswell Fund highlighting the work of Groundswell partners advancing inclusive democracy.) (Click here to read more) |
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(Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) |
By Amy Barasch | The current federal administration is very pro-family—they tell us that all the time. One of JD Vance’s first public appearances as vice president was his speech at the antiabortion March for Life rally in January 2025, where he called for more births in the U.S. and framed his agenda as both “pro-life” and “pro-family.” Trump reaffirmed that position in March, where he reiterated that this was a pro-family administration.
But at the start of this year, on Jan. 6, 2026, alleging concerns about fraud in state-run social services programs (even though the only concerns that have been raised—not proven—are in Minnesota), the Trump-Vance administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suspended three programs that provide support to children—not only in Minnesota, but also in California, Colorado, New York and Illinois. Those states, all led by Democrats, will lose access to billions in funding through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Child Care and Development Fund, and the Social Services Block Grant program. To be clear, these funds are the backbone of services-provision for families living in poverty in most communities, Republicans and Democrats alike.
This announcement comes days after the administration moved to eliminate a rule that had capped childcare copayments for low‑income families at 7 percent of their income.
It also comes after last year’s efforts to eliminate support for Head Start, quality and affordable education and other services for young children living in poverty.
All this from the pro-family party. (Click here to read more) |
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Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin, at MsMagazine.com, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
2025 was a harrowing year for many families. The Trump administration’s budget cuts are giving tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of funding healthy meals for students experiencing food insecurity; legislatures are banning books and attacking LGBTQ+ students; and immigration crackdowns are leaving many students afraid to go to school at all. Families have had a lot to be worried about—more than just tests and grades—this year. What are students, parents, and teachers worried about—and what policies are advocates watching?
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