MAGA Republicans are back in the White House, and Project 2025 is their guide—the right-wing plan to turn back the clock on women’s rights, remove abortion access, and force women into roles as wives and mothers in the “ideal, natural family structure.” We know an empowered female electorate is essential to democracy. That’s why day after day, we stay vigilant in our goals to dismantle patriarchy at every turn. We are watching, and we refuse to go back. This is the War on Women Report.

Since our last report…

+ Karen Attiah, columnist for The Washington Post, has won her job back, after being fired last year for her comments on race, gender and violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death. In the August 2025 posts in question, Attiah largely argued that public responses to political violence are selective, that U.S. gun culture enables violence, and that she would not engage in what she described as obligatory mourning for a figure she viewed as having promoted hateful or violent rhetoric. “Political violence has no place in this country … but we will also do nothing to curb the availability of the guns used to carry out said violence,” Attiah wrote in one post. In another: “For everyone saying political violence has no place in this country … remember two Democratic legislators were shot in Minnesota just this year. And America shrugged and moved on.”

A neutral arbiter ruled Attiah’s posts did not disparage white men or “any individual or group on the basis of race or gender,” as the Post had claimed, and ordered her reinstatement with back pay and lost benefits.

+ On Aug. 10, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez began publicly documenting her egg-freezing process—from administering hormone injections on Instagram, to addressing the procedure’s high costs. Ocasio-Cortez frames the decision as a way to take control of her life while navigating her political future, while explicitly calling out the gendered double standard that scrutinizes women’s biological timelines in ways men in leadership never face. Ocasio-Cortez uses her platform to destigmatize fertility preservation and expose how unaccommodating modern workplaces remain for working women.

+ Massachusetts has legalized abortion throughout pregnancy, making it the 10th state to allow abortion after 24 weeks and strengthen protections for patients facing serious pregnancy complications.

According to research, people get later abortions for two main reasons, often in combination: They learn new information later in their pregnancy, such as finding out they are pregnant after the first trimester, learning about a fetal or maternal health issue, or experiencing a disruptive life event like loss of a job or partner. Or they experience barriers delaying access to abortion care, including gestational bans or burdensome regulations, interactions with religious crisis pregnancy centers, difficulty finding providers offering later abortion care, conflicts with family members or partners, logistical obstacles like travel, childcare or time off from work or school, immigration status or probation restrictions limiting travel out of state, and/or difficulty raising money for a procedure that insurance often won’t cover.

Let’s not forget what else was sent our way over the last month…

Monday, Aug. 3: Under Pentagon Demands, Scouting America Dismantles Inclusion Spaces at National Jamboree

Under mounting pressure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Scouting America eliminated dedicated community spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, girls and Scouts of color at its annual 2026 National Jamboree in West Virginia.

The 10-day retreat, which drew roughly 15,000 Scouts and leaders, previously featured designated inclusion tents where marginalized youth could find mentorship, build community and safely discuss shared experiences. 

After Hegseth threatened to sever the military’s century-old logistical and financial partnership with the organization, which relies heavily on using military bases and equipment, Scouting America capitulated to demands to dismantle its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Todd Blanche at his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee July 15, 2026. (Eric Lee / Getty Images)

The decision sparked severe internal backlash and boycotts. 

Prominent Scout leaders and youth, including 21-year-old Eagle Scout and former national officer John Andrew Segebarth, canceled their plans to staff the inclusive spaces, warning that the organization is “walking back on its values.”

A six-page Pentagon memorandum obtained via lawsuit by landmark LGBTQ+ advocate James Dale, who famously sued the Boy Scouts over its anti-gay ban in the 1990s, shows the Defense Department established strict, ongoing compliance touchpoints to monitor Scouting America’s programs and force a complete removal of gender-fluid and social justice policies.

Thursday, Aug. 6: North Carolina Teen Arrested After Taking Abortion Pills

Syeisha Johnson, an 18-year-old girl in North Carolina, is facing criminal charges after allegedly taking abortion pills 31 weeks into her pregnancy, which prompted her to go into early labor. However, police arrested her, classifying the abortion pills as a “deadly weapon” and saying her use of them signalled an “intent to kill.” They also arrested Johnson’s boyfriend on charges of negligent child abuse.

Overwhelming medical evidence shows abortion medication is safe. However, Johnson’s arrest is part of a growing trend of law enforcement criminalizing women who have taken abortion pills, especially targeting young, Black or otherwise marginalized and vulnerable women such as Johnson. In March, police arrested 31-year-old Georgia mother Alexia Moore on murder and drug charges after she allegedly took abortion pills. The War on Women Report has also tracked at least five other prior instances of women and girls being arrested after self-managed abortions or miscarriages whether or not abortion pills were involved

Law enforcement’s growing insistence on prosecuting pregnancy loss as murder coincides with increasing abortion bans around the country, as well as lawmakers attempting to make “fetal personhood” a legitimate legal concept. The idea of fetal personhood—which suggests that fetuses and embryos should have legal rights even above those of the pregnant patient—has accounted for dozens of bills introduced in the years since Dobbs that include language about fetal personhood and/or prosecuting pregnant women such as Johnson.

Saturday, Aug. 8: Todd Blanche Confirmed as Attorney General

After a controversial two-day confirmation hearing in July, former acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has been confirmed as the new U.S. attorney general following Pam Bondi’s firing in April. Democratic members of Congress, as well as some Republicans, have voiced concern over his former role as Trump’s personal lawyer and the conflict of interest that poses for his new role as America’s top lawyer.

Meanwhile, feminist advocates have raised alarm about Blanche’s antiabortion track record. In his confirmation hearing, Blanche suggested he is open to using the Department of Justice to prosecute sending the abortion pill mifepristone through the mail. At around the same time, during a private call, Blanche assured antiabortion activists that he will make Dobbs “permanent in every single state.”

Blanche has also faced criticism for his handling of the Epstein case and the release of the files. After Blanche met for the first time with a group of Epstein survivors (only after months of their requests to his office), survivor Annie Farmer said:

“I found him abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal to survivors—a marked contrast to his public testimony during his confirmation hearing.

“While quick to point to the failures of previous administrations, he refused to take accountability for mistakes made under his own leadership… His evasiveness felt like a deliberate attempt to claim the Attorney General’s office is powerless in this matter. By passing the buck once again, he is leaving survivors trapped in the same endless loop of searching for answers and receiving none.”

Tuesday, Aug. 18:+ Florida Rep. Cory Mills Loses Reelection Bid After Domestic Violence Allegations

In a win for domestic violence survivors, Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) has lost his bid for reelection amid accusations of abuse from women he has dated. The allegations include Mills assaulting one woman and threatening to publicize nude photos of another former girlfriend.

Reps. Cory Mills (right) and Byron Donalds (foreground), both Republicans from Florida, speak in support of Trump outside of the Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024. Prosecutors alleged Trump falsified business records to conceal payments tied to claims of extramarital encounters—an alleged effort, they said, to withhold information from voters before the 2016 election. (Alex Kent / AFP via Getty Images)

However, even with Mills’ removal from office, the case points to the stark pattern of rampant sexual violence and domestic abuse among male candidates and elected officials. Mills is the fourth member of Congress so far this year to lose his seat after allegations of misconduct with women. Just last month, Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner halted his campaign after allegations of his sexual abuse of numerous former girlfriends came to light. Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) still has not resigned and is continuing his reelection campaign despite claims of physical abuse of his former wife and child abuse of their daughter.

Earlier in August, Ms. writer Michele Weldon shared a list of over a dozen members of Congress in the “political boys’ club” who have been accused of intimate partner violence in recent years. She wrote:

“Each year 16 million women—and some men—experience a form of intimate partner violence. They know too well that a partner capable of violence can be in any occupation—lawmaker, restaurateur, firefighter, actor, doctor, shoemaker, bus driver—or in my case, lawyer.

“But it is noticeable that a number of elected officials and candidates over the past decade have been inducted into the DV Club; those in the club include those accused in both political parties, different generations and in nearly every state of the union.”

+ New Report Exposes Decades of Sexual Misconduct and Violence by ICE and CBP Agents

The Ohio Immigrant Alliance, a grassroots advocacy organization, released a groundbreaking report documenting dozens of federal immigration agents who have faced administrative disciplinary action or criminal penalties for violent crimes.

Drawing on court documents, news reports, the Department of Justice and reports from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, the Alliance identified 152 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents with records of violent criminal behavior either prior to or during their employment.

All but one of the agents identified are men.

The first-of-its-kind report tracks agent conduct from 1982 to 2026, detailing cases of individuals accused, arrested, charged or convicted in connection with a spectrum of sexual misconduct and violent crimes.

While federal law enforcement officers can theoretically face civil lawsuits or criminal prosecution for excessive force on the job, qualified immunity and complex legal protections often make it nearly impossible for victims, frequently vulnerable immigrant women, to obtain justice or redress.

In response to its findings, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance is calling on the federal government to freeze hiring and budgets for both ICE and CBP until robust accountability measures and vetting procedures are implemented. Among the report’s recommendations are strict limits on civil agents carrying firearms and a ban on officers wearing face coverings or masked disguises on duty.

Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, stressed the urgent need to overhaul federal immigration enforcement:

“We need a different path for protection. We need a system that doesn’t protect abusive agents… We need to make civil immigration enforcement truly civil, so that it won’t be an attractive job for people who want to run around carrying a gun.”

Thursday, Aug. 20: Ohio Bans Gender Marker Changes on Driver’s Licenses

Ohio’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) abruptly ended its policy allowing transgender residents to update the gender marker on their driver’s licenses and state IDs to match their gender identity. 

Under the new rule, the Ohio BMV now requires the sex listed on state-issued IDs must match an individual’s birth certificate or passport. The change stems from new statutory language signed into law by Republican Governor Mike DeWine, which defines sex strictly by birth biology and rejects gender identity as a basis for legal identification.

For many transgender Ohioans, updating a birth certificate creates an entirely new administrative barrier. Under a 2021 court ruling, birth certificate corrections require a probate court order, leaving approval to the whim of local county judges. Advocates warn this creates a geographic lottery where a person’s ability to secure accurate identification depends entirely on the county where they were born.

Civil rights organizations have fiercely condemned the overnight policy shift. Equality Ohio Executive Director Dwayne Steward called the decision a “deliberate attempt at voter suppression” designed to make life harder for transgender residents without transparency. 

Because state IDs are routinely required for voting, employment, housing, and travel, advocates warn that forcing trans individuals to carry inaccurate documentation exposes them to heightened risks of harassment, discrimination and privacy violations during everyday interactions.

As of 2026, ten states prohibit transgender individuals from changing their gender marker on their driver’s licenses and state-issued IDs. States include: Florida, Kansas, Montana, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Friday, Aug. 21: Callaway Cuts Ties With Good Good Golf After Ad Depicts Violence Against a Woman

A co-branded marketing ad for a Callaway golf club sparked fierce backlash after showing Good Good Golf co-owner, Garrett Clark, forcefully shoving colleague Alexis Miestowski to the ground for almost touching the new driver. Critics blasted the ad for trivializing violence against women and highlighting golf’s persistent culture of misogyny.

The fallout was swift and severe: Callaway immediately cut ties with Good Good Golf, and the creator group lost both its Golf Channel series and its PGA Tour event sponsorship.

Monday, Aug. 24: Domestic Violence Survivor Keshia Golden Accepts Plea DealKeshia Golden (center, in glasses) alongside her legal team during an earlier court proceeding in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo courtesy of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, via The 19th)

Chicago mother Keshia Golden, who says she killed her boyfriend in self defense in 2022, accepted a plea deal for involuntary manslaughter, allowing her to avoid jail time. The plea deal frees Golden from the possibility of a 60-year prison sentence and allows her to stay out of prison in order to care for her 3-year-old daughter Ky’liyah. However, Golden’s attorney Julie Koehler stressed, “This is not the outcome we wanted. She is not guilty of these charges. But there isn’t a woman or mother alive that, when faced with spending 20 to 60 years in prison, wouldn’t take a plea to probation.”

According to Golden’s attorneys, in October 2022, Golden’s then-boyfriend Calvin Sidney hit her, grabbed her hair and slammed her head into a kitchen counter when she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant. Golden grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the leg (only intending to stop his attack, she has said), but she hit his femoral artery and he later died in a Chicago hospital. Golden was charged with first-degree murder and held in prison despite a long and well-documented history of violent abuse from Sidney. She had previously called 911 about Sidney over 50 times during the course of their relationship. Sidney had been arrested four times for assaulting Golden and she had an order of protection related to one of the arrests. Golden had also previously been hospitalized after Sidney strangled her.

Homicide is the primary cause of violence for pregnant women in the U.S., while Black women like Golden face a significantly higher risk than white women. When a woman, like Golden, has been previously non-fatally strangled by her partner, her risk of later being killed rises by 750 percent. However, Golden’s first-degree murder charge demonstrates how domestic violence survivors, particularly Black women, are targeted and criminalized by the law. As Justine van der Leun recently wrote for Ms.:

“The arrest, prosecution and incarceration of those acting to protect themselves from abuse is called “criminalized survival.” It almost always affects women and girls, and disproportionately marginalized women and girls.

“I have been reporting on the topic for eight years now, and Golden’s situation neatly follows the patterns of criminalized survival as they play out across the country:

“A woman being abused reaches out to the state for protection. The state’s response is inadequate, out of reach, or even harmful. Then, unable to find safety, the woman ends up in dire circumstances, faced with the possibility of dying. When she fights back, the very state that repeatedly ignored or abandoned her emerges again. But this time, it is resource-rich, focused, capable and fully intent on punishing her vigorously. By refusing to passively absorb violence during a single terrible encounter, she has become, in the eyes of the system, an offender that must be put away. Her story is erased or remade: Once a victim, now she is a cold-blooded killer.”

Golden’s attorneys are planning to seek a pardon from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

*

A note from Ms. editors: We want to hear from you for The Majority, a new campaign collecting stories about how reproductive freedom has enabled readers to build the lives they want and need. Poll after poll shows a majority of Americans support reproductive healthcare access. Yet public debate overlooks the lives shaped by abortion access, contraception, IVF, miscarriage care, maternal healthcare or comprehensive sex education—countless women who chose to pursue an education, have children, not have children, protect their health and chart their own future. Add your voice and complete the sentence: “Access to reproductive choices gave me the freedom to….” Together, these stories will help show not only why reproductive freedom remains a majority value, but also what it makes possible. 

Look to these trusted groups if you or a loved one needs to know more about reliable abortion care:

• A one-stop-shop for abortion seekers: I Need An A
• Other websites to explore all your options for abortion care: Plan C Pills, Abortion Finder
• Safe websites to buy abortion medication: Aid Access, Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, Hey Jane
• If you need help affording abortion care, tell your telemedicine provider or contact an abortion fund near you.
• To protect your digital privacy when planning your abortion, click here.
• For free legal help as a patient or doctor, call If/When/How’s Repro Helpline—844-868-2812—or contact Pregnancy Justice.
• For medical advice, contact the Miscarriage & Abortion Hotline: 833-246-2632.
• If you need to know the abortion law in your state, look to the Center for Reproductive Rights. or Guttmacher Institute.