Welcome to the Media Round Up! We’ve collected and shared our favorite gender + politics stories from this week.

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Pam Bondi Exits as Attorney General: 

President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a White House official said on Thursday, following mounting frustration with her performance, including her handling of investigative files ‌related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The president announced Bondi’s exit in a post on Truth Social, saying she would “be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” She is the second Cabinet member to be ousted so far in Trump’s second term, and both have been women: former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the face of the administration’s aggressive mass deportation agenda, left her post last month. 

Bondi’s abrupt exit concludes a yearlong tenure marked by the breakneck erosion of the firewall between prosecutorial decision-making and the whims of a president seeking to punish his enemies, and intense blowback over a botched rollout of the Epstein files. Months of public pressure and scrutiny from lawmakers culminated with House Republicans joining Democrats to subpoena the attorney general, setting her up to discuss the saga under oath. Rep. Nancy Mace, (R-SC), said Bondi “handled the Epstein files in a terrible manner and seriously undermined President Trump,” in a post on X shortly after Bondi was fired. “She has stonewalled every effort to hold the guilty accountable.”

National Women’s Suffrage Monument launches Nationwide Call for Ideas
USA Today, Karissa Waddick

The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation is launching a new program called “Monumental Ideas,” which asks people of all ages across the nation to submit paintings, photographs, collages, poems, and other creative concepts to shape the vision for the National Mall’s only monument dedicated to women’s history. Authorized in 2023 through two acts of Congress, the memorial will honor the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the “generations of women who battled for the right to vote.” Last year, federal planners approved the monument’s location near the intersection of 19th Street and Constitution Avenue NW; this new initiative will serve as a “national brainstorming session” to give all Americans a chance to contemplate suffragists’ legacy.

Political Notes: Pelosi Honored, Women Hall Grows, But It’s Still Tough For Women
Maryland Matters, Danielle J. Brown
On Monday, Baltimore-born Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was given a warm “welcome home” by the General Assembly and Governor Wes Moore (D-MD), in a day filled with events honoring her legacy as the first female speaker of the U.S. House. Pelosi’s day in Annapolis started with breakfast at the Government House and continued into Monday evening, when Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) honored Pelosi with the First Citizen Award, which is presented to “Marylanders who have been dedicated and effective participants in making government work for the benefit of all.” However, not every legislator was stoked to see Pelosi, with several leaving the room during her recognition in the chamber. Pelosi’s mother was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame that evening, alongside seven other influential women, for her advocacy for housing, employment and other social services, particularly for immigrant communities. However, women in politics still face significant challenges, with women making up under 30% of the Senate.

Muriel Bowser’s Historic Third Term As D.C. Mayor Sets Blueprint For Black Women In Politics
Essence, Tevon Blair
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is deepening the District’s economic future in her final term, after making history as the nation’s first African American woman elected to three consecutive four-year terms as mayor of any major city. Earlier this year, the Bowser administration announced a historic $1.5 billion investment goal in District spending, compared to the $300 million when she first came into office. The investment would support small businesses and Certified Business Enterprises located in the district to ensure that local businesses benefit from government funding and create more jobs for residents. Bower’s deep understanding of the District’s needs stem from her background as a native of the Northeast side and her earlier role as a council member. While Bowser has led through three different presidential administrations, her priorities have continued to center on expanding opportunities for D.C. residents. Nearly twelve years after Bowser started her first term, 18 Black women have served as mayor of a “big city,” helping the public re-imagine what representation and leadership look like. Bowser’s historic three-terms will conclude in January 2027 and she has said that she plans to continue to support D.C. in the next chapter of her career.

Maine’s Senate Primary Risks

With the Maine Democratic primary set, the race has quickly become a test for how liberal voters perceive risk and electability. The race has become one of the most contentious Democratic primaries this midterm season and the stakes could not be higher for the party. Maine Democrats must debate whether it is safer to nominate the experienced and older candidate, Governor Janet Mills, who struggles to energize the party’s base, or the younger insurgent, Graham Platner, who is feeding off the country’s anti-Washington energy and has significant political baggage. Mills, who is trailing in the public polls and in fundraising, has unleashed a barrage of scathing attack ads against Platner, attacking his online history of dismissive remarks about rape and broader record of inflammatory comments online. Republicans and some Democrats have privately remarked that it is difficult to determine who would pose a stronger challenge to Senator Collins (R-ME), however, Mills has the backing of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm. Democrats are worried that the increasingly bitter Senate primary will cost them the critical Senate seat, though they once believed this election represented the best chance to oust Collins. While Collins is the most vulnerable Republican senator in the nation, she has proved herself to be resilient for decades and has geared up for another challenge, with more than $8 million to spend in the general election, in addition to $60 million in pledges from Republican outside groups. Republicans in Maine are hoping that whoever emerges from the primary will be toxic to a sizable wing of the Democratic Party’s base and will be unable to match the Republican’s untapped campaign war chest.

House Democrat Accused of Misspending COVID-19 Money Could Be Expelled
Washington Post, Kadia Goba & Marianna Sotomayor

House Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) faces the prospect of losing her seat over allegations that she used Federal Emergency Management Agency money mistakenly sent to her family’s health care company to boost past congressional campaigns. In a rare public hearing Thursday, a House Ethics Committee panel is expected to vote on whether Cherfilus-McCormick violated House ethics rules for the alleged crimes. If they do, the full committee will then meet and make a recommendation for if she should face censure, expulsion, or some other form of discipline. An investigation outlines 27 potential ethics violations, and she separately faces criminal charges and up to 53 years in prison tied to the errant FEMA dollars. A committee recommendation does not guarantee that Cherfilus-McCormick would be expelled, as it requires two-thirds of the House to eject a member.

Kathy Hochul is Spending Political Capital in Her Affordability Fight
POLITICO, Nick Reisman

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has a multipronged plan to address voters’ affordability woes, however, her fellow Democrats fear it may be the wrong prescription. Hochul, a moderate governor, is at odds with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Albany’s Democratic-dominated state Legislature, and a host of left-leaning advocates, as she splits with them over issues like her opposition to boosting taxes on the rich and her push to weaken the state’s landmark climate change law in efforts to lower future utility costs. In Albany, Hochul’s affordability proposals and no-tax-hike positions are hitting a wall with fellow Democrats. Hochul has warned that further tax increases on the rich would hollow out the state’s millionaire and billionaire class, who provide roughly half of New York’s income tax revenue. Democratic state lawmakers believe their approach of generating more revenue through tax increases would be useful in strengthening the state’s social services following deep spending reductions in Washington, which continues to be a more politically popular move. The battlefield for these issues is the state’s annual budget, which is now overdue, and Hochul may hold an advantage, as legislators are not paid until the budget is finalized.

They Protested at No Kings. Now They’re Running for Office
The 19th* News, Amanda Becker

The No Kings movement, which is young and organized disproportionately by women, has led to a number of women protesters running for office. While observers have questioned if mobilizing people to protest in the streets can lead to lasting, societal change, early anecdotal evidence suggests that participating in No Kings protests is motivating the women organizing them to think more about what they can do to support their country’s democracy. Kendra Sullivan, who helped staged a one woman protest in Beckley, West Virginia, has filed to run for office. Katrina Manetta, from Macomb County, Michigan, and Leila Staton, from north central Iowa, both founded chapters of Indivisible and are now running for seats in their respective state houses. Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, has stated that there has been a notable uptick in the number of people interested in running for office compared to Trump’s first term. While the largest number of candidates are in the most populous states, there have been way more rural folks than Litman had expected.

2 Oregon Women are Walking to DC to Protest for Women’s Rights. They Want Others to Join
OregonLive, Sami Edge

Emily Waugh and her mother, Amy Peck, set out from Salem on Sunday in what they hope is the first leg of a protest walk across America. Two additional walkers joined the Oregon mother-daughter-duo on Sunday. On Monday morning, one other walker tagged along. The pair will need more help if they hope to accomplish their goal of a 3,000-mile relay-style “Women’s Walk Across America” that reaches Washington D.C. by October. Waugh, a stay at home mother of two, lives in Milwaukie, and says she got so angry about a heap of attacks on women’s rights that she just “couldn’t stand still anymore.”

“I’m glad to be doing it — but it doesn’t work unless other people decide it’s something they want to be a part of too,” Waugh said from the trail on Monday. People interested in joining the walk can reach out to Waugh through the website womenswalkacrossamerica.com. Waugh also plans to update the website with the walkers’ progress and post to Bluesky, she said.

Pushback on an Equal Playing Field in the Workplace

Recent trends highlight inequality that women endure in the workplace. A new survey from Lean In indicates that women are less likely to use AI at work, and even when they do, they receive less recognition for their efforts. Since most employers currently say that AI proficiency is a highly-valued skill, this recognition gap could exacerbate existing gender pay and promotion inequalities in the workforce. The study, which also found that women software engineers who use AI are viewed as “less competent” than men, fits a broader body of research on women receiving less positive feedback and less mentorship at work. A new lawsuit from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is also challenging women in the workforce: the EEOC is alleging that a 2024 Coca-Cola women’s retreat is a form of “unlawful discrimination against male employees under federal civil rights law.” Though it’s the first EEOC lawsuit filed over a corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion program, more such cases could be imminent as the Trump administration attempts to eradicate what it calls “illegal discrimination.”

CLIPPINGER: Bridge the Political Ambition Gap for Women in Virginia and Beyond
The Cavalier Daily, Grace Clippinger

A lifetime of socialization contributes to a seemingly immovable discrepancy in political ambition between men and women — but our education system can help bridge this gap in electoral politics. Women have made considerable strides across the country, including Virginia electing Gov. Abigail Spanberger, its first female governor, last November. Jennifer Lawless, professor of politics and public policy at the University of Virginia, alongside Richard L. Fox, professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University, have done significant research on the origins of the gender gap in political ambition and possible solutions to closing that gap. Even though women are more likely to vote, Lawless and Fox note that women report lower interest and confidence in their ability to run for office, even with similar credentials to men. These discrepancies are likely a product of political socialization and widespread stigma about female leadership. The gender gap in political office is not because women do not win elections — it is because they are far less likely to consider politics as a vocation. This gap begins in childhood, but widens in adulthood in a problematic way. Women’s involvement in politics matters beyond egalitarian concerns — their presence is linked to lasting peace agreements, increased emphasis on social programs and well-being and lessened corruption. Their presence is crucial for a healthy and thriving representative democracy. There is hope for change. But correcting the gap will be complex, and it will likely be a while before the effects of our efforts are felt. Education is, and has always been, a crucial investment in advancing equity. If Virginia (and beyond) is serious about equity, it should work on cultivating girls’ ambition in perhaps the most transformative location it has to offer — the classroom.

WNBA Players Had an Ace Up Their Sleeve in Pay Negotiations: A Nobel Laureate
The Wall Street Journal, Rachel Bachman, Jason Austin Lahart

Harvard economist Claudia Goldin advised the WNBA players’ union as the women prepared to negotiate a new labor deal with the league this year, ultimately helping players win a nearly 400% raise. This month, the two sides reached a collective bargaining agreement that is, as far as Goldin is aware, “the biggest increase any union anywhere has ever negotiated.” Beginning this season, players’ average salary will top $580,000, a drastic increase from the 2024 average salary of $118,000. Goldin, the first woman to win a solo Nobel Prize in economics in 2023, accepted the assignment to assist the union without pay.

It’s a Woman’s Economy Now
Axios, Emily Peck

For only the third time ever, there are more women employed in the U.S. than men. This isn’t quite a women’s empowerment story — what’s happening in part is that traditional male-dominated occupations are shrinking, while female-led jobs are growing. The fastest-growing sector of the job market, particularly over the past year, is health care, where women dominate. Job growth in construction and manufacturing has been relatively flat or negative and men’s participation in the job market has been declining. Male employment fell overall by 142,000 jobs from February 2025 to February 2026. It would seem like a no-brainer for more men to move into health care, but they so far have been reluctant to take jobs that can be perceived as “women’s work.”

What Is Birth Tourism and How Common Is It?
The New York Times, Amy Qin

When the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Wednesday about President Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship, lawyers for the government are likely to bring up a phenomenon known as “birth tourism.” The term refers to pregnant women who travel to the United States to give birth so that their baby can have American citizenship. It is most commonly associated with a cottage industry of “maternity hotels” that has emerged over the past two decades and caters to wealthy families from countries like China, Turkey and Russia. There is no official tally of babies born to tourists on American soil. In its most recent estimate in 2020, the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that supports restricting immigration, put the number at around 20,000 to 26,000 babies a year. That is less than 1 percent of the number of babies born in the United States in 2020, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The phenomenon has remained a persistent concern for lawmakers. In 2019, federal authorities in Southern California arrested three people who operated multimillion-dollar birth tourism companies and had charged as much as $100,000 to Chinese couples for a package that included housing, nannies and shopping excursions to Gucci. Birth tourism “erodes our government’s ability to control who attains U.S. citizenship,” said Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies. “It’s fundamental to sovereignty — being able to determine who is a citizen.”

The Actual, Literal College for Tradwives, Where Right-Wing Women Seek Their Mrs. Degrees
Vanity Fair, Olivia Empson

Hyles-Anderson College, an unaccredited college outside of Chicago founded in 1972, offers classes for women that focus on “vital training in Biblical concepts of marriage and child-rearing.” The school – whose philosophy is rooted in a sect of Christian nationalism that views women as wives and mothers – has vastly different curriculum for men and women: while women take classes such as cooking and sewing, men enroll to study pastoral work and church leadership. Former female students lament that the college helped men prepare for careers, but only gave women the tools to find husbands and become homemakers. Hyles-Anderson’s principles underscores the current “tradwife” social media phenomenon, wherein women are embracing traditional roles in the home again.

PA Political Digest (PPD) speaks with Betsy Fischer Martin of AU’s Women & Politics Institute

Republican political consultant Christopher Nicholas discusses the special challenges facing women running for higher political office with WPI Exec. Dir. Betsy Fischer Martin, who brings a unique perspective to the ups and downs that female candidates face as they conduct their elections. “There is a difference there in terms of the barriers that exist in women running for some of those kinds of executive positions, which is different from what we see in sort of the legislative positions,” says Fischer Martin. Watch the full replay here.