Welcome to the Media Round Up! This week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender…
Weekly Media Round Up: June 27, 2025

Welcome to the Media Round Up! This week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Navigating Washington Under Trump, Her Place in the GOP, and Her New Memoir
CBS News, Norah O’Donnell
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) writes about being a moderate politician in an increasingly polarized political climate in her new memoir out this week, “Far from Home: An Alaskan Senator Faces the Extreme Climate of Washington, D.C.” Murkowski, who came to Washington in 2002 when her father appointed her to fill his Senate seat, claims that her allegiance is not to the Republican Party, but to the people who elected her to office. Her desire to support her constituents over her party has led to her clashing with the GOP and the current administration on several occasions, but Murkowski stays true to her beliefs: in February, after President Trump released a number of executive orders, Murkowski warned her Republican Senate colleagues that Congress should not cede its authority over controlling government spending to the President. “So, when people back here in Washington talk about ‘I need to answer to the base,’ my base is so beautiful and diverse and eclectic and genuine,” Murkowski said.
AOC Reacts After Andrew Cuomo Concedes To Zohran Mamdami In NYC Primary
Newsweek, Sonam Sheth
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) congratulated self-proclaimed democratic socialist and New York state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, as Mamdani was on track to wallop former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. Mamdani won the backing of progressive darlings like Ocasio-Cortez and Independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont, while Cuomo was endorsed by South Carolina U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn, widely seen as a Democratic kingmaker. “Congratulations, @ZohranKMamdani!” the congresswoman, widely seen as the face of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, wrote on X. “Your dedication to an affordable, welcoming, and safe New York City where working families can have a shot has inspired people across the city. Billionaires and lobbyists poured millions against you and our public finance system. And you won.”
’Less Burnout, More Babies’: How Conservatives Are Winning Young Women
The New York Times, Emma Goldberg
After the 2024 presidential election, pundits and political operatives began to analyze the “manosphere” – the network of podcasters, such as Joe Rogan and Theo Von, who nudged young men to support the Republican platform. Less in focus, however, were the young women: though the demographic is still “reliably left-leaning,” their support for President Trump has also increased, according to recent polling. Many young women were swayed by what has been called a “womanosphere” of popular podcasters and social media influencers who blend lifestyle advice with political opinions. In Dallas, this year’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit drew its largest numbers yet; the conference was light on discussions about policy, but heavily leaned into dating, parenting, and nutrition advice under a conservative lens. “We’re done pretending that a cubicle is more empowering than a countertop,” popular wellness influencer and podcast host Alex Clark told the crowd at the event.
On Dobbs Anniversary, Senate Democrats Aim to Restart Abortion Conversation
Washington Post, Praveena Somasundaram
Senate Democrats held a shadow hearing this Tuesday, the three year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, as part of an ongoing effort to keep “steadfast attention” on the issue of women’s reproductive rights. The event, which is designed to resemble a congressional hearing at the Capitol but does not require approval from Republican leaders who chair committees, comes at a time when abortion appears to have “drifted away” from where it previously stood as a crucial political issue. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Tina Smith (MN) led the Democrats’ messaging on this year’s Dobbs anniversary, highlighting the need to protect women’s access to abortion and other reproductive rights.
Political Violence is Becoming America’s New Normal
Ms. Magazine, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
Following the assassination of state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D-MN), accounts of her commitment to public service and details of her family and personal life have circulated throughout the media. Hortman tackled gun safety, child poverty, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights during her tenure in the Minnesota House, also focusing on voting rights, free speech, and paid family and medical leave. Though the shooter’s motivations are still unconfirmed, reports show that notebooks in his car were full of surveillance efforts and lists of names, targeting Democratic elected officials. Hortman’s public record matters, because of a “chilling throughline” – her commitment to gender, the right to bodily autonomy, and abortion advocacy. In light of the assassination, “we must reckon with the overall prevalence of political violence that is fast becoming the American new normal.”
Women More Worried About Economy Under Trump Than Men, Poll Finds
The Guardian, Lauren Aratani
A new exclusive poll for The Guardian shows that women across the political spectrum are more concerned about the state of the U.S. economy under Donald Trump than men are. Overall, 62% of women and 47% of men indicated that the economy and inflation are getting worse, a gender gap of 15 percentage points. Both Democratic and Republican women expressed greater concerns about the economy than men did – news that will be worrying for the Trump administration, as women are more likely than men to be registered to vote and show up at the polls. Trump did make gains among women voters in the 2024 presidential election, but women overall were 10% more likely to vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Most poll respondents (78%) expressed concerns about economic uncertainty, yet women appear to be “bearing the brunt” of Trump’s economic policy, especially around his tariffs.
Women’s Sports
During his first few weeks back in office, President Donald Trump vowed to be an advocate for women’s sports. In the time since, however, Trump has “ensured” that hundreds of millions of dollars that might have gone to female athletes will go to men instead. A recent settlement with the NCAA involves the distribution of $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes who never got to earn “name, image, and likeness” money during their time in college. While the Biden administration issued guidance that this money should be paid out evenly amongst male and female athletes under the rules of Title IX, the Trump administration rescinded Biden’s recommendations. In practice, many women playing college sports will now “likely get nothing at all.” Not all hope is lost, however: activist and human rights campaigner Malala Yosafzai is turning her fandom into a platform to invest in women’s sports. Yosafzai has launched Recess, an initiative to enhance the rights of women and girls through sports; the effort will focus on women’s professional sports in “recognized and emerging markets,” but will also emphasize increasing the number of girls involved in sports around the world.
They Were Roommates in D.C. Now They’re Both Running for Governor.
Elle.com, Mattie Kahn
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) met during an event in the run-up to their 2018 congressional elections. Both women had a shared background in national security, and eventually went on to win both of their respective races. During their tenures in Congress, the two nabbed committee appointments and operated an “informal network” composed of women elected alongside them to inform one another about foreign and veteran affairs. Now, Spanberger and Sherrill are both running for governor in their home states, in two of the most-watched races of the year. Though neither claim that they’re glad to be “free of Washington,” both are excited about the possible “exhilaration” of pursuing this office: “The things I want to get done on a state level – I know they can get done much, much faster than what I know to be the process in Congress,” Spanberger said.
Carolyn McCarthy, Who Turned a Gunman’s Massacre Into a Crusade, Dies at 81
The New York Times, Clyde Haberman
On Thursday, former nine-term Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) passed away at her home in Fort Myers, Florida. McCarthy became a champion of gun regulation after her husband was killed and her son was wounded by a “deranged shooter” on a Long Islander commuter train in 1993; she transformed herself from a nurse and a homemaker into a “national symbol” of advocacy in Washington. During her time in Congress, she promoted key gun control measures, such as expanding background checks, closing gun show loopholes, and fought to reauthorize the federal assault weapons ban. Outside of gun reform, she also focused on improving health care for the young and elderly, providing federal funds for the early detection of dyslexia, and fortifying environmental protections for Long Island Sound. As her congressional days came to an end, McCarhthy said, “Win or lose, at least I tried.”