Keeping up with the news can be hard — but we’re here to make it a little easier. The NCJW team has pulled together a list of headlines we’re reading and paired them with some actions you can take to help. Here’s what’s happening the week of September 28, 2026.

The Trump administration narrowed protections for sexual assault survivors in schools.

The Trump administration rolled back Title IX protections for LGBTQ students and sexual assault survivors — while bypassing all the ways the public normally gets to weigh in on these changes, reports Politico.

The rule, which marks a return to the policy put in place during the first Trump administration, has been rebuked by advocates for survivors of sexual misconduct, who note that these policies will add hurdles to the process and cause fewer victims to come forward.

The rule also guts protections for trans and LGBTQ students. “While the administration is unlawfully eroding protections for trans students under the guise of ‘protecting women and girls,’ they are systematically weakening the very laws that keep students safe and schools accountable,” said Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center.

Here’s what you can do

We deserve lawmakers that will protect survivors and LGBTQ students — from our state houses to the halls of Congress. Pledge to vote this November.

Tierra Walker’s family is suing the Texas Attorney General over the state’s “merciless” abortion ban.

The family of Tierra Walker, who died after being refused a life-saving abortion due to Texas’ abortion ban, is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over her death, reports CBS News.  

In 2022, shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Texas passed state laws banning nearly all abortions. The law does have an exception when the life of the mother is at stake, but Walker’s family says that due to the “immense culture of fear” that has developed since the near-total ban was passed, doctors refused to give her the abortion that would have saved her life. 

“At every turn, Texas’ political and medical establishments not only failed but actively harmed Ms. Walker,” the lawsuit alleges.

Here’s what you can do 

No one should have to go through what Tierra Walker and her family experienced. Access to abortion care shouldn’t depend on your zip code. Pledge to vote for reproductive freedom this November.

The Trump administration restored the 988 LGBTQ+ youth crisis line — but concerns remain over how it will treat trans callers.

The Trump administration restored the 988 LGBTQ+ youth crisis line — but without the partnership of The Trevor Project, the organization that helped found it. When asked whether counselors would respect transgender and nonbinary people’s identities, the Trump administration quoted concerns about “gender ideology extremism,” reports The Advocate.

The LGBTQ+ line, commonly referred to as “Press 3,” began as a pilot in partnership with The Trevor Project in September 2022. It was designed to connect LGBTQ+ young people with counselors trained to address their specific needs through calls, texts, and online chats. By the time the Trump administration abruptly ended the service in July 2025, the program had received around 1.6 million contacts, according to The Advocate.

“This lifesaving resource never should have gone away in the first place, but I am glad the lifesaving support Press 3 provides is once again there for people who need it,” Senator Tammy Baldwin, who fought for Press 3’s return, said in a statement.

While the Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed Press 3’s return, concerns remain over how counselors will respond to trans and nonbinary callers. When asked about whether counselors would recognize their identities and use their chosen names and pronouns, the department reiterated that it “remains fully aligned with President Trump’s Executive Orders to defend women from gender ideology extremism and restore biological truth to the federal government.”

Here’s what you can do

Trans kids deserve better. Tell Congress to pass the Equality Act and enshrine civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people into law.

In four states, voters have the chance to decide how their states approach abortion access.

In Missouri, Virginia, Idaho, and Nevada,voters have the chance to decide how their states approach abortion access this November. The 19th News breaks down what’s on the ballot in each state.

In Missouri, voters overwhelmingly approved adding protections for abortion access into the state constitution in 2024. Now, anti-aboriton lawmakers are trying to undo that with a new ballot measure that would ban abortion in almost all cases and ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors — even though that care is already illegal in Missouri.

NCJW has been working closely with our partners in St. Louis, including the NCJW St. Louis section, to oppose this ballot measure.

In Virginia, voters have the opportunity to put protections for abortion access in their state Constitution. Right now, abortion is accessible in Virginia. But without protections in the constitution, that could change at any moment. That’s why we’re working with NCJW advocates in Virginia to pass this ballot measure.

In Idaho, voters have the chance to appeal the state’s strict abortion ban. And finally, in Nevada, voters have the chance to take the final step to put protections for abortion access into their state constitution. 
           

Here’s what you can do

You can help protect abortion access this November. Pledge to vote for reproductive freedom this November.

30 organizations — including NCJW — issue a warning about the anti-reproductive freedom, anti-voting rights records of Trump’s judicial nominees.

30 organizations — including NCJW — issue a warning about the anti-reproductive freedom, anti-voting rights records of Trump’s judicial nominees, reports Nomination Notes. The organizations sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, warning that this pattern “reflects a growing issue in our democracy. The same politicians who oppose abortion are seeking to subvert the public’s will by attacking voting rights.” 

“These judicial appointments will serve lifetime positions on the federal bench and can continue to enforce President Trump’s anti-abortion and anti-democratic agenda long after he is no longer in office. Individuals with concerning records on reproductive freedom and voting rights should not be in the position to make consequential rulings on these issues,” the letter says. “They must not get a free pass on these critical issues that will continue to affect our lives and determine our rights for decades to come.”

Here’s what you can do

Your senators need to hear from you. Tell your senators: confirm fair, independent judicial nominees — not anti-abortion extremists.