Many backers of the bipartisan infrastructure package hail the number of jobs it's supposed to create - an average of 1.5 million jobs annually for 10 years. Advocates for equal pay say as those jobs roll out, it's important to make sure women and people of color get access to them.

Wendy Chun-Hoon, director of the Women's Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor, said women and especially women of color often are often in the lowest-paid jobs - although they're some of the most important, like child care and elder care.

"We have to address raising both wages in these underpaid jobs, undervalued jobs, because of long-held structural racism and sexism in our country," said Chun-Hoon. "And we have to increase the number of women who are in some of these higher-paying jobs."

Fewer than 4% of specialized jobs in construction and extraction fields are filled by women. Chun-Hoon noted the Women's Bureau has a grants program, called "Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations," to expand women's pathways to these careers.

Sasha Goodfriend - executive director of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women - noted the Commonwealth's equal-pay law means employers cannot request information about a person's past salary before making an offer, and they cannot retaliate against workers for discussing their pay.

She urged workers to have those conversations.

"Before this law, you could be fired for sharing what your salary was," said Goodfriend. "And so, I know it's uncomfortable, because we've been taught that it's not something we're supposed to talk about."

Celia J. Blue, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition, said it's also important to be educated about your industry.

"There's so many tools out there today, that you could easily find out what is your industry, what's the average pay, what's the range?" said Blue. "Arm yourself with [that], going into any job, or even if you're already in the job."

In 2019, Colorado lawmakers set goals for cutting climate pollution by at least half by the year 2030, and by 90% by 2050 - compared with 2005 levels.

Sen. Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, said Colorado is not making enough progress, so she's introduced a new bill that aims to cut fossil fuel emissions by giving Coloradans more transportation options. Winter said when people have safe and reliable alternatives, and leave their car at home, everyone benefits.

"And even if you are a person that never wants to get on a bus - or a train, or ride an e-bike - when others have that easy choice, and make that choice, it reduces congestion and traffic for you," she explained.

In addition to helping address the effects of a changing climate, Winter says SB25-030 would also benefit public health. The transportation sector and oil and gas production are the biggest contributors to dangerous and persistent ground-level ozone pollution across the Front Range.

Winter has also introduced SB25-004, a bill to help more Colorado families access child care by limiting application, waiting list, and other fees. She contends that good child care policies can help families, in part by ensuring that both parents have an opportunity to build careers.

"The children are more likely to be ready for kindergarten, and they are more likely to do well in school and make more money once they graduate as well," she continued.

For the first time in state history, the majority of Colorado lawmakers in the 2025 session are women. Winter, who has served in the legislature since 2015, believes democracy works best when it includes a rich assortment of legislators that bring their best problem-solving skills to the table.

"So being at 525 women means that more ideas are going to be at the table, more backgrounds, more experiences. And that leads to better solutions, versus governments that look more homogenous."


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A lack of reliable transportation for some women veterans in Maine is preventing them from getting the services they need.

The Sisters in Arms Center in Augusta provides these homeless veterans with counseling to heal from the sexual abuse some have suffered in the military.

It's the only center of its kind in the U.S. - but without a vehicle, medical or job interview appointments are often missed.

Executive Director Rebecca Cornell du Houx said one veteran was recently stranded at the hospital when no volunteer drivers were available.

"They're in the parking lot just crying," said Cornell du Houx, "because they can't go from point A to point B, and they had already walked there."

Cornell du Houx said public transportation is limited and can sometimes trigger a veteran's trauma.

She said the Sisters in Arms Center is seeking a donated vehicle, or funds to purchase one to help ensure these women veterans can get back on their feet.

While the number of homeless veterans is down slightly, the number of homeless veterans who are women grew by nearly 24% between 2020 and 2023.

Experts say the high rates of sexual abuse they suffer is one reason. One in three female servicemembers says they experienced sexual trauma while enlisted.

Cornell du Houx said this also puts the women the center serves at a heightened risk for suicide.

"They have tried so hard in order to be able to make a life for themselves through serving this country - and put their country first, put their community, their state first," said Cornell du Houx. "I mean, it doesn't seem like that's happening right now in reverse."

She said local volunteers showered a veteran and her children with gifts during the holiday, and she appreciated those who support the center's mission.

She said she'll soon deploy to the Middle East herself, and said hopes to hire some part-time staff to keep the center open while she's away.





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Voters in Arizona overwhelmingly supported and approved Proposition 139 last week, which enshrines abortion rights into the state's constitution.

The measure will allow abortions up to fetal viability, which is about 24 weeks.

But Fatima Goss Graves - president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center - said while ballot measures expanding access to abortion won in seven of the ten states this election, she contended there are still countless ways to restrict and upend abortion access even further, including nationwide.

"There is a long list of ways to target birth control, to target fertility treatments, to target our ability to control our own bodies, and to be fully equal in this society," said Graves. "We know that road will be long and hard."

Over the weekend Arizona was officially called for former President Donald Trump, awarding him the state's 11 electoral college votes.

Graves said Trump has promised to veto a national abortion ban, and to distance himself from the conservative playbook Project 2025.

She said reproductive rights advocates, like herself, expect the next administration to deliver on those campaign promises.

The state has a number of abortion restrictions and laws that directly conflict with Prop 139.

Until the election results are officially certified by Gov. Katie Hobbs later this month, pro-choice advocates say they'll likely file legal challenges to deem those current restrictions unconstitutional.

In a statement, the It Goes Too Far Campaign - a group opposing the measure - says "the fight against extreme abortion laws will continue."

Monica Simpson is the executive director of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective.

She said while all eyes need to stay on the Trump administration, advocates must also continue to lift up "powerful programs."

"I want us to be able to find a balance in doing that," said Simpson, "and work together as the organizations and entities that we are, to be able to make sure that we give ourselves the power and the fuel that we need over these next four years."

Simpson said while it is crucial to keep an eye out at the policy level, advocacy will also be a key part of the fight moving forward.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.