The Broadsheet: January 4th

EVERYONE'S TALKING

•Draft day? Two senior generals say that women should be required to register for the draft, now that the Pentagon had opened all combat roles to female soldiers. Washington Post

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

•Time for a conference on conferences?Bloomberg's Sheelah Kolhatkar mulls the proliferation of women's conferences, diving into the history and economics of these events—which, of course, include Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit. While such gatherings can be stirring and inspirational, she wonders how much they actually accomplish, asking "Why, in spite of all the energy these conferences generate, are women still just … talking?" Have you attended a women's conference? If so, did you think it was worthwhile? Email me at kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com. Bloomberg

•On the subject of lady confabs. The White House is planning its own women's gathering. Speaking at the 2016 MAKERS Conference, Michelle Obama's chief of staff Tina Tchen told Fortune's Pattie Sellers that the summit on the "United State of Women" will occur on May 23rd. Fortune

•Separate, not equal. Saudi Arabia has ordered the segregation of men and women in local council meetings, in a setback to recent gender parity gains. WSJ

•Kim's Kloset. Kim Kardashian announced that users of her hit mobile game, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, can buy virtual clothing and accessories by legendary Chanel and Fendi designer Karl Lagerfeld, Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing, and handbag designer Judith Lieber. Fortune

•A loyal flier. Carolyn McCall, CEO of low-cost carrier easyJet, says that while she was approached by Marks & Spencer about about succeeding chief Marc Bolland, she isn't interested in taking the job. The Telegraph

•Menswear move. Despite having a user base that's 84% female, social commerce site Polyvore, led by CEO Jess Lee, is expanding into men's fashion. Fortune

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Sarah Willersdorf, most recently a partner at The Boston Consulting Group, has joined Diane von Furstenberg as CMO. Lululemon Athletica has appointed Kathryn Henry, once the company's CIO, to its board.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

•Now I need a drink. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been taking some flak for a new recommendation that women not on birth control refrain from alcohol to avoid the risk of giving birth to babies with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. While that's certainly a noble goal, implying that women can't be trusted to be responsible drinkers is not the way to accomplish it. New York Times

•The ‘flix’s fixer. Netflix’s former chief talent officer Patty McCord is the architect of the company's innovative, informal culture. She's also the author of a 124-page slideshow that lays out those values—which Sheryl Sandberg called "the most important document ever to come out of the Valley.” Fast Company

•An everyone issue. Bain & Company partner Julie Coffman writes about how attitudes have changed since she was in business school—when anything related to work-life balance was considered a "women's issue." Fortune

•A power pairing. The New York Times has dubbed Chelsa Crowley, founder and the chief creative officer of online cosmetics company Stowaway, and her husband, Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley, "the power couple of the New York tech scene."New York Times

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ON MY RADAR

Taylor Swift to launch her own mobile game Fortune

Models for this British brand will now have a non-negotiable eating clause in their contracts Quartz

Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl 50 Fortune

Kate Spade founders talk about their new line Business of Fashion

QUOTE

I’m starting to think they’re doing it on purpose.

<em>Transparent</em> creator Jill Soloway on Hollywood's failure to hire more women in positions of authority