• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
NewslettersBroadsheet

Roe v. Wade just turned 49. Will the Supreme Court decision make it to 50?

Emma Hinchliffe
By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Most Powerful Women Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Emma Hinchliffe
By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Most Powerful Women Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 24, 2022, 8:58 AM ET

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! The Arizona Democratic Party censures Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an activist investor offers to buy Kohl’s, and we wonder: did we just mark the last anniversary of Roe v. Wade?

– Golden anniversary? This Saturday marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. For many, the occasion raised the same question: will Roe make it to 50?

The Supreme Court is set to decide on Mississippi’s abortion law in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health by this summer, a ruling that, given the court’s conservative majority, could very well overturn the case that has guaranteed the right to an abortion across the U.S. since 1973. Of course, Roe has already been hobbled in much of the country by state legislation that makes abortion inaccessible to millions women at most stages of pregnancy. Still, there’s something different about the end of Roe itself.

The significance of this particular anniversary was on the minds of not just abortion rights supporters, but of anti-abortion activists too. There was an unusual air of celebration at this year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

So how do you mark an anniversary when you worry it could be the last? The Biden administration, for its part, set up a task force on reproductive health care access within the Department of Health and Human Services. And in the NYT, women who received abortions before Roe reflected on life then—and what their experiences tell us about a possible future.

“There were so many girls from that era that did not survive,” remembered Rita Ray, who had an abortion in 1959. “I would never, ever want anybody to go through what I went through,” added Arla Ralston, who had an abortion in 1970.

And then there’s this from Wanda Kilbourne, who had an abortion in 1970: “In all of the years since then, I’ve never told anyone this story.”

As we wait to learn Roe‘s fate, I suggest reading the stories of these women. By keeping their accounts alive, we can help ensure that no matter the outcome in the Mississippi case, women aren’t hurtled back to a time when having an abortion is a secretive, dangerous, and lonely experience.

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
@_emmahinchliffe

The Broadsheet, Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women, is coauthored by Kristen Bellstrom, Emma Hinchliffe, and Claire Zillman. Today’s edition was curated by Emma Hinchliffe. 

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Sinema censure. The Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who represents the state in the Senate, after she voted against changing Senate rules that would have allowed voting rights legislation to advance. The party said that Sinema failed "to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy." Former Sinema staffers and campaign volunteers, meanwhile, say they feel betrayed by the senator.

- Healthy debate. CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch gets the corner office interview in the NYT. She talks about hiring amid a labor shortage, CVS Health's opposition to public health insurance proposals like Medicare for All, and how CVS is thinking about political donations a year after the Jan. 6 riots. New York Times

- In-store sale. Kohl's, led by CEO Michelle Gass, is continuing to face pressure from activist investors. Activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP offered $9 billion to buy the department store chain—an offer that came after a different activist urged changes to the board and consideration of a sale.WSJ

- Online and lonely. During the pandemic, Gen X women have reported the sharpest rise in loneliness. That means that "moms in middle age" are "rarely alone, often online, and increasingly lonely." Gen X women say the pressures of caregiving and work are both helped and hurt by social media, which facilitates connection but can increase feelings of loneliness. WSJ

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Olympic ice hockey player and New Jersey Devils manager for player development Meghan Duggan is now president of the Women's Sports Foundation; Ivy League executive director Robin Harris will be the organization's board of trustees chair. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Court reporter. Is Ginni Thomas a threat to the Supreme Court? The wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, known for her own conservative politics, is working with multiple organizations involved in cases that will appear before the court. The New Yorker's Jane Mayer investigates her influence. The New Yorker

- Online dating tragedy. A 24-year-old woman named Lauren Smith-Fields was found dead in her Bridgeport, Connecticut apartment in December after she went on a Bumble date. Her family and friends have rallied to protest the lack of attention to her case; they say police have mishandled the investigation. Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said on Instagram this weekend that she was "saddened by this loss" of a "vibrant, young woman" and "Bumble community member," and added that Bumble offered its full support to Smith-Fields' family and the Bridgeport police. Rolling Stone

- Double pay gap. The gender pay gap hits some families particularly hard—especially same-gender couples. A new study of earnings of same-sex couples found that families with two men as breadwinners earned an average of $121,000 in income, while families with two female earners took home $93,000, which is less than the average for mixed-gender couples. Axios

ON MY RADAR

Green M&M’s fashion makeover is COVID comfy, but not everyone is happy WSJ

Honoring his mother was Louie Anderson's life's work Vulture

The cult of Saint Joan NYT

PARTING WORDS

"I think it’s important for people to not only be in the physical world but also to be in the digital world. I see this is as the future of partying, going out, interacting with people and being social."

-Paris Hilton on her interests in NFTs

This is the web version of The Broadsheet, a daily newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.

About the Author
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Newsletters

NewslettersMPW Daily
Female exec moves to watch this week, from Binance to Supergoop
By Emma HinchliffeDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
NewslettersCFO Daily
Gen Z fears AI will upend careers. Can leaders change the narrative?
By Sheryl EstradaDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Four key questions about OpenAI vs Google—the high-stakes tech matchup of 2026
By Alexei OreskovicDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg adjusts an avatar of himself during a company event in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta may unwind metaverse initiatives with layoffs
By Andrew NuscaDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
Shuntaro Furukawa, president of Nintendo Co., speaks during a news conference in Osaka, Japan, on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Nintendo gave a double dose of disappointment by posting earnings below analyst estimates and signaled that it would not introduce a highly anticipated new model of the Switch game console at a June trade show. Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
NewslettersCEO Daily
Nintendo’s 98% staff retention rate means the average employee has been there 15 years
By Nicholas GordonDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
AIEye on AI
Companies are increasingly falling victim to AI impersonation scams. This startup just raised $28M to stop deepfakes in real time
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 4, 2025
3 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Asia
Despite their ‘no limits’ friendship, Russia is paying a nearly 90% markup on sanctioned goods from China—compared with 9% from other countries
By Jason MaNovember 29, 2025
8 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
3 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.