Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Congress passes landmark #MeToo legislation, Vermont could be the first state to guarantee the right to abortion, and we introduce you to Broadsheet’s new era. Have a wonderful weekend.
– A new era. We interrupt our regularly scheduled Friday Broadsheet for an update from Kristen and Claire:
So, should we start with the good news or the bittersweet news?
Let’s go bittersweet: After many years of kicking off our mornings with you, our valued readers, Kristen and Claire are taking a step back from The Broadsheet.
It’s hard to think of a more fascinating time to have been tasked with bringing you all the news that matters to women. We tracked the rise of the #MeToo movement, the fall of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, Ellen Pao’s industry-shaking suit against Kleiner Perkins, the appointment of barrier-breaking CEOs like WBA’s Roz Brewer and TIAA’s Thasunda Duckett, Hillary Clinton’s campaign as the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. party, the “pink wave” that crested two years after her loss, the history-making election of Vice President Kamala Harris, and much more.
It’s been a thrill and a pleasure to follow the first draft of history—women’s history—with all of you. No newsletter has smarter, more loyal, more opinionated, or more engaged readers. Thank you all for making this part of our job such a joy.
And although you’ll hear from us less often, we aren’t going far, so don’t be surprised if we pop up with a guest contribution now and then. In the meantime, here’s where to find us:
Kristen: I’ll be in NYC, devoting more of my time to editing Fortune‘s deep-dive features and investigative projects—including those centering around powerful women. I’ll also continue overseeing our annual Most Powerful Women in Business list and co-chairing events like our MPW Summit and MPW Next Gen.
Claire: I’ll be in Hong Kong, where I’ve been for the last two action-packed years, editing Fortune‘s team of reporters here and helping steer its coverage of global business stories, with a special focus on Asia. And I’ll be writing my own stories about women in business and workplace culture, teaming up with Kristen and Emma every chance I get.
Okay, now on to the good news: You already know your new Broadsheet host: Emma Hinchliffe. Emma has been an irreplaceable member of Team Broadsheet ever since she joined Fortune in 2018. We can’t wait to see what she’ll do now that she’s fully in the driver’s seat and ready to make the newsletter her own. We know we’ll be reading along—hope you will be too.
Kristen Bellstrom & Claire Zillman
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com / claire.zillman@fortune.com
@kayelbee / @clairezillman
The Broadsheet, Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women, is coauthored—for one last day!—by Kristen Bellstrom, Emma Hinchliffe, and Claire Zillman. Today’s edition was curated by Emma Hinchliffe.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Landmark legislation. Congress passed new legislation banning forced arbitration in cases of sexual assault or harassment, a milestone for the #MeToo movement. The bill was spearheaded by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson testified in support of the policy. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law. Guardian
- Abortion amendment. Vermont took a step toward becoming the first U.S. state to guarantee the right to abortion and contraception. In advance of an expected Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights this summer, Vermont state lawmakers are adding a state constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right. Washington Post
- At the Olympics. After Mikaela Shiffrin missed out on finishing her second major event, the skier did an emotional interview with NBC; now she says she's done with media interviews for the rest of the Beijing Olympics. Russia's figure skating team facing allegations of doping, drawing attention to the measures young female figure skaters sometimes go to maintain the advantage in the sport that youth brings.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Global real estate firm Hines promoted senior managing director Laura Hines-Pierce to co-CEO. Atea Pharmaceuticals hired Merck's Nancy Gail Berry Agrawal as EVP of preclinical development. Golf apparel brand Kinona hired former Ivar's director of marketing Kirsten Wlaschin as director of ecommerce.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Super Bowl Sunday. During this weekend's Super Bowl, Serena Williams will appear in an ad for the fitness company Tonal. She's not just a celebrity athlete spokesperson; the tennis star is also an investor in Tonal as part of her Serena Ventures portfolio. Williams says she invested in Tonal because she was "intrigued by the product." Bloomberg
- Toxic 250. The America250 Foundation is planning official celebrations for the United States' 250th anniversary. Four women have resigned from the organization, alleging a toxic and abusive work environment for women and people of color. The foundation says it "will always take seriously any concerns brought forth by its staff." Wall Street Journal
- (Down) under performing. Australia's Workplace Gender Equality Agency has a new report out. The agency found that the country's gender pay gap narrowed by just half a percentage point last year, 22% of company boards don't have a single woman on them; and fewer than one in five CEOs are women. Bloomberg
ON MY RADAR
How fashion finally made space for me Vogue
The joy of sad girl music Harper's Bazaar
Colleagues who backed Harvard professor retract support amid harassment claims New York Times
PARTING WORDS
"This role embodies every facet of me, both as an artist and a human."
-Ariana DeBose on her now Oscar-nominated portrayal of Anita in West Side Story
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