Good morning, Broadsheet readers! The new Ariel at 40 documentary depicts the rise of Mellody Hobson from intern to co-CEO, a new study finds that women need less exercise than men to produce some of the same health effects, and Nikki Haley makes her exit. Have a thoughtful Thursday.
– Haley’s goodbye. Nikki Haley’s exit from the Republican presidential race was expected—or even overdue, depending who you ask. The former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor announced Wednesday morning that she was suspending her campaign for the GOP nomination.
Haley ended her White House bid after winning only one contest out of 15—Vermont—on Super Tuesday. Her exit leaves the Republican nomination in the hands of former President Donald Trump, with the Supreme Court clearing his path by preventing states from removing him from their ballots because of his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Haley’s strength was never voters but rather donors who backed her as a Republican alternative to Trump. In her speech announcing her campaign’s suspension, she did not directly endorse Trump, who she has both harshly criticized and worked for. She said that Trump must “earn” the votes of those who haven’t supported him. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away,” she said. “And our conservative cause badly needs more people.”
Most feminists won’t bemoan Haley’s departure; her conservative politics hardly align with feminists’ vision for the U.S. And yet her exit means we enter yet another election cycle without a woman in contention for the top job—another four years to wait. Vice president is once again a ceiling, with Kamala Harris still representing the closest we’ve gotten to the pinnacle of American power.
Rather than watching a woman run for president this year, we’ll have to pay attention to the policies that affect our lives most, from the dire moment we’re in for abortion rights—a Republican administration would likely pursue a national ban—to the ongoing effort to secure paid leave and affordable childcare.
We’ll hear more tonight at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union—stay tuned.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
The Broadsheet is Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Joseph Abrams. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Hobson's climb. A new documentary titled Ariel at 40 depicts the life of Mellody Hobson and her decades-long rise from intern to co-CEO at the Black-owned Ariel Investments. Hobson, who also serves as a JPMorgan Chase director, a Starbucks board member, and is married to Star Wars creator George Lucas, told Fortune about the phone call that started her path to becoming a five-time member of Fortune's Most Powerful Women list. Fortune
- Head-start. A new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that women only need to exercise about half as much as men to achieve the same longevity benefits. Women who participated in the study lowered their mortality risk by 18% by exercising 140 minutes per week. It took men 300 minutes of exercise per week to produce that same drop. The Washington Post
- Funding inspiration. Inspired Capital cofounder and CEO Alexa von Tobel announced that the venture capital firm raised $330 million for a new fund at a time when investment into venture capital firms is low. Those who work with the venture capitalist say that Tobel and cofounder Lucy Deland appeal to otherwise cautious investors because of their own experience as founders and their interest in founders who are tackling societal issues. Fortune
- One of a few. Suntory Holdings promoted its long-time chief sustainability officer Makiko Ono to chief executive officer last year in a move that made her one the few women serving as CEOs in Japan. In a new interview, Ono describes the airtight glass ceilings she's broken during her 40-plus-year career at the food and beverage conglomerate. Financial Times
- Action at last. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortéz (D–N.Y.) says she is spearheading efforts to pass a bill that would allow victims of non-consensual deepfake pornography to sue those who produce, distribute, or possess it knowing that victims didn't consent. "Folks have waited too long to set the groundwork for this," Ocasio Cortéz says; the way "we answer these questions is going to shape how all of us live as a society." Rolling Stone
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: New York's Emerging Technology Advisory Board appointed Girls Who Code CEO Tarika Barrett as co-chair. Invariant hired Erin Gentry as chief operating officer. Deputy named Sejal Patel Daswani as its new chief people officer. PayPal announced Amy Bonitatibus as chief corporate affairs and communications officer. D2L appointed Amy Clark as chief people officer.
ON MY RADAR
Workers are being forced to navigate changing IVF laws—here’s how employers can help Fortune
When Caitlin Clark comes to town New York Times
What’s Happening to EMILY’s List? Slate
PARTING WORDS
"I’m trying to do more of, you know, accepting the good shots. And giving myself as much of a compliment as I do a critique."
— U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff on working through her perfectionism
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