Good morning, Broadsheet readers! OpenAI CTO Mira Murati reportedly played a role in CEO Sam Altman’s brief ouster, Abercrombie & Fitch logs sales growth by focusing on professional women, and Biden’s State of the Union calls for the restoration of abortion rights. Happy International Women’s Day from the newsletter that celebrates women year-round.
– Hot topic. In an election year State of the Union address last night, President Joe Biden highlighted a key demographic: women. In a segment devoted to abortion, Biden told Americans that “those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade”—including his “predecessor”—“have no clue about the power of women in America.”
The lengthy segment devoted to abortion rights was a sign that Democrats see abortion as a winning issue at the polls. Abortion opponents “found out” about the “power of women” “when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again, in 2024,” Biden said.
He called out some of the worst results of abortion bans—“criminalizing doctors and forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states as well to get the care they need.”
Biden hammered home his message by inviting Kate Cox, the Texas woman who had to leave the state to end her pregnancy after receiving a fatal fetal diagnosis, to attend the speech. Biden told her story in his annual address. “What her family has gone through should never have happened as well. But it is happening to so many others,” he said.
Another Biden guest was Latorya Beasley, an Alabama woman whose IVF treatments were halted by the state’s decision granting personhood to frozen embryos. The president framed protecting IVF as a bipartisan issue. “To my friends across the aisle, don’t keep families waiting any longer,” he said. “Guarantee the right to IVF nationwide.”
Biden promised to restore Roe as “the law of the land” and said he thought Roe “got it right.” In a forum in which presidents once avoided the word “abortion” at all costs, Biden’s speech is a marker of Democrats’ continued evolution on the issue—even if he only said the word once. The State of the Union is a sign of what’s to come in 2024: Democrats are counting on women to win.
Also…If you’ll be at SXSW this weekend, come check out my conversation on Saturday at 2:30pm CT with three CEOs building companies by women, for women. OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair, Sequel founder Amanda Calabrese, and Togethxr cofounder Jessica Robertson will talk about redefining decision-making in three wildly different male-dominated industries. Hope to see you in Austin!
Emma Hinchliffe
[email protected]
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.
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- From the other side. Sen. Katie Britt (R–Ala.), the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate, delivered the GOP rebuttal to Biden's State of the Union from her kitchen. She called Biden “a dithering and diminished leader” who has left families “worse off,” communities “less safe,” and the country “less secure.” Britt, 42, is considered a rising star in the GOP and a potential Donald Trump running mate. New York Times
- Behind the ouster. OpenAI CTO Mira Murati played a key role in the leadup to CEO Sam Altman's brief ouster from the company, The New York Times reports. Murati reportedly brought questions about Altman's leadership to OpenAI's board, although she later publicly backed his return as CEO. After the story was published, Murati reportedly told staff that she “provided feedback” she had already given to Altman to the board when asked. New York Times
- The right fit. Abercrombie & Fitch sales jumped 16% last year and its stock has surged 400% over the past four months amid a new marketing campaign targeting professional women. CMO Carey Collins Krug says tailoring the clothing retailer’s offerings to an aesthetic that includes workout classes, work meetings, and travel has given the company fresh momentum. The Wall Street Journal
- Screen stereotypes. Moms First unveiled a new study alongside Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Geena Davis that revealed that moms on TV are still largely underrepresented as family breadwinners. Though TV moms are slightly more diverse than they used to be, Meghan said the study “highlights the gaps we need to fill to achieve true representation in the content we create and consume.” Vanity Fair
- Making amends. Ireland is voting today to replace clauses in its constitution that describe the role of women and mothers “within the home.” The measure is expected to pass as is another that seeks to add “durable relationships” to the definition of family, including cohabitating couples and their children. Reuters
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Celsius named Kyle Watson as chief marketing officer. Dentsu appointed Shirli Zelcer to chief data and technology officer. The Verizon Value Organization announced Nancy Clark as president.
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