Happy Friday, Broadsheet readers! A top woman at JPMorgan kept Jeffrey Epstein as a client, Hillary Clinton weighs in—indirectly—on impeachment, and we get a look at the lasting legal changes wrought by #MeToo. Have a wonderful weekend.
EVERYONE’S TALKING
– 15 going on 50. While we’ve grown accustomed to seeing dramatic headlines about the downfall of powerful men whose misbehavior has finally been brought to light (read on for the latest examples), some of the #MeToo movement’s most important accomplishments will never make the front page.
Case in point: A new study from the National Women’s Law Center finds that 15 states have passed new laws protecting employees from sexual harassment and gender discrimination since the movement burst into the public consciousness in 2017, Vice reports.
Delaware, New York, Vermont, Illinois, and Maryland have all expanded protections to include more types of workers (think contractors, interns, consultants). A host of states have limited or outright banned companies from requiring that employees sign NDAs and forced arbitration agreements. New York, Oregon, Maryland, and Connecticut have extended the statute of limitations to give employees a greater opportunity to hold companies accountable. And that’s not all; read the full NWLC report for more examples.
The NWLC has been actively involved in working with various activists and lawmakers to get the changes made—though the organization doesn’t appear to be resting on its laurels. The report’s title includes the slogan #20By2020, a sign of its continuing ambition. That sounds like a good next step, certainly, but let’s hope that number ultimately rises all the way to 50.
Kristen Bellstrom
[email protected]
@kayelbee
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
– Wrong compliance call. A decade ago, compliance officers suggested that JPMorgan cut Jeffrey Epstein as a client because of the “legal and reputational” risks his business posed to the firm. Mary Erdoes, CEO of the bank’s Asset & Wealth Management wing, reportedly intervened, and Epstein remained a client until 2013. New York Times
– The other ‘what happened.’ What happened to Aung San Suu Kyi? The state counsellor of Myanmar and one-time human rights icon fell from grace as her government oversaw the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya. Former Obama administration deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes examines how it all unfolded. The Atlantic
– Impeachment interview. Hillary Clinton shared her thoughts on impeachment in an under-the-radar interview last month for the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Reflecting on her time as a young staffer for the House committee that voted to remove Nixon—and, of course, her husband’s impeachment—Clinton offered advice relevant to calls to impeach President Trump. “Restrain yourself from grandstanding and holding news conferences and playing to your base,” she said. “Do not pursue it for trivial partisan political purposes.” Politico
– Own goal. In what might not be its smartest public relations move, U.S. Soccer hired two D.C. lobbying firms as it tries to prove that it does not, in fact, underpay the U.S. Women’s National Team. U.S. Soccer says it is ensuring policymakers have “accurate information and factual numbers” about its “unmatched support and investment” in the women’s team; USWNT says the players are “stunned and disappointed” that U.S. Soccer “would spend sponsor dollars and revenue to advocate against laws that ensure that women are paid equally to men;” the men’s team pretty much agreed. Politico
– The other half of fertility. Fortune‘s Polina Marinova examines venture capitalists’ interest in male fertility startups. Sperm storage startups, in particular, may soon be just as ubiquitous as egg-freezing companies. Fortune
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Kimberly Breier resigned as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. Former Virgin Money chief Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia joins Salesforce as U.K. and Ireland CEO. Veteran JPMorgan banker Karen Simon will leave the company.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
– Tune in. Fortune‘s Pattie Sellers is joined by former anchors and current communication coaches Mary Civiello and Jane Hanson on the latest episode of Ann Liguori’s podcast. Check it out here: Audio Boom
– SoulCycle storm. Growing outrage over Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’s upcoming ultra-elite fundraiser for President Trump’s re-election campaign is hitting two businesses in which Ross has significant stakes: SoulCycle and Equinox. SoulCycle CEO Melanie Whelan has tried to distance her business from Ross. “We believe in diversity, inclusion and equality,” she said. “Mr. Ross is a passive investor and is not involved in the management of SoulCycle.” Fortune
– The Savant. There’s an elite investigator known as the Savant who tracks angry men online, in part trying to prevent the next mass shooting. Cosmopolitan met her, and although the story doesn’t reveal any identifying details, it provides fascinating insight into a woman whose job depends on her anonymity. Cosmopolitan
– A(nnapurna) to B(ankruptcy). Annapurna Pictures, the company founded by Megan Ellison known for its support of independent films and women-led stories, is reportedly considering bankruptcy. Ellison, daughter of Oracle’s Larry Ellison, sent a note to her staff saying that Annapurna has “no intention of stopping anytime soon.” Fortune
Today’s Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe. Share it with a friend. Looking for previous Broadsheets? Click here.
ON MY RADAR
NBA 2K20 game to feature all 12 WNBA teams ESPN
Charli XCX is the pop star of the future Pitchfork
Finally, women have their own dreary gangster movie Slate
QUOTE
-Taylor Swift, in a Vogue cover story, on how she began experiencing sexism in the music industry when people started perceiving her as a grown woman
