EVERYONE'S TALKING
- Women who work? One of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's latest speeches caught our attention. Addressing an audience of female union members last week, the senator said that some of her fellow Democratic candidates are not supportive of women working "outside the home."
"We have Democratic candidates running for president right now who do not believe necessarily that it’s a good idea that women work outside the home,” she said. “No joke."
Gillibrand didn't name names—and with a field of 20-plus candidates it's hard to know exactly who she was referring to. We can probably eliminate the other five women running for president from speculation. So, were Gillibrand's remarks veiled criticism against Bernie, or Beto, or Bill DeBlasio? Or could it be John Delaney, Seth Moulton, or Michael Bennet?
Recent reporting from HuffPost suggests the jab could be aimed at Joe Biden; in 1981, he voted against expanding a childcare tax credit by arguing that "the federal government shouldn’t encourage parents to leave the home for work unless it’s absolutely necessary for economic survival."
Gillibrand's campaign declined to elaborate, so it's still anyone's guess. (And she did say Democrats—plural—so she may be targeting more than one of her follow candidates.) One thing that is clear is that speech is part of Gillibrand's continuing efforts to position herself as the best candidate for women, a play that gained some steam as she faced renewed criticism over her role in the resignation of former Sen. Al Franken.
“I’ve got to tell you, I’m really sick of it. I’m so freaking sick of it. I can’t tell you how angry I am that Democrats, Democrats turn a blind eye to sexual assault, sexual harassment and any reforms that value women in the workplace,” Gillibrand also said in the speech.
Will she go into more detail as the campaign continues? It seems likely that, as the field narrows, candidates' records on issues related to women working will become a topic of more conversation. Maybe then we'll get some answers.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
@_emmahinchliffe
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Mylan merger. Pfizer is merging its off-patent drugs business, which is behind Lipitor and Viagra, with generic drugmaker Mylan. When the deal goes through in the middle of 2020, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch—the MPW list-maker who was at the helm of the company during its EpiPen crisis in 2016—will retire, with Pfizer's Michael Goettler taking over the combined company. Fortune
- Assault allegations. Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten is President Trump's nominee to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He's now accused of assaulting Army Col. Kathryn A. Spletstoser in December 2017. Spletstoser, who says it was her "duty" to come forward, says that less than two years ago, her boss Hyten came to her hotel room, pressed himself against her, and ejaculated on her yoga pants. He denies the allegations. New York Times
- Running short. Alabama Rep. Martha Roby will not seek reelection to the House. Her announcement came after Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks decided the same earlier this year. Their departures put the number of Republican women in the House gunning for reelection at 11. Politico
- Who wants to be a millionaire? More men than women are millionaires. But the women who do take home $1 million-plus outearn men on average: $2.5 million to $2.48 million. Bloomberg
The Next Generation at Work
Generation Z is entering the workforce and companies will likely need to prepare for this group’s unique values, preferences, and behaviors. To learn how, explore the findings of this study by Deloitte and the Network of Executive Women. Read more
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Angel investor. Priyanka Chopra is already a tech investor; now Bollywood star Deepika Padukone is joining her. The highest-paid Bollywood actress has put her money behind a furniture-rental company, yogurt startup Epigamia, beauty startup Purplle, and Bellatrix Aerospace. She says she follows her gut when choosing where to invest. Financial Times
- Following on Facebook? Since last fall, Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost has been a member of a Facebook group filled with sexist, racist, and violent content shared by Border Patrol agents—but Provost told a House subcommittee last week that she was unaware of the nature of the messages in the group. She joined the Facebook group to evaluate "how I am representing my workforce," she said. Washington Post
- #мне_нужна_гласность. It took a while, but a version of #MeToo has arrived in Russia. For about two weeks, women have been sharing hashtags that translate to "I Need Openness" or "I Need Public Attention" and "I Didn’t Want to Die," started by human rights activists Alexandra Mitroshina and Alena Popova. They're pushing the government to introduce legislation that would protect victims of domestic violence and punish perpetrators. Time
- The Vagina Bible. You might have seen Dr. Jen Gunter around social media. The gynecologist and New York Times columnist, known for her knocking down the "jade egg" suggestions and more pseudoscientific elements of Goop, is profiled here: The Cut
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ON MY RADAR
Once upon a time ... Sharon Tate wasn't defined by her death New York Times
Vice Media in talks to buy Refinery29 Wall Street Journal
The incredible life and tragic death of Lyra McKee The New Yorker
Deb Perelman’s work diary: The ‘Smitten Kitchen’ is open (even when the cook is sick) New York Times
QUOTE
"Am I a hopeless dreamer, or was I born at the wrong time?"
-Barbara Hillary, 88, the first African-American woman to travel to the North Pole
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