The women at the center of the Supreme Court fight

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September 22, 2020

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! RBG will be the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol, Quibi considers a sale, and women are playing a central role in the fight over the Supreme Court. Have a thoughtful Tuesday.

– Will justice be served? The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the future of her seat on the Supreme Court continue to dominate the headlines this morning, a state of affairs that’s likely to continue for some time.

Given that the 2020 Presidential election has come down to a contest between two white men, it’s noteworthy that women are playing such essential roles in the battle over the Court—as nominees, as senators, as those most subject to the biggest issues at stake.

President Trump has said he plans to nominate a female judge to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat. The frontrunner is Amy Coney Barrett. A devout Catholic and an originalist in the mold of Antonin Scalia, whom she once clerked for, Barrett is generally seen as hostile to both abortion rights and the Affordable Care Act. While those bona fides make her a favorite of conservatives, reports the New York Times, some in Trump’s circle worry that nominating her could alienate the female, suburban voters he needs to win a second term. Another possible option? Barbara Lagoa, a Cuban-American federal judge from Miami. She shares Barrett’s conservative Catholic perspective, but could offer the president some help winning over both Florida and Latinx voters.

No matter the nominee, the GOP will need 50 votes to confirm her. This Politico piece looks at the “senators who will decide the Supreme Court fight,” a group that includes—surprise, surprise!—Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both have said they believe the winner of the November election should choose the next justice. Will they maintain that stance when the pressure is on?

And of course, one big reason the composition of the court matters so much to so many is the future of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision protecting women’s access to safe and legal abortion. While choice is certainly not just a women’s issue, it is something that galvanizes female voters—one recent poll found that 33% of women believed a candidate’s view on abortion is a “critical issue,” compared to 26% of men.

We already knew that women voters would be a decisive force in the 2020 presidential election. Now we’ll see how their choice at the ballot box is shaped by what happens to a seat once occupied by the woman who said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”

Kristen Bellstrom
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com
@kayelbee

Today’s Broadsheet was curated by Emma Hinchliffe.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Still a trailblazer. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday—and she will be the first woman to do so. Rosa Parks was the first woman to lie in honor, which is a designation for Americans who did not hold office. NBC News

- Quick bites, quick sale? Quibi, the shortform video app led by CEO Meg Whitman, has seen a disappointing debut during the pandemic. Now the startup, which raised $1.75 billion in funding, is reportedly exploring a sale. Quibi declined to comment. Wall Street Journal

- Keeping it 💯. The Root is out with its annual list of the year's 100 most influential African-Americans. At the top? Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist behind the 1619 Project, and Maya Moore, the WNBA player who fought for the release from prison of Jonathan Irons, incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit. The Root

- Listen up. The first episode of Kara Swisher's new NYT podcast "Sway" features an interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "If the election were held today," Pelosi tells Swisher, "we would win it all." New York Times

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Vogue promoted digital fashion news director Chioma Nnadi to editor of Vogue.com. Harley-Davidson hired Tyson Foods' Gina Goetter as CFO. Karin Ajmani, former president and chief strategy officer at Progyny, joins Caption Health's board of directors. Prudential Financial hired Truist Financial's Susan Somersille Johnson as CMO. Fastly hired PayPal SVP of people Doniel Sutton as chief people officer.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Insuring Aviva's future. Amanda Blanc took over as CEO of the U.K.'s second-largest insurer, Aviva, this summer. Blanc is now moving quickly to sell off pieces of the business, including units in France, Italy, and Singapore. The company says it is in "the very early stages of developing its strategy for its continental European and Asian businesses." Bloomberg

- In the market. Chief marketing officers across industries joined Fortune Most Powerful Women for a conversation among their peers about how they have pivoted during the coronavirus pandemic. "Let’s look at everything we have planned and ask ourselves: Is this going to be relevant for these customers right now?" Salesforce CMO Stephanie Buscemi recalls asking. "A lot of it wasn't." Fortune

- On-air apology. Ellen DeGeneres returned to TV yesterday, beginning the new season of her daytime talk show after fallout from allegations of misconduct and mistreatment of employees by the show's executive producers and questions about DeGeneres's own behavior behind the scenes. "The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV,” she said . “I am also a lot of other things. Sometimes I get sad, I get mad, I get anxious, I get frustrated, I get impatient. And I am working on all of that. I am a work in progress." Fortune

ON MY RADAR

May every woman find her Marty Ginsburg Vogue

Why I’m giving up my board seat to make room for someone from an underrepresented community Fortune

As school begins, mothers working retail jobs feel extra burden New York Times

Rep. Ilhan Omar is not here to put you at ease New York Times