| | | | | |  | | By Elizabeth Ralph | | | | As we near November 3, the race is becoming more and more about a single group of U.S. voters: white women in swing states. And even more specifically: white women in Pennsylvania. In their POLITICO article this week , Laura Barrón-López and Holly Otterbein investigate what's going on with this crucial voting bloc in a state many believe will end up being the tipping-point in the Electoral College this year. In 2016, white women in Pennsylvania sided with Donald Trump, which helped him carry the state. But today, Joe Biden is polling ahead among white women in Pennsylvania by as much as 23 points. The women Barrón-López and Otterbein interviewed said their change of heart is due to Trump's divisive style, his "lies" and his attacks on veterans. Also, women polled say they trust Biden over Trump to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump knows these women are important to his victory — ""Will you please like me?" he pleaded with suburban women at a Pennsylvania rally earlier this month. And yet, the president, experts say, has stubbornly refused to govern or campaign in a way that could appeal to them. "GOP activists and strategists in Pennsylvania said they've tried for months to get Trump to switch gears and campaign predominantly on his management of the economy to win over suburban white women," write Barrón-López and Otterbein. "But he hasn't taken their advice, instead lurching from criticizing Biden's son Hunter to retweeting conspiracy theories to airing his grievances at rallies." Now, Trump is hoping his daughter can help stop the bleeding with a softer approach. Writes Anita Kumar in POLITICO: "The Trump campaign's last-ditch effort to win back the suburban women fleeing the president in the polls has fallen to one person: Ivanka Trump," who has spent the past few weeks posing with children, visiting local businesses and drinking apple cider in 10 swing states. "It's the traditional politicking that is hard to imagine coming from any other Trump family member, let alone President Donald Trump himself," writes Kumar. "Her brothers, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and her sister-in-law, Lara Trump, are mostly sent out to throw red meat to Trump's conservative base." But many think it's too late for the Trump campaign to wake up to some of the most important voters this election. "The reality is that women voters are looking at the substance of what's happened," Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, told Kumar. 'It's kind of late, three weeks out, to try suddenly to be having a different tone and tenor. I don't think she alone can make up for what these women have been seeing the last four years.'" Happy Friday and welcome back to Women Rule. Last night, Kristin Welker became the second Black woman to moderate a presidential debate solo. (ABC News journalist Carole Simpson was the first in 1992.) She was widely praised for keeping the debate under control. The mute buttons also helped big time. 2020 WATCH -- "Trump won this district by 31 points, but it's still represented by a Democrat. Will Michelle Fischbach turn it red?" via The Lily ... "The Woman With the Pink Tennis Shoes Is Walking a Fine Line," via The Atlantic ... "Black women are running for office in historic numbers. But they aren't getting the financial support they need, records show," via The Lily -- "These 2020 Candidates Are About to Become Household Names" by EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock WOMEN RULE PODCAST -- This week, Anna talks to J.Crew CEO Jan Singer about her journey as a leader, why J.Crew will close stores on Election Day and how the pandemic is shaping the company's outlook. … Highlights: What the men thought: "The ... men would say to me, 'You're never going to be a CEO. … You care too much.' … But that became in favor with the workforce over time. … I love people. I'm super nosy. I'm very curious. I love human behavior. And I care." On the future of J.Crew: " We haven't quite broadcast the full vision yet, but a little insider for the political family that are our fans: … I think you know the thing that makes J.Crew great — you know, when we were really on our game — was being very committed to key defining items. … When I got this job, I got more texts around. 'You know, I'm a Tippi sweater girl. I'm a pixie pant wearer. I wear the barn jacket.' … People know the names of the key defining items. And I think putting those front and center as classic iconic objects of desire is everything. People right now want to trust that things fit, that they have quality and they're consistent. "They also would like a little fun. So, informed by fashion—you know, color, print, pattern. And then they also want to be aware of what's next, but not overwhelmed by it. … I think that really valuing product at the center, the consistency and quality — getting back to the quality we should be at, the fit consistency, especially with such a big digital business and us all shopping online. And then ultimately having fun with the things you love the most. So it's a little bit of a spoiler alert. It's not probably surprising, but that's the game right now." Listen here #METOO MILITARY -- "Judge rules sexual assault case against the military's No. 2 officer can proceed," by Lara Seligman: "A federal judge ruled Thursday that a retired officer's sexual assault case against Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the military's second-highest ranking officer, can proceed to the next phase. "The ruling, issued by Judge Michael Fitzgerald of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, is a major win for retired Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser after the Air Force last year said it could not corroborate her accusations against Hyten. At the time, Spletstoser had accused Hyten, then President Donald Trump's nominee for vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of unwanted sexual advances and sexual assault in a hotel room at a conference in 2017. "Hyten has denied Spletstoser's accusations and argued she couldn't sue him because the alleged assault was 'incident to military service,' a key element of the Feres Doctrine, which prohibits service members from being sued in civil court and has generally prevented troops from suing their superior officers." POLITICO DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S FAKE? -- The head of the NSA has called disinformation the biggest threat to the election this year. Do you know how to recognize it? NewsGuard , a company that rates the credibility of news sources to combat misinformation and teach news literacy has partnered with Microsoft to create an interactive news literacy quiz, helping to inform voters about where to find accurate information about casting their ballots, how to avoid misinformation and the importance of thinking critically about news sources. (Side note: The quiz was created entirely by a team of women.) Take the quiz here POWER RANKING -- Fortune this week released the 2020 edition of its Most Powerful Women in Business list. This year, Fortune changed its criteria, taking into account not just a leader's business track record, the size and importance of her company, the arc of her career and her influence, but also how an executives wields her power, and whether she is using that influence to shape her company and the wider world for the better. -- The top 5: 1. Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture; 2. Mary Barra, chairman and CEO, General Motors; 3. Abigail Johnson, chairman and CEO, Fidelity Investments; 4. Gail Boudreaux, president and CEO, Anthem; 5. Carol Tomé, CEO, UPS … See the full list of 50 here | 
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went on Twitch, a videogame livestreaming platform, on Tuesday night as a virtual get-out-the-vote effort. More than 400,000 people tuned in, making it one of the largest events to reach younger voters. | Screenshot from YouTube | | | | AT THE POLLS -- "The country needs poll workers. Young women are stepping up," by Barbara Rodriguez: Hildie Brooks "has been a poll worker for more than a decade. But the retired middle school teacher is worried about the potential health effects that Covid-19 has on people her age — she has barely left her home since March. Because of the pandemic, she won't be a poll worker this year. 'It's very disappointing,' she said. 'I look forward to it so much. Just the thrill and the honor of working at a polling location.' "Across the country, women like Brooks — who experts estimate have made up the bulk of poll workers — are taking a step back from the seasonal work that has long been critical to running America's decentralized election system. Some election groups have warned of a growing shortage of poll workers, with long lines during the primaries in states like Georgia and Wisconsin putting a spotlight on their absence. ... Since Brooks is sitting this year out, she asked her 38-year-old daughter Erica to sign up. There's a familial connection to the job for Brooks: When she was a young girl growing up in California, her mother was a poll worker. She hopes Erica will carry on the tradition. ... "Already, young women have begun to take up the mantle of becoming poll workers. Mallory Rogers showed up at her Georgia polling location at 6 a.m. for the start of a nearly 14-hour shift during the June primary. Almost immediately there were several challenges: A set of new voting machines were not working properly, and some voters showed up in person after not receiving an absentee ballot at home, creating questions about proper protocols. It all culminated in long lines. 'It was a really stressful day,' the 17-year-old said. 'But it was also really, really empowering to help people vote.' When Rogers shared her experience with her 71-year-old grandmother, she told her granddaughter that she herself had been a poll worker. 'It's empowering to know my grandma has done this,' Rogers said. 'I'm carrying on a legacy.'" The 19th AROUND THE WORLD -- "A #MeToo Awakening Stirs in Iran," by Farnaz Fassihi: "Three years into the global #MeToo movement, women who say they have been sexually assaulted are improbably going public in the Islamic Republic of Iran. "The movement's reach inside Iran gained momentum in late August after allegations aired on Iranian social media against more than 100 men, including a giant e-commerce company's former star manager, a prominent sociology professor and the owner of a popular bookstore. "But the highest-profile person to face such allegations so far is a nearly 80-year-old, internationally acclaimed artist with ties to the ruling elite. Thirteen women, in interviews with The New York Times, accused the artist, Aydin Aghdashloo, of sexual misconduct over a 30-year span. Most are former students, and some are journalists who have reported on art and culture. "The willingness by women who say they were victims to share their stories more openly is a groundbreaking shift in Iran's conservative society, where discussing sex is culturally prohibited, sex outside marriage is illegal, and the burden of proof for victims of sexual crimes is onerous. A raped woman often gets the blame." NYT -- "Japan has so few women politicians that when even one is gaffe-prone, it's damaging," via CNN … "For Young Rohingya Brides, Marriage Means a Perilous, Deadly Crossing," via NYT ... "Two Very Different Women Tell One Big Story About India," via Bloomberg PERSONAL ESSAY -- "The Wobbles Saved Me": Susanna Quinn writes about surviving cancer largely thanks to the support she got from her best girlfriends, who call themselves "the Wobbles." The Sunday Paper SPOTLIGHTS -- "If you don't know why Eva Longoria is a political power broker, you haven't been paying attention," via WaPo ... "Prism, a news site led by women of color, centers the voices of marginalized people in its reporting," via Nieman Lab ... "Why the Alt-Right's Most Famous Woman Disappeared," via The Atlantic #METOO IN SPORTS -- "Ex-Washington cheerleaders shaken by lewd videos: 'I don't think they viewed us as people,'" by Beth Reinhard, Liz Clarke, Alice Crites and Will Hobson: "In August, The Post reported that the [Washington Football Team] had produced lewd videos out of outtakes from the cheerleaders' 2008 and 2010 swimsuit calendar shoots that include partial nudity. Now in their 30s and 40s, with careers and children, the dozens of ex-cheerleaders who appear in the videos are terrified the footage will appear online and are coping with a painful reckoning about their seasons with the NFL franchise. "'I would have hoped the team, because they held us to these high standards, would treat us with respect and uphold the same standards. Instead they violated our trust with what sounds like a soft porn video,' said Chastity Evans, who appears in the unofficial 2008 video and, like other cheerleaders, was afraid of getting fired just for being photographed with a drink in hand or being in the same restaurant as a player. "A love of dance drew them to the cheerleading squad, and the bonds forged with teammates they still consider sisters kept them coming back. But the meager pay, demands that they socialize with male suite holders and sponsors, and other indignities — what they then viewed as a reasonable exchange for the chance of a lifetime — loom larger knowing what they know now. 'I didn't see it when I was younger, because I loved what I did,' said Evans, now 40, who cheered for five seasons. 'I don't think they viewed us as people. They viewed us as replaceable objects.'" WaPo -- "A shadowy AI service has transformed thousands of women's photos into fake nudes: 'Make fantasy a reality,'" via WaPo NEW PODCASTS -- "How To Survive a Public Shaming With Katie Hill," via Slate ... "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren on the Limits of Bipartisanship," via The New Yorker ON FRIENDSHIP -- "What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?" by Rhaina Cohen: "Kami West had been dating her current boyfriend for a few weeks when she told him that he was outranked by her best friend. West knew her boyfriend had caught snatches of her daily calls with Kate Tillotson, which she often placed on speaker mode. But she figured that he, like the men she'd dated before, didn't quite grasp the nature of their friendship. West explained to him, 'I need you to know that she's not going anywhere. She is my No. 1.' Tillotson was there before him, and, West told him, 'she will be there after you. And if you think at any point that this isn't going to be my No. 1, you're wrong.' ... "In the past few decades, Americans have broadened their image of what constitutes a legitimate romantic relationship: Courthouses now issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Americans are getting married later in life than ever before, and more and more young adults are opting to share a home rather than a marriage license with a partner. Despite these transformations, what hasn't shifted much is the expectation that a monogamous romantic relationship is the planet around which all other relationships should orbit. By placing a friendship at the center of their lives, people such as West and Tillotson unsettle this norm. Friends of their kind sweep into territory typically reserved for romantic partners: They live in houses they purchased together, raise each other's children, use joint credit cards, and hold medical and legal powers of attorney for each other. These friendships have many of the trappings of romantic relationships, minus the sex." The Atlantic HISTORY DEPT. -- "Opinion: The Women Behind the Million Man March," via NYT ON SCREEN -- "Shonda Rhimes Is Ready to 'Own Her S***': The Game-Changing Showrunner on Leaving ABC, 'Culture Shock' at Netflix and Overcoming Her Fears," by Lacey Rose: "Shonda Rhimes was tired of the battles. She was producing some 70 hours of annual television in 256 territories; she was making tens of millions of dollars for herself and more than $2 billion for Disney, and still there were battles with ABC. They'd push, she'd push back. Over budget. Over content. Over an ad she and the stars of her series — Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder — made for then-presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. "But by early 2017, her reps were back in discussions with the company about a new multiyear deal. They'd already made a hefty ask of her longtime home and were waiting as the TV group's then leadership prolonged the process, with one briefly tenured ABC executive determined to drive down the price tag on their most valuable creator. Meanwhile, Rhimes was growing creatively restless. 'I felt like I was dying,' she says now of the unforgiving pace and constraints of network TV. 'Like I'd been pushing the same ball up the same hill in the exact same way for a really long time.'" The Hollywood Reporter -- "The Wunderkind Iranian Director Who Stopped Making Films," via The New Yorker PUT US ON A PEDESTAL -- "Placing Women on a Different Sort of Pedestal," by Shannon Eblen: "When Eleanor Jordan [a former state representative from Louisville and executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Women] first visited the Kentucky Capitol as an 11-year-old, she didn't see herself, a Black girl, represented in the grand halls. 'I saw only paintings, statues, busts of white men,' said the former state legislator. 'That sent a profound message to me as a little girl that 'You have no place here. No one of your gender or race has done anything significant enough for people to remember.'' "A year from now, the view will be a little different for students touring the Capitol, once a statue of Nettie Depp, a teacher and administrator who was elected as a county school superintendent seven years before women got the vote, is unveiled in August. The statue is the result of a multiyear effort by the sculptor Amanda Matthews that began in 2014, when a sentence in a newspaper article caught her eye: 'The closest thing to a woman honored by a full-scale statue on public property in Kentucky is Carolina, Gen. John Breckinridge Castleman's horse.' Ms. Matthews made it her mission to change that." NYT CONSPIRACY THEORIES -- "The 19th Explains: The spread of conspiracies and disinformation by women on social media," via The 19th VIDEO -- What Trump and Biden both get wrong about Black voters | 
| | | | SPOTTED at "The Women in the Room," a virtual celebration of top female business and finance executives hosted by Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and Bloomberg's New Voices program: Muriel Siebert, Maggie Lena Walker, Sara Sunshine, Mellody Hobson, Dina Powell McCormick and Michelle Peluso. (h/t Daniel Lippman) -- On a Zoom call for Vote For Her, a coalition of female leaders that formed to fight back and denounce sexist and racist attacks against Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris: Maya Harris, Anita Hill, Hilary Rosen, Star Jones, Maria Teresa Kumar, Tina Tchen, Holli Holliday, Karen Finney, Sharon Stone, Michelle Kydd Lee, Michelle Hurd, Megan Beyer, Christina Reynolds, and Cindi Leive. TRANSITIONS -- Valerie Jarrett has joined Ralph Lauren's board of directors. … Kara Ramirez Mullins, formerly vice president for advancement at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, has joined the National Geographic Society as chief advancement officer. She will oversee philanthropy and drive strategic partnerships, comprehensive fundraising efforts and global events. … Juliet Choi has been named CEO of Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. Choi served as a senior official in the HHS civil rights office during the Obama administration. COMING ATTRACTION -- A new documentary, "Not Done: Women Remaking America," will premiere on October 27 at 8 p.m. ET on PBS. The film chronicles the eruption of women's organizing from the 2016 election through today, told through the firsthand experiences of activists, writers, celebrities, artists and politicians (including Shonda Rhimes, Natalie Portman, America Ferrara, Gloria Steinem and Alicia Garza). OPPORTUNITY -- Jeremiah Program , a nonprofit organization committed to disrupting generational poverty, two generations at a time, is looking for single mothers to join their community in their seven campuses across the U.S. The program offers early childhood education, childcare, a safe and affordable place to live, life skills training and career-track education. The deadline to apply for the upcoming semester of Jeremiah Program is Nov. 9. Mothers are encouraged to apply here. | | | | POLITICO Magazine Justice Reform: The Prison Conditions Issue, presented by Verizon: The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the difference between "inside" and the rest of society. With overcrowding, inadequate funding, and uneven medical care, prisons have become hotbeds of the outbreak - with substantial costs on the outside. POLITICO Magazine's latest Justice Reform package looks at movements to improve prisons and how the epidemic has affected them. READ THE FULL ISSUE. | | | | | WISDOM OF THE WEEK -- Emily Feingold, director of communications, Netflix: "Don't be shy! Being in big rooms with new people can be intimidating. Give yourself one small goal before going to an event. It can be introducing yourself to at least 5 people; getting at least 3 business cards; or just the permission to put down your phone for the day and be present at an event." Connect with Emily here. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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