Good morning! Trump signs sweeping executive orders, VC deals for female founders hit a five-year low, and Cecile Richards fought for abortion rights until her death.
– Lasting legacy. For a piece of news to break through the noise of Donald Trump’s second inauguration, it must be important. And that’s exactly what Cecile Richards was.
The former president of Planned Parenthood died at 67 yesterday of brain cancer, her family said. Known for her decade-plus at the helm of the reproductive rights and health care organization, she was one of the U.S.’s fiercest advocates of abortion rights. The former labor organizer testified in front of Congress, fended off anti-abortion legislation and efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, and quadrupled the group’s base of supporters, volunteers, and donors.
Even as she battled the disease—and as the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision eliminated the national right to abortion—Richards still fought for abortion rights. First, the daughter of Texas Gov. Ann Richards left Planned Parenthood to fight to elect Democratic women with the group Supermajority. Then she founded the storytelling platform Abortion in America and helped launch a chatbot called Charley that aims to help people access accurate information about abortion availability.
The fight for abortion rights continues—and it will likely be a long road ahead. Richards said that her one regret from her decade atop the nation’s largest reproductive rights organization was not realizing that “providing vital health care, with public opinion on our side” would not be enough to fight “the callousness of the Republican Party and its willingness to trade off the rights of women for political expediency.”
Tributes to Richards have poured in since the announcement of her death, a testament to the impact she had, bigger than the political forces that won out in 2022. Kamala Harris released a statement honoring Richards—that turned out to be her last official statement as vice president. “She fought tirelessly on behalf of all women, and today millions across the nation benefit from her work,” Harris said.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Day one. Donald Trump, after his inauguration Monday, signed an executive order ending DEI programs in the federal government. Another executive order declares that it is the policy of the federal government that there are only two biological sexes. Axios
- Front row. Tech moguls dotted the front rows of the inauguration, including Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Jeff Bezos. “They have even better seats than Trump’s own cabinet picks. That says it all,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren posted on X. Guardian
- Ready to wear. During the first Trump administration, fashion brands were sometimes reluctant to outfit the women of Trump world. That wasn’t the case yesterday, when brands—especially Oscar de la Renta—proudly dressed Ivanka Trump and Usha Vance. The Cut
- Five-year low. Companies with at least one female founder received 22.7% of total VC deals last year—the lowest share in five years. Pitchbook
ON MY RADAR
Melania Trump joins her husband in the meme coin billions business Axios
Ghia’s secret to success in non-alcoholic market Bloomberg
Angela Merkel’s memoir explains modern Germany’s dilemma Bloomberg
PARTING WORDS
“I have been able to experience the work transcend beyond the wearer and the curator to now be a part of history.”
— Stylist Bailey Moon on dressing Jill Biden for four years
