Weekly News Wrap

Hello and Happy Friday! If you need some inspiration to carry you into the weekend, look no further than TIME’s annual Women of the Year list, which came out this week. Here’s what else is on the rise:

World

• Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the recently deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, promised to take up the mantle in his fight against the Kremlin. 

• An upsurge in killings of women across multiple African countries has sparked outrage, protests, and calls for government action against gender-based violence.

• The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. ICYMI, here’s how to learn more about the conflict’s impact on women.

• In the face of deep-rooted societal gender roles, some families in South Korea are challenging the norm by freezing eggs, letting dads handle child care, and choosing to be single.

Business and Tech

• A federal appeals court will rehear a challenge to the Nasdaq’s diversity rule, which requires all companies listed on the stock exchange to disclose details about women and minority members of their boards. The renewed challenge puts the rule at risk. 

• Meet Kathaleen McCormick, the “clear-eyed,” “no-nonsense” Delaware judge who is holding Elon Musk to account.  

• Former Disney Channel star Bridgit Mendler is taking on a new role as founder of Northwood Space, a startup changing the way data moves between Earth and space. 

• Women are among the hourly workers who are working less since the pandemic, according to a new report. This may have to do with rising costs of child care and the greater likelihood that women will work part-time.

Politics

• Fani Willis testified in the hearing on misconduct allegations that could result in her removal from office. Here’s why her testimony felt frustratingly familiar for Black women.

• The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children under state law, a decision with significant implications for fertility treatments like IVF.

• Donald Trump secretly supports a 16-week abortion ban with exceptions, according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, his allies are planning a wave of new abortion restrictions if he returns to office. 

• New York Attorney General Letitia James said she’ll seize Donald Trump's property if he fails to pay his $454 million penalty for civil fraud.

Culture

• Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to top the Billboard Country chart with her new single “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

• As more men opt for full-time caretaking roles, the stigma of the stay-at-home dad could be diminishing.

• A study discovered that men and women who wore high heels became better and more efficient walkers, not only in heels but also in flats.

Sports

• In South Korea, women comprise 55% of sports fans at events including baseball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball, making it an outlier compared to most countries where men dominate athletic attendance numbers.

• Women can reap the same longevity benefits as men with just half the exercise, according to a new study.

Further Reading

• The Lost Story of New York’s Most Powerful Black Woman

• The Working Woman’s Newest Life Hack: Magic Mushrooms

• Glamour, Travel, Sexism: When Flight Attendants Fought Back

If you’re enjoying The Rise, please pass it along! The more people reading women’s stories, the better.