Daily Skimm: I used only the good notes

Skimm'd while working from home…

DECEMBER 21, 2018 READ IN BROWSER

Skimm'd while working from home…

QUOTE OF THE DAY   "You can tell he loves his job and has fun doing it" – A UPS driver did the "In My Feelings" dance in front of a doorbell camera. Loves his job and can dance? He's got the whole package.

THINGS MAKING DC SWEAT

The Looming Government Shutdown The Story If Congress and President Trump can't agree on a funding bill by midnight, the gov could be ringing in the holidays with a partial shutdown. Say more words. Earlier this week, the Senate passed a short-term bill to keep the gov up and running until February. It was expected to pass in the House and get a signature from Trump. But yesterday, House conservatives said 'Trump, don't wimp out on us' and pressured him to stay strong on his request for $5 billion in funding for the US-Mexico border wall. They say his base wouldn't be happy if he didn't fight for the money. Also important: it might be harder for him to get border wall funding in 2019 (when Dems get the House) – which could jeopardize the GOP's chances in 2020. Now, the president won't sign the bill until he gets the added funding, which he says could even go towards "steel slats." Last night, the House said 'we got your back' and gave him a version of a bill that includes that money. theSkimm The border wall was one of Trump's biggest campaign promises. But it's unclear if a bill including funding for it will have enough support in the Senate. Lawmakers only have until midnight to work things out. Otherwise they risk a partial gov shutdown – which could leave federal workers' pay, disaster relief, and normal gov operations on hold.

Jim Mattis The Story Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is getting ready to plan his retirement party. Say more words. Mattis is a retired four-star general who spent decades in the Marine Corps and was the head of US Central Command. When he was first nominated to be the defense sec in 2016, some thought he'd be a big help to President Trump and his zero military experience. But they haven't always seen eye-to-eye. Example: this week's announcement that the US is pulling troops out of Syria. Mattis and some advisers have some concerns about withdrawing from Syria, including that it would let Russia and Iran become more influential in the Middle East. Yesterday, Mattis handed Trump his resignation letter, saying he'll retire at the end of February. He also said that the president deserves to have a defense sec "whose views are better aligned" with his. Anything else? Always. Yesterday, it also came out that Trump ordered the military to start pulling some troops out of Afghanistan. The US has been fighting there for 17 years. Now, the president wants to pull out nearly 7,000 troops (about half the amount that are currently there), which could take months. This is also an issue Mattis and Trump disagree on. Coincidence? theSkimm While there have been a lot of turnovers in the Trump admin, Mattis has been one of the few to have bipartisan support. Now, there's the big Q of who will replace him and handle major geopolitical issues...like the Middle East.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you hear the acting AG is critical of the Russia investigation he's overseeing... The Trump admin is critical of the current asylum process. Yesterday, the Trump admin announced a new policy that would make asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their cases play out in court. Typically, if someone claims asylum (meaning: they're facing or could face persecution back home and are looking for legal protection to stay in the US) they get to stay in the US while they wait. Now the admin is changing the rules for those who cross the border illegally. Mexico says it will accept those asylum seekers and let them apply to work and give them help while they wait. But the wait could take months, maybe even years. So expect this to face some legal challenges. In other news of changes the Trump admin is making, food stamps. Yesterday, it introduced a proposal to limit eligibility to get them. The rule would make it harder for states to waive work requirements in some places where there is a high unemployment rate. This would seriously reduce the number of waivers that are granted.

Who will most definitely have his day in court... Harvey Weinstein. Yesterday, a judge said that the sexual assault case against him can go ahead. When you hear #MeToo, you think of Weinstein. He's been accused by dozens of women of sexual misconduct going back decades. But this case is in connection to accusations by two women – one who's accused him of rape, the other who's accused him of forced oral sex. He initially faced six charges, but one was dismissed earlier this year. Weinstein was trying to get the other charges thrown out. The judge said 'definitely not.' And told him he'd be back in court in March.

What people are talking about… This new report accusing Planned Parenthood of mistreating pregnant employees. It says a majority of Planned Parenthood offices don't offer paid maternity leave. It also says that some employees have been passed over for promotions if they were likely to get pregnant, some were pushed out of work after having kids, and some weren't allowed to take breaks while pregnant. The report says part of this is because of tight budgets and constant threats of defunding. But others are saying 'sounds a little hypocritical.' The president of the org said it's investigating the allegations.

What to say to the tall one in the group… Lucky you. Because according to a new report, the rest of us are gaining weight. But not height.

What to say when you're upgrading your work wardrobe… A black suit could solve all your problems.

THING TO KNOW

Burn rate Not how many times you listened to Usher in middle school. It's the rate at which a company spends money. It usually refers to how fast a startup spends its venture capital coin. PS: Small businesses have a lot to manage. Enter: Salesforce Essentials. It helps startups manage customer service tasks (like FAQs and password resets) so teams can focus on the bigger picture.

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SKIMM SHARE

It's almost time for kick-off. This week, we're pre-gaming by giving you prizes just for downloading theSkimm App and getting the sports calendar. That way you won't miss any of the important college football bowl games. Download our app for the chance to win a new MacBook Air to stream the big games. And congrats to yesterday's winner Tina Holten of New Hope, MN. Questions? Answers. * All you have to do is download theSkimm App, and start a free trial. That's it. * Already have the app? Already entered to win.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador. Break out the bubbly. Amanda Aprati IL, Seth Reilly IL, Abby Horowitz PA, David Lewellyn VA, *Alexandra Smith VA, *Andrea Singer VA, *Ashley Archibald SC, *Ashley Wixon NC, *Ellen Lasser TX, *Katie Essel OK, *Gillian Schulman FL, *Janet Morrow OK, *Julia Bennett NS, *Keelin McCarthy MA, *Kellee Widener TX, *Kelsey Shaw MN, *Kim Stokell OH, *Cayla Long SC, *Mackenzie Cutruzzula MD, *Madison Gilliss OK, *Marisa Byram GA, *Amanda McDivitt PA, *Meredith Shepard OK, *Merlin Martinez NY, *Morgan Cole SC, *Nancy Rohde IL, *Ryan Strait KS, *Samantha Zilla PA, *Sarah McDaniel TX, *Shante Frazier OH, *Alice Zhang CA, *Thelma Carrillo CA, *Christine Yun CA, *Dagnie Howard ND, *George Saieed PA, *Han Jang OH, *Leah Motzkin AZ, *Lynn Hogeback OH, *Macy Barnes WI, *Mariana Jennings NY, *Mayra Bedigan TX, *Megan Rich SC, *Michelle Davidson GA, *Molly Sinclair PA, *Natalie Docherty IL, *Rachael Maxson LA, *Roni Rose, *Sara Renwick ON, *Susan Houts FL, *Tobey Schmidt AZ, Ana Alejandre-Lara RI, Sande Ash GA, Margaret Benvenuto IL, Sharon Bershader NJ, Kerry Burton Powers FL, Anthony Cerrone NY, Katie Clay MA, Sarah Cohen NY, Elsa Cotto NJ, Brittany Daughenbaugh IA, Shelby Davies NY, Carina Deandreis DC, Jennifer DeMartini CA, Laura DePetro GA, Monique Ellenbogen NY, Jennifer Faldt CA, Perry Feldman NJ, Nicole Felke IL, Benjamin Frank Venti CA, Hilary Gahring TX, Mary Gallagher NY, Rachel Garant MI, Lauren Glisson AL, Rece Goodman CA, Carrie Hancock KY, Randi Hanson ND, Douglas Hirsh IL, Jackie Ingram TX, Mary-Chandler Izard MS, Kat Kieffer PA, Taylor Kooken TX, Sabina Lowitt NY, Janna McCormick MT, Alex McPeak MA, Toby Milgrim RI, Catriona Morrison TX, Katlyn Norman VA, Lyndsey Piecyk PA, James Desantis NJ, Melanie Runkle NC, Valerie Sagers KY, Nancy Schwemler PA, Maggie Senor NY, Emma Shipley IL, Colette Southerton PA, Shara Sullins TX, Jenna Thayer MI, Melanie Travers, Megan Werner NC, Ted Cruz TX, Marisa Whitney MI, Hunter Whitfield LA, Danielle Willett, Kelly Wittry OH, Jess Wright AL, Bolu Adeyeye NC, Caroline Bauer VA, Ani Bland VA, Abby Born GA, Nancy Bradbury IL, Steven Burris lA, Julia Clark NY, Robin Cox SC, Kristina Cross PA, Christine Crowley NJ, Fraser Dachille MD, Elliot Danko IL, Georgina Douet-Lascelles UK, Julie Frasco DC, Ashley Gengras CT, Rebekah Grmela TX, Morgan Hanna PA, Faith Harrington MD, Elizabeth Hartwell NM, Michelle Hughes TX, Cody Hyman DC, Kathleen Cruz TX, Maddi Kocher SC, Kaitlyn Kospelich LA, Jeannie Krill MA, Kaila Leary NY, Jenna Lovcik CA, Joseph McCormack NY, Nicole McNey NY, Sinead Meaney MA, Marioin Meesenburg IL, Barbara Mongeau NY, Lars Ojukwu MA, Allie Pagh IL, Kim Pearson NJ, Patti Plouff GA, Brooke Rosen KS, Sarah Schnall NY, Secily Shambaugh IS, Howard Sobel FL, Laura Stagno VA, Laura Stocksdale PA, Libby Stupica OH, Lynn Thomas CA, Carly Tucker IL, Sohrab Vatsia NY, Jeralyn Wilks TX

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Daily Skimm: That’s a burn about a burn

Skimm'd while getting our last-minute gifts

DECEMBER 17, 2018 READ IN BROWSER

Skimm'd while getting our last-minute gifts

QUOTE OF THE DAY   "We could do legs only" – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg worked out the day after she broke three ribs. Well...there goes every single excuse we've ever used to avoid a workout.

STRUCK DOWN

The Story A federal judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Take me back. In 2010, President Obama signed the ACA slash Obamacare. The goal: help more Americans get access to affordable health insurance. Some considered it one of his biggest achievements in office. But Republicans have argued it's a prime example of federal gov overreach. What's this lawsuit about? When the law was signed, it included an individual mandate. Meaning people are required to have insurance – otherwise they have to pay a fee. Back in 2012, the Supreme Court said the ACA was constitutional because of this fee. Specifically because it falls under Congress's power to tax people. Then the new tax bill happened. Go on… Last year, Congress passed a tax bill and tacked on the individual mandate as part of it. The bill made it so the penalty for not having health insurance will go from an average of $708 to $0. Then 20 Republican-leaning states sued, saying that with a $0 mandate, the 2012 SCOTUS ruling no longer holds up. Just to break that down again: a Republican-controlled Congress pretty much got rid of the individual mandate...and then Republican-leaning states sued that without that mandate, the ACA as a whole doesn't hold up. So what's the latest? On Friday, a federal judge in Texas sided with Republicans. And said that because the individual mandate penalty will be $0, it invalidates the rest of the law. What does this all mean? The ruling doesn't affect 2019 coverage. And Dems are expected to appeal – which the White House says will keep the law in place while it makes its way through the courts. Don't be surprised if this case makes it all the way up to the Supreme Court. How are people reacting? Republicans say this is a good opportunity to come up with a replacement for Obamacare – even if they tried (and failed) to come up with one last year. Democrats say they plan to continue fighting to keep millions of Americans from losing their health insurance. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he'll push for a vote to intervene in the case – and House Dems plan to do the same. theSkimm Lawmakers have been arguing about this law for almost a decade. Now basic health care for millions of Americans is at risk. President Trump called on congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to come up with a more permanent solution. All eyes are on what happens next.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you spend all night working on a project… Hand me some coffee. Over the weekend, almost 200 countries agreed on a set of rules to keep the Paris climate accord alive. Back in 2015, almost every country in the world agreed on a joint plan to fight climate change. But they didn't figure out the details on how to do that. In case you haven't heard: countries really need to act now. After two weeks of negotiations in Poland and some all-nighters, countries agreed on some fine print. The rules lay out how countries will track their emissions and communicate their progress in the future. Because, transparency. But they didn't come up with rules to drastically reduce emissions. Last year, President Trump said he's pulling the US out of the deal. But that doesn't happen officially until 2020. So the US is still part of this thing...for now.

What to say when you catch your nephew drawing on the walls... Someone's in trouble. Speaking of, today, Malaysia charged Goldman Sachs related to an investment fund scandal. This has to do with a state investment fund the country's former PM set up years ago to boost the economy. The fund has been under investigation over allegations that officials pocketed billions of dollars from the fund for themselves. Goldman backed bonds for the fund and earned $600 million in fees. Now Malaysia says Goldman made misleading statements aimed at taking those billions of dollars. Goldman called the charges "misdirected."

Who people are talking about… Jakelin Caal Maquin. Earlier this month, the seven-year-old girl died less than 48 hours after being taken into US custody. She had traveled thousands of miles from Guatemala with her father. He told authorities she was healthy when they arrived at the border in New Mexico. But she later vomited and stopped breathing before being taken to the hospital, where she suffered from brain swelling and cardiac arrest. Initial reports say she died from septic shock and dehydration. It took until last week for officials to disclose her death. Leaving many people with questions. The Trump admin says that it's not responsible for her death, and that this showed that the journey to the US-Mexico border can be "extremely dangerous." But her family is doubling down and saying that Jakelin was healthy when she was taken into custody, and want a transparent investigation.

What to say when you don't get a pay raise… Time to find a new job, just like Ryan Zinke. The interior secretary is leaving the Trump admin before the end of the year. Zinke's been the subject of several federal investigations (for things including questionable business deals and travel). The Interior Dept's top watchdog referred an investigation to the DOJ, which could be a sign of a criminal investigation. Now, he's packing up his desk. President Trump said he'd name his replacement this week. Speaking of replacements, Mick Mulvaney is Trump's pick for acting White House chief of staff. Earlier this month, Trump said 'John Kelly is out.' But now Mulvaney might have some explaining to do after a video surfaced of him describing Trump as a "terrible human being." Talk about getting off on the wrong foot with the new boss.

What to say when your friend is planning a big gesture for an ex… Just don't. Seriously.

What to say when your OOO gets approved… Celebrate like the Titans.

For when you left buying presents to the last minute… Congrats on your award for procrastinator of the year...again. Shop our guide to last-minute holiday gifts to wrap it up right now.

SKIMM PICKS

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SKIMM SHARE

College football bowl games are almost here, and we want to make sure you don't miss the big ones. So we're celebrating tailgate-style this week. If you download theSkimm App and get the sports calendar, you're entered to win a mini BBQ and $500 for all the food to go along with it. Touchdown. Questions? Answers. * All you have to do is download theSkimm App, and start a free trial. That's it. * Already have the app? Already entered to win.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador. Put your party pants on. Nikki Kaufman NY, Claire Oetinger NY, Jill King PA, Ken Iscol NY, *Allison Schmitt TX, *Christa Carone MA, *Christie Eckerline KY, *Christine Hsiao IL, *Dalia Tabachnik OH, *Britt Darrow MI, *Hillary Foss CA, *Julia Buckingham IL, *Katrina Miaoulis CAN, *Natalie Koehler CO, *Lindsey Kaufman NY, *Natalie Lenz WI, Melissa Morales PA, *Natalie Snow FL, *Safiya Nanji CAN, *Shastina Torres CA, *Thalia Tiburcio OR, *Alice Hanson CT, *Amy Rasmussen TX, *Anna Masica OH, *Ashlee Korlach VA, *Ashley Edwards TX, *Caroline Bartlett MA, *Ciara Young FL, *Corinna Evans FL, *Erica Tyler NY, *Katie Forbes NY, *Jessica Hogue IL, *Kacie Krause TX, *Kate Hursh IL, *Kelsie O'Reilly PA, *Madelyn Collins KS, *Marisa Love MO, *Mary Frances Dohn NC, *Mary Stuart SC, *Miriam Pinchevsky NJ, *Paige Hungate KS, *Rafi Jakubovic LA, *Ronit Elshtein CT, *Shira Gaffney NY, *Sydney Hertz GA, Kerri Aidikoff NY, Niti Ajmeri NY, Brooke Bagby TX, Alicia Beckett WA, Rochelle Bent DC, Susan Blevins OR, Kara Carr, Nathan Colson FL, Taylor Coniglio PA, Flo DeMayo NJ, Mary-Ann Gallo OK, Stacey Gnora PA, Comrade Heathen FL, Cheryl Hohn SD, Libby Johnson TN, Alyssa Kieschnick TX, Jill King PA, Karen Klavans FL, Aaron Kopolow NJ, Maureen Levy IL, Julie Lyons FL, Melissa Maulding IN, Aoife Maynard CA, Hillary McDaniel CA, Callie McQuaig MS, Melissa Chasez FL, Caroline Meyerson TX, Alyssa Mezzoni VA, Courtney Mullinax GA, Arthi Narayanan PA, Natalie Newton GA, Kelsey Noone IL, Bethany Odom IN, Claire Oetinger NY, Paula Otis OH, Annie Rauscher NY, Brittney Richardson MD, Matt Roberts OH, Valerie Sachs NY, Arianna Shaw OH, Sally Smith FL, Kristi Strode WI, Bea Tretbar MO, Ashley Trotman MA, Verónica Weiss CA, James Foy NY, Stephanie Belcher GA, Kelsi Bell WI, Kara Bhatti NY, Berlyn Boswell NY, Shanne Bowie LA, Miriam Brondello CA, Kika Caparisos FL, Kailyn Castro NY, Cielle Collins NH, Arnota Cornelius OH, Rebecah Daggett VA, Kristen Daukas NC, Mar Deniz FR, Eileen Elliott OH, Colleen Ellsworth MA, Amy Howe ND, Leah Hubbard NC, Emily Johnson NV, Emily Johnstone NC, Nikki Kaul VA, Macey Kessler GA, Kenny Kiser MN, Ali Laumann IL, Brittany Lightel OH, Kalypso Longinotti-Buitoni CO, Gigi Lozano TX, Laura Marcontell GA, Anna Mary Reichert NC, Grace McRae DC, Maggie Meagher UK, Marika Meertens CO, Joan Nicoll-Senft CT, Gina Originario CA, Krenza Ortiz CO, Luanna Ragland KS, Meagan Roppo PA, Jill Smith NY, Wes Stone TX, Cheryl Susman IS, Molly Swain CA, Michelle Tarangelo NY, Lisa Tschauner NE, JoAnn Tuttle NY, Ginger Van Nest LA, Elizabeth Wales TX, Kathy Washburn KS, Jessica Whyte CAN, Kristina Wilhelm-Nelson PA, Madeline Wyatt MS, Jacalyn Zoppina NJ

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