Skimm'd while picking a weekend beach read

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AUGUST 25, 2017

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Skimm'd while picking a weekend beach read


  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"I will not be coming back" – The winner of the Powerball jackpot on what she told her boss. $336 million should be enough for a comfortable retirement.

IT’S OUR PARTY, WE’LL FIGHT IF WE WANT TO

The Story

President Trump says he's not afraid to shut down the US government.

Give me some background.

Congress comes back from its summer break after Labor Day. And they have a serious to-do list. First, they need to vote on whether to raise the debt ceiling – the max amount of money the US gov is allowed to borrow. If it's not raised by the end of September, the gov could default. Second, they need to pass a budget to avoid a government shutdown.

Hasn't this happened before?

Kind of. There have been many default and shutdown scares over the years. In 2011, the US came thiiisss close to a default, which caused the county's credit rating to drop. And in 2013, the gov had its most recent shutdown, when a GOP-led House tried to block Obamacare funding. Now, even though Republicans control the White House and Congress, a shutdown is still looking like a real possibility.

Why's that?

Because now, Trump says he'll force a shutdown by vetoing any budget that doesn't include funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border. Dems aren't down with it. And some Republicans don't think the wall's funding is worth a shutdown. Meanwhile, Trump's spent the week calling out GOP leaders for letting things get to this point. And blaming them for not raising the debt ceiling sooner, which has ended up putting funding for the wall in jeopardy.

theSkimm

This kind of public infighting from members of the same party is very unusual, especially at a time when they badly need to be in sync.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are watching…

Hurricane Harvey. It's supposed to hit southeast Texas this weekend as the first major US hurricane in over a decade. And is expected to turn into a Category 3 – the same intensity that Hurricane Katrina was when it hit land in '05. Harvey is expected to bring several feet of rain in some areas, devastating flooding, and more than 110 mph winds. Experts say it'll be life threatening, and certain cities (Corpus Christi, Portland) are already telling people to please get out of town. Making things potentially worse: once Harvey hits, it's not expected to move out of the state for several days. Not welcome.


What to say when you pull up to a drive-thru window…

What's it going to be? Today, a South Korean court found Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong guilty of bribery and sentenced him to five years in prison. This is one of the most high profile cases in South Korean history. It all started last year when then-President Park Geun-hye was accused of working with a friend to cheat SK businesses out of tens of millions of dollars. Park was impeached and kicked out of office. Meanwhile, Lee was accused of bribing Park to win gov approval of a business merger that helped him boost his position at Samsung. He says he didn't know about any payments being made to Park. The case has been in the spotlight for months because Samsung is one South Korea's largest companies and a huge contributor to its economy. Plus South Korea has a history of business leaders and politicians getting a little too cozy, and there's increasing public pressure to start cracking down on this. While Lee's five year sentence is short of the 12 years the prosecutors pushed for, it's still a blow to Samsung. And investors are worried that this could leave the company with a leadership vacuum.


What to say when you feel someone behind your shoulder at the ATM…

Can I get some privacy? Yesterday, India's Supreme Court ruled that privacy is a fundamental right. Privacy's become a hot topic in India. For years, millions of Indians have been living without any official IDs, making it hard for them to do things like open bank accounts and get access to gov services. So the country's been rolling out a national ID program that uses fingerprints and eye scans to identify people. Now, more than one billion Indians are signed up. It started as an optional program. Then earlier this year, the gov started requiring people to have one of these IDs in order to access certain services – everything from filing a tax return to buying a train ticket. Critics say the program puts way too much personal data at risk and could turn India into a Big Brother-type state. The gov says this program helps cut down on fraud, makes the country more efficient, oh and that btw privacy isn't protected by India's constitution. Now the Supremes are saying 'well actually...' and ruled against the gov. This latest ruling means that the government may not have as much leeway to make signing up for the ID program mandatory.


What to say to your friend who was a high school cheerleader…

Brace yourself for this.

SKIMM LIFE

SKIMM HEADS UP

It's a big weekend for people who are more fit than you. Our app lets you know what's up this weekend so you don't miss it. Even if you're more into the seven-layer dip. Get it here. The first month is on us.


SKIMM READS

"Perennials" by Mandy Berman

If you have a mini freak-out when someone says 'summer's almost over'...this is the read for you. It's about two girls who meet at summer camp and come back as counselors years later. Think: "Wet Hot American Summer" meets "The Parent Trap" meets your last summer beach read. Get it here.*

Psst...Stock your bookshelf with the rest of our fave reads over here.


SKIMM WINE

Skimm'ologist believes in planning ahead. Especially when it comes to having wine on hand. This trio includes a white, a rosé, and a red that pull double duty. They'll get you through the rest of the year's warm days, and still hold up when there's a chill in the air. Stock up here.*

*PS: This is an affiliate partner, which means if you purchase or sign up, theSkimm may get something in return. Thanks.


SKIMM FAVES

You're already going to be at Target this weekend. We think you should stop by the Casper section after you've got your reads. That way you can test out all the pillows and sheets you'll be wanting when you're ready to settle in with your book later. Here's where to find them.

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