Skimm'd over stacks on stacks

"Everything about it was diabolical!" – One person's take on a recent London cheese festival that was basically Fyre Fest 2.0. The devil's in the cheesetails.

THEY SEE ME TROLLIN’

The Story

Twitter is cracking down on hate speech, violence, and harassment. Finally.

Tell me more.

For pretty much forever, Twitter has been called out for not doing more to monitor abusive content (see: this and this). This year – especially after Charlottesville – allegations that Twitter is a breeding ground for hate groups grew louder. So has pressure for the platform to change. But Twitter has always resisted, saying 'free speech is free speech.'

And now?

Yesterday, Twitter suspended several accounts. And started enforcing new rules. Like banning accounts that promote violence, or have hateful images – like swastikas – in profile pics. It'll be a two strikes and you're out policy. Investors, who've been calling for tougher action, celebrated by sending the stock price up to the highest it's been all year.

theSkimm

Twitter doesn't have a great track record when it comes to enforcing these kinds of rules. So it's too soon to tell whether the company is turning a new leaf, or just tweeting hot air.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are watching…

Amtrak. Yesterday, at least three people died when an Amtrak train derailed in Washington state. Around 100 were injured. The train was on its first trip of a new route – going from Seattle to Portland – when it ran off a bridge and onto a highway. Now, investigators say the train was going 80 mph in a 30 mph zone right before it crashed. They're still looking into what caused the crash and why the train was going so fast.

What to say after ditching the holiday party at the last minute…

Change of heart. Yesterday, President Trump laid out his national security strategy. It is not friendly toward Russia. US intelligence officials say Russia hacked the 2016 US election – and there are multiple investigations into whether Trump's campaign helped. Trump has repeatedly called for closer ties with Russia, and said he believes Russian President Putin, who has denied that Russia was involved. Now, Trump's national security plan is taking a tougher stance. It calls out Russia for undermining "the legitimacy of democracies" and says it's a threat to US values. Although when Trump took the mic to give the plan's highlights, he glossed over the part about the 2016 election meddling. And Russia's now saying 'agree to disagree' on the plan.

What to say after your friend gets fired…

You're not the only one out a job. One of President Trump's judicial nominees just took his name out of the running. Last week at his confirmation hearing, he struggled to answer basic legal questions. Hi, red flag. The video of the hearing went viral. Now the nominee says that his nomination has become a "distraction." He's the third of Trump's judicial nominees to get the boot in less than a week over concerns about whether they were qualified. But Trump might not stress about all this – he still has more judicial appointments confirmed than any other prez in their first year. Meanwhile, a US appeals court judge says he's retiring after 15 women accused him of sexual misconduct. They say he did things like grope them and showed them porn. The judge says he wasn't "mindful" of his actions.

What people are talking about…

Puerto Rico. Yesterday, the island's governor ordered authorities to recount the death toll from Hurricane Maria. Earlier this year, Maria devastated Puerto Rico and knocked out power to the entire island. The official death toll is 64. But independent and media reports say 'unlikely,' and that the number could be more than 1,000. And that things like power outages and medical complications might be to blame for the miscount. Now, the gov will try to get an accurate count by taking a second look at medical records for people whose deaths were ruled natural.

What to say when you hear ESPN's president is throwing in the towel…

Diddy, Colin Kaepernick and Steph Curry are throwing their names in for the Carolina Panthers.

What to say when you hear Matt Damon is still sharing his thoughts on #MeToo...

Meryl Streep has something to say too.

SKIMM SLEEP

10-20 minutes

The time it takes to be a nap queen. While this can vary by person, most studies have shown that shorter naps are better for feeling focused.

If you're like Skimm HQ'rs, your holiday to-do list keeps on growing. Add 'nap' to that list. Especially if it's on this mattress. It's v comfy and keeps things cool when you're wearing flannel PJs. Plus, Skimm'rs get something off the price.

SKIMM LIFE

For when you can't decide what to do for NYE...

Decisions are hard. This one's easy. Skimm HQ's planning to figure out the night using this phone plan. Unlimited talk, text, data, and Netflix at no extra charge for when the group thread gets annoying. Plus, speakers to ring in the New Year. Turn it up, 2018.

For when you hear a 'click' on the phone...

Russia...is that you? This week, theSkimm App is bringing you in-depth Skimm Notes on some world leaders you're always hearing about. Today is all about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Listen here.

For when you need a present for your friend who has everything...

Bookmark it. These recs will be her fave gift of the year. Because a book is worth a thousand words (or something like that).*

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

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador. Party pants on.

Maureen Gibson NY, *Greta Fure MN, *Jonatha Basye VA, *Ashley Swetnam OH, *Brittany Bauer IL, *Hannah Michel TX, *Tammy Tibbetts NY, *Shannon Powell Rodocker OH, *Hillary Rush KY, *Elizabeth DePue PA, *Saryah Leyton TX, *Molly Seither KY, *Sydney Brehm OR, *Tiffany Wahl MI, *Samantha Morisco NY, *Ann Dolezal IN, *Vidhi Patel PA, *Amanda Kakoczki MI, Sarah MacDonnell MA, Ashleigh Mavros OH, Brianna Luft CT, Joan Boyd TX, Courtney Shilling OH, Kalan Wyatt IL, Montana Byrd VA, Sarah Lampert, Stephanie Magill CO, Patti Williamson PA, Jane Carver IA, Taylor Medrano IL, Rita Iosefson NY, Joan Keesey TX, Kerry Mahony MA, Sarah Abboud PA, Jeanne Abundis TX, Rich Wiltfang GA, Stephanie Rickabaugh PA, Evie Sarkes MD, Jeanie Chang NY, Morgan Rog-Urman DC, Randi Amalfitano NY, Ryan Rich IL, Emma Kravitz CO, Dorothy Russ FL, Gaye Dean MN, Kelley Hyta OR, Liz Strahm IN, Rachel Litt CA, Bobbi MacIvor WV, Deborah Steele PA, Leigh Sevin FL, Diana Spurgat NY, Lauren Bryant NY, Sarah Rabin Spira DC, Melissa Haas WA, Terri Sandblom RI, Noelle Geckle CA, Aris Cancel de Papenfuss FL, Lynne Gordon WA, Terri Holt MT, Kylie Weaver FL, Bri Luft NC, Chelsea Farmer CA, Annie Kirsch OR