Skimm'd while making shrimp tacos

"Woman discovers her dog that never barks or eats dog food is actually a fox" – A real headline. Oops.

THINGS FILLING IN THE BLANKS

House Democrats

The Story

House Dems have released thousands of Russia-linked Facebook ads that targeted American voters.

Explain.

You know trolls tied to the Russian gov attacked the 2016 election, in part, with targeted social media ads. And not just on Facebook, but on Twitter and YouTube too. Before now, only some of those ads were made public. But Dems on the House Intelligence Committee just let them all out to dry. More than 3,500 of them.

What did we learn?

That the ads could apparently target more specific groups over time – by 2017, this meant people with certain job titles or in specific areas outside certain cities. That they ran ads targeting multiple sides of political, social and cultural issues…including Beyoncé. That apparently the most-seen ad was about supporting police officers. And that some were posted way past the 2016 election.

theSkimm

We've known for a while that Russia was guilty of all this. But yesterday's reveal is the clearest picture so far of how it actually happened.

The Pentagon

The Story

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced the results of its months-long investigation into last year's deadly ambush in Niger.

Explain.

Last year, a special ops team in Niger was attacked by ISIS-linked fighters. Four Americans were killed. Initially, the Pentagon said it was a low-risk mission gone bad. People on the ground had conflicting accounts. The Pentagon said it would do some digging. Now, it's sharing what it found.

What did we learn?

That there's lots of blame to go around, but it says no one's at fault entirely. That the mission wasn't authorized properly. And that the team didn't train for this type of mission.

theSkimm

This ambush made a lot of people ask 'why do we have US troops in Niger?' This report might put pressure on the Pentagon to ask itself the same Q.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you hear Spotify is canceling R Kelly...

Apple is also crossing some things off. The company is abandoning plans to build a $1 billion data center in Ireland because gov approval is taking forever. Problem: since the country relies on companies like Apple to create one in every 10 jobs. In good news for Apple fans, Goldman Sachs and the Fruit are teaming up on a new credit card that could apparently launch next year. This will be Goldman's first credit card and could help the bank expand its consumer products. And help Apple grow its Apple Pay brand. Cha-ching.

What to say when your new boss starts...

Fresh beginnings. Yesterday, Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister. The country's been controlled by the same party since it became independent from Britain in the '50s. Mahathir has been PM before. And he wasn't exactly known as Mr. pro-democracy back then. But he's 92 years old now, and wants to fix the country's "mess." He switched sides to run against the outgoing PM Najib Razak, who's been accused of all kinds of corruption. Malaysians voted, and kicked Najib's party out of power. In a show of support for Malaysia's democratic process, the country's king tapped Mahathir to put together the new gov. On his to-do list: fight corruption and figure out Malaysia's debt to China. From President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs in the Philippines to the killing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, democracy in Southeast Asia has been going through a tough time. Now, Mahathir's win is seen as a big win.

What people are talking about…

This video. Last weekend, a black man in North Carolina took his sister to prom, and went to Waffle House after. The police were called after the man got into an argument with staff. Earlier this week, a video of a cop choking and slamming him to the ground was posted online. The man takes responsibility for the argument but says the officer's actions weren't justified. The police dept is looking into what happened. Also, Yale. Earlier this week, a white student called police on a black student sleeping in a dorm's common room. The student was working on a paper and fell asleep. Another student found her and said "you're not supposed to be sleeping here. I'm going to call the police." Police interrogated the student who was sleeping and eventually cleared her to go. Yale said the community needs to work on being more inclusive. And that the officers reprimanded the student that called police.

What to say when you hear this candidate can now use campaign funds to hire a babysitter…

Groundbreaking. Doctors grew a new ear for a US soldier in her forearm. Yup. Two years ago, the soldier almost died in a serious car crash. She also lost her ear. Instead of using prosthetics, plastic surgeons used cartilage from her ribs to create a new one. Doctors put it under her skin to let it grow. Now, the new ear has successfully been transplanted onto her head. This procedure is the first of its kind in the Army. Someone get these doctors on "Grey's Anatomy" stat.

What to say when you get your friend's save the date...

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have sent theirs. Their historic summit is set for June 12th in Singapore.

What to say to your friend who's sad to say bye to "Brooklyn Nine Nine"...

Meanwhile, say 'hi' to Georgina Chapman's side of the story.

ONE WILD THING

Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney went all the way off the rails in some comments about Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Here's what went down: McInerney was being interviewed on Fox Business Network and defended Gina Haspel. She's the nominee for CIA director, who was also involved in the Bush-era program that used torture as an interrogation tactic. When the Fox host pointed out that McCain is against Haspel's nomination because of this, McInerney said: "The fact is, is John McCain – it worked on John. That's why they call him 'Songbird John.'" Apparently referencing McCain's time as a POW in Vietnam, where he was tortured. Just...yikes. The Fox host later apologized. Great idea.

SKIMM PICKS

For when you're missing your mom over Mother's Day weekend…

"That Kind of Mother" by Rumaan Alam will give you all the feels. A white mom gets some motherhood help from a black woman. She changes her life. In more ways than one. Get in on it here.

For when you're tired of sending flowers as gifts…

Skimm HQ is too. So we're sending these cute gift boxes for Mother's Day, graduations, weddings, and everything in between. Our fave part: you can add whatever you want from candy to jewelry to pics of you and the person getting the gift. Happy shopping.

For when you forgot to post your weekly #TBT photo…

Go old school with a summer throwback playlist instead.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

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