Skimm'd while watching this...and waiting for our royal wedding invite

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MAY 17, 2018

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Skimm'd while watching this...and waiting for our royal wedding invite


  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"Expect delays" – A warning after massive amounts of cookie dough spilled onto a North Carolina highway. It was a sticky situation.

THINGS UNDER A MICROSCOPE

Trump

The Story

Maybe you saw a lot of headlines about President Trump and Russia. Maybe you're not sure what's new.

Yes, exactly.

So a few things. The Senate Intelligence Committee has an update on its Trump-Russia investigation. It agrees with the US intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to undermine Hillary Clinton and support Trump. But has yet to weigh in on whether Trump colluded or not. This goes against the House Intelligence Committee's findings.

Anything else?

Yesterday, another Senate committee released thousands of documents about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between top campaign officials and some well-connected Russians. Key takeaway: don't ask Don Jr about it, he doesn't remember anything.

theSkimm

There are a couple of investigations into Russia's attacks on the US election, and whether or not Trump's campaign colluded. Congress isn't any closer to agreeing on the basic facts.


Trump

The Story

Maybe you saw headlines about President Trump and Stormy Daniels. Maybe you're wondering what the update is.

Yes, exactly.

This week, President Trump officially told the gov about some extra payments to his lawyer Michael Cohen. Reminder: porn star Stormy Daniels claims she had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago. Trump denies it. Days before the election, Daniels signed an NDA. And got $130,000 from Cohen to stay quiet. At first, Cohen said he paid Daniels out of his own money. Trump said he didn't know about the payments. Then, Trump got a new lawyer. And said actually, yes, he paid Cohen back.

What's happening now?

This week, Trump had to file his 2017 financial disclosure form – used to check on things like conflict of interest. Forty-five pages in was this fun fact: Trump did, in fact, pay Cohen back for something. The lawyer who switched up Trump's talking points here claims this means no one's in trouble for violating any campaign finance violations. But now the head of the ethics office is wondering why Trump didn't disclose the payment in 2016.

theSkimm

It now seems pretty clear that Trump's previous claim that he didn't know about this payment was a lie. The main question is whether any campaign finance or official ethics laws were broken in the process.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are talking about...

Michigan State University. Yesterday, the school reached a $500 million settlement with more than 300 women and girls who said they were sexually abused by Larry Nassar. Reminder: Nassar worked at MSU and USA Gymnastics for decades. In recent years, people have been coming forward with allegations. Including some of the athletes you loved in the Olympics. Nassar's been convicted of multiple sexual assault and child pornography counts. And is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Hundreds of the victims filed a lawsuit that claims MSU had the opportunity to stop him but didn't. Now, the school will pay $425 million to the current plaintiffs, with $75 million set aside for people in the future who could join the lawsuit. In other news, the survivors will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS this year.


What to say when you send an email to the wrong person…

Can I take it back? Yesterday, the Senate voted to keep net neutrality, weeks before the FCC takes it away. Net neutrality refers to the Obama-era rules that prevent Internet service providers (like Verizon or Comcast) from giving some websites a faster connection than others. Last year, the FCC voted to repeal it. Next month, the changes are supposed to become official. Supporters say getting rid of net neutrality will give providers new opportunities to invest in upgrades to their networks. Critics say the new rules give too much power to providers by allowing them to create "fast lanes" for websites that can afford to pay more for faster service. And could mean extra fees for users. The Senate passed a measure to keep the old net neutrality rules where they are. Now, it heads to the House, where it's expected to get kicked to the curb. But don't worry, you'll hear about this again around midterm elections. Because many voters have opinions about their Internet.


PS: Subscribers to theSkimm App get Skimm Notes that go deeper on the big topics you need to know, like net neutrality. Get the app here.


What to say when you hear someone may have discovered a Rembrandt

Scientists discovered something bigger. Someone somewhere in east Asia may be making a banned chemical that destroys the ozone layer – the one that protects life on Earth from damaging UV radiation. Here's how we know: in 1987, the international community agreed to ban CFC chemicals – which contain atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, and were used in making foams for things like appliances. They did this because scientists discovered an ozone hole over Antarctica. Production of an especially dangerous CFC is supposed to be close to zero. But emissions have climbed 25% in the past few years. Weird, right? So now scientists think someone is ignoring the ban and making the chemical. If whoever is behind this isn't found and stopped, the recovery of the ozone layer could be delayed by a decade.


What to say when you hear your favorite celeb couple is still going strong...

So is the #TeachersSpring. This time, it's North Carolina teachers marching for better pay and more school funding. The Democratic governor is on board. Republican state legislators, not so much. Teachers are heading back to the classroom while they work it out.


What to say when you hear Backstreet's back...

Alright. Also, Luna has a new baby brother.

THING TO KNOW

Permagrin

A smile that lasts a long time because you're really, really happy. Or in front of a photographer. Spoiler: permagrins are a wedding staple. Learn more about how to make yours look good for the big day. Oh, and Skimm'rs get something off the price tag here.

SKIMM PICKS

For when your apartment's looking meh…

Give it a facelift. This is our favorite way to spruce it up. We even used it to decorate Skimm HQ. And today, you get something off the price. Get into it.*


For when you've read every royal wedding article and still want more…

Watch this video we made. And learn about the history behind all those wedding traditions you'll see on Saturday.


For when your idea of business casual involves leggings...

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For when you have a wedding every other weekend...

'Tis the season. We rounded up some of the best wedding gifts for you to give the bride and groom. Cheers.

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SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

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