|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 QUOTE OF THE DAY  |
|
|
"I have a kumquat tree! You want some kumquats?" – Oprah, charming Meghan Markle's mom. It worked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Story
Yesterday, a judge gave the green light to the massive AT&T-Time Warner merger.
Rewind.
Back in 2016, telecom co AT&T said it was writing an $85.4 billion check to buy media co Time Warner. And everything it owns – like HBO, Warner Bros., and CNN. Last year, the Justice Department sued to block the deal, saying that it would make prices go up for consumers and hurt competition. The companies said 'not true' since the industries are different. And that the deal would allow them to better innovate and compete against companies like Google and Netflix.
And the winner is…
AT&T and Time Warner. With no terms or conditions. They're hoping to seal the deal by the end of the month.
Golf claps. Why should I care?
Because this decision opens the door for similar types of mega-deals called vertical mergers – when a biz buys another biz that's not technically a competitor. Think: Amazon and Whole Foods. Or CVS and Aetna. So hot right now. And as of yesterday, apparently legal too.
Do you hear something?
Yes. That's Comcast rushing to fill suitcases of cash. It's expected to make an offer as early as today for part of 21st Century Fox. The same part that Walt Disney Company already put a bid on. Get ready for a bidding war.
theSkimm
The media landscape is changing, fast. Markets are pumped about it. The Justice Department is not. So don't be surprised if this issue ends up back in the courtroom for round two.
PS: 21st Century Fox is a minority investor in theSkimm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What to say when someone asks you to be their bridesmaid...
Big responsibility. So is voting. Yesterday, five states went to the polls for primary elections. Here are some things to keep an eye on. Virginia: where three Republicans were gunning to take down former VP candidate Sen. Tim Kaine (D). Now, Corey Stewart – who's spoken out against undocumented immigrants and in favor of Confederate monuments – is saying 'see you in November.' Nevada: where Sen. Dean Heller (R) will face off with Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) in one of the biggest races to watch this fall. And South Carolina: where Rep. Mark Sanford (R), who's been pretty critical of President Trump, lost the GOP nomination to Katie Arrington.
PS: Primary season is in full swing. And we made you a calendar of major races so you never miss a beat. Get it here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well that was a surprise. Yesterday, President Trump's announcement that he's ending military drills with South Korea left people doing double takes. Trump announced this after he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shook on a deal to make nice. South Korea apparently wasn't consulted. Even some people in the Pentagon apparently didn't get a heads up. But they plan to keep doing their thing until they hear otherwise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What people are talking about…
Argentina. Today, some of the country's legislators are deciding whether or not they want to legalize abortion. This is a big move for Argentina, since abortion is illegal there in most cases. And women who break the law could go to jail for four years. But every year, around half a million women there get illegal abortions – which can be unsafe. Now, Argentina's congress is deciding whether abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy can get the go-ahead. If this passes, it would go on to the country's senate – which is expected to shut down the idea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seattle isn't keeping its plans. Last month, the city said it was raising taxes on big biz like Amazon and Starbucks to try and address the city's homelessness crisis. The 'Zon was not about it and threatened to move jobs out of the city. It helped fund a campaign to challenge the tax. Now, the city council is saying 'nevermind.' Speaking of things making changes, Tesla is trying to make the company more profitable. So it's firing more than 3,000 people. Yikes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What to say when your company doesn't have a sexual harassment policy…
Get it together. That's what a major academic institution is saying to US universities. Yesterday, a report came out noting that more than half of women in academia have experienced some form of harassment. And saying that harassment in the sciences could help explain why women stay away from those fields. LGBTQ people and women of color have it especially bad. But the report didn't stop there. It also gave some recs on how to turn things around. One option: Congress should pass laws so that victims can sue faculty directly – not just the school. People are hoping this report will bring some long overdue changes in the academic world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What to say when you need help getting through hump day…
Just watch this raccoon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
theSkimm50 West 23rd Street, Suite 5B; New York, NY, 10010, United States Update Profile
