"We are lost. Directionless. Will we ever see the light again?!" - Twitter had a meltdown over the Slack outage.

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The Story

Justice Anthony Kennedy is saying 'byeeeee' to the Supreme Court.

Take me back to the night we met...

Kennedy joined the court in the late '80s under former President Ronald Reagan. He sided with conservatives on gun rights and campaign finance laws. But was known as the court's swing vote. And sided with liberals on things like criminal justice and abortion. One of the things he'll be remembered for: his key role in legalizing gay marriage.

Why is this such a big deal?

Supremes can serve for life. So they're arguably a president's longest-lasting legacy. Now that Kennedy is retiring, President Trump will get to nominate his second Supreme Court justice in just a year and a half.

What's the right say?

Let's do this. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wants to confirm a SCOTUS pick this fall, before midterms – timing that could help get Republicans to show up at the polls.

What's the left say?

Excuse me while I scream into a pillow. First, Republicans blocked Merrick Garland – President Obama's SCOTUS pick in his last year in office. Then they changed the Senate rules to make it easier for them to confirm justices. Breeeeeeathe.

Seems like Trump is having a busy week.

He sure is. There's this. Plus the travel ban. And primary wins. Then there's the failed immigration bill. And he's on watch for separating families at the border – something the HHS's inspector general is now looking into. But he's excited about his steamy date with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another day in the life.

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Kennedy played a crucial role on the Supreme Court. With his seat open, Trump now has the power to turn the court solidly conservative. And possibly reverse key rulings on things like abortion and gay rights – issues that could impact millions of Americans for generations to come.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when your friends get engaged...

Time for bubbly. Disney's got a reason to celebrate too. Yesterday, the DOJ gave the Mouse the OK to get cozy with 21st Century Fox. Last year, Disney wrote a $52.4 billion check to buy a big chunk of Fox. But upped its offer by about $20 billion after Comcast got into the bidding mix. People had (anti)trust issues about the new duo. Enter: the DOJ, who's now saying 'you have our blessing,' but with some conditions. But don't buy them a wedding gift just yet. Comcast is saying 'it wasn't over, it still isn't over.' Speaking of Fox-y things, former Fox News exec Bill Shine might update his LinkedIn soon. Shine – who left the co after backlash over how he handled sexual harassment claims – might become the new Hope Hicks and take over as WH comms director.

PS: 21st Century Fox is a minority investor in theSkimm.

What people are watching…

The Antwon Rose shooting. Yesterday, prosecutors charged the cop that shot Rose with criminal homicide. Earlier this month, Rose – an unarmed black teen – was in a car that police thought was involved in a drive-by shooting. When the police later pulled the car over, Rose tried fleeing the scene and was shot three times. The cop was apparently inconsistent in his answers about whether he thought Rose had a gun. The shooting led to protests in Pittsburgh. Now, that cop is out on bail. Meanwhile, the driver accused of killing a woman with his car during the Charlottesville, VA white supremacist rally last year is now facing federal hate crime charges.

Who people are talking about…

Joe Jackson. Yesterday, the patriarch of the Jackson family died at age 89. He's the reason you know Michael, Janet, and the Jackson 5. While he is credited with helping his kids become famous, they have also accused him of physical and emotional abuse. Last week, it came out that Jackson was dying of pancreatic cancer. Michael Jackson's daughter Paris called him "the strongest man I know."

What to say to your coworker who's getting sloppy at happy hour…

Time to go home.

THING TO KNOW

BDE

The abbreviation you've been seeing all week. It stands for big d*ck energy. Aka having the kind of swagger that comes with knowing you've got a big...yeah. But you don't need a D to rock the BDE. See: Rihanna.

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