The Daily Skimm

OCTOBER 02, 2018

Venezuela

The Story

Yesterday, the UN reportedly said that close to 2 million people have left Venezuela since 2015. The Latin American country has been in a major crisis for the past few years because of economic mismanagement, corruption, and a global drop in oil prices. Inflation could hit 1,000,000% (yes, one million) by the end of the year. Its currency is basically worthless. And people are starving due to limited access to food and basic supplies.

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An estimated 5,000 people are leaving Venezuela daily. And nearby countries have been struggling with how to respond to the refugees asking for help (see: Colombia, Brazil, Peru). Now, the UN is reportedly saying that there needs to be a "non-political and humanitarian" response to the refugees.

Macedonia

The Story

Macedonia is having a name crisis. For decades, Greece hasn't been happy that Macedonia is called Macedonia. Because there's a northern Greek territory also called...Macedonia. Earlier this year, the two countries' PMs announced a deal for a new name: Republic of North Macedonia. Changing its name would open the door for the country to potentially join the EU and NATO, which supporters say will help the country's economy. Critics say the name change is insulting.

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Over the weekend, Macedonians voted to rename the country. But not enough people showed up for the 50% turnout that was needed for the referendum to be considered valid. Opponents called this a win. But now, Macedonia's PM is saying 'get your head in the game' and telling opposition leaders that they need to back the new name to keep the process moving forward. Or else.

Catalonia

The Story

Yesterday, tens of thousands of protesters marched in Barcelona to mark one year since the region voted to break up with Spain. Catalonia is the semi-autonomous part of Spain that includes Barcelona. Last year, Catalonia said 'we're ready to go solo,' and Spain said 'no, gracias.' Since the vote, Spain fired the regional gov, dissolved its parliament, and the Catalan president fled the country.

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One year later, people in Catalonia aren't giving up on their demands for independence. But, it's probably safe to say Spain won't be doing any of that any time soon.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say to the Meredith Grey in your life…

Hear about this? Yesterday, two scientists won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their work on immunotherapy to treat cancer. Aka using the body's own immune system to get rid of cancer cells. Their work has created a new method for cancer therapy – a new alternative to things like surgery or chemo. What they win: bragging rights, about $1 million to split, and a ceremony later this year. Throughout the week, the organization is giving out more awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. This all comes as the organization is dealing with a sex abuse scandal. Yesterday, Jean-Claude Arnault – a French photog and well-known cultural figure in Sweden – was found guilty of one count of rape, and acquitted of another. A number of other women came forward accusing him of sexual assault and harassment. But this incident was one of the few that could go to trial. The problem (other than the obvious) is that his wife was a member of the academy that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature. She and about a third of the team left because of the scandal. So the org is skipping this year's literature prize. And Arnault's getting two years in prison.

What to say when you're curious about Kavanaugh updates...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says the Senate will vote on the SCOTUS nominee this week. The reason it's not happening sooner is because the FBI is currently investigating sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, including from CA professor Christine Blasey Ford. The Senate wants the FBI to have a report done by Friday. Unclear if the vote would happen before or after that.

PS: Still have questions about what's going on with Kavanaugh? Get our app and you'll be able to text us. That is...if you like personalized answers straight to your phone.

What people are shaking their heads about…

Missouri. Police there don't know where almost 1,300 registered sex offenders are. Yes, how the hell did this happen is right. The state's law says convicted sex offenders have to give law enforcement their names and addresses, and update their info when they move. Now, the state's auditor says they don't know where some of them are because of "inadequate enforcement" of the registration system. But she has a few ideas for fixing the problem – including having the state's highway patrol help local law enforcement, and the state legislature strengthen laws around the system.

What to say when you get a promotion…

Time to update LinkedIn. General Electric is saying bye to its CEO John Flannery. Flannery's been the boss man for a year, while GE's been riding the struggle bus. Its value dipped below $100 billion, it sold off major parts of the co, and got booted from the Dow Jones. Now the co's saying 'a change will do us good' and giving Larry Culp (former CEO of science and tech conglomerate Danaher) the new corner office. Instagram's also getting onboarding docs ready. Yesterday, it announced its VP of Product Adam Mosseri as its new CEO. This comes after last week's announcement that Insta's co-founders were singing 'so long, farewell.' Facebook owns Insta, and some think the co-founders packed up their desks because of reported tension between them and Mark Zuckerberg. Drama, drama, drama.

What to say to your friend planning your bachelorette party…

No strip clubs, please.

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