Skimm'd while writing our book

"Oh, piss off" – JK Rowling reacting to a tweet saying the most successful people start their day at 4am. Gonna side with her on this one.

THEY SEE ME TROLLIN'

The Story

Turns out, Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election is worse than previously thought.

I know this like the back of my hand but remind me.

Russia attacked the 2016 election by doing things like hacking into the DNC and spreading divisive political messages on social media. US intel agencies have already come out and said the Kremlin is behind it all. Now we're learning more…

I'm all ears...

Yesterday, two reports commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee dropped. They both show that Russia tapped social media companies to spread their disinformation campaign. Think: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Google+, Vine, Pinterest, Tumblr. The whole lot. They found lots of other things, specifically that Russia went after black voters to try to get them to boycott the election. The Russians did all of this to try to spread disinformation and help President Trump get elected. Now, the NAACP is calling Facebook out for allowing this – the org has returned a donation to the platform and is calling for a boycott.

Who is responsible for this?

The group behind all this – the Internet Research Agency (IRA) – is a troll farm owned by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Its efforts show support for Trump from the primaries all the way through his inauguration. Special counsel Robert Mueller, who's in charge of the Trump-Russia investigation, has already indicted 13 members of the IRA for election interference. Speaking of…

Yes...?

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is set to be sentenced today. He pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with Russia, as well as some Turkish lobbying work. Mueller has recommended Flynn get no jail time for the amount he's cooperated with the investigation. Meanwhile yesterday, two of Flynn's business associates were indicted for that Turkish lobbying work we mentioned.

theSkimm

Over the last two years, you've been hearing over and over again about how Russia meddled in the US election. The findings in these reports not only confirms that, but provide a bigger picture on exactly how bad and widespread it was.

PS: GV (formerly Google Ventures) is a minority investor in theSkimm.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you get off on the wrong foot with your new co-worker...

Let's start over. Yesterday, Poland's president officially scrapped a controversial part of a judicial law. Earlier this year, the gov tried to make some edits to control the justice system. One example: it lowered the retirement age for Supreme Court justices – meaning about two dozen of them had to pack up their desks. The EU's top court wasn't a fan, and said it violates the courts' independence. Lawmakers took note and agreed to get rid of the age requirement. Yesterday, the prez finally signed off on reinstating the judges – hours after the EU reminded him that this still wasn't okay. After months of tension with the EU over this issue, it's starting to look like the Polish gov is willing to cooperate and play nice.

What to say after another back-and-forth of 'let's get coffee soon' that never gets scheduled…

So...should we actually plan this? Yesterday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May set a new date for UK Parliament to finally vote on Brexit. Mark your cals for the week of Jan 14. That's less than 80 days before the UK is officially splitting from the EU (yes, we did the math for you). But not everyone's feeling giddy about next month's vote. The leader of the Labour Party (aka the main opposition) is calling for another no-confidence vote against May. To recap: last week, her Conservative Party called for a no-confidence vote against her, which she survived. Now the opposition is calling for one. This latest one is more of a symbolic vote, since she wouldn't be forced to resign. But this shows that lawmakers across the board are frustrated with May and how she's handling the Brexit situation. TBD how next month's vote will go.

What people are talking about…

This new government report on homelessness. It says that the number of homeless people in the US has gone up for a second year in a row. Especially in cities like New York and Seattle. The main reason: lack of affordable housing. But the upside is that the homeless rate went down in places like Los Angeles, in part because local officials have been taking action to fix the problem.

Who people are talking about…

Les Moonves. The former CEO of CBS won't get his $120 million severance package. The network's board of directors says it's because he broke company policies and didn't cooperate with an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him.

What to say when you hear Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) won't run for re-election in 2020…

It would be the talk of the town if lawmakers weren't preoccupied with trying to avoid a partial gov shutdown on Friday.

What to say to your friend who loves "The Big Lebowski"…

Far out, man. But seriously. Scientists have found the most distant object ever discovered in our solar system. And they're calling it…drum roll please…Farout.

SKIMM READS

2018's about to be shelved. But first...fill your shelf with all our favorite reads of the year. Good for holiday travel and 2019 reading goals.

Speaking of 2019...here's a book to keep on your radar: How to Skimm Your Life. That's right. theSkimm's coming out with a book. It'll be available this summer, but you can pre-order it today.

It will help you live a smarter life. Actually. It gets into everything from networking, to investing your cash money, to picking the perfect bottle wine at a restaurant, and much more. Here's a closer look.

SKIMM PICKS

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For when everyone around you is sneezing...

'Tis the season to catch a cold. This brand has your back. They send vitamins to your door every month that have heavily researched, clean ingredients. Cheers to healthier holidays. Get them here.*

SKIMM SHARE

We're gearing up for bowl season. College football bowl season. theSkimm App's sports calendar will have all the big games and what people are talking about so you don't miss a thing. And just for downloading theSkimm App and getting the sports calendar, you can score the ultimate sports package: $500 to Adidas and another $500 for your gym membership.Clear eyes, full hearts, even fuller wallet. And to yesterday's winner, check your inbox. Questions? Answers.