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 QUOTE OF THE DAY  |
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"The secret to male sexual stamina is veggies" – PETA's new campaign on traditional masculinity has changed the way we look at carrots. And not in a good way.
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THINGS TRUMP’S THINKING ABOUT
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State of the Union
The Story
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to change up this year's State of the Union plans.
Explain.
The gov's been partially shut down for 27 days. Thousands of furloughed workers have been called back in to work (without pay). Federal courts could have to stop their normal operations soon. The economy's been taking a hit. Dems and President Trump are still butting heads over the US-Mexico border wall. And there hasn't been funding for the Secret Service and Dept of Homeland Security – which typically handle security for the SOTU address. Yesterday, Pelosi told Trump the funding problem brings up "security concerns." And that she and Trump should do one of two things. One: reschedule the SOTU address (which is scheduled for Jan 29) for after the gov re-opens, or two: he can write and send his speech instead of delivering it live in front of a joint session of Congress. This came the same day that Trump signed a bill that guarantees back pay for the estimated 800,000 federal employees affected by the shutdown.
theSkimm
No word from Trump on all this. But Republicans have called this a political stunt, and Homeland Security Sec Kirstjen Nielsen says the agencies are "fully prepared" to secure the event. Expect this issue to heat up tensions around the shutdown even more.
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Syria
The Story
A deadly attack in Syria is raising red flags.
Explain.
US troops have been fighting ISIS in Syria since 2015. Last month, Trump announced that the US is pulling all those troops out because ISIS has been defeated there. It sparked a lot of pushback from lawmakers, military officials, and allies who said that ISIS is still a problem there. Defense Sec Jim Mattis quit over the announcement. Yesterday, at least 19 people – including four Americans – were killed in a suicide attack in northern Syria. ISIS claimed responsibility. The White House condemned the attack and praised the "brave American heroes" who died. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say this attack is an example of why the US shouldn't take its troops out of Syria yet.
theSkimm
Yesterday's attack shows that there's some confusion over what's going on with ISIS in Syria. Now, people are watching to see if the admin will change its plans to pull troops out or if things will keep moving full steam ahead.
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What to say after you get a confidence boost...
It's better than the one UK PM Theresa May got. Yesterday, May's government barely survived a no-confidence vote. You've been hearing us say this a lot but coming up with the fine print for Brexit has been a mess. Earlier this week, UK lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the plan May and EU leaders have been working on for a while. Then yesterday, they voted on whether they still trust May's gov. The results: 325 lawmakers are here for it, 306 are not. Not the best...but May's getting back to work and wants to talk to opposition leaders about alternative Brexit plans. She's been given until Monday to give lawmakers a new deal. Even if she does come up with one, it's unclear if the EU will sign off on a revised version. And it all has to happen before March 29th – when the UK is set to leave the EU. No pressure.
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Who you will be hearing about…
The Sackler family. They're the ones behind Purdue Pharma that made the painkiller OxyContin. Back when OxyContin came out in the '90s, Purdue worked hard to encourage doctors to prescribe it to patients. It worked, leading to opioid prescriptions skyrocketing. Today, you know OxyContin for its role in the opioid crisis – which leads to thousands of overdose deaths every year in the US. Several states are suing pharma companies – including Purdue – for their roles in the crisis. Massachusetts sued last year, and named members of the Sackler fam in the suit. Earlier this week, the state's attorney general accused the Sacklers and other company execs of knowing that OxyContin was causing overdoses…but continued to push the drug and make money as people died. Purdue said the lawsuit "distorts critical facts." There's a hearing on it next week.
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Who the sports fan in your life will be talking about…
New York Knicks center Enes Kanter. Turkish prosecutors are reportedly looking into getting an arrest warrant for him. Kanter is originally from Turkey and has been an outspoken critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Now the country is saying Kanter's part of a terror group. Today, the Knicks are playing in London but Kanter won't be there. He said he fears he'd be arrested or even assassinated. He said the Turkish gov doesn't have "any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing." In other news of people you'll be hearing about, Michigan State's interim president is resigning after saying Larry Nassar's victims enjoyed the spotlight. It's the second time an MSU president has left during the Nassar scandal. He'll officially step down next week.
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What to say when your office is looking for volunteers...
I want to help, just like Microsoft. The company is pledging $500 million to help address the affordable housing crisis in the Seattle area. A gov report last month said that in order to keep up with growth, the area will need to add close to 250,000 affordable housing units by 2040. Now, Microsoft is stepping up to help – and reportedly hoping it will inspire other companies.
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What to say to your single friend who wants cuffing season to be over…
You will find your Juliet.
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For when it's a new year and you need a new wardrobe…
Facts. Stitch Fix has your back. It's a personal styling service that makes getting dressed easier by delivering clothes you'll like straight to your door. Keep what you want and send back what you don't. Psst...Skimm'rs have no styling fee for their first box. Go for it.*
For when you haven't heard of Marie Kondo…
Living under a pile of clutter, are we? This company can up your tidy game. Each month, they send you new supplies to help clean up your act. Bonus: Skimm'rs get freebies on their first order. Check it out.*
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*PS This is a sponsored section.
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Spotlight on…Richard J (GA). Two years ago, he joined a friend in starting a Facebook group called "Unleashing Kindness" dedicated to encouraging more kindness. People do simple acts of kindness every day and share experiences and ideas with others. Now, the group has thousands of members in dozens of countries.
Cheers to…Michelle W (CAN),who quit her corporate job to travel around the world volunteering and exploring. And Liz R (IL), a blogger who was recently invited to a local morning show to share a recipe and got invited back. Paging Savannah and Hoda.
(Some) Birthdays…theSkimm's Noorie Deolall-Antoine (NY), Nick Towler (NY), Steve Towler (NY), Allison Glasgow (RI), Alyse Reynolds (WY), Chrissie Puchta (MA), Tara Wilson (TN), Jeffrey Boxer (Spain), Joan Gilboy (IL), Emily Gray (CO), Gracie Hamlin (OR), Karen Hediger (VA), Julie Hudson (MO), Elaine Michaels (IL), Riley Miller (KY)
*Welcome to a new Skimm community section we're testing. Want to take it to the next level with us? Reach out here for a chance to be featured.
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theSkimm50 West 23rd Street, Suite 5B; New York, NY, 10010, United States Update Profile
