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Good morning.
Didn’t summer just end? Yet here we are, less than three weeks from Thanksgiving. I love any holiday where food is the main character, so I’m already in the spirit. (Not in a "the tree is already up" kind of way, but no judgment.) To get the menu rolling, I’m drawing inspiration from these 40 old-school recipes. Never one to shy away from cured meats and cheese (yes, cheese for dinner is a time-honored tradition in our house), I’ve decided to add a "Turkuterie" board to this year's spread — just look at that turkey face. I'm not the only one prepping early. New Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, including Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey and Joe Cool Snoopy, took their first test flights over the weekend. And if you're interested in curating your couch lineup, here are 10 movies we're queuing up between now and Nov 26 (Free Birds remains mandatory viewing). Planning your wallet’s trajectory even further out? We've got you covered with theSkimm's holiday budget guide. Now, let's get to the news...
FEATURED EXPERT:
Marina Carver
Marina Carver reads all the news so you don't have to. As Senior Editor of the Daily Skimm, she spends her days figuring out what millions of readers actually need to know before breakfast. Marina runs the production of theSkimm's flagship newsletter, working alongside a brilliant team of writers and editors. She sets the daily lineup, assigns stories, edits copy, jumps on breaking news, and obsesses over the data that reveals what readers are (and aren’t) interested in.
Her sweet spot is making complicated news — politics, policy, business, tech, world events, and yes, tariffs — clear, conversational, and maybe even a little fun.
Before joining theSkimm, Marina spent nearly 16 years at CNN, fueled by deadline adrenaline and an alarming number of lattes. As a Senior Planning Editor at CNN's New York Bureau, she coordinated coverage for everything from major breaking news to planned national events and election nights. She dispatched correspondents and crews, solved logistical puzzles in real time, and made editorial calls under intense deadline pressure.
Whether it was the Boston Marathon bombing, Occupy Wall Street, the Women’s March, major criminal trials, or upstate New York manhunts, if a reporter’s phone rang at 3 am, there was a good chance Marina was on the other end deciding where they needed to be and why. Partnering with reporters and producers to craft TV and digital stories that truly served and connected with viewers brought her the most joy during this time.
She's worn many hats — as a writer, producer, editor, and manager — and worked just about every shift a newsroom can throw at someone: overnights, early-morning shows, the assignment desk, the live booth from the New York Stock Exchange, and primetime. That means she’s developed the kind of news judgment that only comes from seeing thousands of stories unfold in real time.
She was also part of the team that launched Interview Club, CNN+’s (RIP) first live, interactive Q&A platform, where she booked everyone from newsmakers and policy experts to political heavyweights while helping shape the platform’s editorial strategy and audience engagement.
Along the way, she wrote for CNN.com, helped launch ABC 7 New York’s 10 am show, and produced segments for MTV News (ah, nostalgia).
Marina earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from New York University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two kids, and two dogs (who give her emotional support when the news gets ruff). When she’s not reading the news, she’s probably cheering from a soccer sideline or baseball diamond, hunting for the perfect donut, or convincing herself she definitely has time for one more chapter of her latest book.
You can find her work in the Daily Skimm every weekday — and her editor’s note most Mondays.
After the Midterms
A New Chief of Staff
Skimm’d by: Erika W. Smith and Maria Corpus
What's going on: Today, Stephen Miller is expected to clock in as White House chief of staff. President Donald Trump announced Miller’s promotion on Friday, from his previous role as White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, and called him “a great fighter.” Miller replaces Susie Wiles, who was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. With her departure, she becomes the latest in what The Washington Post describes as a “growing list of women who have left their high-ranking positions in the administration and been replaced by men.” While publicly Trump said that Wiles “has done an outstanding job,” a source told CNN that he blamed her, along with other cabinet members, for Republicans’ midterm losses.
What happens next?: Analysts say that with Miller as chief of staff, the White House could double down on immigration curbs and deportations. During Trump’s first term, Miller helped construct the administration’s family separation policy and the “Muslim ban” rejecting immigrants from Muslim-majority countries. And in Trump’s second term, he supported an expansion of third-country deportations and reportedly instructed ICE officials to meet daily quotas of 3,000 arrests. But Trump admitted in an interview with 60 Minutes that the crackdown was “too tough." The Washington Post suggests that the appointment could also signal an even more AI-friendly stance (Miller’s wife Katie Miller is an AI consultant and investor) and add new barriers between lobbyists and the administration. While many Republicans praised Trump’s new appointment, Democrats and some GOP members publicly criticized the move, citing Miller’s unpopular approach to deportation. On Friday, Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) said, “Frankly, I think Stephen Miller should be fired.”
Related: Trump Said He Was ‘Kidding’ About UFC CEO Dana White Becoming His New Press Secretary (The New York Times gift link)
Together with AVOCADO
The Comfiest, Coziest Sleep Gifts
When you love someone, let them sleep. If that’s not how the saying goes, we think it should be. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best gifts from Avocado that support supremely cozy sleep.
Left No Crumbs
Whether you’re a seasoned pro in the kitchen or you’re still learning the fine art of faking it ’til you make it, we’ve rounded up the best kitchen products to help you in your endeavors. These are the tools we can’t live without, the appliances that are practically part of the family, and the serveware that makes us smile. Here are a few of our favorites:
A durable, plastic-free cutting board
The vegetable chopper that several of our moms use
A mini waffle maker that churns out fluffy waffles every single time
Two decades later, Justin Timberlake revealed which one of his songs is not, in fact, about Britney Spears?
Still catching up from the weekend? Jumpstart your brain with Flipart. Feel the rush.
After the Midterms
A New Chief of Staff
Skimm’d by: Erika W. Smith and Maria Corpus
What's going on: Today, Stephen Miller is expected to clock in as White House chief of staff. President Donald Trump announced Miller’s promotion on Friday, from his previous role as White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, and called him “a great fighter.” Miller replaces Susie Wiles, who was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. With her departure, she becomes the latest in what The Washington Post describes as a “growing list of women who have left their high-ranking positions in the administration and been replaced by men.” While publicly Trump said that Wiles “has done an outstanding job,” a source told CNN that he blamed her, along with other cabinet members, for Republicans’ midterm losses.
What happens next?: Analysts say that with Miller as chief of staff, the White House could double down on immigration curbs and deportations. During Trump’s first term, Miller helped construct the administration’s family separation policy and the “Muslim ban” rejecting immigrants from Muslim-majority countries. And in Trump’s second term, he supported an expansion of third-country deportations and reportedly instructed ICE officials to meet daily quotas of 3,000 arrests. But Trump admitted in an interview with 60 Minutes that the crackdown was “too tough." The Washington Post suggests that the appointment could also signal an even more AI-friendly stance (Miller’s wife Katie Miller is an AI consultant and investor) and add new barriers between lobbyists and the administration. While many Republicans praised Trump’s new appointment, Democrats and some GOP members publicly criticized the move, citing Miller’s unpopular approach to deportation. On Friday, Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) said, “Frankly, I think Stephen Miller should be fired.”
Related: Trump Said He Was ‘Kidding’ About UFC CEO Dana White Becoming His New Press Secretary (The New York Times gift link)
Together with AVOCADO
The Comfiest, Coziest Sleep Gifts
When you love someone, let them sleep. If that’s not how the saying goes, we think it should be. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best gifts from Avocado that support supremely cozy sleep.
Left No Crumbs
Whether you’re a seasoned pro in the kitchen or you’re still learning the fine art of faking it ’til you make it, we’ve rounded up the best kitchen products to help you in your endeavors. These are the tools we can’t live without, the appliances that are practically part of the family, and the serveware that makes us smile. Here are a few of our favorites:
A durable, plastic-free cutting board
The vegetable chopper that several of our moms use
A mini waffle maker that churns out fluffy waffles every single time
Two decades later, Justin Timberlake revealed which one of his songs is not, in fact, about Britney Spears?
Stay in the know with the Daily Skimm
⛓️💥 Consider this the only holiday news we’ll allow this early in the season: Sequins are taking a well-deserved break — and their equally sparkly replacement is a favorite of both 2000s club girls and Joan of Arc.
💇♀️ Millennials, we don’t know how it’s possible, but we’re now officially of “Mom Hair” age, yet it looks way different than the chin-length chops that ruled the ’90s.
👖 Barrel Jeans, it’s been a barrel of fun. But Cocoon Jeans are the Fashion People silhouette du jour, and they’re just as versatile, a little more subtle, and have already been dubbed fall’s most flattering denim trend.
🛍️ Don’t panic: Your white button-down isn’t going anywhere. But from Paris to Milan, the chicest dressers are reaching for this pink shade instead. We’ll be wearing ours on Wednesday.
👀 We don’t know how else to say this, so we’re just going to say it: “Sad Nipple Syndrome” is a thing that apparently exists. We may need three to five business days to process.
By now, we’re guessing you’ve Seen Everything. If you haven't? Well, too bad — because we’re on Day 768 of the You Can See Everything rollout, so spoilers are fair game. (Apologies to those aboard the ISS.) Let’s start with the person who’s dominated your group chats. No, not Prison Girlboss Elizabeth Holmes or Our Confusing New Crush Nathan Fielder. It’s her partner, Billy Evans, the man who watches scientific seminars at 2x speed and cohabitates with a humongous lizard. As if he hadn’t supplied enough holy-sh*t moments, on Monday, Evans said “hold my yellow bowl of perfectly beaten eggs” and hosted an AMA on X (notably, from his own account), giving us even more to spiral about. Evans is a Chappell Roan and Kendrick Lamar stan — not the playlist we pictured given *gestures broadly at everything*. There’s a 1% chance you’ll guess where he bought Holmes’s engagement ring. He blamed the sniffling on allergies and parenting two kids (fair), adding his preferred vices are nicotine and caffeine (see: his Emotional Support Celsius). He also has no clue who played him in the movie's reenactment scenes (so he’s not counting down to the Girls reboot). And he disputed Lance Oppenheim’s account of how that… revealing scene came to be (something tells us “can” was to blame again).
But Billy’s not the only one filling in the blanks. We learned why a certain New York Times reporter didn’t appear on screen (note to self: befriend “a rabid Fielder fan” who works in comms). And that the couple had more help than the film let on. Plus, we have Emma Stone to thank for Amanda Seyfried’s greatest role ever (yep, we said it). Which brings us to the questions still keeping us up at night: Will Seyfried win the Oscar she clearly deserves? (And can we sleep over at her ridiculously cozy upstate farmhouse?) Will we ever know why (sorry, if) Holmes went upstairs during that meeting? Just how floppy was the hat that made Holmes unrecognizable to Evans at first? Finally, did Fielder and Holmes really have chemistry? Or is this just the first time we’ve seen a man actively listen? We think you know the answer.
Feel like the next-James-Bond chatter has gone on for about four years too long? You’re not wrong — though we’re apparently thiiis close to the end. No offense to the three dudes reportedly still in the running, but we’d like to propose Hollywood take the franchise in a new direction: Jane Bond. In fact, we even took the liberty of drawing up our own short list for this long-overdue leading lady. Casting execs, no need to thank us.
🍸 Dua Lipa. Not only would she be right at home on outrageous yachts and private jets, but she could also save studio honchos an extra invoice by recording the theme song. If not the entire soundtrack. Oh, and as a consolation prize, Mr. Lipa can be the Bond Boy.
🍸 Zendaya. She’s played a former tennis prodigy, a pink-haired acrobat, a Greek goddess, a Fremen warrior, and the World’s Most Terrifying Gen Zer. So it’s about time our girl became a full-blown international spy. Plus, imagine the tuxedos Law Roach would put her in — and tell us you’re not convinced.
🍸 Meg Stalter. Naturally, we have to consider the Prettiest Girl in America for the role of Most Dangerous Spy in the United Kingdom. If for no other reason than the press tour outfits she’d serve. And the ridiculous British accent she’d absolutely commit to.
Feeling smug about that fancy fruit basket or bougie candle you always bring as a hostess gift? Harry Styles just raised the bar after wrapping up his residency at Madison Square Garden, and it’s not even close.
Nostalgic for your early 20s? It Gets Worse will solve that. Paramount+’s new British comedy series follows three best friends who live together in London: Ethan (Leo Reich), the privileged, self-described “gay psychopath”; Abi (Emily Fairn), the straitlaced start-up worker bee; and Sam (Olive Gray), the social-climbing writer with a dream and a Substack. When their landlord kicks them to the curb, the trio scatters across the city — and straight into the chaotic trappings of young adulthood. Read: soul-sucking jobs, cringeworthy sexcapades, and an ill-fated decision to move in with a man your friends have dubbed “Jeremy Allen Beige.” And though the show may be aggressively Gen Z, it’s got a couple of guest appearances tailor-made for millennials, like Lena Dunham as Abi’s boss and Andrew Scott as Ethan’s therapist turned hookup. If we had a nickel for every time Scott played a guy whose job came with a “do not bang” clause, well, you know how the saying goes.
Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap, Birchwood
Martha, senior commerce writer, here. I’ve been known to enjoy a fancy hand soap every now and then. My wallet? Not so much. So I went digging through Mrs. Meyer’s lineup for a scent that smells just as expensive as the Le Labos and Diptyques of the world, but for a fraction of the cost. Friends, Birchwood is it. It’s santal-esque, will remind you of your partner’s favorite bodywash (in the best way possible), and won’t leave your hands feeling dry. When I run out, I will literally drive across town to buy it again, and, honestly, that says it all.
Stay in the know with the Daily Skimm