What's Happening
International
Israel's Strike on a Rafah Camp Is Prompting Global Outrage
What's going on: Today, Israel reportedly pressed on with its offensive in Rafah after Sunday’s deadly airstrike drew immediate condemnation from world leaders — including Germany’s vice chancellor and French President Emmanuel Macron. At least 45 people were killed in the strike, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said it opened an investigation into the deaths of civilians and that two Hamas officials were killed in the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike a "tragic mistake."
What it means: Last weekend’s strike marked one of the deadliest events in Rafah since Israel began its invasion earlier this month. The Biden admin reportedly told Netanyahu to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. The outcry comes just days after the UN's top court ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, and underscores the challenges in enforcing the court's directive. The incident is also likely to further complicate cease-fire negotiations, which are expected to resume this week.
Related: Where Cease-Fire Talks Stand (Reuters)
Business
Investors Are Putting Money Into Elon Musk’s AI Start-Up
What's going on: Over the weekend, Elon Musk’s startup xAI announced it raised $6 billion, which Musk said puts the company’s valuation at $24 billion. Although xAI has not disclosed specific plans for the funds, Musk reportedly noted days ago that the company, founded last July, “still has a lot of catching up to do” compared to AI rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic.
What it means: The extra cash narrows the financial gap between xAI and its well-funded competitors, including Anthropic, tech giants like Google, and OpenAI, which Musk co-founded before leaving in 2018.
Related: The Drama Between Elon Musk and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Explained (Guardian)
Career
Employers No Longer Want to Offer High-Paying Remote Jobs
What's going on: Recent analyses of more than 500,000 job postings over the past year revealed that high-paying remote jobs (over $250,000 or more per year) dropped by 95%, while hybrid jobs saw a 60% decline. Now, only about 4% of jobs with a quarter-million-dollar salary are fully remote, falling from 10% a year ago. One of the leaders behind the research reportedly said “managers prefer in-person supervision and visibility.”
What it means: The latest data lines up with what major companies (most recently, banks like Citigroup and HSBC) have been publicly saying for some time: they want employees back IRL. And this could set the stage for a standoff between Americans who prefer remote work (and are willing to accept a pay cut for it) and employers who insist on in-person attendance.
Related: The Top 10 States To Work From Home (Business Insider)
Quick Hits
⛈️ Deadly storms and tornadoes killed at least 22 people in four states.
🎾 Rafael Nadal could be saying “au revoir” to the French Open once and for all.
👀 Lizzo reacted to “South Park” name-dropping her in its Ozempic episode.
🍼 Sofia Richie and Ayesha Curry revealed their new babies' names.
😤 Jason Kelce told the internet to put some respect on his wife's name.
Let's Unpack This
How could the so-called “double haters” shape this year’s presidential election?
Meet: the “double haters.” They are the 16% to 20% of the electorate who have unfavorable views of both President Biden and former President Trump. This group isn’t new, double haters have been around for multiple election cycles. But they can be unpredictable and that’s something that pollsters like Charles Franklin, professor of law and public policy and director of the Marquette Law School Poll, are watching:
“What we don’t know over the next six months is: Does this level of dissatisfaction start to come down as people really look at the alternatives of Biden and Trump and face the reality that that’s their practical choice?”
Double haters are more likely to say they’d vote for a third-party candidate or not vote at all. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made progress gaining ballot access in states across the country and is trying to get on the June presidential debate stage. But, if history is any indication, double haters might ultimately opt for one of the two major party candidates.
“In 2016, the double haters broke substantially for Trump, but in 2020 they broke substantially for Biden,” Franklin said.
"That’s no help at all for knowing which way they’ll break this year, except to say that... they actually could be pretty important for determining the winner of the election."
Featured Expert
Charles Franklin
Professor of Law and Public Policy and Director of the Marquette Law School Poll
Extra Credit
Eat
If you're (a) tired of...everything, (b) loyal to “The Cult of Spicy Chile Crisp,” or (c) all of the above, consider making Pickled Plum’s Pan Fried Noodles with Chili Crisp. The under 20-minute, 9-ingredient recipe combines crispy-yet-tender noodles with the slightly spicy, umami-filled condiment in what may be the best noodle dish ever. Yeah, we said it.
For more recs...
Check out the Daily Skimm Weekend newsletter, in your inbox every Saturday and Sunday. We'll help you spend your leisure time well.
Game Time
Start your Tuesday off right with Typeshift, a fun new game that challenges you to create words from a set number of letters. Warning: It’s very addicting. Start playing.
Settle This
Both KFC and fans noticed Joe Jonas’ Cannes outfit appeared quite similar to Colonel Sanders’ look. Who wore it better?
(This poll is no longer available)
Live Smarter
Sign up for the Daily Skimm email newsletter. Delivered to your inbox every morning and prepares you for your day in minutes.