Skimm'd after making frosé

theSkimm50 West 23rd Street, Suite 5B; New York, NY, 10010, United States Update Profile

JUNE 11, 2018

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  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"Someone please interview the goat" – A Twitter user, because there was a goat walking the Tony's red carpet.

MR. TRUMP GOES TO SINGAPORE

The Story

President Trump is entering a historic summit with North Korea and there's some drama looming over him.

Drama? Tell me.

Over the weekend, Trump stopped by the G7. Trump made headlines for suggesting 'Making the G7 Eight Again': aka inviting Russia back even though it was kicked out after annexing Crimea. He also threatened to stop trading with countries that don't agree to his trade demands. He also showed up late to a gender equality meeting. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country is not going to be "pushed around" when it comes to trade. And that Canada plans to hit the US back with its own tariffs. Trump responded by saying the US will not be signing the meeting's joint statement.

What are people saying?

Critics - like Democratic leaders and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) – say this is not a good look. And goes against the US's free-trade policies with its allies. Supporters – like Trump's top economic adviser – accused the Canadian PM of trying to make Trump look bad before his big meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Yeah, what's happening with that?

After a lot of 'will they or won't they,' Trump and Kim are finally meeting today at 9pm ET – which is 9am tomorrow in Singapore – for their coffee date. It will be the first ever meeting between a sitting US prez and a North Korean leader. Trump is hoping to get North Korea to put down its nuclear weapons. The main Q is whether the US and North Korea have the same idea of what 'denuclearization' actually means.

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Trump is escalating potential trade wars with US allies, while at the same time trying to de-escalate a future nuclear war with North Korea. All eyes are on whether his 'art of the deal' will help him achieve an agreement with the North that past presidents have tried (and failed) to accomplish.


PS: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talked to us about what he thinks will go down at the US-NK summit. Watch here.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you tell your SO about work drama...

This is not the time to be neutral. Today marks the end of net neutrality – the Obama-era rules that prevented Internet service providers from charging websites for a faster connection. Last year, the FCC voted to repeal the rules, calling them unnecessary. But many people want to keep them, arguing that if the rules go away, the Verizons and Comcasts of the world could start charging sites for a faster connection. Which would make it harder for smaller businesses to compete with the big guys. More than 20 states have sued to try and keep the rules in place – and a few have taken steps to keep net neutrality in their states. Last month, the Senate passed a measure to try and keep net neutrality riiight where it is. But it couldn't get the House to vote on it. Now the rules go away on a national level.


What to say when your friend refuses to give an ETA…

Suspicious. Just like this fire. Last month, Iraqis went to the polls to elect their parliament. The party that came out on top is led by a populist, anti-US cleric. But the vote had a record low turnout, and people accused the election commission of messing with the results. Last week, the current prime minister said 'I want a recount.' Parliament said 'agree.' But yesterday, a warehouse holding a bunch of ballots caught on fire. Coincidence? It's unclear. But the fire doesn't help convince anyone that this electoral process was fair and square. And some people are calling for new elections altogether.


What people are talking about…

Anthony Bourdain. On Friday, the celebrated chef, writer, and TV personality died by suicide. He was 61 years old. Bourdain started working in kitchens as a dishwasher in his teens. In 1999, he became famous for a New Yorker article that he turned into a best-selling memoir, "Kitchen Confidential." Since then, Bourdain's been on the Food Network, the Travel Channel, and CNN doing what he did best: trying foods and telling stories. He tried cuisines from all over the world – including Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gaza – shedding light on cultures many people aren't familiar with and humanizing people from those places. Tributes from chefs, celebrities, and fans have been pouring in since Friday's news.


PS: If you or someone you know needs this, here's the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.


What to say when you hear "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" won big at the Tonys...

Speaking of wizards, yesterday Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open title. Meet Simona Halep, the Romanian who took the W on the women's side – her first Grand Slam win ever. Raise a glass for Justify. He became the second undefeated horse to win the Triple Crown. And surprise, surprise, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals for the second year in a row after shutting out the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sorry, LeBron's hand.


What to say when you see your friends' pride parade pictures…

The UK's also got something to celebrate: 100 years since women got the right to vote.


What to say when you see a co-worker at a bar…

Didn't expect to see you here. Same with Will Smith's appearance in this World Cup music video.