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"Average, reserved, self-centered or a role model" – Scientists have discovered four personality types and they're calling the most common one...average. A bit on the nose, no?

BACK IN THE HOT SEAT

The Story

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing a serious allegation.

Back up.

Earlier this year, President Trump picked the federal judge to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat. Dems wanted to take things slow, aka wait to vote on a SCOTUS nominee until after the midterms. But Republicans – who could have juuuust enough votes to get Kavanaugh confirmed – said, 'how about now? Now works.' At first, despite tense confirmation hearings, it looked like Kavanaugh's confirmation was in the bag. Now, not so much.

What happened?

On Sunday, CA professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward to publicly accuse Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the '80s.

What does she say?

That this happened at a party when the two were teens in high school. That Kavanaugh was drunk. That he didn't act alone. That she's talked about this in therapy, and has notes from her therapist to prove it. That she took a polygraph test. And that she's willing to testify publicly about this.

What does he say?

That he "categorically and unequivocally" didn't do this. And that he's willing to testify, too.

Why are we hearing about this now?

Ford says she reached out to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) about this back in July. But because Ford requested anonymity, Feinstein referred it to the feds and didn't bring it up publicly until last week, when a report on this first came out. Republicans have been giving her side-eye for waiting until now to drop this info.

What does this mean for his confirmation?

Unclear. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing, where both Ford and Kavanaugh will testify. That delays a committee vote that was planned for this Thursday. Trump is defending his pick but says he's ok with "a little delay" to make sure "everything is just right" with the confirmation process.

theSkimm

This situation is reminding a lot of people of the Anita Hill allegations against then-nominee Clarence Thomas back in the '90s. Thomas denied the sexual harassment allegations and went on to get confirmed. But it's 2018, and many are watching how allegations against a SCOTUS nominee will play out in the year of #MeToo.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when drama breaks out in the group text…

Grab the popcorn. Last night was your annual check-in on what shows you need to start binge-watching (read: the Emmys). Co-hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost didn't shy away from talking about sexual misconduct or diversity on the small screen. There were "Reparations Emmys" and a surprise proposal. "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" swept up the comedy categories and Rachel Brosnahan convinced you to register to vote (but really...No Excuses). "Game of Thrones" surprised...no one and won best drama series for the third time. Oh, and HBO and Netflix tied for the most Emmys with a casual 23 wins each.

PS: Streaming services had a very busy Monday night. Our app has audio episodes (aka Skimm Notes) that go deep on topics you need to know about. Like...streaming services. Get it here.

What to say when you had a busy Monday…

Not as busy as the Trump admin. Yesterday, President Trump told the Justice Department to make a few things public. Like parts of its 2016 warrant to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Also, text messages from former senior FBI officials, including former FBI Director James Comey. Trump also had updates for China. As in, if you liked China tariffs, you're going to love more China tariffs. And as if there weren't enough updates, yesterday the Trump admin said it's officially proposing to lower the number of refugees the US admits next fiscal year to 30,0000...the lowest cap, ever.

What people are watching…

Syria. Today, Russia says Syria shot down a Russian military plane there, killing 15 people. But it's holding Israel responsible, because it says Syria was trying to respond to Israeli fighter jets in the area. Now, tensions between Israel and Russia are way up, and Russia's saying it has the right to take an "appropriate response." This came after more optimistic news from Syria that Russia and Turkey had agreed on a demilitarized zone near the Syria-Turkey border. Reminder: Syria's been in a deadly civil war for more than seven years – with gov forces (backed by Russia) fighting rebel forces (backed by Turkey). The last major rebel-held area is Idlib – a province where about three million people live. There's recently been concerns that gov forces would attack Idlib to regain control of it – which the UN warned would create a humanitarian crisis. Now, it looks like Turkey and Russia are trying to avoid that.

What to say when you hear Elon Musk's getting sued…

That's not the only thing on his mind. Yesterday, his company SpaceX announced the first tourist it's sending to the moon. Meet, Yusaku Maezawa. He's a Japanese billionaire and founder of online retailer Zozotown. The trip would apparently take a few days – and he's planning to head there in 2023. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is thinking about making drinks with CBD – a part of marijuana that doesn't get you high. But the co may not make any moves until federal laws around marijuana change.

What to say when your friend shares some big news...

Supercallifragilisticexpialidocious.

THING TO KNOW

The Stoplight Method

Green doesn't mean 'go'...just yet. The Stoplight Method is a system for getting your sh*t done. Cluster your to-do's in three colors: red for tasks that require immediate attention, yellow for less urgent items, and green for long-term projects. Here are more ways to put the pedal to your planner.

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