Skimm'd with Maggie Rogers on repeat

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FEBRUARY 07, 2019

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Skimm'd with Maggie Rogers on repeat


  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"A new snack style humankind has been waiting for" – A company sells pre-smashed chips so you don't have to get your hands greasy. Innovation at its finest.

THINGS DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING

How do you solve a problem like Virginia?

The Story

You've been seeing a lot of headlines from VA.

Yeah, WTF is going on there?

Meet...


Gov. Ralph Northam…Last week, a photo in his 1984 med school yearbook surfaced where one person was in blackface and the other was in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. First, he apologized for it. Then, he backtracked, saying 'it wasn't me.' And said, 'well, I did dress up as Michael Jackson once.' He's refusing to resign even though people in his party are telling him to.


Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax…Next in line to become governor. He came under fire after a woman accused him of forcing her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. Fairfax denies the allegations and says it was consensual.


Attorney General Mark Herring…If both Northam and Fairfax resign, he'd be next in line to become governor. Yesterday, he admitted to wearing blackface and a wig to dress up as rapper Kurtis Blow when he was in college in 1980. His admission came after rumors circulated that there was a blackface photo of him floating around.

theSkimm

If Northam, Fairfax, and Herring leave their posts, Republican Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox would be next in line to take the governorship. This leaves Democrats trying to decide whether they want to maintain control the state, or take a hard line on misconduct they've been critical of before. It's also serving as a painful reminder, almost two years after Charlottesville, of the state's deep history of racism.


Not in our House

The Story

Yesterday. House Democrats showed President Trump what a divided government looks like. And went after him on a few big issues.

Like what?

Russia...Yesterday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) said its investigation into Russia is expanding. It will be looking into the finances of Trump and his team and whether any "foreign actors" had any leverage over them that might have influenced policy. And will be sending transcripts from its Russia investigation over to special counsel Robert Mueller. This came a day after Trump called for an end to the "ridiculous partisan investigations." And called this recent news "presidential harassment."


Guns...Dems on the House Judiciary Committee are saying they will be pushing legislation to tighten gun safety laws after the mass shootings in recent years. This is seen as the first large-scale attempt to change gun legislation in at least 8 years. Worth noting that while gun control measures might pass in the Democratic-controlled House, they will probably face strong pushback from the Republican-controlled Senate and the White House.


Yemen...Yesterday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a resolution to the full House that would require Trump to pull troops out of Yemen. The country's civil war has been going on for years and is seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The US has supported Saudi Arabia with things like arms, fuel, and intelligence. And Dems want it to stop – calling the Saudis' conduct in Yemen reckless (think: deadly airstrikes). This also comes months after Jamal Khashoggi's death. And could be a sign Dems are serious about distancing US support for Saudi Arabia.

theSkimm

The government was shut down for the first few weeks that Democrats took control of the House. Now, one day after the president delivered his State of the Union address, the party is making a very clear statement about its agenda.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say after paying off your recent credit card bill…

Money, where'd you go? Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it's rolling back rules that protect people who take out some loans. The CFPB's job is to make sure companies treat consumers fairly with things like credit cards and loans. Yesterday, it said it'll let lenders give out some high-interest loans without checking if consumers can actually pay them off. The agency says this will give people more access to credit. Critics say it'll allow lenders to take advantage of people who may end up further in debt. There's a 90-day public comment period before this can become official. That's not the only money move going on in the gov. Yesterday, President Trump picked David Malpass to become the next president of the World Bank. The World Bank helps give financial aid to developing countries, and its prez decided to call it quits. Now, Trump's picking Malpass – a Treasury Dept official – to take his place. Malpass has been critical of the bank in the past, saying it's too focused on growth and needs to focus more on its core mission. Interesting note: there are two major world financial orgs (the World Bank and the IMF). The World Bank has always had an American prez, and the IMF has always had a European prez. So Malpass has a pretty good shot at getting the post.


What to say when you meet your cousin's fiancé for the first time…

Welcome to the fam. Spotify's acquiring two podcast startups – Gimlet and Anchor. Spotify says it's the second largest podcast platform out there (we'll let you guess no. 1). And it's been looking to get deeper into the space so it can give its more than 200 million users more content. The goal: keep users within the app to access music and podcasts. And potentially use its discovery tool to provide a better experience than platforms like Apple Podcasts. May the best tech win.


What to say when your co-worker complains about the office being too hot…

Of course it is, because 2018 was one of the warmest years ever recorded. Scientists at the NOAA and NASA say this is all because of an increase in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. And that global warming is here, now.


Skimm More: Your FAQs on climate change, answered.


What to say to your friend who always has a new documentary to recommend…

What are you, a serial watcher?


What to say when it looks like your friend's been typing out a text for a while…

Can't choose between the otter and the sloth? Same.


What to say when you hear Gucci is in hot water

So is former NYT exec editor Jill Abramson.


PS: The New York Times is a minority investor in theSkimm.

SKIMM MONEY: TAXES

Tax season: it's all very exciting. Consider this your friendly nudge to maybe start thinking about it. Here's something to get your feet wet: the 411 on common tax forms (hey hey 1098 and friends), what they're for, and where you'll get them. Pro tip: you'll want to know all of this before you file.


Skimm More: You have until April 15 to get your taxes in. We made you a calendar so you don't forget that, and other important tax season dates.

SKIMM'RS

Chilling champagne for…Debjani B (TX). Her second TEDx Talk on reducing gender stereotyping just came out. And to Meghan T (VA), who helped launch a new all-girl Scouts BSA troop.


Cheers to…Dorothy S (MA). She recently launched an online school to help people gain a deeper relationship with themselves and those around them. And Tara J (CA), who recently got her pilot's license and bought a plane. Casual.


(Some) Birthdays…Amy Bothman (AZ), Annelise Buck (MD), Dulce Diaz (CA), Shiloh Francis (SD), Susan Bosse (TX), Jim Forti (IL), Shreya Indukuri (CA), Marissa Wolfgang (PA), Marshall Lemmond (NC), Joey Dill (NJ), Madison Ratycz (OH), Taylor Hall (NC)


*Welcome to a new section we're testing with members of theSkimm. Want to take it to the next level? Reach out here for a chance to be featured.