News·4 min read

Daily Skimm: Trump's UK Visit, Virginia Beach, and A New Rom-Com

Trump and May
Getty Images
June 3, 2019

TRUMP AND CRUMPETS

The Story

President Trump is putting on his best British accent and spending some time across the pond.

Didn’t he already meet the Queen?

Yup. Last year. But that was a working visit as opposed to an official state visit. They usually pull out all the stops for state visits. Think: a welcome procession, a snazzy banquet at Buckingham Palace and quality time with the royal family. This time, sans Meghan Markle.

Got it. What’s on the agenda this year?

The usual banquet fare. Like…

Brexit…Trump has opinions about how to fix this never-ending mess. He says that the UK should “walk away” from talks with the EU if needed, and has offered the UK a quickie (as in a quickly negotiated trade deal if it makes a clean cut from the bloc). He also wants pro-Brexit Boris Johnson to take over for PM Theresa May when she steps down as party leader this week.

China…it all comes down to Huawei. The US has been pressuring the UK to cut ties with the Chinese telecom giant, arguing that the Chinese gov could use the company’s 5G tech to spy. It’s also threatened to stop sharing intel with allies (read: the UK) if they agree to work with Huawei.

Iran…the US split from the UK and other countries to ditch the nuclear deal with Iran. Since then, US-Iran tension has gone from bad to worse. And the UK and other countries are stuck playing the middle man.

Sounds like fun. How is the UK feeling about the visit?

Some are excited and think the UK could use a friend like the US…since it might lose 27 friends in the EU once it leaves the bloc in October. Some aren’t as thrilled and have planned protests to make sure everyone knows it. After this, Trump will jet off to France to meet up with French President Emmanuel Macron and commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

theSkimm

State visits between the two countries are usually all about the fancy photo ops. But this year, there are a lot of divisive issues hanging in the balance. Luckily, nothing goes better with a cup of Earl Grey than a side of trade talks. 

Skimm More: Our app has an audio ep that goes deep on D-Day and how it set up a “special relationship” between the US and the UK.

AND ALSO...THIS

What people are mourning…

The Virginia Beach shooting. On Friday, a gunman opened fire at a government building, killing 12 people before dying in a shootout with police. The attacker had worked there as an engineer, and submitted his resignation hours before the attack. Authorities haven’t landed on a motive yet. The shooter seems to have purchased the guns legally.

What has the US gov singing ‘I got my eyes on you’…

Google and Amazon. The gov is upping its oversight of the two companies and could investigate them for antitrust issues. The Justice Dept’s on Google while the FTC is eyeing Amazon. This comes after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for regulation of the tech industry, saying it has too much power. Now, these companies have reason to worry: back in the ’90s and early ’00s, an antitrust case with Microsoft kept the company busy while other startups (hi, Google) snuck onto the scene.

…Oh and speaking of rumors that has Silicon Valley clutching its pearls: iTunes. The platform you turned to in your post-LimeWire days might be shutting down.

PS: GV (formerly Google Ventures) is a minority investor in theSkimm.

Who people are remembering…

Leah Chase. The famous New Orleans chef and civil rights icon died over the weekend at age 96. Chase was called the Queen of Creole Cuisine, introducing many people to the food over her decades-long career. She created a desegregated restaurant that was a haven for activists during the civil rights movement. She was the first African American to receive the James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award. And was the inspiration for Princess Tiana in Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog.” RIP.

What everyone and their presidential candidate of choice has opinions about…

The Affordable Care Act. New research shows that the ACA (aka Obamacare) helped lower racial disparities in cancer care between black and white Americans. Since the ACA went into effect, the difference in how quickly some black and white patients started getting treatment nearly disappeared. The news comes as Republicans and Democrats are split over the law in advance of the 2020 elections.

$: What’s money got to do with it? Not everyone’s a fan of the ACA. Here’s what repealing the law could mean for your wallet.

When you miss your childhood friends… 

Be the Marcus to my Sasha.

When you’re reading up on the latest Ben and Jerry’s flavor

Skimm This. Our daily podcast dives into the latest FDA hearing on CBD – the first public hearing since it approved the first CBD drug last year.

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