Skimm This: Whistleblowers, Russian Protests, and the Washington Monument

It’s September 19th. Today, we Skimm’d This: 

• The House Intelligence Committee and the country’s top intelligence official are duking it out over a mysterious whistleblower complaint. We’ll tell you what this complaint is reportedly about, and why some lawmakers are raising hell over it. 

• Protests against the Russian government have been gaining steam, and the arrest of a film actor there has mobilized even more backlash on stage. We’ll explain.

• The US and Chinese trade negotiators are at least back on speaking terms. But there’s a new battle on the horizon: over smartphones. 

• And finally: the Washington Monument is back up and running. 

theSkimm: A whistleblower is sending Washington into a tizzy today. The House Intelligence Committee is demanding information about a complaint that reportedly has to do with President Trump. Meanwhile: an actor’s arrest is making waves in Russia. And other actors are staging protests. Also on today’s show: a big Chinese tech company is launching a new smartphone model in the middle of a trade war, and the Washington Monument is making it easier to make it to the top.