Skimm This

This week, we’re answering your questions about what’s going on in the news right now. Here’s what you wanted to know:  First up: What’s the deal with this new strain of COVID that’s been found in the UK?  Then: Why did Russia hack the United States again? And what information did they get?  Next: What’s in the new stimulus package?  And: What’s happening to our alcohol consumption during COVID? And how do we know if it’s a problem?  Also: Why am I seeing headlines about a “galactic federation”?  Finally: Are robots really coming for our jobs? PS: You can find the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Website, Rethinking Drinking, here. And here is the NIAAA’s Treatment Navigator. On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Dr. Amber D’Souza, infectious disease epidemiologist, Johns Hopkins University Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Garrett Kenyon, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Yijing Watkins, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Want more Skimm?  Sign up for our free daily newsletter Email us your questions about what’s going on in the news right now  Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Skimm This. Here’s what we’re covering this week:  First up: The first Americans have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. Now that it’s here, we know you’ve got questions. So we called in an expert to Skimm the answers. Then: Your holiday package forecast? Expect some delays. We’ll tell you what you need to know if you’re planning to do some last minute shopping.  Quickly: This season’s hottest gift? Dry ice. We’ll tell you why…in 60 seconds.  HELP US, HELP YOU! Fill our our 2020 year-end podcast survey here. ICYMI: Congress is working on another COVID-19 stimulus bill. But longer-term solutions are required to solve some of the most pressing issues in America: hunger and public transportation.  Finally: What better way to kick off the week of Christmas than with...a Christmas star. We’ll explain the once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event that you might spot on the horizon starting December 21st. P.S., Those resources we told you about in the show? Click here if you or someone you know needs help seeking information on how to obtain food.On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Julie Fischer, associate research professor, Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security Ramona Hood, president and CEO, FedEx Custom Critical Stacey Nicholas, director of community outreach, Douglass Community Services Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America Sarah Kaufman, associate director, NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Want more Skimm?  Sign up for our free daily newsletter Email us your questions about what’s going on in the news right now  Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Skimm This. Here’s what we’re covering this week:  First up: The Electoral College is meeting Monday to finally put this whole election to bed. We’ll tell you what’s expected to go down.  Then: Congress is, once again, deadlocked over whether to pass another Coronavirus relief bill. We’ll explain the holdup. Quickly: Some major companies (think: Airbnb and Doordash) are going public. If that has you wondering WTF is an IPO… we’ll break it down in 60 seconds.  ICYMI: It’s been a historic week in the fight against COVID-19. But approving a vaccine and successfully “rolling one out” aren’t the same thing. We’ll tell you what challenges lie ahead.  Finally: We’ve got some advice on how to limit your COVID-19 exposure risk if you’re getting into an Uber or Lyft. Pro tip: roll down multiple windows.  On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in governance studies, Brookings Institution Wendy Zukerman, host, “Science Vs.” (a podcast from Gimlet, a Spotify Studio) Kenny Breuer, professor of engineering, Brown University Want more Skimm?  Sign up for our free daily newsletter Email us your questions about what’s going on in the news right now  Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re all pretty excited for a fresh start in 2021.Before we get there, we’ve got some vaccine news for you and a look at who might get a dose before the end of the year.Then, there’s one person who’s already making his intentions clear for 2021: President-Elect Joe Biden. We’ve got the who’s who on his cabinet picks and how he’s already making some contrasts between his team and President Trump’s.Plus, we’re playing catch-up on two crises in Ethiopia and Iran that could cause headaches for Biden’s incoming team. Finally, there’s a Christmas tree shortage this year, and it’s not the Grinch’s fault. We’ll tell you how to take care of your tree this year - if you can get your hands on one.On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Michèle Flournoy, former US undersecretary of defense, co-founder, WestExec Advisors Bronwyn Bruton, director of programs and studies, The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center Ariane Tabatabai, Middle East fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy Let us know what questions you have about what’s going on in the news right now. Email us at audio@theskimm.com or call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370. You might hear your message on the show. If you want to add theSkimm to your daily routine, sign-up for our free newsletter the Daily Skimm. It’s everything you need to know to start your day, right in your inbox. Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once the Thanksgiving table is cleared, it’s shopping season. Black Friday may look a bit different this year, but it still kicks off a crucial period for online and real-world retailers as they try to end 2020 on a high note.This week we’re stepping back from the news and looking at what makes the holiday shopping season so important in 2020 in particular, how marketers are making their sales pitch and why so much is on the line for small businesses.On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Anne Roggeveen, professor of retailing and marketing, Babson College Jordyn Holman, retail reporter, Bloomberg News Kalyn Chandler Johnson, owner, “Effie’s Paper, Stationery and Whatnot”  Let us know what questions you have about what’s going on in the news right now. Email us at audio@theskimm.com or call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370. You might hear your message on the show. If you want to add theSkimm to your daily routine, sign-up for our free newsletter the Daily Skimm. It’s everything you need to know to start your day, right in your inbox. Skimm'd by Ciara Long, with additional support from Peter Bonaventure, Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A dangerous collision between a pandemic and America’s biggest family get-together is just around the corner.Before we get to the main course, we’ve got an update on the presidential transition between President Trump and President-Elect Joe Biden (1:08). Quick Skimm: nothing’s really happened so far. We’ll also tell you about Amazon’s big move this week into the world of prescription drugs (7:50). Then, we’re coming up on the last exit before Thanksgiving. It’s our final chance to rethink our plans as COVID cases in the U-S set new records every day. We’ll give you an update on where things stand and what’s contributing to this latest surge in cases (12:19). Finally, if you find yourself having to be Top Chef at your holiday dinner this year, we’ve got you covered (22:06). Cue: a smaller feast… but the same well-deserved nap. BTW: here’s a one-pan, one-pot Thanksgiving dinner that takes three hours or less to put together. On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Kristine Simmons, VP of government affairs, Partnership for Public Service Dr. Fadia Shaya, director of the Center on Drugs and Public Policy, University of Maryland's School of Pharmacy Vanessa Kerry, CEO, Seed Global Health Zack Bruell, Cleveland-based chef and restaurateur  Let us know what questions you have about what’s going on in the news right now. Email us at audio@theskimm.com or call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370. You might hear your message on the show. If you want to add theSkimm to your daily routine, sign-up for our free newsletter the Daily Skimm. It’s everything you need to know to start your day, right in your inbox. Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In case you missed it last week, the U.S. just left the Paris Agreement on climate change. We’ve got the details on what could happen next. After that, we’ll explain the status of President Trump’s election lawsuits and what to make of Pfizer’s flashy new COVID-19 vaccine.Then, as some major U.S. companies indefinitely delay the return to the office, it might be time to consider WFH our new reality. We’ll ask an expert for advice on how to make remote work productive and sustainable over the long-haul.Finally, we know you’ve already heard about the humans heading to the White House. Well, we’ve got the skinny on the pets-elect headed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Caroline Polisi, legal analyst and an adjunct lecturer in law at Columbia Law School Gigi Kwik Gronvall, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Tsedal Neeley, professor of business, Harvard Business School Let us know what questions you have about what’s going on in the news right now. Email us at audio@theskimm.com or call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370. You might hear your message on the show. If you want to add theSkimm to your daily routine, sign-up for our free newsletter the Daily Skimm. It’s everything you need to know to start your day, right in your inbox. Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a long week, but it’s not over yet. We’ve got the latest on the Trump campaign’s legal strategy as it tries to stop the vote counts in some states and control which ballots are counted in others. Then, we’ll explain why one state’s 2020 election is likely to spill over into January 2021. Sorry, Georgia!Need a break from staring at the electoral map? We’ll tell you about some of the other history being made this year, because there really is a first for everything. And finally: we’ve got some expert advice for dealing with anxiety. Not that we need it... On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Caroline Polisi, legal analyst and adjunct lecturer in law, Columbia Law School Michele Swers, professor of government, Georgetown University Sarah McBride, Democratic candidate-elect, Delaware Senate Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist and author, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” Let us know what questions you have about what’s going on in the news right now. Email us at audio@theskimm.com or call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370. You might hear your message on the show. If you want to add theSkimm to your daily routine, sign-up for our free newsletter the Daily Skimm. It’s everything you need to know to start your day, right in your inbox. Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Skimm This, breaking down what we know – and don’t know – about the election results so far. First, the race for the White House. Spoiler: we still don’t have a winner, but we’ll explain which states hold the keys for an electoral college victory and where the vote-count stands right now. Then, we’ll bring you the latest on who’s likely to have majority control in the Senate and the House.And finally, we’ll spotlight some key state laws that voters changed at the polling booth – from legalizing drugs to changing their flags.Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up first, we’ve got the latest on three developing stories from this week. Including: Amy Coney Barrett officially joining the Supreme Court, a new study on COVID-19 antibodies, and why tech CEOs faced a grilling on Capitol Hill. And for our main story, you’ve probably seen headlines that, by the end of election night, we might not know who won the presidential race. To prepare you for the different possible election and post-election scenarios, we created a roadmap of different options. Named after…cocktails. Meet: the Old Fashioned, the Spiked Seltzer, and the Long Island Iced Tea. We’ll speak to election experts about how these different scenarios could play out. Then, we’ve got some tips on how to help some of the older folks in your life cast their ballots safely. And finally, we’ve got some ideas for this weekend’s (politics optional!) movie night. On this episode, you’ll hear from:  Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in governance studies, Brookings Institution Mary McCord, legal director, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown University Molly Krakowski, senior director of government affairs, JASA Dawn Porter, director, “The Way I See It”  Beandrea July, freelance film and television critic Let us know what questions you have about what’s going on in the news right now. Email us at audio@theskimm.com or call and leave us a voicemail at: 646-461-6370. You might hear your message on the show. If you want to add theSkimm to your daily routine, sign-up for our free newsletter the Daily Skimm. It’s everything you need to know to start your day, right in your inbox. Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Justine Davie, and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and Ciara Long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices