

Skimm This
theSkimm
“Skimm This” tackles important topics that impact women, and empowers generations of women to live smarter. Listen to our miniseries throughout the year, airing on Thursdays.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 25, 2019 • 12min
Not Messing Around: North Korea, The Death Penalty, Heatwave
North Korea is playing with fire – literally. Just a couple weeks after President Trump visited Kim Jong Un in North Korea and agreed to resume denuclearization talks, North Korea tested two missiles this morning. Back in the US, Attorney General Bill Barr is resuming the death penalty, but he’s making some changes to how it’s implemented. Also on today’s show: Europeans and A/V guys everywhere are sweating it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 24, 2019 • 13min
Digging deeper: Mueller Testifies, Facebook Settlement, and Self-Care Day
Today, Democrats and Republicans told former special counsel Robert Mueller: ‘have a seat - actually, have two.’ Mueller said he was done talking about his report -- but lawmakers have more questions. We’ll tell you why, and what happened during today’s hearings. Meanwhile, Facebook has to pay $5 billion and change up its privacy rules after an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. We’ll explain. Also on today’s episode: how self-care is about more than just relaxing, and a very expensive stroll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 2019 • 12min
Changes: UK Prime Minister, SNAP Benefits, and Wrestling
The UK has a new prime minister. Between dealing with Brexit and tensions with Iran, Boris Johnson has a long ‘to do’ list to tackle. And he doesn’t even have a full cabinet yet. We’ll explain what lies ahead for Johnson and the UK. Meanwhile, a proposed Trump admin rule could cut millions of people off from food stamp benefits. We’ll break down why the admin wants this rule, and who it affects. Also on today’s episode: more women are being nominated to attend US military academies, and a star who wrestled her way to the top. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 22, 2019 • 11min
On The Rise: Tensions with Iran, Puerto Rico Protests and India's Moon Mission
Today, Iranian officials announced that they’ve broken up a CIA spy ring and that they’ve arrested 17 suspected spies. Iran’s claimed this kind of thing before -- and President Trump says reports of arrests aren’t true. But there’s a history here that’ll help you decode today’s headlines. Meanwhile, anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Puerto Rico today, calling for Puerto Rico’s governor to resign. He says he’s staying put. But lawmakers are already talking impeachment. We’ll explain. Also on today’s episode: India makes its way to the south side of the moon, and there’s one less place to document on your Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 19, 2019 • 13min
SPECIAL EPISODE: To The Moon And Back
Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the “giant leap for mankind.” You may have heard of it. On today’s episode, we break down the Apollo 11 mission: what it took to prepare for the mission, and what actually happened over the course of the eight-day-long journey to the moon and back. There was a lot that could have gone wrong. But it was a complete success. And NASA kept returning to the moon. Astronauts not only brought in a new phase of the space race - they brought back some souvenirs. Some of which are just being studied for the first time. Listen in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 18, 2019 • 13min
Alienated: US and Turkey, FaceApp, and Area 51
Turkey just ordered a new missile defense system from Russia. And now the US is telling Turkey: no F-35 fighter jets for you. Basically, the US is worried selling Turkey the F-35s means giving Russia access to top secret tech. We’ll tell you why that’s a concern for the US, and how it affects the relationship with Turkey, a key NATO ally. Meanwhile, another Russian invention is causing people’s hair to go gray: it’s called FaceApp. Some US lawmakers are warning that your uploaded selfies may end up in the Russian government’s inbox. We’ll explain why. Also on today’s episode: tragedy strikes a famous animation studio in Japan, and why the US government is going there...out there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 2019 • 13min
On the Outs: Libra in Congress, Planned Parenthood, and Netflix
Today, the head of Facebook’s global cryptocurrency project got a bipartisan grilling from the House Financial Services Committee. Lawmakers have been raising concerns about the crypto, called ‘Libra’: over who will regulate it, how Facebook will handle people’s private financial data, and whether their approach could break antitrust laws. We’ll break it down. Meanwhile, the president of Planned Parenthood has been ousted from the job after eight months. The organization reportedly wants make fighting for abortion rights a priority. We’ll explain. Also on today’s episode: why Netflix has gone back and edited an old scene from the show ‘13 Reasons Why,” and how Apple is giving us more ways to express ourselves. PS - If you or someone you know needs it, here’s the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 16, 2019 • 13min
Transfer of Power: Asylum Rule, Ursula von der Leyen and Emmy Nominees
The Trump administration has issued a new rule that’ll mean most migrants heading to the US-Mexico border likely won’t be eligible for asylum. The admin says asylum seekers will have to ask other countries first. And those other countries are saying: who, us? Legal experts say this new rule could violate domestic and international law. We’ll explain why. Meanwhile, soon-to-be former German defense minister Ursula von der Leyen has been elected the new president of the European Commission. She’s making history as the first woman to hold the job - and she’s got a surprising to-do list. Also on today's episode: just how many Emmy awards ‘Game of Thrones’ is nominated for, and a really big lift(-off.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 15, 2019 • 13min
Doubling Down: Trump Tweets, Puerto Rico, and Prime Day Protests
Over the past few days, President Trump’s sent out a series of tweets about a group of “‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen.” He suggested they should “go back” to the countries they came from. Today, he doubled down. We’ll tell you who President Trump’s talking about and why -- and how people are reacting. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico is having a bad case of the Mondays. Hundreds of pages of chats between Governor Ricardo Rosselló and others have leaked. And they’re filled with sexist and derogatory comments. All while Puerto Rico is trying to figure out how to pay off billions of dollars in debt. We’ll explain. Also on today’s episode: why some Amazon workers are boycotting Prime Day, and a new name to know on the nightly news circuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 12, 2019 • 12min
Incoming: Citizenship Data, ICE raids, and Tropical Storm Barry
President Donald Trump has dropped the idea of adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. But he says he has a back-up plan to get the data anyway. Which could affect elections across the country. We’ll explain. Meanwhile, Republicans and Dems in Congress are visiting detention camps along the Mexican border - but are coming back with different stories. Today’s hearing comes right before planned ICE raids begin on Sunday. We break it down. Also on today’s episode: a tropical storm makes its way to Louisiana, and a great match at Wimbledon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices