Skimm'd with green bean casserole

"Officers, I swear it wasn't me" – David Schwimmer has a dopplegänger in England who stole from a restaurant. That's what happens when your job's a joke, you're broke...

ON HOME TURF

The Story

Yesterday, the political divide in the country took a turn for the much worse.

Give me the details.

Earlier this week, a suspicious package was sent to billionaire and major liberal donor George Soros's NY home. Yesterday, we learned he wasn't the only one. They were also sent to former President Obama, former Sec of State Hillary Clinton, former AG Eric Holder, and the CNN building in NYC (to former CIA Director John Brennan, who's a frequent guest on the channel). All were sent with a return address from Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) – the former chairwoman of the DNC. Authorities say the packages all seem to have been pipe bombs. And the FBI said two similar packages addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) had also been intercepted.

Well that's terrifying.

Yup. Luckily authorities were able to intercept the bombs before they reached everyone. So no one got hurt. They think the bombs appear to be from the same person or people, and warned that there could be more out there.

Is this about the midterms?

Unclear. But it adds to an already tense election season. Many of the people targeted are leading Democrats who have criticized President Trump in the past...and vice versa.

What has he said about all this?

He said all of this is "despicable." And that "we have to unify" and send a message that these types of threats aren't OK. He also said there's a "major federal investigation" to find whoever's behind this and hold them accountable.

What are other people saying?

Democratic leaders are saying Trump has to stop condoning violence, and his "words and actions" have divided the country. GOP leaders are condemning the attacks. NYC's mayor called this an "act of terror."

theSkimm

The political divide in America is reaching a tipping point. But violence is not and will never be the answer.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you hear Apple and Samsung slow down their phones...

You know what's also slowing down? The stock market. Yesterday, the Dow fell more than 600 points and hit 'delete' on all of its gains for this year. Nasdaq had its worst daily drop since 2011. And the S&P 500 also had a bad day. Speaking of things on investors' minds, New York's attorney general sued Exxon Mobil for allegedly lying to its own investors. Specifically about how climate change regulations would affect its business. The lawsuit's based on a three-year investigation into the company. Exxon Mobil calls the allegations "baseless."

What people are talking about…

Georgia. There's a law in the state that lets election officials reject an absentee ballot if they think signatures don't match their records. This got a lot of attention last week when the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Republican Sec of State Brian Kemp – who's running for governor of GA against Dem Stacey Abrams. The ACLU says state officials aren't trained to analyze handwriting, and people should be notified first and given an opportunity to fix things before their ballot is rejected. State officials reportedly argue that they should be allowed to decide how to handle absentee ballots because absentee voting isn't a federal constitutional right. Yesterday, a judge sided with the ACLU. Now, both sides have until noon today to respond.

What to say when you hear someone has the flu…

Take this. Yesterday, the FDA gave the thumbs up to a new flu drug for the first time in almost two decades. Last season, about 80,000 Americans died of the flu – the highest number of flu deaths in at least 40 years. So the FDA is taking some measures to keep people safe. This new drug is a pill that anyone over 12 years old can take to reduce symptoms after just one dose. Crazy.

What to say to your friend who's watching the World Series...

More sports news for you. Yesterday, we learned there's a lot of sketchy practices around recruiting people into college basketball programs. Pause for fake shock. An Adidas exec and two other college basketball insiders were convicted in a corruption case. They'll be sentenced next year.

What to say when someone asks if you're happy at work...

I would be if they paid me more. A recent report says there's only one job where women get paid more than men in the US: wholesale or retail buyers. And when it comes to fields like finance, women make around $40,000 less than men. Do better, world.

NO EXCUSES

You look into a hotel before booking it. So why not look into who represents you in the gov? Know who's on your ballot before going to the polls.

And yeah...politics isn't for everyone. But voting isn't just about politics. It's about your rights. Our Shondaland friends from "Grey's" and "HTGAWM" say it best.

SKIMM PICKS

For when the outside temp matches the inside of your office…

Brr, it's cold in here. Get new fall clothes in your atmosphere. Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that makes your fall refresh easier. Because those pumpkin patch pics aren't going to take themselves. PS: new customers don't pay a styling fee.*

For when you want to feel inspired by your next podcast…

Say 'thanks' to Skimm'r of the Week Harper Spero. She's the host of Made Visible – a podcast about dealing with invisible illnesses. The goal: change the conversation around them and give a voice to those experiencing them. Learn more here.

SKIMM SHARE

Skimm HQ is making holiday travels plans. Share theSkimm with your cousin you'll see at Thanksgiving.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador.Go big.

theSkimm's Anna Greene NY, Anthony Allegra IL, Nicole Sarno IL, Melissa Brenner NY, Donald Gardner NJ, *Ashley Adams CO, *Meaghan Coyne NY, *Julia Zimmerman CT, *Erin Fischer IL, *Carissa Lick SD, *Angie Kellin MN, *Allison Park NY, *Colette Vance Wright CA, *Missy Sams GA, *Stephanie Merrill CA, *Julie Friem MO, *Sarah Romano Fleury SC, *Barbara Thompson Book IN, *Carly Caminiti MA, *Lindsey Dodge NY, *Pattey Bradick FL, *McKenna Kormanik, *McKenna Kormanik, *Cailin Sutera NJ, Katherine Torski MA, Maggie Jonas WI, Syeda Mahbub VA, Colette Vance-Wright CA, Jessica Smith AR, Pattey Bradick FL, Nicole Buchko NY, Owen Fraser NJ, Margaret Reid TX, Foluke Tuakli MD, Samantha Bietsch PA, Janina Ancona FL, Brian Butler CA, Shayla Givens VA, Janet Patterson NC, Laura Lane MO, Jennifer Reinhart AK, Tara Rodriguez CA, Chely Wright NY, Michelle Goldish IL, Kathleen Craider OH, Diana Marlo Smith VA, Serra King WA, Sidney Grace CA, Stephen Beier NJ, Brittany Dursi NY, Aileen Leitner DC, Lily Teague, Emily Hollender NY, Jenna Huber HI, Daniella De Santo NY, Adam Rosen NY, Emily Conklin MA, Alyce Lowe VA, Cailin Sutera NJ, Meagan Lewis IL, Kelly Fanzi DC

Skimm'd something we missed?

skimmthis@theSkimm.com

Issues?

help@theSkimm.com

Copyright (c) 2018 theSkimm, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:

theSkimm Inc. 50 West 23rd Street, Suite 5B

New York, NY, 10010, United States

Unsubscribe