Skimm'd while feeling like solid gold

"They were the worst musicians in the world" - Legendary music producer Quincy Jones, who's worked with icons like The Beatles. On...The Beatles.

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The Story

The Senate has a bipartisan, long-term budget deal. Finally.

What's this about?

Keeping the government's 'open' sign lit. For months, Congress has been passing short-term deals that force lawmakers to revisit the issue every few weeks. Last month, the gov briefly shut down because Congress couldn't agree on what to do about DACA. The program - which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the US as kids from being deported - expires next month. Meanwhile, the latest shutdown deadline rolls around tonight.

So what's in the deal?

The Senate got ambitious. They want to fund the government for two years. Including almost $300 billion for things like the military, disaster relief, infrastructure, and the opioid crisis. The deal also raises the debt ceiling - the limit on how much the US is allowed to borrow.

What's not in it?

A DACA fix. The Senate promised to take up the issue separately. House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says she'll only agree to a budget deal if the House promises the same. And took the mic yesterday for more than eight hours to make her point.

What's next?

The Senate votes on this two-year deal. If it passes, it goes to the House, where it probably won't get as warm of a welcome - especially from Dems and far-right members.

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Congress has until midnight to avoid another shutdown. If they do, it means they can finally move on to other 2018 priorities, like infrastructure and immigration.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are watching...

Syria. Yesterday, the US-led coalition there carried out air and artillery strikes against pro-regime forces, killing an estimated dozens of people. Although the US has often targeted ISIS forces in the region, an attack against pro-regime forces is rare. The US says it was acting out of self-defense, because pro-regime forces were launching an attack against pro-US forces there. Syrian state media confirmed the airstrike. Add this to the list of growing reasons people are worried about what's happening in Syria.

What people are talking about...

Rob Porter. Yesterday, the top White House aide resigned over alleged abuse against his two ex-wives. The women came forward earlier this week, saying Porter was emotionally and physically abusive. One of them has photos. They told the FBI about all of this when Porter was hired at the White House, which is why he never got a full security clearance. Porter denies the allegations and calls it a "coordinated smear campaign." In other news shaking up DC, there are more texts between that FBI lawyer and agent - the same duo who sent those anti-Trump messages. Republicans say the texts suggest former President Obama was keeping very close tabs on the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. And raise some Qs about how involved he was. One text said Obama wanted to "know everything." It's unclear whether it was referring specifically to the Clinton probe or the Trump-Russia investigation. But Trump said the texts are "bombshells."

What to say when your friend gets a promotion...

Seeing dolla dolla bills. So is The Los Angeles Times. Its parent company is selling the paper to a local billionaire for $500 million. The Times has been on an emotional rollercoaster lately. Last month, its editor-in-chief was pushed out after three months on the job. Its editorial employees voted to unionize, even after the parent co said 'bad idea.' Oh, and its publisher is on leave pending a sexual harassment investigation. Apparently the parent co is done dealing with it all. The buyer made his fortune in biotech and doesn't really have a media background. But he's the latest wealthy businessman to get into the newspaper business (see this and this).

What to say to your friend who goes to church every weekend...

Hear about this? Pope Francis was reportedly hand-delivered a letter years ago alleging a sex abuse cover-up in Chile. For years, Catholic priests have been accused of sexually abusing children. And the higher ups in the church have not only been accused of looking the other way, but covering it all up. Last month, Francis got in a lot of trouble for defending a bishop who survivors say knew about abuse by a Chilean priest, and did nothing. Francis - who is the first Latin American pope - said he'd never gotten any complaints about a cover-up. Now, one survivor is saying otherwise. He says he wrote a letter to Francis in 2015, detailing how the priest sexually abused him as a teenager. And the bishop let it happen. BTW, back in 2011, the Vatican had found this priest guilty of sexually abusing minors. It's unclear whether Francis read the letter. Now, the Vatican is sending someone to interview the survivor in person.

What to say to your friend who always eats her greens...

Aspara-guess what? Researchers suggest an amino acid found in asparagus - and other foods - might be causing breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body. They say when mice with breast cancer ate less of this amino acid, their cancer was a lot less likely to spread. Now they're looking into whether it could work for humans.

What to say when you need a pick-me-up...

The new Gerber baby will do it.

I SAID BRRR

Baby it's cold outside. But athletes are about to sweat it out at the Olympics. Here's what we have for you...

An exclusive calendar with the events to watch and can't-miss moments. All updated in real time. And if you get our app you have a chance to win an iPhone X and Apple Watch. iWant. Oh and to yesterday's winner, check your inbox.

We also have an audio series, Skimm Notes, all about the Olympic games every day during the games.

SKIMM LIFE

For when you're in the mood for real talk...

Read "Hunger" by Roxane Gay. This book gets physical. Gay - considered a GOAT writer of her generation - writes about her rape, her complicated relationship with her body, and more. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll read it quickly.

PS: To help celebrate Black History Month, February's Skimm Reads are from some of our favorite African American authors. There are more over here.

For when you're jealous of your cousin's college spring break...

You can go back to school too. This eight-week business program will turn you into Steve Jobs. Or at least make you qualified to wear more black turtlenecks. Get into it here.*

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador. Party pants on.

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