Skimm'd while making a commitment

"Cathay Paciic" - A typo made on the side of a Cathay Pacific plane. Mistakes happem.

YEMEN

The Story

Yemen is dealing with a major crisis.

Back up.

The country has been in a civil war for years. Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's gov forces while its regional rival Iran backs the Houthi rebels. The fighting has killed thousands, caused many to flee, crashed the country's currency, and spiked prices for things like food and gasoline.

What's the latest?

Earlier this year, a Saudi-led coalition tried to reclaim Hodeida - a major rebel-held port city, but fighting stalled during UN peace talk attempts. The Houthis didn't show up at peace talks organized this month, so the coalition relaunched its offensive. The problem: the city is a vital lifeline for civilians in need - around 70% of humanitarian aid passes through this port. The UN has warned that any major fighting in Hodeida would severely limit the country's access to food and other necessities.

Not good.

Nope. That's why this week, the charity organization Save the Children warned that about 5 million children are at risk of famine there. The UN has also said an assault on the port city could kill up to 250,000 people. And there are fears that without access to the area, the country is at risk of falling into another cholera outbreak.

theSkimm

Hodeida is the most important port city in Yemen for citizens to receive humanitarian aid. If this reported offensive cuts off even part of it, there could be catastrophic consequences for many civilians there.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you hear a rumor at work...

Let's get to the bottom of this. Yesterday, the EU said it's looking into Amazon and how it handles data from smaller third-party sellers. There are concerns that the 'Zon could use this data to figure out what customers like, and then make its own (cheaper) version of the same product. The EU says it's only in the "very early days" of its investigation. But it wouldn't be the first company it's gone after (see: this and this). No word from Amazon on all this. Speaking of companies in the hot seat, a former Spotify sales exec is suing the co for alleged gender discrimination. She says male employees were taken on "boys' trips" to places like strip clubs and women didn't get the invite. The streaming co reportedly says it does not "tolerate discrimination of any kind at any level." Maybe it's time to call Mark Cuban for damage control. The Dallas Mavericks owner is donating $10 million to groups that focus on women in leadership roles and fighting domestic violence. This is in response to an investigation into the Mavericks' workplace behavior. The results: not great.

What to say when you're asked how fast you change into comfy clothes after work...

In an instant. Yesterday, India's gov banned instant divorce. Millions of Sunni Muslims living in India follow Muslim Personal Law. Part of the law says men who want to get divorced can just say "talaq" (which means divorce in Arabic) three times - and their wish is granted. It can even be posted on social media or sent through a text. Cue women's rights activists saying 'we've got a few (thousand) issues with this.' Last year, the country's top court said this violates Muslim women's constitutional rights. But nothing really came of it. Now the gov is banning the practice and making it a punishable offense (think: jail time). And reportedly giving parliament six months to make it official law. Some think the gov might be doing this to win over female voters before next year's general election. Constitutional rights? For women? Groundbreaking.

What to say when two people are asking you out on a date...

Fight for me. Today, UK regulators said 21st Century Fox and Comcast will have to compete to get British broadcasting network Sky in an auction that starts tomorrow. Winner is announced on Saturday. May the bidding odds be ever in your favor.

PS: 21st Century Fox is a minority investor in theSkimm.

What to say when you hear your fave Marvel characters are getting their own TV series...

Suffering succotash.

What to say when your cousin needs an excuse to cancel a date...

This love has taken its toll on me.

NO EXCUSES

Midterms. Are. Coming. And Americans have a history of ghosting the polls. But midterms matter because who you vote for down the ballot can affect your wallet, your health care, your environment. And the list goes on.

Voting starts with registering, knowing the important dates, issues and key races. Do it all here. No excuses.

PS: Been there, done that? Make sure you're committed.

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