Skimm'd while learning how you really feel about the midterms

"We never expected to pass it" – A senior Pentagon official on failing its first big audit. Always good to keep expectations at zero.

CRISIS COMMS

The Story

There might finally be justice for the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. But probably not.

Argh, why?

Well, you know the deal: last month, Khashoggi visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and never came out. All evidence points to him being killed and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents. Turkey has implied this thing goes all the way to the top (hint: that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered it). For a while, the Saudi gov said 'we weren't involved at all.' Then it said 'ok maybe we were.' Now it's saying 'ok we definitely were, but it's not bin Salman's fault.' Yesterday, the gov said it's indicted 11 people, and is seeking the death penalty for five.

So...justice?

Sure. If you believe bin Salman actually had nothing to do with it – which many people, including US lawmakers – do not. Yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators threatened to stop arms sales to the country. And the State Dept issued sanctions on 17 Saudi officials it says were involved. Some say this is the admin's way of doing something, without doing 'something.'

But why not do 'something'?

Because the Trump admin is cozy with the Saudi crown prince. It also has a $110 billion arms sale with the country that President Trump has said he doesn't want to cancel. They also share the same enemy: Iran.

theSkimm

A lot of the countries we're talking about don't have great human rights records, especially when it comes to cracking down on journalists or dissidents (see: this and this). But this time, Saudi Arabia's been accused of killing and dismembering a well-known journalist in its own consulate and covering it up. Not exactly something the int'l community can just look past.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are watching...

The fires in California. Yesterday, the death toll in the Camp Fire in Northern CA rose to 63, bringing the statewide total to 66. And 631 people are still missing. This is the deadliest fire California has ever seen. Over 9,700 homes have burned and thousands of people are displaced. A norovirus outbreak has hit one of the shelters. The air quality in the Bay area is so bad that authorities are asking people to stay inside with the windows closed. Here's how you can help.

What to say when you hear the Mark Zuckerberg/Tim Cook beef is officially on...

Here's another status update. Yesterday, Facebook announced it had removed more than 1.5 billion fake accounts in the span of six months. Plus a bunch of other posts and content that had to do with hate speech, terrorist propaganda, and child exploitation. This is part of Facebook's effort at more transparency – one of many issues Facebook's been struggling with. Speaking of, this announcement came out a day after a report that says instead of dealing with its ongoing crisis like adults, Facebook execs hired a Republican opposition research firm that went after critics, hard. Meanwhile, they apparently ignored the warning signs of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Zuck that.

What to say when your co-worker betrays you...

Cutting ties. Beyoncé bought out her Ivy Park business partner after he was accused of racism and sexual harassment. And he's not the only one dealing with accusations. Seven women are suing Dartmouth over allegations that the school allowed sexual assault and harassment by professors to go on – in some cases for years. The professors either retired or resigned this summer, before Dartmouth got a chance to finish firing them.

What to say when you're wondering what happened in the Florida recount...

Patience. The Senate race is still too tight, so some ballots now have to be counted by hand. And Andrew Gillum (D) still isn't conceding the governor's race against Ron DeSantis (R) until every vote's been counted.

What to say when you hear the FDA wants to ban menthol cigarettes…

While you're at it, ban this too.

What to say when people are still commenting on women's clothes...

O(casio)ver it.

THING TO KNOW

P&L

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SKIMM READS

"Heads of the Colored People" by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

This collection of stories touches on different aspects of black identity and culture. Some will make you laugh (see: moms exchanging notes through their kids' backpacks) some will make you cry (see: gun violence in America). All will keep you glued to your seat over Thanksgiving. Get it here.

PS: Want more reads? Here you go.

SKIMM PICKS

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For when the idea of the airport makes you want to stay at home…

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SKIMM SHARE

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