Skimm'd with Wonder Woman

"I don't have time to spend money" - Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Shame, since he's worth around $40 billion.

FIGHTIN' WORDS

The Story

President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un are talking a lot of smack.

What's Trump saying?

Earlier this week, he made his UN debut by saying if the US is forced to defend itself, it will "totally destroy" North Korea. Then, he unwrapped an executive order giving his administration new powers to sanction people and companies that do business with the country. The goal: to cut off financing that props up the North's weapons programs. Even China - North Korea's largest trading partner - seems to be on board. Yesterday, Chinese authorities ordered the country's banks to cut ties with North Korea.

What's Kim saying?

That Trump is "mentally deranged" and will "pay dearly" for his threats. And NK officials warn that the country is now considering testing a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific.

What's everyone else saying?

* anxious silence * Pretty much everyone, including the Trump administration, is hoping these sanctions will squeeze the North into sitting down to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, France is considering backing out of next year's winter Olympics in South Korea over safety concerns.

theSkimm

These sanctions are similar to ones that got Iran to back off its nuclear program. Time will tell if the same tactic works with North Korea.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when an ad seems targeted...

Is that you, Russia? Yesterday, Facebook announced that it's handing over details on 3,000 ads to Congress. The company says the ads were bought by Russian-linked accounts during last year's presidential campaign. It's already given the info to the special counsel investigating Russia and the 2016 election. But Congress wanted it too. Facebook and Twitter have been under a very bright spotlight for the role they may have played in spreading Russian propaganda during the election. And it's something that could push lawmakers to enforce harsher social media regulations. To try to get ahead of it, yesterday Facebook rolled out some new rules for political ads to make it more transparent who's bankrolling them. Baby steps.

What to say to Jimmy Kimmel...

Hear you're getting political? So is Germany. This weekend, Germany heads to the polls for a parliamentary election. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been in power for over a decade, and is hoping to keep her job. In that time, she's been the MVP of some major EU crises. She and her main contender had one debate. And discussed almost no key issues. Earlier this year, it was looking like he might pull off an upset, but not anymore. BTW, this is the first time since WWII that a far-right party has a chance for seats in parliament. Something else to keep on the radar: Germany is the largest member of the EU and its biggest economy. So what happens in this election matters not just to the country, but to the entire continent.

What people are talking about...

Aaron Hernandez. The former NFL star committed suicide earlier this year while serving a life sentence for murder. He was 27 years old. Now, a lawsuit filed on behalf of his young daughter claims that researchers found Hernandez had a severe case of CTE - a debilitating brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. Like...the kind football players experience all the time. Symptoms include memory loss, impulsivity, and suicidal behavior. The disease can only be diagnosed after death. The lawsuit claims that the NFL was "fully aware" of the risks of the game, and failed to protect players like Hernandez. This comes years after the league agreed to pay $1 billion to former players who said they were also lied to.

What people are watching...

Puerto Rico. The US territory was badly battered by Hurricane Maria this week. The storm brought 155 mph winds and at least 30 inches of rain in some places. It was the worst hurricane to hit the island in almost a century. Now, much of Puerto Rico is under a flash flood warning. 100% of the island is still without power - which could take months to get back up and running. And it looks like Maria is headed for Turks and Caicos next. Meanwhile, at least 273 people have died since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the middle of Mexico this week. And rescue crews are still frantically searching the rubble for survivors.

What to say when things have been drama-free lately...

Liliane Bettencourt couldn't relate. The L'Oréal heiress recently passed away at her home in a Paris suburb. She was 94 years old. Bettencourt was the only child of the man who started L'Oréal back in the early 1900s. And held the title of world's richest woman - worth around $40 billion. Back in '07, Bettencourt's daughter filed a lawsuit claiming that her elderly mom wasn't competent enough to run her estate, and had been swindled by a much-younger man. Over the years, she'd given him around $1 billion in cash, art, and allegedly an island in the Seychelles...the usual. "L'affaire Bettencourt" was in court for almost a decade. He was eventually found guilty of abuse, and got three years in prison.

SKIMM LIFE

Fri-yay. You have a date with Wonder Woman. If you missed it in theaters - or saw it and need a round two - you can now rent it here tonight.

For when you're wondering what's next from Skimm Studios...

We're taking a bubble bath and talking climate change with Minka Kelly. Watch here.

For when you want to spend your weekend with a page turner...

Lisbeth Salander is back. Dive into "The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye" by David Lagercrantz.

For when you get home and just need a glass of something...

Pop open this South African syrah. It's perfect for those dessert-for-dinner kind of nights.

For when you're wondering about theSkimms' weekend plans...

On the road again. And needing new show recs. DM us @theSkimm on Insta with what we should binge next. We'll tell you what we picked next week.

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