“Well obviously she’s desperate” - Salma Hayek’s first thoughts after finding texts on her husband’s phone from a woman named Elsa. Elsa is a language-learning app.

VOULEZ-VOUS VOTE AVEC MOI?

THE STORY

Yesterday, France hit the polls. And now the country’s presidential election is headed to a runoff next month.

WHY DO I CARE?

Because this election is seen as a major test for the rise of populism in the EU following Brexit and President Trump’s win. For years, France has been dealing with a lagging economy, an influx of migrants and refugees, and a string of terror attacks (including one just last week). All of which explains why the country’s tired of the political status quo and ready for change. Yesterday, France cut the list of possible new presidents down from 11 to two.

SO WHO’S STILL ON THE BALLOT?

Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron. They are polar opposites. Le Pen is the populist in the room. She leads a far-right party once known for being anti-Semitic and racist. She’s campaigned on a ‘Frexit’ from the EU and a temporary immigration ban. Macron’s the centrist newbie candidate who got the largest share of the vote. He wants to keep France in the EU and keep the welcome mat out for immigrants. He’s never held elected office and would be France’s youngest president ever.

theSKIMM

It’s been less than a year since Brexit. Now, France has picked two remaining candidates that represent the choice between staying in the EU fam, or potentially following Britain out the door.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK MAKES YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO BED...

Congress feels you. This week, Congress will try to avoid this little thing called a government shutdown. The federal government’s bank account officially dries up this weekend. And getting lawmakers to agree on a budget won’t be easy. Dems want to continue funding Obamacare. The GOP does not. President Trump wants to fund a US-Mexico border wall. Dems do not. The solution? The Trump administration says the prez will support continued funding of Obamacare if the budget also includes a check for that wall. If talks fail, the shutdown happens on Saturday…which is also Trump’s 100th day in office. And on top of all this, Trump’s expected to roll out his tax overhaul plan this week. Ready, set, argue.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU THINK EVERYONE’S FINALLY OVER THOSE ADIDAS SNEAKERS YOU HAD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL...

Nope, still a thing. Just like claims of sexual harassment at Fox News. In an interview yesterday, former Fox News anchor and current CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota said Roger Ailes was “grossly inappropriate,” and sexually harassed her when she worked at Fox. Camerota said that when she asked for more opportunities on the network, Ailes said he would have to get to know her better, and that ‘might have to happen at a hotel.’ She said she never talked about this experience before because she was embarrassed. Fox News has been dealing with a series of claims like this for months. Last year, Ailes - the former Fox News chairman - was shown the door amid more than a dozen allegations of sexual harassment against him. Then last week, Bill O’Reilly - the network’s star anchor - was also fired due to similar allegations. Ailes and O’Reilly deny the claims, and they apparently left with a combined $65 million in exit packages. These new allegations, plus reports that a group of black employees will join a racial discrimination lawsuit against the network this week, means more bad PR in a year of really bad PR for Fox News.

PS: 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News, is a minority investor in theSkimm

WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT…

Afghanistan. Over the weekend, Taliban militants there killed at least 140 people - most of them soldiers - at a northern army base. The militants, disguised in military uniforms, drove onto the base while solders were observing Friday prayers. It was the deadliest attack against the Afghan military since their war against the terror group started almost 16 years ago. It’s also a major blow for the Afghan government, which has been trying to get rid of the Taliban, ISIS, and other terror groups in the region, with help from the US. Earlier this month, the US military dropped its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on a network of ISIS caves in Afghanistan. That bomb killed almost 100 ISIS fighters, and was seen as a big step forward. Now, a step back.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU’RE TIRED OF THE ‘HOLD MY BEER’ MEMES...

American Airlines just cracked open a new can.

THING TO KNOW

Peggy Whitson: The US astronaut whose poster will soon be in science classrooms everywhere. Whitson just broke the record for cumulative time in space by an American astronaut. She’s been hanging out with Sandra Bullock for 534 days and counting. You go, Peggy Coco.

SKIMM SHARE

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm’bassador. Pop the confetti.

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