Skimm'd while balancing work and friends

"Racism is not a known side effect" - The maker of Ambien does not have time for Roseanne and her excuses.

STAYIN' ALIVE

The Story

Yesterday, a Russian journalist walked into a room full of people who were expecting an update on his death. Yep.

Who is he?

His name is Arkady Babchenko. He's a former Russian soldier-turned-journalist. And is known for criticizing Russian military action in Syria and Ukraine. Last year, he booked a one-way ticket from Russia to Ukraine because he didn't feel safe. Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials said Babchenko was murdered.

But...he's not dead?

Nope. Babchenko showed up to a press conference officials were holding about his death and said "I'm still alive for the moment." Normal. He apologized to his fellow journalists and his wife - who he said had no clue this was happening.

Why did this happen?

Ukrainian officials said this was part of a bigger assassination plot. Authorities say the Kremlin allegedly recruited a Ukrainian citizen to play middleman and set up a hitman. The price for Babchenko's death was $30,000. So they faked his death to catch and detain the guy behind all this. Officials said the middleman was detained and suggested that the deaths of nearly 30 people were prevented.

theSkimm

While this does seem like it's straight out of a movie, there have been a number of Russian journalists who've been critical of President Putin and weirdly ended up dead. The Kremlin has always denied any involvement. Now, many worry that this fake death ploy could hurt the safety of journalists in the long run.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are talking about...

Harvey Weinstein. Yesterday, a grand jury indicted the disgraced Hollywood producer on two rape charges and a criminal sex act charge. Weinstein's been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women but denies all accusations. Now, a grand jury is weighing in on two incidents - one from 2004, and one from 2013. And voted to indict him. The most serious rape charge could land him 25 years in prison.

What to say when your boss has a visitor...

Someone's here to see you. Yesterday, Kim Kardashian West was at the White House. You read that right. She was there about a woman named Alice Johnson - who's serving a life sentence for a first-time, low-level drug offense. Kim popped by DC to try and get her pardoned and talk prison reform with senior adviser Jared Kushner. She got a photo-op with President Trump. Speaking of, Trump's back to letting the world know he's not happy Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation. And tweeted that he wishes he never made Sessions AG. Way harsh, Tai. In other Russia news, 'Spygate' is back. Reminder: Trump accused the FBI of planting an informant into his campaign. Yesterday, a top Republican congressman came out saying 'that never happened.'

What to say when you go to 'like' a photo but it was deleted...

Sketchy. So is this: a new report says Bryan Colangelo - a top exec for the Philadelphia 76ers - used multiple burner Twitter accounts to talk some serious trash about the team. Colangelo has been with the 76ers since 2016. And the team just wrapped up one of its best seasons in years. Now, it's ending with a bang - and not the good kind. Turns out Colangelo reportedly used these accounts to tweet out info he prob shouldn't have been tweeting. Things like blasting a player for allegedly failing a physical, critiquing some of the coaches' decisions, and defending the size of his shirt collars. No joke. Colangelo fessed up to using one of the accounts to monitor the "industry and other current events." But denied he had anything to do with the others. The team says the allegations are "serious" and that it's investigating.

What to say after hearing you should start screening for colon cancer at a younger age...

Big medical changes. Yesterday, President Trump signed a bill to let terminally ill patients use experimental drugs that the FDA hasn't approved yet. The thinking being that many new drugs can take years to go through testing before the agency signs off on them. And these patients don't have time to wait. Critics say this could give patients false hope and could be dangerous. Supporters say it could give these patients a fighting chance and could potentially save lives. Last week, Congress passed the bill on to the prez. Now, Trump's following their lead and called the bill a "fundamental freedom."

What to say when you walk into a party and don't know anyone...

Loosen up. Yesterday, the Fed announced a plan to loosen some bank trading rules. This is part of the Dodd-Frank law - the 2010 financial law created to keep banks in check and avoid another financial crisis. The rule prevented banks from risky business (not the Tom Cruise kind) with trading. Banks said this rule made things more complicated and has cost them lots of cash money to comply. Now, the Fed wants to pull back on those restrictions and make the rules clearer. But it has to wait about two months for public comments on the proposal before it can move forward.

What to say when you get a text from an old college friend...

Random. Just like this pairing.

THING TO KNOW

FUTAB

Stands for 'feet up, take a break.' It's what you should chat to your stressed co-worker. Examples include finally reading that viral article and catching up with friends when on a business trip. It's all about that balance. To help you make the most of your downtime and get those rewards, this brand has your back.

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