Skimm'd while learning how IVF actually works

"We are horrified" - The Utah State Bar accidentally emailed a photo of boobs to every lawyer in the state. Not the breast move.

HOLD MY NUKES

The Story

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might be willing to part with his nuclear weapons.

When did this happen?

Apparently this week, during rare talks between South Korean officials and Kim. The South relayed the message that Kim is willing to meet up with the US and talk about winding down the North's nuclear program in exchange for things like establishing diplomatic ties.

Isn't this...a change of pace?

Um, yes. North Korea's nuclear program is one of the biggest national security threats facing the US and its allies right now. Getting Kim to give it up is a best-case scenario. It could also be a significant step toward easing tensions between the Koreas, which have technically been at war since the '50s. But so far, no word on all this from Kim himself.

Why the change of heart?

It's unclear exactly. But this does come weeks after the Trump administration announced what it says were the toughest economic sanctions ever on another country. Yesterday, it announced even more sanctions against the North for using a chemical weapon to assassinate Kim's half-brother last year.

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The US has met with North Korea and been burned before. But if this is for real, it would be a huge sigh of relief for a big chunk of the world.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say to your friend from the Golden State...

Hear about this? The Trump administration is suing California for being a sanctuary state. Reminder: these are places where local officials refuse to turn over undocumented immigrants to the feds. Last year, California passed legislation to officially become a sanctuary state to combat President Trump's hard-line immigration policies. And it's not alone - states like Colorado, Illinois, and New Mexico also have sanctuary policies. The Trump administration wasn't happy about it. And issued an executive order denying those places federal grant money unless they cooperate. Now, the admin has escalated things and filed a lawsuit to challenge California's policy. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is officially announcing it today.

What to say when your umbrella breaks...

Another one bites the dust. Yesterday, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn resigned. Before being tapped for the job, Cohn was the president and COO of Goldman Sachs. He helped push through the GOP's $1.5 trillion tax plan that is one of President Trump's biggest accomplishments so far. But Cohn repped a more traditional economic agenda than the populist policies that helped get Trump elected. Like...huge new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that Trump says will protect US workers. Cohn and Republican leaders say this could start a trade war. But he lost that battle, and now he's the latest to vote himself off the island.

What people are watching...

Sri Lanka. Yesterday, the South Asian island declared a state of emergency after days of violence against Muslims. For years, there's been tension between ethnic Sinhalese Buddhists - who are the majority in Sri Lanka - and the country's Muslim minority. Buddhist nationalism has been on the rise and last month, a party led by an anti-Muslim former president made gains in local elections. Since then, there's been a wave of anti-Muslim attacks. Recently, a group of Muslims were accused of killing a Sinhalese man. That led to mob attacks on Muslim-owned businesses and a mosque. At least one person was killed. Now, special forces have been deployed and there's a curfew in some places.

What to say when your coworker is grumpy in the morning...

Chip on your shoulder? The US gov is saying a potentially huge deal between two tech companies could pose a national security risk. Last year, Broadcom - a Singapore-based chip-making and semiconductor company - offered to buy Qualcomm, a rival US chipmaker. It offered more than $100 billion, which would make it the biggest tech deal. Ever. But earlier this week, the Trump admin said 'hold up' saying the deal was a "hostile takeover" and calling for a full investigation. The gov is concerned about Broadcom's foreign ties. Qualcomm is also one of the biggest competitors in developing wireless tech - and the feds are worried that a hostile takeover could give Chinese phone-making company Huawei the upper hand in that market. An issue, since US officials are concerned that Chinese products might be used for spying.

What to say when you get a promotion...

Pay day. Yesterday, West Virginia passed a bill giving a 5% pay raise to all state employees, including teachers. West Virginia's teachers are among some of the worst-paid in the US. And they've been on strike for almost two weeks, arguing for a raise. After a lot of back and forth, the state's governor has signed a 5% pay raise this year into law. Meaning more than a quarter of a million students may soon go back to school.

What to say when you hear Kellyanne Conway should've stayed quiet...

Stormy Daniels says she shouldn't have to.

SKIMM MD: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

We've Skimm'd the national healthcare debate. We've also heard from Skimm'rs wanting more information about the things closer to their everyday lives. So this week is about some areas of women's reproductive health. And stay tuned for more later on this year. One in 10 US women have trouble getting pregnant. Here are some of the options for when this happens...

IVF: In vitro fertilization. The doc may recommend this after other fertility treatments. Here's your Skimm on how it works.

Freezing your eggs: A possible backup plan. It's a hormone-injection process that removes a woman's eggs using a needle. The price tag is no joke. It's between $10-12k, and about $800 for every year they're frozen.

Surrogacy or adoption: About 135,000 children are adopted in the US every year and at least 750 babies are born each year using surrogacy.

Miscarriage: Losing a pregnancy before 20 weeks. It's more common than you think. As in, three in every 10 pregnancies. Hear from one woman who's been through it.

There's more Skimm...

* Here's exactly how IVF works

* Hear from one woman who's dealt with some of the above

* Here's our Skimm'd From the Couch podcast with Man Repeller founder - and new mom - Leandra Medine

* Here's a preview of what we'll be talking about for the rest of this week

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