“I can confirm that this is false” - A Salem, MA rep responding to President Trump’s claim that he’s the victim of the “greatest witch hunt.”

I-RAN FOR PRESIDENT

The Story

Today, Iran heads to the polls. International leaders will be refreshing their news feeds.

Why’s that?

Because the election could change Iran’s relationship with the international community. Reminder: back in 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal with the US and five other countries. Iran agreed to scale back its nuclear program. The international community agreed to lift heavy sanctions weighing down Iran’s economy. The deal was a sort-of reset between the two sides. Depending on who wins this election, there may be a rewind.

Who’s on the ballot?

In one corner, there’s President Hassan Rouhani. He’s a moderate who negotiated the nuclear deal, arguing that lifting the sanctions would also lift Iran’s struggling economy. In the other corner is Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline conservative. He says the nuclear deal hasn’t helped Iran’s economy and won’t create jobs as promised. He also has the backing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - a religious figure who has final say in Iran’s political decisions, like how the country implements the nuclear deal. If neither candidate gets more than half of the vote today, there will be a runoff next week. Right now, Rouhani’s chances are looking good.

theSkimm

Iran is a leading Mideast power. How it votes matters. Especially to Iran’s rivals, Israel and Saudi Arabia - two of the places President Trump’s visiting during his first foreign trip this weekend.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say to your friend who’s always getting breaking news alerts…

Wow, Roger Ailes. Yesterday, the Fox News founder and former CEO died at age 77, after a fall in his home in Palm Beach, FL. Ailes built Fox News from the ground up 20 years ago. Before that, he was a political consultant who helped former Republican presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and George HW Bush get elected. He was also an informal advisor to President Trump during his campaign. At Fox News, Ailes kept the channel at the top of the ratings game for decades - helping create the 24-hour news cycle. But last year, he resigned after multiple women, including former Fox News star Megyn Kelly, came out with sexual harassment allegations against him. Ailes was shown the door…with a $40 million exit package. Fox’s PR headaches have continued, with star host Bill O’Reilly getting fired, also because of sexual harassment allegations. Yesterday, Bush 41 said “he wasn’t perfect, but Roger Ailes was my friend & I loved him.”

PS: 21st Century Fox – Fox News’s parent company – is a minority investor in theSkimm 

What people are watching…

Syria. Yesterday, a US airstrike hit pro-government forces there. Syria’s been going through a civil war for more than six years. Hundreds of rebel groups – some backed by the US – have been fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who’s backed by Russia. Meanwhile, with the country in chaos, ISIS was able to grab land and power. For years, the US has supported moderate rebels with arms, intel, and airstrikes - but only to support the fight against ISIS. Earlier this year, President Trump made the call to launch airstrikes against Syrian gov forces for the first time. But just once. Then yesterday, the US ordered more after pro-Assad forces got too close to a ‘deconfliction zone’ - aka an area where all sides involved in the war agreed to hit ‘pause’ on fighting. Want more on Syria? We Skimm’d it for you.

What to say when your friend has a VIP pass but you got general admission...

Not created equal. Just like the Internet. Yesterday, the FCC voted to roll back net neutrality rules. “Net neutrality” is the idea that all websites are created equal, and can’t pay Internet providers for faster connections. This became the norm in 2015 when new rules were passed under former President Obama. Now, under President Trump - who thinks net neutrality rules are an example of government overreach - the FCC’s changing its tune. This is good news for Internet providers (like Comcast and AT&T) who could potentially be able to charge sites to avoid the spinning wheel of death. It’s bad news for content providers (like Netflix or your friend’s travel blog) who argue that allowing pay-to-play gives companies with bigger wallets a leg up - and leaves startups in the dust. Now, the FCC’s starting the process of revising the Obama-era rules. For the next 90 days, the public can hotline bling them with comments and suggestions. The last time the FCC did this, there were almost four million calls…and most of them were in favor of net neutrality. Interwebs, tangled.

What to say when you’re figuring out what to do with your white wall…

Got $110.5 million to spare? 

THING TO KNOW

Arabica Bean: Your hero. It’s a coffee bean originally from Ethiopia that’s a little sweeter than its rival bean, the robusta. Also the coffee bean you’ll find in this frozen bevvy. Try it for free today. Here’s where and when.

SKIMM READS

“Cork Dork” by Bianca Bosker

If you’ve ever had the urge to quit your desk job and head to the liquor store, meet your new read. The author spent a year drinking up the master sommelier scene around the country, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional drinker. It’s “Eat, Pray, Love” meets “Somm.” Read responsibly.

PS: Want to know a secret? theSkimm’s giving you a VIP, exclusive first look at a new thriller. Excerpt and trailer included.

SKIMM GIFT

What to say to your friend who owns five pairs of tennis whites...

This is an ace. We want to send you to Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Meals, hotel, shopping spree, and pool cabanas included. Pool boy sold separately. Enter here.

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SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm’bassador. Pop the confetti.

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