Skimm'd while seeing what our ex is up to

"They keep coming" – A coven of "witches" paddled down a river in Portland this weekend and Twitter noticed.

END OF AN ERA

The Story

Yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her political days are coming to a close.

Tell me more.

Merkel's been Germany's chancellor since 2005. She's been there through the 2008 financial crisis, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the migrant and refugee crisis. That last one prompted a lot of opinions. Merkel was all about an open door policy, but some people did not want to continue hosting migrants – and her conservative party has suffered since.

So, she's leaving?

Yup. Last year, Germans voted to give Merkel a fourth term. But her party had the worst parliament results since 1949. And over the past few months, her party has faced some crushing blows in state elections (see: this and this). This is in part due to a far-right, anti-immigrant party that's been gaining political ground in the country. Merkel's said she thinks voters lost trust in the gov. Yesterday, she said she'll step down from life in politics. Meaning: she'll pass on the position of chairwoman of her party in December, and will not seek re-election in 2021.

Anything else?

Sweden is having a political crisis of its own. Last month, the two main parties fell short of a majority as a far-right group with neo-Nazi roots scooped up some of the vote. Both tried to build a coalition gov – but so far, nothing. Yesterday, the de facto PM said 'I give up.' Now it's up to the speaker of parliament to try to figure this all out.

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Merkel is Germany's first female chancellor and has been called the world's most powerful woman. She's been a force for stability on the world stage and her exit could have a big effect both in Germany and abroad as far-right nationalism is on the rise.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are watching…

Pittsburgh. Yesterday, the suspect of this past weekend's deadly shooting – believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in US history – appeared in court. He faces 29 federal charges and is being held without bail while prosecutors pursue the death penalty. President Trump is visiting the area today to offer his condolences. But he might not get a warm welcome in Pittsburgh, as at least one Jewish group has asked him to stay away until he denounces white nationalism. The Trump admin pushed back, with WH press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying that Trump "cherishes the American Jewish community."

What is getting an update…

Border control. Yesterday, the Trump admin said it's sending 5,200 troops to the US-Mexico border in what the military is calling Operation Faithful Patriot. The admin's goal is to stop thousands of migrants – mostly Honduran – from entering the country through Mexico. That's up from the 800 troops officials said they were sending last week. The migrants (many who are fleeing poverty and violence back home) are still around 900 miles from the border. Yesterday, President Trump claimed that the group includes gang members and "some very bad people," calling their trek "an invasion." This is believed to be the largest deployment of active-duty troops to the border in decades.

What key issues are driving people to the polls next week…

Gun violence and the environment. A new study found that gun injuries in the US send more than 8,000 kids to the ER every year. Almost half of the kids were shot on purpose, while 40% of the shootings happened by accident. Speaking of things endangering children, pollution. The World Health Organization says around 93% of kids under 15 around the world – 1.8 billion kids – are breathing toxic air. The org estimates that 600,000 kids died in 2016 because of respiratory infections brought on by poor air quality.

What to say when you could really use the news about Netflix's dog-umentary series…

Bless their furry little souls – they might even be able to sniff out malaria.

What to say when your team isn't meeting Q4 goals…

Someone's on the chopping block. Right, Hue and Todd?

NO EXCUSES

T-7 days until Election Day. The countdown is on. By now we hope you've got what you need to get it done. And if you don't we got you.

Oh, and if you think you're not going to have time to vote on Election Day...Karla Souza and Shondaland are here to tell you that's not an excuse.

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