Skimm'd with Alex Karev

"Beautiful Ted" – President Trump's new nickname for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Lyin' Ted is sooo 2016.

BORDERLINE

The Story

President Trump has been putting on the pressure to stop a migrant caravan from coming to the US-Mexico border. It's not working.

Details, please.

For years, thousands of Central American migrants have been fleeing their homes because of things like poverty and violence. Earlier this year, a caravan of hundreds of migrants made the trek up north, with more than one hundred of them reaching the US-Mexico border to try to claim asylum.

Tell me about the new group.

Last week, more than one thousand Honduran migrants started making their way to the border through Guatemala into Mexico. Trump threatened to cut off aid to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador if they didn't stop them along the way. And said he'd "call up" the military and close the US-Mexico border. It took more than a week for the group to get to Mexico. The gov there said migrants would need to show passports and visas, or apply for refugee status at the Guatemala-Mexico border. Instead, many of them crossed over illegally.

What's the latest?

Well, the caravan has grown to more than 7,000 people. Mexico said local authorities are reportedly helping migrants with asylum apps, food, and medical treatment. Trump claimed that "criminals and unknown Middle Easterners" are part of the caravan, and called all this a "national emergency." The migrants still have more than 1,000 miles to go.

What happens if they reach the US border?

Unclear. Typically, they could try to claim asylum – which would give them protection in the US. But Trump has said the US would turn away people who haven't applied for asylum in Mexico first. He could also lay down the law with a new family separation policy.

theSkimm

Caravans like these are typically organized because there's safety in numbers on what can be a very dangerous journey. But it leaves Mexico and the US in a tight spot for what to do if thousands of migrants show up at their borders. And it's putting immigration front and center two weeks before midterms.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What people are still talking about…

Saudi Arabia. Today, "Davos in the Desert" kicks off. It's usually a chance for the country to put itself in the cash money spotlight. Not this year. The death of Jamal Khashoggi has overshadowed the event and caused a lot of businesses to pull out. Yesterday, the conference's website got hacked and replaced with a message calling for Saudi officials to be held responsible for killing the Saudi journalist, before it got shut down. And some footage came out of Khashoggi's "body double" walking out of the Istanbul consulate where he was killed – in an apparent attempt to cover up his disappearance. Today, Turkish President Erdogan said Khashoggi's murder was planned, which contradicts Saudi Arabia's claim that he was strangled to death after a fight broke out. The Trump admin has been hesitant to call Saudi Arabia out, because of economic reasons (think: arms sales). So TBD if it listens to what Erdogan has to say.

What to say when your SO moves across the country…

How will we connect? This week, the longest sea bridge ever built is set to open. It'll connect Hong Kong and Macau to China – and apparently cut down travel time from three hours to 30 minutes. But it comes with a lot of controversy. Like the fact that the water around it is home to an endangered species. And that Hong Kong spent a lot of money on this when it's already dealing with a housing crisis. And that this could help China tighten its grip on the semi-autonomous region. That shorter commute tho...

What to say when you lose your sunglasses…

Another one bites the dust. Yesterday, Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe announced he's leaving Facebook (the Book acquired Oculus in 2014). So...Iribe's out. And Instagram co-founders are out. And WhatsApp co-founders are out. All within a little more than a year. Seems like Facebook is having a bit of a retention problem. Next up on Mark Zuckerberg's Kindle: 'How to Make Friends and Not Influence Elections.'

What to say when you hear the World Series starts today...

The only sports story we're talking about is Rae Carruth.

What to say when your friend says she's expecting…

I'm a (train)wreck for Amy Schumer.

NO EXCUSES

We're all masters of making excuses. But take the day off from making them November 6th, because it's time to vote. Let's tackle a couple we've heard...

Excuse #1: My vote doesn't matter.

False. Justin Chambers (aka Alex Karev) from Shondaland is here to explain why.

Excuse #2: I don't know who's on my ballot.

Say bye to that one, because we made you a ballot cheat sheet with your state info and key races.

Excuse #3: I ran out of excuses.

Good. Get to the polls November 6th.

SKIMM PICKS

For when you realize the midterms are two weeks away…

Get into gear. Literally. We have limited edition No Excuses merch to get to the polls. Ballot or bust.

For when someone's walking all over you…

Wear the pants. And by pants we mean Lee Jeans. Their Vintage Modern line is inspired by iconic denim moments. Think: WW1-era overalls, cowboy cotton, and 90's mom jeans. Get into it.*

SKIMM SHARE

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SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

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