— One Twitter user on the world’s largest cruise ship, which includes 40 bars and restaurants, 20 decks, and seven pools. Oh buoy.
Eyes On
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
The Story
Get ready to watch your favorite soccer players kick some grass.
Let’s gooooal.
That’s the spirit. On Thursday, the quadrennial soccer tourney will get the ball rolling in Australia and New Zealand. And bets are that it’ll be the most attended women’s sports event, ever. Not to mention that it’s already the biggest in the tournament’s history: For the first time, 32 teams will go head-to-head for soccer’s most coveted trophy. That includes eight newbies, like Zambia, the Philippines, and the Republic of Ireland. It also includes a reported record-breaking 87 athletes who openly identify as LGBTQIA+. (The kicker? At the men’s World Cup, there were apparently, wait for it, zero.) And as is often the case with the World Cup, there’s already been some red cards. That’s due to broadcasting rights, treatment of players (see: France and Spain), and pay (see: England and Canada).
Crikey. Not to make this about us, but…
Glad you asked. This will be the first World Cup where the US women’s national team will receive the same pay rate as the men’s team, thanks to last year’s landmark settlement, which evened the pay-ing field. Seems fair since the USWNT is the two-time defending world champ — and the only women’s soccer team to score four World Cup titles. If the US squad wins this time around, it’ll be the first team — male or female — to three-peat at a World Cup. For now, odds are in its favor. But to net another W, Team USA’s rookies (like Trinity Rodman, daughter of Dennis Rodman) and vets (like soon-to-retire Megan Rapinoe) will have to fend off what some say is its stiffest competition yet. That includes England’s Lionesses, widely regarded as the second-favorite, and Canada, the reigning Olympic gold medalists.
theSkimm
Female soccer players have already scored some major goals in the years leading up to the 2023 World Cup. Now, the USWNT has a chance to make history...again.
What's Happening
🎾 In other sports…
Marketa Vondrousova left it all on the court at Wimbledon yesterday, becoming the first unseeded women’s champion. Now (no, really, right now), Carlos Alcarazand Novak Djokovic are taking a whack at the men’s final. Meanwhile, King James confirmed he isn’t saying GOAT-bye just yet.And three-time Olympic gold medalistGabby Douglaswill be back on the beam ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.
📰 In news...
The Biden admin announced that more than 800,000 student loan borrowers will have their debt wiped away. Also happening in Washington? Final preparations for a visit from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Meanwhile, Twitter said it’s sharing a piece of the (ad revenue) pie with some content creators. That is, if they aren’t too busy on Threads. Oh and say ‘bye bye’ to Buy Buy Baby. Same with Anchor Brewing.
🌱 In the environment...
The heat is (still) on across the country. That’s as Scottsdale, AZ is laying down the lawn and banning natural grass for future homes. And as Purdue scientists have created a pretty cool white paint. Plus, you don’t have to go to space to have stars in your eyes — just look at the latest images from the James Webb Space Telescope.
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Sunday Scaries, Who?
Here’s one tip for a better start to your week.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for free — well, discounted — ice cream. In honor of National Ice Cream Day, some shops are making sweet dreams come true, including…
Baskin-Robbins.From now through July 22, get $5 off orders of $20 or more, both in-store and on some delivery orders. Worth noting: At the end of the month, you can also receive 31% off all scoops.
Carvel.Head to Carvel’s website — as well as DoorDash, Grubhub, or Uber Eats — for $5 off orders of $25 or more.
Dippin’ Dots.For two hours, some stores will give away free mini cups. Check out your local store, here.
Friendly’s.Through July 19, you can snag a single scoop cone in stores for just 88 cents. Not to mention that the first 88 customers at each store today will nab free merch and a Happy Ending Sundae.
Wendy’s.What goes together better than fries and a Frosty? Fries and a free Frosty, which you can score via Grubhub.
Save the Date
Like ours, your work and personal calendars are probably hectic. So here are some events you should know about...
PS: Want more events like this on your cal? theSkimm App gives you a heads-up on when everything from holidays to sports games to awards shows are going down. Download it here.
News Quiz
Stumped by our news quiz yesterday? Here's the answer.