Skimm This

There’s a baby bust in the US: A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that last year’s birth rate was down 2 percent from 2017 - and was the lowest in 32 years. We’ll explain why fewer babies could be a problem for the economy. Meanwhile, the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration was taking heat on Capitol Hill today. This hearing comes two months after...

Facial recognition technology is creeping into all aspects of life, and San Francisco could be the first city in the US to block it. Other cities are thinking of following suit -- we’ll explain why. Attorney General William Barr wants to know how the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe got started. And he’s calling for back-up: from the US Attorney in Connecticut. Also on today’s episode: a security flaw on...

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo crashed a meeting of EU foreign ministers today ... and he had Iran on the brain. Tensions between the US and Iran have been heating up for weeks, and now Pompeo is asking US allies: ‘are you with me?’ Meanwhile, Sweden and the US are about to start a game tug-of-war over Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Sweden just re-opened an investigation into a sexual assaul...

Today, trade talks between the US and China left with them saying ‘no deal.’ Right after the US raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10 to 25 percent. These two powers have spent months at the negotiating table to come up with a long-term trade deal. We’ll explain how we got here. Meanwhile, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled a moon lander called Blue Moon. Bezos says his company, Blue...

Uber’s heading to Wall Street tomorrow to make its debut on the stock exchange. But the ride-sharing company has seen a lot of backlash lately. Meanwhile, Pope Francis issued a new law that requires officials in the Catholic Church to report sex abuse and any coverup in the church. It’s an issue the Vatican has been grappling with for a while now. Also in today’s episode: how the US and China’s tr...

There’s a mom crisis in the US. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that about 700 women die every year in the US during pregnancy or after childbirth. Those numbers are up about 75% from the year 2000, worse than other high-income countries, and black and Native American women are most affected. We'll explain. Then: President Trump is playing the “executive priv...

The Trump admin has announced they’re sending a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf - saying Iran has threatened US troops in the Middle East. It’s been nearly a year since the US pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Treaty -- and the beef keeps getting bigger. So where does it go from here? Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee has “contempt” on the brain after Attorney...

A UN report is warning that one species - us - is threatening a million other species with extinction. Today, we’ll explain why biodiversity matters for humanity and how we can mitigate the damage. Meanwhile: the US and China were supposed to be close to a trade deal - but there are some new hurdles. We’ll tell you how the trade war is impacting folks here. Also on today’s episode: NBA center Enes...

Florida’s governor is set to sign a bill telling counties and towns they can’t offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants. We’ll explain ‘sanctuary cities’ -- and how Florida’s soon-to-be law lines up with the rest of the US. Meanwhile: there’s a new study out that scientists say could stop the spread of HIV. Also on today’s episode: a new jobs report that’ll make your wallet feel full, and fun ho...

 Venezuela still doesn’t know who’s in charge. We’ll talk about why the US was predicting a peaceful transition of power - and why now they’re keeping all the cards on the table. Then: the US wants Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to cross the pond. Today he said: rather not. We’ll explain how the extradition process works. And finally: it’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Hebrew, that’s Yom HaShoah...

Democrats on Capitol Hill had a lot of questions about the attorney general’s pen pal - Robert Mueller. South African elite runner Caster Semenya has been fighting against allegations that she has an unfair advantage because of her high testosterone levels. A court announced this morning that she lost that battle. Also on today’s show: who’s representing on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Learn more a...

Infrastructure across the US needs a reboot. President Trump met with top Democrats to try to figure out how to make – and pay for – the fixes. In Venezuela, two people are still calling themselves prez. The US says it wants a “peaceful transition” - but today, things weren’t looking that peaceful. Also on today’s show: Sports Illustrated is making history in its swimsuit issue, and Japan is makin...

The White House confirmed that North Korea sent them a bill for American prisoner Otto Warmbier – to the tune of $2 million. But the White House says: they didn't actually pay it. Why hostage ransoms are so controversial. Meanwhile, Boeing execs finally faced their shareholders – to explain how the company’s going to bounce back from the 737 Max turbulence. Also on today’s show: a new group of wom...

Top officials from around the world met in China today to hear more about their Belt and Road Initiative — a reboot of the Silk Road to improve global trade routes. Here in the US: President Trump was also talking to the NRA about international trade. Of firearms. That was good news for the gun lobbying group, which has been going through a rough spot. Also on today’s episode: a fishy beverage opt...

Former VP Joe Biden is (finally) in. He announced today he’s running for president in 2020 - as the 20th candidate to join the race. So who – and what – is he up against? In Russia, NK leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down to talk nukes. We’ll tell you what you need to know about their summit. Also on today’s episode: why there are crayons scattered around your office to...

Thousands of Boy Scouts leaders and volunteers have been accused of sexually abusing children - in cases that go back decades. Lawyers are now just scrambling to rep survivors in lawsuits. What’s changed: states have been expanding statute of limitations laws for child sex abuse. We’ll tell you what you need to know. Meanwhile, the feds are hitting a pharma co and two former execs with drug traffi...

Democrats and progressives have been talking about whether to impeach President Trump since he was elected. And even though the Mueller Report didn’t say his admin colluded with Russia, that debate hasn’t gone away. We’ll tell you why some top Dems are saying, ‘cool it.’ Meanwhile, SCOTUS heard arguments today about whether to include a question about citizenship on the 2020 census. Their decision...

After massive terror attacks in Sri Lanka killed nearly 300 people on Sunday, the gov there has blocked Facebook and other social media sites. Their goal: to prevent more sectarian violence. But does going dark on social media actually work? Meanwhile, in the US, the FBI arrested the leader of a vigilante group in New Mexico. Which has drawn a lot of attention to armed militias at the southern bor...

A young journalist was killed last night during a riot in Northern Ireland. Her death is highlighting tensions along the Irish border. And it comes on the anniversary of a decades-old agreement that’s now at risk. Because Brexit. Then - tomorrow is 4/20. And support for marijuana is at an all-time high. But not everyone’s stoked. Also on today’s show: a Seder with a guest list in the thousands, an...

The Mueller report is here. It’s long. It’s complicated. And some of it’s still secret. We’ve Skimm’d what we know so far, and we’ll tell you what to expect next. Meanwhile, North Korea is getting all fired up again. But they’re telling Trump - it’s not you, it’s him. Also on today’s episode: Facebook’s saying “sorry” for mining contacts, and Apple’s trying to give Mother Earth a hand. Learn more...

The Justice Department is changing policies for asylum seekers waiting for immigration hearings. We’ll explain why fleeing persecution in one country...could mean being detained in another. In Colorado, a massive manhunt for a woman “infatuated” with the Columbine tragedy is over. We’ll tell you why lawmakers there believe new red flag laws could prevent tragedies. Also on today’s episode: why hai...

The measles virus is still spreading, and tight-knit communities are more vulnerable than others. We’ll explain why -- and tell you what’s being done to help. Also: Trump’s not the only GOP candidate in the 2020 race anymore. We’ll tell you why primary contenders can make things messy. Also on today’s episode: climate change protesters in London are getting arrested, and a new study explains why w...

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris went up in flames today -- we’ll tell you what we know so far. In the US: 2020 presidential candidates are showing us their donation receipts. We’ll explain why the dollar signs are not all that matters. Also on today’s episode: SCOTUS hears a case about the brand that must not be named, and taxpayers are experiencing Instagram vs. reality: Tax Day edition.   Lear...

Georgetown students want to help make amends for history. They voted to add a little extra to their tuition to pay reparations to the descendants of Georgetown’s former slaves. President Trump is also trying to help people who have been underserved. By the Internet. He announced initiatives to expand 5G and help people in rural America. Also on today’s episode: how millennials are saving houseplan...

There were a couple of big arrests today in London and Sudan. And both men could be leaving on a jet plane to face charges. The U.S. wants Wikileaks founder Julian Assange stateside to face a conspiracy charge. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has an open invite to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and genocide. Also on today’s episode: Nipsey Hussle’s funeral in Los An...