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President Trump flew to Texas today to visit the heart of the oil and gas industry, and he signed two controversial executive orders while he was there. They’re meant to make it easier to build oil and gas pipelines - which some states have not been happy about. Another thing not getting easier: taxes. Congress just banned the IRS from ever offering a free tax filing service. Also on today’s episo...

Crazy high drug prices have gotten bipartisan attention lately. Back in February, drug companies pointed fingers at Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Today, five PBM execs were on Capitol Hill and pointed the finger back. Attorney General William Barr was on the Hill, too, getting grilled about the Mueller Report. Also on today’s episode: a duchess’ tax dilemma and a marathon on ice. Learn more about you...

Israel is getting ready to head to the polls, and Prime Minister Netanyahu is giving voters one more thing to think about: the West Bank. The region at the center of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. NBD. In the US, more shake-ups in the Trump Administration. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and her Secret Service Director are out. There are a lot of questions about Nielsen’s replacement. Also on to...

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the US are heating up. Congress voted to end US military support for the kingdom’s proxy war in Yemen after the Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated last year. Putting President Trump in an awkward spot. In other diplomatic tension, Julian Assange may have overstayed his welcome at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Packing his bags could land...

President Trump has gotten a lot of heat for keeping his tax returns under lock and key. Now, Dems are cutting out the middle man and asking the IRS to show them the receipts. But why are the president’s tax returns such a big deal? In other money news, the Dept of Education has been cutting down on who’s eligible for a public student loan forgiveness program. Also on today’s episode: science want...

Human rights groups all over the world are calling out Brunei for harsh new laws. People caught participating in gay sex could now be stoned to death. So we’re breaking down Sharia law and how it’s interpreted across the Muslim world. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Capitol Hill. Just in time for NATO’s bday. But don’t expect a big party. Also on today’s episode: peo...

 India is headed to the polls soon. Social media there has turned into a mess of fake news. Sounds familiar. Facebook is trying to avoid a repeat of the 2016 U.S. elections. But that’s harder than it sounds. Meanwhile, the US Senate can’t agree on a budget for Puerto Rico relief funding. Also on today’s episode: it’s Equal Pay Day (but not for everyone), and Chicago gets ready to make history.  Le...

The Trump Administration is thinking about cutting aid to a few Central American countries. It’s pointing to the border crisis. But how are the two related, again? In other DC news, today we found out that the White House gave security clearances to dozens of officials - even after their applications were denied. Also on today’s episode: Democrats are talking about the robot tax, and Japan says, ‘...

Third time’s the charm. Except when it comes to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to get a Brexit deal approved. Bollocks. Parliament voted down her plan for the third time today. Making a no-deal Brexit look like a definite possibility. We’ll tell you what that could look like. Also on today’s episode: Lyft requests a ride to Wall St, and Skimm’r Melissa tells us about her Woman of the We...

A DC judge struck down laws in Arkansas and Kentucky that would require Medicaid recipients to work in exchange for getting free or low-cost government healthcare coverage. Opening up the floor for debate. Meanwhile, the UK is the latest country to call out Chinese tech giant Huawei for being insecure. Also on today’s episode: Sarah Kate Ellis gets ready to present the Carters with some gold, and...

The Pentagon is checking its account - and making bank transfers - to figure out how it’s going to pay for President Trump’s border wall. Not everyone is happy with their fix. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she’s got a brand new Brexit strategy: stepping down. Also on today’s episode: “Hidden Figures” are found on Capitol Hill, and the EU is putting on the brakes. In...

The Trump Administration wants to take down the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. Spoiler: this won’t be the last time you’ll hear about healthcare. Because 2020. Changes to the law could affect you. We’ll tell you about it. Meanwhile, in Chicago, it’s “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s lucky day. Prosecutors dropped all charges made against him for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself an...

Mueller…? Mueller…? After two years, Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally turned in his report to the DOJ. And probably had a great weekend … while Attorney General William Barr got down to speed-reading. Today, we’re breaking down the questions that are still swirling around about the report, including the big O(J). Obstruction of Justice. Also on today’s episode: we intro you to the unlikely B...

President Trump tweeted earlier this week that the US should recognize that Israel’s the boss of a disputed area called the Golan Heights. Making the US the first country to do so. Spoiler: the international community is annoyed. We’ll explain what’s going on. Back at home, Mississippi now officially has one of the strictest abortion laws in the country. Cue: legal pushback. Abortion activists are...

President Trump just signed an executive order requiring colleges to support free speech. Which has a lot to do with conservative groups on campus. We’ll tell you what you need to know. Across the world in New Zealand, the gov has made moves to ban the semiautomatic weapons involved in last week’s shootings. Less than a week after they happened. Also on today’s episode: we’re talking Lupita Nyong’...

The European Union wants big tech companies to play nice with the competition. They don’t think Google’s doing that. So the EU hit Google with a 1.5 billion-euro fine. And that’s not the only antitrust story you’re hearing about today. Meanwhile, back in the US, the FDA just approved a breakthrough drug that could help more than a hundred thousand moms. Also on today’s episode: we spotlight New Ze...

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and US President Trump caught up in the Oval Office today. They’re big fans. Of each other. Which is kind of a big deal, because the US and Brazil haven’t exactly been BFFs in the past. We’ll break down what’s going on. Meanwhile, a lot of the Midwest is under water. We’ll tell you three big things to know about the situation. Also on today’s episode: there’s a n...

Gerrymandering: drawing district lines so that some people have more power at the polls. And a big talker ahead of the 2020 election. Today, the Supremes are hearing a Virginia case. And they’ll be hearing from a couple more states this year. So we’re breaking down what you need to know. Also on today’s episode: French yellow vest protesters are back at it, and the NCAA tournament is about to take...

Mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand are forcing a conversation about the spread of white nationalism … and the internet. Meanwhile, students took action to protest government inaction on climate change. Also on today’s episode: a Skimm’r shares her pick for Woman of the Week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are big questions coming up in 2020. Politicians are trying to get ahead of them. Today, Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross took the mic on Capitol Hill. The issue on the table: the 2020 census, and whether it should include a question about citizenship. But there’s another questionnaire coming up in 2020. Hint: it’s your ballot. Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke added his name to it today. Also on to...

California Governor Gavin Newsom hit ‘pause’ on capital punishment in his state. Opening up the floor for a national debate on the death penalty. In other criminal justice news, a judge tacked on more federal prison time for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Now, prosecutors in New York want in on the action. Also on today’s episode: the US jumps on the ‘ground the Boeing Max 8’ bandwa...

British parliament rejected PM Theresa May’s latest Brexit plan today. ICYMI, the EU and the UK are getting a divorce. But three years in, they still can’t agree on the terms. The biggest sticking point: the border with Ireland aka ‘the backstop.’ We’ll break it down, guvnah. In other news, the DOJ dropped the curtain on a huge college admissions scam this morning. And they implicate some familiar...

 President Trump just released his financial wishlist. On it: $718 billion for the Pentagon, way more than the spending cap. But he might get lucky with the money because of something called the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund, aka the Pentagon “slush fund”. Spoiler: it’s controversial. Meanwhile, Boeing is in crisis mode after another one of its planes crashed over the weekend. Also on today...

Paul Manafort got muuuch less prison time than prosecutors recommended on Thursday. Which got everyone talking. So today we’re breaking down sentencing laws... and how judges decide who gets to pass Go. In other jailhouse news: former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning is back in prison. She RSVP’d ‘no’ to an invite to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks, and a judge found h...

The news is constantly changing, and in today's world, context is clarity. Skimm This is here to help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices