LOCKDOWN

THE STORY

There’s been lots of Netflix marathoning and nail biting for citizens in Brussels this week. The city’s been on lockdown for days.

WHAT’S GOING ON?

The city has been shutdown for days while police have carried out multiple raids to hunt down one of the suspects in the Paris attacks. Police are also trying to break up a terrorist cell in Brussels that they say poses an “imminent threat.” Several people have been arrested in anti-terror raids over the past few days, and four have been charged with terrorism. Meanwhile, soldiers are patrolling mostly empty streets, while normal life has basically been put on pause.

ANYTHING ELSE?

This morning, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border. Turkey says that’s because the jet violated its airspace and ignored multiple warnings. Russia says the plane never left Syria’s airspace. Problem. Footage seems to show the jet’s pilots parachuting out before the crash, but it’s unclear where they are now. This plane went down near an area where Syrian President Assad – backed up by Russian airstrikes – has been fighting a rebel group that’s friendly with Turkey. TBD on how this might affect relations between Turkey and its NATO buddies, and Russia.

theSKIMM

In the wake of the Paris attacks, ISIS has continued to show its strength stretches beyond its Mideast borders. With the defacto capital of the European Union pretty much shut down, yesterday the US State Dept. issued a worldwide travel alert for US citizens for the first time in a year.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU GET PUT IN CHARGE OF A BIG PROJECT AT WORK…

I’m the captain now. Yesterday, Argentina got a new president. Mauricio Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, beat his opponent in a very close runoff race. Macri’s election is a big deal because Argentina’s been ruled by the same leftist party for years, and Macri’s from the opposition party. The leftist party loved to spend heavily on social programs. But Argentina’s economy hasn’t been looking too hot, which is why people said ‘let’s change.’ Literally, Macri’s party is called the “Let’s Change” coalition. During his campaign, he promised to roll back government spending, get rid of poverty, and appoint an economic cabinet – something the country’s never had before. This election also has Wall Street’s ears perking up. Some US hedge funds are waiting to be repaid for all those times when Argentina defaulted on debt it owed them. Macri says he’s ready to negotiate. After winning the election, he asked the people of Argentina to “have some patience.” And then read over his to-do list and started hyperventilating.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR GRANDMA FINALLY UNDERSTANDS SNAPCHAT…

Progress. Yesterday, scientists in California said they’re one step closer to getting rid of malaria. NBD. The scientists have been genetically modifying mosquitos so that it’s impossible for the bugs to spread malaria to humans. Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. These Franken-mosquitos are still in the lab. But the aim is to release them into the wild so they can get it on with other mosquitos and pass on their anti-malaria genes. Apparently even eliminating malaria can be controversial. Critics say this could have “unpredictable ecological consequences.” To which everyone else said “I see your ecological consequences, and raise you a Chris Pratt and ‘Jurassic World.’”

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU THINK YOUR TEAM IS OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS…

It’s not over till it’s over. Just ask Jon Snow.

THING TO KNOW

The See Food diet: A trendy new diet. Here’s how it works: you see food. You eat it. Try it out at the Thanksgiving table this week.

SKIMM 50

Thanks so these Skimm’bassadors for sharing like it’s hot

Emily Lange, Aislinn Kane, Tanya Holmes, Carly Ilvento, Mary Gallagher, Catherine Nguyen, Shane Sulver, Carol Fitzgerald, Macy Barnes, Abby Habiger, Elizabeth Barnes, Amy Dalton, Sarah Russell, Halle Emanuels, Lisa Weinbaum, Aileen Duong, Rebecca Saenz, Lise Guerrier, Ashley Moore, Lindsay Masterson, Ana Saldarriaga, Rosalee Bayer, Mere Ritter, Patricia Ross, Anais Ramon, Leslie Kossar, Claire Leitzen, Kimberly Roland, Cameron Maddux, Emily Sparks, Marissa Scally, Jessica Boulos, Rachel Kramer, Claire Levatino, Kristen Henry, Gina Kellogg, Lauren Faul, Katie Delaney, Anne Marie Giammarino, Jackie Benzine, Amanda Rae Dayton, Kelly Keeler, Ann Blessman, Rachel Wilson, Amber Benge, Michelle Gifford, Wendy Goodyear, Kelsey Kroger, Grace Morton, Lainey Segal, Sarah Hinstorff, Shannon Plunkett, Elizabeth Lozano-Hazlett, Kathy Dejmek, Jazna Rossi, Kayla Smith, Jennifer Natale, Katherine Reaney, Mandy Smith, Lauren Serena, Kaela Murphy, Rebecca Schick, Yesenia Abreu, Barbara Snipes, Colleen McGee, Kathryn Brogan, Michelle Cornejo, Sasha Maslanka

SKIMM SHARE

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm’bassador. Make a wish.

*Lisa Skomorowski (Saskatoon, SK ); *Kate James (Memphis, TN); *Brittany Peterson (Minneapolis, MN); *Ari Berman (San Francisco, CA); *Jylian Vigar (Indianapolis, IN); *Megan DeRosier (Tacna, Peru); *Marissa Stavropoulos (Edison, NJ); *Megan Koontz (Nashville, TN); *Suma Mathai (Los Angeles, CA); *Acacia Nunes (Cambridge, MA); *Barbara Libbin (Silver Spring, MD); *Rachel Schnure (Robbinsville, NJ); *Alexis Ribeiro (Morristown, NJ); *Anna Hecksher (Columbia, SC); *Kim Wehmeyer (Washington, DC)* Casey Carrigan (Overland Park, KS); *Jennifer Whisenhunt White (Phoenix, AZ); *Julie Sweeney (Cincinnati, OH); Dana Prussian (New York, NY); Abby Rehfeld (Scottsdale, AZ); TT Gattinella (New York, NY); Acacia Nunes (Cambridge, MA); Thia Laurain (New York, NY); Anna Hecksher (Columbia, SC); Kate Vos (New York, NY); Zack Schrieber; Carly Sheridan (Austin, TX); Cathy McIntire (Newborn, Georgia); Hanna Bobrovnyk (Houston, TX); Janine Carroll (New Hope, PA); Alexis Ribeiro (Morristown, NJ); Joanna Hess (Doha, Qatar); Julie Comer (Atlanta, GA); Kate Mercer (Cheyebne, WY); Lee Montgomery (Cambridge, MA); Lucas Smith (Philadelphia, PA); Mary Moynahan (Southern Shores, NC); Megan Koontz (Nashville, TN); Natalie Moynihan (Leawood, KS); Nathan True-Daniels (Santa Monica, CA); Roni Moore Neumann (Winnetka, IL); Kristin Hansen (Shoreline, WA); Brooke Trug (Overland Park, KS); Ari Berman (San Francisco, CA); Hannah Karr (Philadelphia, PA); Courtney Brucker (Bloomington, IN ); Sandra Casullo (Charleston SC); Julia Rosinus (Chicago, IL); Rachel Rebhan (Rochester, MN); Debra Townson (Roswell, GA); Julie Comer (Atlanta, GA); Tom Glasgow (Providence, RI); Margo Winter (Minneapolis, MN)