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Skimm for February 17th

Skimm’d with stale candy hearts.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“How VIP do we gotta get?” - Sir Paul McCartney, after being turned away from rapper Tyga’s Grammy after-party. Can’t buy me love. Or apparently party entrance.

OPEC FLEX

THE STORY

Yesterday, Saudi Arabia and Russia kinda sorta maybe cut a deal to get global oil prices back to normal.

WAIT...BACK UP.

For more than a year, there has been way more oil supply than demand in the market. That’s thanks to fracking (controversial way the US produces oil and natural gas), and OPEC (a major squad of oil producers) refusing to stop pumping oil into the market. This has all driven down prices. OPEC’s goal has partly been to squeeze these frackers out of the market. But now, prices have dipped so low that it looks like the group might change its tune.

SO WHAT’S THIS DEAL?

It’s the world’s two largest crude oil producers — Russia and Saudi Arabia — saying ‘stop, collaborate, and listen.’ The two of them, along with other OPEC members, agreed to freeze oil production. Since Saudi Arabia’s like the Godfather of OPEC, and Russia’s a non-member major producer, this deal would have huge influence on global oil prices. The catch? Other big oil producers have to agree…

WHO’S NOT ON BOARD?

Iraq, because it needs oil profits to fund the war against ISIS. And Iran, because it’s Saudi Arabia’s Mideast rival now that it has started pumping oil again (thanks to that nuclear deal it signed with the US & friends). Although these countries aren’t feeling enthusiastic, they’re all meeting today to discuss.

theSKIMM

Your wallet doesn’t hate low oil prices. But energy companies (which have been forced to close or cut jobs) and some economies (which need oil profits to survive), do. If this deal goes through, it’ll be the first real global push to do something to boost prices.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR GRANDMA BRINGS UP POLITICS AT YOUR BIRTHDAY DINNER…

So many opinions. Yesterday, the Senate in South Dakota approved what’s being called the “bathroom bill.” And it’s controversial. The bill would require students at public schools to use the bathroom that corresponds to their sex at birth. Supporters say the bill protects kids from “inappropriate” exposure. But critics are saying ‘discrimination much?’ in that the bill isn’t fair to transgender students who might want to use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender they identify with. SD would be the first state to actually pass a law like this. It comes as a few other states have proposed similar bills, and as the national conversation about transgender rights has gotten louder over the past few years. Now the bill goes to South Dakota’s Republican governor for a signature.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR WORK RIVAL’S SITTING IN YOUR USUAL PLACE AT THE TABLE...

That escalated quickly. Turns out, China’s upping the territorial ante too. Yesterday, US and Taiwan officials said that China has put surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea. Reminder: the South China Sea is the Ben Higgins of Asia - everyone thinks they have a claim to it. That includes the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and yes, China. But over the past year, China’s been building artificial islands, complete with helipads, airstrips, military facilities....and now apparently advanced missiles that can shoot down planes. This doesn’t go over well with the US, which worries about China’s expanding influence in the region. It’s been monitoring China’s moves there via boat and plane. And this news comes at the end of a summit between President Obama and Southeast Asian leaders, where they discussed - guess - easing tensions in the South China Sea. Good timing.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR CREDIT CARD GETS DECLINED…

Maybe it’s time for a budget. That’s the memo former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is getting. He’s currently under investigation for allegedly spending twice the legal campaign limit during his 2012 bid for re-election...which he lost. Womp. Sarkozy denied the allegations, but this isn’t the first time his finances have seemed sketchy. Back in 2014, he was questioned about accusations that he took donations from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi . This new investigation is especially merde for Sarkozy, because he may want to run for president in 2017. Good luck with that.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR WI-FI CUTS OUT…

Time to sue. Just like American Airlines. Yesterday, the airline sued Gogo - the company that provides their in-flight Wi-Fi. AA said its Wi-Fi is about as stable as Kristen Wiig on a plane, and the airline has another Wi-Fi offer on its tray table. So the lawsuit is AA’s way of telling Gogo to pick up the Interwebs pace or it’s game over for their relationship. Gogo responded by saying it has a plan to install new technology, but the company’s stock fell hard after news of the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the US and Cuba signed a deal yesterday to officially, officially restore commercial air traffic between the two countries. Cigar with your Wi-Fi, anyone?

THING TO KNOW

CJ: Top dog. Literally. This German shorthaired pointer won “Best in Show” last night at the Westminster Dog Show. Bow wow wow yippy yo yippy yay.

SKIMM GIFT

All of your friends are going to that big festival in Austin next month. We wanna send you there too. Two people. Four nights. Enter here.

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SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

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