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Skimm for December 30th

Skimm’d after a few rounds of Heads Up.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We will waste them in the outhouse” – A Putin quote from a 400-page book filled with, you guessed it, Putin quotes. Titled “Words that Change the World,” the book was gifted to Russian officials, because stocking stuffer.

GOTCHA

THE STORY

Yesterday, the US said a friend of the terrorist who planned the Paris attacks was killed by an airstrike in Syria. The US says he was “actively planning additional attacks against the West.”

BACK UP.

Last month, a series of terror attacks in Paris left 130 people dead. ISIS claimed responsibility, and Abdelhamid Abaaoud – the ringleader of the attacks – was killed in a police raid days later. Since then, two things have been going on: 1. Authorities have been tracking down any possible suspects linked to the attacks 2. the US-led coalition has been ramping up the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

WHAT’S THE LATEST?

Yesterday, the US said targeted airstrikes have killed 10 ISIS leaders in the past month. One of those leaders was a French national and the VIP friend of Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

theSKIMM

Earlier this week, Iraqi forces reclaimed Ramadi – a key city in Iraq – from ISIS. So, it’s been a good week in the fight against ISIS. But hold the champagne. There’s still a long way to go before the US can put ISIS on ice.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU SPILL WINE AT AN AWKWARD DINNER WITH YOUR BF’S PARENTS...

Could’ve done without that. Earlier this week, northern England was hit by a series of bad storms that caused massive flooding and damaged thousands of homes. Now, it’s getting hit again by “Storm Frank.” England’s floods minister (yes, that’s a real title) is warning that “a very bad situation” might be on the way. Helpful. Parts of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are also on alert. The US Midwest can relate. It’s been dealing with heavy rains and tornadoes since last week that have caused travel delays around the US, and now Missouri is prepping for more major flooding. Missouri’s gov. has ordered evacuations along the Mississippi River and activated the National Guard. When it rains it pours.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR WEIRD UNCLE MAKES A CREEPY COMMENT ABOUT YOUR OUTFIT...

Ughhh. Yesterday, “Glee” actor Mark Salling (hint: the one with the mohawk) was arrested on child porn charges. He was a regular on the show for four seasons, but hasn’t done much since. This isn’t his first issue with the law. His ex-girlfriend once sued him for sexual battery, which got settled out of court. Don’t think a Mr. Schue song is going to work in this situation.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU FEEL A COLD COMING ON...

It could be worse. Even though the rest of the world has stopped compulsively reaching for Purell, West Africa has been dealing with Ebola all year. The number of cases has been winding down, and yesterday, Guinea was officially declared Ebola-free for the first time since March 2014. Cue the loud exhale. For the next few months, health workers will be watching closely for any new cases. Meanwhile, Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free earlier this year, and Liberia has a few more days before it can make it official. The Ebola outbreak killed more than 11,000 people around the world, mostly in these West African countries. So now, they’re finally almost out of the woods.

THING TO KNOW

Chip Kelly: Used to be the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Until last night when he was fired. Possibly because he opted to let go of most of the team’s star players as part of his own ‘Chip Kelly formula’. He thought it could win the team a championship. Spoiler: that didn’t work out too well.

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SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

*indicates Skimm’bassador.

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