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Skimm for December 7th

Skimm’d over Hanukkah latkes

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“That she’s Eva Mendes” – Ryan Gosling on what he looks for in a woman. Seems achievable. Thanks.

CASE OF THE SUNDAYS

THE STORY

Last night, President Obama spoke to the nation about terrorism and said ‘we got this.’ K?

WHAT DID HE SAY?

That last week’s shooting in San Bernardino, CA that killed 14 people was an act of terrorism that may have been inspired, but not directed, by ISIS. It turns out that the overall threat of terrorism has evolved. But it’s entirely beatable, don’t worry. He laid out a game plan to defeat ISIS (PS...this is why he calls it ISIL). He laid out a to-do list that involves doing pretty much everything to fight the group other than putting troops on the ground. He’s still leaving that to Iraqi and Syrian troops that are being trained by US forces. He also said we need to find a political resolution to the Syrian Civil War.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Yes. Gun control. In the wake of last week’s shooting, he said Congress needs to find a way to pass stricter gun control laws. That includes making sure people on the no fly list can’t buy guns. Because they can. The NYT would agree on tighter gun control in America. This guy wouldn’t.

THAT IT?

No. Obama also said ‘hi, don’t discriminate,’ and that ISIS doesn’t speak for Islam as a whole.

theSKIMM

This is only the third time Obama has given a speech from the Oval Office since becoming president. And ISIS and gun control aren’t only getting a lot of airtime in DC. They’re also dominating campaign trail cocktail hour. 2016 pot, stirred.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU FORGOT TO MAKE NYE PLANS…

You can watch the ball drop. Or watch these balls drop. Yesterday, a selection committee chose the college football teams who will be in the playoff on NYE. The lucky four? Clemson vs. Oklahoma and Alabama vs. Michigan State. This is only the second year that a committee has chosen the top four teams in college football. The committee considers things like games won, strength of schedule, and strength of victory dances. The two teams to win on NYE will go on to play in the championship game January 11th. The day before your co-worker will coincidentally call in sick.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU NEED GOOD NEWS…

Hear about Jimmy Carter? Yesterday, the 91-year-old former president announced that his most recent brain scan showed no signs of cancer. This comes four months after Carter announced that melanoma had spread from his liver to his brain. But he hasn’t let his treatment change his Sunday routine. Every week, he has continued to teach Sunday School in Georgia. And during one of those classes yesterday, he first announced the good news. Amen.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT…

London. Over the weekend, a knife attack in a tube station there injured two people. It’s being investigated as a terror incident. The suspect reportedly yelled “This is for Syria” during the attack, before police used a Taser on him and then arrested him. In a video of the incident, a bystander shouted “You ain’t no Muslim, bruv” to the suspect (pssst...bruv is London-speak for bro). #YouAintNoMuslimBruv started trending, expressing the idea that this suspect doesn’t represent the Muslim community. This comes as European cities are on high alert after last month’s terror attacks in Paris. Meanwhile, over the weekend, the governor of a city in Yemen was killed in an attack claimed by ISIS.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN GOOLE MAPS IS ACTING UP…

Name a direction. But no need to name (another) child after a direction.

WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR FRIEND WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING SINGLE…

But would you Settl?

THING TO KNOW

San Jose galleon: A Spanish ship that sank in the Caribbean more than 300 years ago. Yesterday, Colombia’s president said the ship was found off the country’s coast…along with up to $17 billion in treasure. Which might be too much pirate’s booty for one country’s pants. There’s an ongoing international dispute between the Colombian government and an American company over how the goods should be split.

12 DAYS OF SKIMM'NESS

On the fifth day of Skimm’ness…you realized shopping from your couch is a lot more appealing.

We have $500 to Amazon for one of today’s sharers.
Time to check off that holiday shopping list and avoid last-minute gift anxiety. Do it to it.
PS: here’s the fine print on sharing.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

*indicates Skimm’bassador. Bring out the party hats.

Jon Tisch (New York, NY); *Kara Herbst (Glencoe, IL); Andrew Brennan (New York, NY); *Elisabeth Zuerker (Dallas, TX); *Jayme Brace (Terre Haute, IN); *Vicki Lautsch (Boston, MA); *Hannah Ellingson(Norfolk, VA); *Danielle Hutcheson (Charlotte, NC); *Cat Pennington (New York, NY); *Victoria Scarpa (Chapel Hill, NC); *Bridget Deutz (Sartell, MN); *Erin Baker Michaelis (Houston, TX); *Kristen Peterson (Richmond, VA); *Lauren Bradberry (Gonzales, LA); *Maggie Malek(Houston, TX); *Sarah Azarchi (New York, NY); *Abby Moog (Olathe, KS); *Dylan Williams (Los Angeles, CA); *Esther Gross(Chicago, IL); *Haley Ebert (Portola Valley, CA); *Tina Alessi (Toronto, ON); *Lisa Miller (Houston, TX); *Maddie Zeigler (Washington, DC); *Victoria Scarpa (Chapel Hill, NC); *Katy Kreider (Philadelphia, PA); *Amy Madhiwala (Chicago, IL); *Gina Jacobs (San Diego, CA); *Leigh Bailey (Atlanta, GA); Igal Ben-Gal (Greensboro, NC); Dinah Smithey (New York, NY); Abby Taylor (Highland Park, IL); Lauren Zelazek (New York, NY); Elizabeth Johnson (Seattle, WA); Alissa Traughber (Kenosha, WI); Alyssa Schimel (Los Angeles, CA); Carol Herzog (Portland, OR); Erica Strassler (Vienna, VA); Leslie Brian (Pasadena, CA); Marc Hajjar (New York, NY); Marti Wade (Des Moines, IA); Molly Brummond (Lincoln, NE); Vincent Morrone (San Francisco, CA); Holly Corbin (Buffalo, MN); Emily Lemke (Washington, DC); Stephanie Pyle (Charlotte, NC); Julia Stewart(Birmingham, AL); Nadia Shahin (San Francisco, CA); Katie Mortell (Burr Ridge, IL); Austin Minter (Fresno, CA); Sarah Tripp(Salt Lake City, UT); Mary Splan (Spruce, MI); Christa Thelen (Omaha, NE); Kaitlyn Lund (Berkeley, CA); Julie Pillow (Smithfield, VA); Nicole Paul (Philadelphia, PA); Anita Sacchetti (Rosario, Argentina); Bennett Driscoll (Bedford, MA); Bob Baron(Garden City Beach, SC); Kristen Messich(Arlington, VA); Leslie Meyer (United Arab Emirates); Linda Wainteup (Brookline, MA); Margaret Hardy (Atlanta, GA); Marilyn Brown (Albertson, NY); Melanie Lazare(San Francisco, CA); Norman Hallett (Honolulu, HI); Norman Sparby (Napa, CA); Taylor Stockton (El Paso, TX); Maria Ianiro(Cleveland, OH); Molly Barr (Wilton, CT); Emily Clark (Brooklyn, NY); Carol Fitzgerald (New York, NY); Kristin Dallas (Houston, TX); Caitlyn Miller (Atlanta, GA); Carol Ellis (Phoenix, AZ); Teresa Luneau(Little Rock, AR); Lori Ozz (Long Island, NY)