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Skimm for December 10th

Skimm’d while listening to our holiday playlist

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“There’s much rejoicing on the ground” - NASA, after a shipment of things like groceries landed on the International Space Station. For the first time in more than six months. All I want for Christmas is food.

THINGS GETTING ANOTHER LOOK

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

THE STORY

Yesterday, the Supreme Court played the race card. As in, it debated whether an affirmative action program at a US university is constitutional.

GIMME SOME BACKGROUND.

For years, public colleges and universities have been able to consider race in admissions. Because, diversity. And the idea of giving disadvantaged applicants the shot they deserve. A white student sued the University of Texas, saying she was rejected in ’08 because of her race. Because, ‘reverse discrimination.’

HAVEN’T I HEARD THIS BEFORE?

Yup. The case made it to the Supreme Court two years ago. And the Supremes avoided giving a direct answer, instead sending the case back to a lower court to take a closer look. Now, it’s back on the Supremes’ playlist.

theSKIMM

If the justices decide that affirmative action at UT is a no-go, it would be a major reversal that could change the policies at public universities across the country.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

THE STORY

Yesterday, the Senate went back to school. As in, it voted to overhaul the “No Child Left Behind” education law.

GIMME SOME BACKGROUND.

“No Child Left Behind” was put in place during Dubya’s presidency. The goal? Making sure kids can read good, measured by annual standardized testing. The reality? What many felt was excessive testing and unrealistic expectations. This new bill (creatively titled “Every Child Succeeds”) will still require states to test students every year in reading and math. But the federal government will no longer give schools a grade. It’s now up to states to decide how poorly performing schools should shape up. Red pen, passed.

theSKIMM

Pretty much everyone hated “No Child Left Behind,” a law that ended up being seen as a one-size-fits all approach. The new law is seen as a way to end aggressive federal oversight. But some wonder how much will really change, and whether this is really a Magic School Bus for education reform.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR ROOMMATE LETS THE DISHES PILE UP IN THE SINK…

Do more, thanks. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter (Note: NOT Aaron and Nick’s brother) said the US is prepared to do more to help Iraqi forces take back Ramadi - a key city that ISIS seized earlier this year. By “doing more,” Carter means more US advisers and attack helicopters joining the fight. This comes a few days after President Obama delivered an Oval Office address and tried to reassure Americans that his plan to defeat ISIS will work, so patience please. Meanwhile in Syria , government forces and the rebels trying to oust the government are feeling the holiday spirit. The two sides have been fighting a civil war for almost five years. But yesterday, hundreds of rebel fighters and their families left the city of Homs - a major center of the uprising against President Assad - after a cease-fire. If both sides stay in the peaceful mood, it could be a step towards ending the war that never ends.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOUR BF HATES THE NEW ADELE ALBUM…

Time to break up. Yesterday, Yahoo announced that the company is splitting in two. Earlier this year, Yahoo said it planned on spinning off its stake in Alibaba (giant Chinese e-commerce company). The ‘Hoo’s stake in Alibaba is pretty much the only thing the company has going for it right now. The spinoff was part of CEO Marissa Mayer’s plan to give control of that stake to investors. Happy investors, happy life. But turns out, that plan also came with a lot of potential tax drama. So yesterday, Yahoo said ‘reverse reverse,’ it’s now spinning off its core business instead (think: internet, Tumblr). TBD on whether its core business will get slapped with a ‘For Sale’ sign. Verizon’s saying ‘can you hear me now?’ that’s the sound of us being kinda sorta interested.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO YOUR SECRET SANTA IS…

You can never be sure. Yesterday, Australian authorities raided the house of tech entrepreneur Craig Wright, who some people think is one of the creators of bitcoin. Bitcoin: that digital currency everyone pretends to understand. (Pssst…we Skimm’d it for you ). It’s unclear why the police paid Wright a visit, but it apparently has nothing to do with him maybe being the bitcoin boss. The first rule of bitcoin is you don’t talk about bitcoin, so no one’s really sure who invented it. But over the past few days, tech sites have published articles saying they’re pretty sure Wright is one of the people behind it. Aaron Sorkin’s on standby.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT THE UK PETITION TO BAN DONALD TRUMP…

This bald eagle must be British.

THING TO KNOW

German Chancellor Angela Merkel: (On-gahla Mer-kel) You know who she is, but now you know how to say her name and that she’s TIME’s Person of the Year. And she’s had quite a year (think: bailout of Greece, the migrant crisis, terrorism in Europe). Merkel’s only the fourth individual woman to get the title. Prost.

12 Days of Skimm'ness

On the eighth day of Skimm’ness...you needed something for your friend who has a lot of work meetings.

This smart notebook is a game-changer for the organized AF person
Oh by the way, here are gifts for everyone else on your list
PS: this is an affiliate partner, which means if you buy it, theSkimm gets some cash money. Thanks.

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SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

*indicates Skimm’bassador. Cake cake cake cake.

*Jenn Huang (Evanston, IL); *Marisa Beirne (Washington, DC); *Ana Townsend (New York, NY); *Jennifer Palmer (Minneapolis, MN); *Kristen Heuing (Saint Louis, MO); *Laura Hutchins (Asheville, NC); *Danielle McMurray (Oceanside, NY); *Laura Murray (Houston, TX); *Jennie Dietz (Columbus, OH); *Lisa Halstead (Milwaukee, WI); *Sarah Miyahara (Chicago, IL); *Kristin Pennington (Jamaica, NY); Allison Rodriguez (Menlo Park, CA); Candice McKay (Austin, TX); Cindy Martz (Roswell, GA); Sue Lim (Boston, MA); Amy Sharma (Dallas, TX); Jordan Naylor (Los Angeles, CA); Cole Buese (Princeton, NJ ); Dana Greebel (New York, NY); Eleanore Bednarsh (Beaufort,SC); Heidi Pearson (Wayne, IL); Jessica Eckles (Indianapolis, IN); Katie Giarla (New York, NY); Lee Ruffin; Lindsay Jacobson (Los Angeles, CA); Neha Gupta (Tampa, FL); Stephanie Gaytan (Tuscaloosa, AL); Stephanie Rudnick (New York, NY); Karin Hadadan; Katie Green (Monroe, LA); Sylvie Polsky (Washington, DC); Tammi Wagner (Indianapolis, IN); Robyn Lewandowski (Aurora, IL); Puja Patel (New York, NY); Alexis Hanlon (Chicago, IL); Melissa Del Rosario (Orange County, CA); Christina Lutz (Philadelphia, PA); Amy Miller (Sugarcreek, OH); Nancy Zimmerman (Deerfield IL); Anne He (Flushing, NY)