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Skimm for February 11th

Skimm’d while watching Chelsea experiment.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you are buying a diamond you need to know the clarity” - Jonathan Cheban, aka Kim K’s friend who brings her Cronuts, on why he’s helping to develop a school where rich kids can learn how to be properly…rich. Finally.

FERGUSON CONT.

THE STORY

Yesterday, the Justice Dept. sued the city of Ferguson, MO.

REMIND ME.

Back in 2014, unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson. Wilson said Brown was advancing towards him when he fired his gun. But some witnesses dispute that account, saying Brown was running away when Wilson opened fire. Brown’s death sparked protests in the city, where there’s been a history of tension between the mostly white police force and its residents. Things got much worse when a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. The protests in Ferguson and similar incidents across the country led to national protests. Then the Justice Dept. got involved.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Justice Dept. took a look under the hood of the Ferguson Police Dept. Spoiler: they didn’t like what they saw. The investigation found widespread racial discrimination in the city’s police force and court system. So, the Justice Dept. and Ferguson reached a deal to make some big changes. Turns out, those changes are also pretty expensive. Earlier this week, Ferguson made some major edits to the agreement. To which the Justice Dept. replied, ‘here’s a lawsuit.’

theSKIMM

About 18 months after Brown’s death, Ferguson is still struggling with racial tensions and now a lawsuit. The city promised the Justice Dept. it would change its ways almost a year ago…but apparently it hasn’t happened yet.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR FRIEND ASKS IF YOU HAVE PLANS TONIGHT...

Doin’ it up with the Dems. Tonight, they debate. Again. PBS is hosting at 9pm ET. This is the first time former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) have been face-to-face since Sanders crushed it in this week’s New Hampshire primary. Expect to hear more from Hillz and Bern about what they plan to do for black and Latino voters, whose support they need to win. Especially Bernie. South Carolina and Nevada are up later this month - and both states are way more diverse than Iowa and New Hampshire. Expect Bern to say that Clinton is too cozy with special interests ( Goldman Sachs will get name-dropped). Expect Hillz to paint Sanders as way too extreme to win the general election later this year. Meanwhile, some GOP candidates have decided to go solo and work on their own music. Yesterday, Gov. Chris Christie (NJ) and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina decided to call it quits. Jim Gilmore did not. PS: Chill the pinot. Click on the Insta button for your debate drinking game.

WHAT TO SAY AFTER HITTING SNOOZE THREE TIMES....

The jig is up. Last night, the FBI surrounded the final four occupiers of a wildlife refuge in Oregon. Reminder: last month, there was a standoff at the wildlife refuge, in support of two ranchers who were convicted of arson. Some of the protesters, including their leader Ammon Bundy, were arrested last month. Which is why Ammon told the rest of the protest squad to go home. Most of them got the memo...except for these four guys. Now, after the FBI’s visit, it looks like they’re ready to turn themselves in. Plot twist: this story has daddy issues. Also last night, Ammon’s dad Cliven Bundy was arrested in the airport on his way to the wildlife refuge. Cliven’s the Nevada rancher who fought the federal government for years over where his cows could graze. The government tried to confiscate his cattle. That didn’t go over well. In 2014, armed militia groups drove the government off the land , and Cliven became a folk hero for people who say ‘government overreach’ a lot. Now he’s been arrested in connection with the 2014 fight. TBD on whether he and his cows will have to ‘mooo-ve get out the way.’

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU WAKE UP FEELING A LITTLE SLOW AFTER LAST NIGHT’S HAPPY HOUR...

Just like Twitter. Yesterday, the company released its fourth quarter earnings and they were ‘meh.’ The Little Blue Bird didn’t grow its user base at all. But it didn’t lose users. So there’s that. Investors have been pressuring the company to be more like its show-off rival Facebook - which has grown to more than 1.5 billion users. Once upon a time, Twitter was the Queen Bee of the social media squad. But then it went public. And it’s been on the revenue and user growth struggle bus. Last year, Twitter put co-founder Jack Dorsey back in the CEO seat to get the company on track. Since then, he’s been cutting jobs, adding new execs, and the company’s made some big changes to the board. But yesterday’s earnings report means the pressure’s on.

WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR FRIEND WHO WANTS TO SEND A GIANT TEDDY BEAR TO HER BF’S OFFICE…

Stop, in the name of love. That’s what the Supremes said earlier this week when they halted the Obama administration’s proposal to cut carbon emissions. Reminder: last year, Obama unveiled a new plan to make the US less gassy by cutting greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. 27 states, and a lot of energy companies, have legally challenged the plan, saying it’s way too costly to put in place. Then yesterday, the Supreme Court decided to halt the plan altogether until the legal stuff is worked out. Problem, because Obama’s plan is a big part of the historic (meaning legacy status) global climate change deal, which world leaders agreed to in Paris last year. And if the US can’t hold up its end of the bargain, a lot of people are afraid the whole thing could fall apart. Think: China and India saying ‘whoaaaa - if the US isn’t going to get things done, neither are we.’ The White House put out its ‘keep calm and carry on’ poster.

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU HEAR A NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK IS COMING...

He’s not the only one getting a second act. Don’t worry, it’s not Equus.

THING TO KNOW

InstaPit: A designated area for Instagrammers to take photos of runway shows. Think lots of bloggers staring up with their phones. It’s a thing. Just in time for Fashion Week.

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