Skimm This

First up: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring. We called up a law professor to find out what this means for the court’s future. 

Next: We’ve got the latest on tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border, as well as the stock market’s wild ride this week and why this year’s tax filing season is off to a rocky start for the IRS. BTW, here’s theSkimm’s guide to completing your tax return.

Then: Dr. Fauci says Omicron may peak by mid February, and the WHO said we might be near the end of the COVID-19 pandemic’s “emergency phase.” We asked a doctor if things are looking up. 

ICYMI: What do Peloton, Unilever, and Kohl’s have in common? Before this week, not much. But now, all three companies are being targeted by activist investors. We’ll break down what activist investing is, and what it means for companies and shareholders.

Plus: We’ve spent the last few weeks completing the How To Skimm Your Life Challenge, from upgrading our snack game to optimizing our to-do lists. This week, we’re Skimming our mental health — specifically, how to recover from burnout.

Finally: There were four Superbowl-worthy NFL games last weekend. And we’ve still got weeks til the actual Superbowl. We talked to one sports reporter about why football is so fun to watch right now (never thought we’d say it) and what to expect for the rest of the season.

P.S. Calling all Skimm This listeners. If you have five minutes to answer some multiple choice questions, please tell us what you want to hear more of on the show. Go to the skimm.com/podsurvey. 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Additional help from Sagine Corrielus. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: We’ve got the latest on voting rights legislation in the Senate, 5G versus airlines, the Texas synagogue standoff, and how to get free COVID-19 tests and N95 masks.

Next: We called up White House press secretary Jen Psaki to talk about President Biden’s priorities for his second year in office. 

ICYMI: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in hot water for breaking lockdown rules in 2020. Rules his administration made. We’ll spill the tea in 60 seconds.

Then: After months and months of postponed RTO plans, some companies are now scrapping plans to head back to the office altogether. We’ll ask one reporter if we’re past the point of no return when it comes to going back IRL.

Plus: It’s review season — which means it’s your chance to ask your boss for that raise or promotion you’ve been after. We talked to one expert about how to make the ask. 

Finally: Sundance Film Festival starts this week — and this year, you don’t have to go in person to watch some of indie cinema’s hottest new offerings. We’ll ask the festival’s director why making Sundance accessible is so important to the world of movie-making.

P.S. Here’s where to order your free COVID-19 tests, and here’s what’s playing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Additional help from Sagine Corrielus. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: We’ve got the latest on how hospitals are coping with Omicron cases amid a staffing shortage, rising inflation (again), the latest scandal to hit top US universities, and Prince Andrew getting thrown some royal shade. 

Then: The US and Russia are squaring off again – and these talks are giving people some major Cold War vibes. We’ll ask one expert why things are so tense right now, and why Putin’s got Team Biden running in circles. 

ICYMI: Djokovic might be warming up for the Australian open, but immigration officials still haven’t decided if he should even be in the country. We’ll bring you up to date on the twists and turns of Djokovic’s Australian visa drama.

Next: The debate over the filibuster is back and if you forgot exactly what the filibuster even is…you’re not alone. We’ll run through a quick definition, and break down both sides of the spicy debate over changing it. 

Finally: At theSkimm, we do New Year’s resolutions a little differently. Today, we’ll fill you in on one of the ways we’re getting smarter this year: making sure our paycheck deductions are going to the best health insurance and retirement options.

P.S. Here’s what all those acronyms for different kinds of retirement plans actually mean.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Additional help from Sagine Corrielus. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: We’ve got the latest on school closures across the country, COVID-19 boosters for teenagers, the jury’s verdict in the Elizabeth Holmes trial, and Apple hitting $3 trillion dollars. 

Next: Verizon and AT&T’s 5G rollout is threatening to ground planes in major cities all over the US. We’ll break down why — and how the airlines and mobile networks plan to fix it. 

Then: One year ago today, rioters stormed the Capitol building in DC. We’ll ask two experts: what’s happened since then? And what’s being done to make sure nothing like this ever happens again?

Plus: Biden’s got beef with the meat industry. We’ll explain why a few major meatpackers have got the President’s attention. 

Finally: It’s been 20 years since the first Harry Potter movie hit theaters. We’ll talk to one journalist about the legacy of those movies - and what the HBO anniversary special left on the cutting room floor.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: We’ve got the latest on the end of the Kellogg’s workers’ strike, the government hitting pause on student loan repayments again and emergency FDA authorization for Pfizer’s at-home COVID-19 pill. 

Then: If you’ve been wondering why we’re all still scrambling for rapid tests two years into the pandemic… you’re not alone. We Skimm’d Biden’s announcement this week on the plan for tackling Omicron - which includes revamping testing.

Next: Season Three of COVID-19 just dropped, and a lot of people are getting positive tests for the first time. We’ll ask two doctors what we should do if we test positive.

Plus: If you’re planning some serious sofa time over the holidays — whether you’re isolating at home, or just relaxing — we’ve got you covered. We’re sharing some of theSkimm staff’s top TV, film, book, and podcast recs from 2021.

Finally: We’re really done with being in a f****** pandemic. And apparently it’s showing up in all our language, because we’re all cursing a lot more. We’ll break down why, and what you can do if you wanna clean things up. 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: We’ve got the latest on the tornado damage in Kentucky, Congress raising the debt ceiling, and the big USA Gymnastics settlement. 

Then: This week, Congress passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, funding the military for the next year. But this year’s bill was different. We’ll break down a major change that’s meant to curb sexual assault in the armed services. 

ICYMI: The Golden Globes nominations dropped this week… and basically no one cared. We’ll get into how the award ceremony’s scandal-tainted history is affecting its cultural relevance.

Next: Experts say Omicron is about to surge here in the US. We called up Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to answer our questions about staying safe over the holidays. 

Plus: It seems like no-one can stop talking about inflation. Including the Federal Reserve, who met this week to try to lower prices. But while we wait for new policies to kick in, we’ve got some expert advice on how to rework your budget in the meantime. 

Finally: Peloton got some bad press after the first episode of the ‘Sex And The City’ reboot aired… and the workout-from-home company fired back with its own ad. We’ll ask a marketing expert: how much trouble did this actually cause for Peloton?

P.S. Here’s what you can do to help victims of the recent tornadoes in the Midwest and the South.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today: we're sharing the latest episode of another Skimm podcast, Pop Cultured with theSkimm. Skimm This will be back in your feed with the week's news on Thursday.

The Bachelorette’s Michelle Young is making Bachelor nation history. For the first time since the franchise premiered in 2002, the man who'll soon be handed that final rose is guaranteed to be a man of color. It may seem like reality dating shows are making some slow progress on diversity. But why aren’t they keeping up with our IRL views on love and relationships? 

You’ll hear from:

Bethonie Butler, TV and pop culture reporter for the Washington Post.

Joanna Weiss, Editor-in-Chief of Experience magazine and contributing editor to POLITICO Magazine

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: President Biden and Vladimir Putin had an awkward Zoom this week to discuss the growing tension at the border of Ukraine. But just like any convo you’ve had with a friend slash enemy, this one… didn’t solve much. 

Next: Speaking of US frenemies, this week Biden bucked the social norms by RSVPing ‘no’ to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics… as did Canada, the UK and Australia.

ICYMI: We’ve got the latest on the Department of Justice suing Texas over its redistricting maps, new data about teens’ mental health, and Angela Merkel’s auf wiedersehen after 16 years as German Chancellor.

Then: It’s looking more likely that SCOTUS might overturn Roe v. Wade next year. We’ll talk to two experts about how access to abortion affects our finances, our health and our mental wellbeing.

Finally: Art Basel just wrapped in Miami, with a new addition this year: NFTs. We’ll ask one art reporter what this new convergence of art and tech means for the future of the art market.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Luke Vargas, and Ciara Long. Additional help from Sagine Corrielus. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up: The word of the week is definitely “Omicron.” We called up a doctor friend to break down what we do and don’t know about the new COVID-19 variant.

Next: We’ll get into this week’s other big headlines, from a school shooting in Michigan to a controversial new Twitter policy, and the start of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial.

Then: The Supreme Court heard a major abortion case this week about Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks. We listened in on the hearing and asked an expert about how the Supremes might rule.

ICYMI: Barbados kicked out Queen Elizabeth II as head of state this week and honored … Rihanna that same evening? We’ll break down what happened in 60 seconds.

Finally: The Royal Family viewed through a horror lens. Thick Italian accents and fur coats. And two tennis stars’ intense training regimen. We’ll check in with Thrillist film critic Esther Zuckerman to hear about the three films we need to watch now.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Luke Vargas, and Ciara Long. Engineered by Peter Bonaventure. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr, Luke Vargas, and Ciara Long. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices