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First up: Bill Cosby was released from prison yesterday. We’ll explain the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s shocking decision to release him early.  

Next: We’ll break down this week’s other big stories, from the Supreme Court’s voting rights decision to why it’s been so hot on the West Coast.

Then: It’s been a week since a condo building in Surfside, Florida collapsed. We’ll recap what went wrong, and also ask a housing expert: who’s supposed to make sure these things don’t happen in the first place? 

ICYMI: We’re talking all things Delta variant. Like: do I need to mask up, even if I’m vaccinated? And does my vaccine protect against it? 

Finally: We’re seeing “Help Wanted” signs everywhere — at restaurants, grocery stores, retailers, and more. We’ll get into why millions of Americans aren’t rushing back to work, and what companies and state governments are doing to change that.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Luke Vargas. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. With additional support from Ciara Long and Peter Bonaventure. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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

First up: We’ll break down what Britney Spears told a court about her conservatorship this week, plus two more big SCOTUS decisions on college athletes and Snapchat free speech.

Next: No matter where you live, you’ve probably heard about an increase in “violent crime” lately. We’ll ask an expert why we’re seeing these trends and if President Biden’s new plan to combat crime could help.

Then: Big Tech rules the world. But Congress is trying to change that. A bipartisan group of legislators introduced five antitrust bills this month to make Big Tech … a lot less big. We’ll break down both sides of the debate about whether to rein them in. 

Plus: Earlier this year, President Biden promised to prioritize LGBTQ+ rights in America’s dealings abroad, via diplomacy, trade and immigration policy. We’ll investigate how well the U.S. is living up to that promise.

ICYMI: A few days ago, the Goldman Prize gave us this year’s real-life superheroes — six people whose environmental work is saving the planet. We’ll speak to one winner about how she got the plastic industry to back down in her home country.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Luke Vargas. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. With additional support from Ciara Long. 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 Bridget Armstrong and Alex Carr. 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’ll break down Biden’s first overseas trip as president, how the U.S. hopes to stay the world’s top tech country, why its RIP for Keystone XL and what leaked docs show the ultra-wealthy really pay in taxes.

Next: This week, the F.D.A. approved a new Alzheimer’s drug — but not everyone’s thrilled. We’ll get into why experts aren’t so sure about aducanumab.

Then: Dozens of bills restricting voters’ rights have passed in states all over the U.S. this year. We’ll dive into some of the most common restrictions being passed, and the impact they’re likely to have. You can find theSkimm’s breakdown of voting rights bills by state here. 

ICYMI: A 6-3 conservative majority in the Supreme Court and aging liberal judges has some calling for Justice Breyer to step down. We’ll break down why a guy with a lifetime gig might choose to throw in the towel early.

Plus: What’s in a name? A lot, if you ask the W.H.O — which is asking news outlets to call COVID-19 variants by Greek letter nicknames.

Finally: Hear ye, hear ye. There’s a new royal baby in town. So we’re talking royal baby names with an expert… and breaking down why Meghan and Harry’s choice of Lilibet Diana might be a diplomatic masterstroke.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

P.S. If your appetite for learning about the royals knows no bounds, check out our list of 9 essential royal reads.

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: We’ll break down Israel’s (likely) government shakeup, Biden’s latest moves on the southern border, and new data about female CEOs.

Next: We’ll look at why tennis star Naomi Osaka’s decision to take a break from competition is about so much more than sports.

Then: While the U.S. deals with vaccine hesitancy, a lot of countries have no shots, period. We’ll talk to a health reporter about how the U.S. can (and should) turn the global vaccine shortage around.

ICYMI: This week was the 100 year anniversary of the race massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We asked two experts why schools don’t teach students about that and the dozens of similar events that happened in what’s known as the “Red Summer.”

Finally: We’ll get the lowdown from a book critic about why adding a kinda dark-sounding work of foreign fiction to our summer reading list is worth it.

P.S. You can get your copy of this year’s International Booker Prize winner here.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: Let’s break down some headlines, from America’s top diplomat visiting Israel to Belarus faking an airline bomb threat.

Next: President Biden wants U.S. intelligence to figure out the origins of COVID-19. That’s reviving an old theory that the pandemic could have come from a laboratory.

Plus: It’s been a year since George Floyd was murdered. We’ll break down what progress has been made — and where activists say there’s more to do.

ICYMI: In a bid to get past the partisan standoff in Congress, politicians are reconnecting with some old friends: earmarks. We break down how the controversial practice could help — or hurt — in Washington D.C.

Finally: If you can’t stop sneezing … we know why. We’ll chat with a pollen expert about tips to cope and why pollen forecasting could offer some sweet relief.

Interested in joining our team? Check out our audio producer job opening here.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

Correction: A previous version of our story on earmarks featured an archival news audio clip claiming that $500,000 had been earmarked for studying "shrimp on a treadmill." That news clip failed to mention that funding was spent on a variety of scientific projects.

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First up: We’ve got the context you need on the Mississippi abortion law heading to the Supreme Court, the new hate crimes bill that just passed Congress and President Biden showing off an electric pickup. 

Next: Nearly two weeks of Israeli-Palestinian fighting has caused fighting… among US lawmakers. We’ll break down what’s going on with America’s diplomatic relationship with Israel, and what some politicians are hoping to change.  

Plus: U.S. military intelligence says reports of UFOs are legit. But do we know anything about them?

Then: If you’re thinking about planning a vacation this summer, you might want to act fast. We’ll tell you why everything from flights to rental cars is in extra high demand right now. 

ICYMI: You may have heard the word “inflation” come up recently. If you need a quick refresher, we’ve got you. We’ll explain how inflation works, why people are talking about it right now, and ask an expert if it’s worth getting worried.

• Finally: On our other podcast, Skimm’d from the Couch, we sat down with Stacey Abrams this week to talk career goals. You can catch our full interview here.

Interested in joining our team? Check out our audio producer job opening here.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: Renewed Israeli-Palestinian conflict is threatening to spiral into all-out war. We’ll break down what you need to know. 

Then: We’re giving you the context on two more events that have been making headlines this week: Liz Cheney’s demotion, and a Pfizer vaccine for teens.  

Next: A major pipeline in the US got hacked over the weekend. We’ll tell you WTF a ransomware attack is, why they’re so common, and why the US is typically a major target. 

ICYMI: We’re speaking with one of the cofounders of the nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate to talk about the hate crimes that Asian Americans have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally: We’ve been feeling kind of embarrassed about our screen time over the past year… but should we be? We investigated whether this pesky new habit is really so bad. 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: We’ve got the context on this week’s biggest headlines, from Trump’s Facebook ban to what’s going on with federal eviction protections and protests in Colombia. 

Plus: This week, the White House said it supports waiving patent protections for COVID vaccines. Well break down whether that will help boost the global vaccine supply and why drug companies are annoyed.  

Next: Can employers or colleges make people get vaccinated? We’ll take a look at the arguments on both sides.

Then: Whether it’s burnout or boredom, low wages or Zoom fatigue, millennials are making some big professional and financial changes. The logic? YOLO.

ICYMI: Who else knows you only live once? The billionaires competing in the 21st century’s new space race. We’re diving into what the battle between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos means for the future of space travel.

Finally: It’s been a mother of a year. We’re passing the mic to five moms to hear how its been and what this Sunday means to them. 

P.S. You can find theSkimm’s guide to Mother’s Day — from our survey results to gift guides and how to outsource your household work — here.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

PS: Those links we told you about in our sleep segment? 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Ciara Long and Peter Bonaventure. theSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear. 

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