Skimm This

On this special episode of Skimm This, we wanted to take a break from the news for some comic relief, and get a chance to hear some of your voices. A few weeks ago, we asked you to fill out a survey about how the past year has been. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And we started getting a lot of must-read responses to one question in particular: what was your best or worst pandemic purchase? 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: To help understand all of this week’s COVID headlines – including big news about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – we phoned up a doctor to ask: “Hey did you read that thing?”

Then: We’ve got the latest on the most recent incident of police violence in Minnesota, why Iran is increasing its uranium enrichment, and the latest beef between the U.S. and Russia.

After that: If President Biden has his way, U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan by September 11th, 2021. We’ll break down why ending America’s longest war is so tricky.

Quickly: We’ve got the details on a new plan to slow migration to the U.S. from Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.

Later: We got a call from the U.S. Commerce Secretary this week. A $2 trillion infrastructure plan is being debated in Congress, and she thinks millennials should be paying attention.

Finally: We’re letting out some steam. And breaking down the science…of screaming. 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and 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 this week’s biggest headlines, from progress towards a new Iran nuclear deal to border clashes in Northern Ireland and Biden’s latest moves on gun control. (0:46)

Then: This week, Arkansas’ Governor vetoed a bill banning gender-affirming healthcare for minors – only for lawmakers to overturn the veto. We’ll break down a rollercoaster week in the state. (5:22)

Next: President Biden has some big infrastructure plans, but wants to raise corporate taxes to foot the bill. We’ll dive into the pros and cons of that hotly-debated tax hike. (7:55)

ICYMI: Wondering what President Biden’s plan is for student loan forgiveness? We’ve got the deets on what we know so far … in 60 seconds. (13:09)

Plus: 4,500+ Skimm'rs recently told us about the pandemic habit they most want to kick. One of the most common answers? ‘Drinking.’ We asked the experts: are we the only ones? And, how can we cut down if that’s something we want to do? (15:30)

Finally: If you’re bored of hibernating and feeling ready for summer … so are billions of noisy cicadas. We’ll talk to a nature expert and an event planner about what to expect in the next few months. (24:34)

P.S., Here are some of resources we in our show this week:

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: Derek Chauvin’s trial began this week. He’s the former police officer accused of killing George Floyd. We’re taking a look at what we can expect in the courtroom in the weeks ahead. And we’ll break down why America doesn’t have a strong track record when it comes to convicting police officers.  

Then: It’s time for headlines. We’re bringing you news from the WHO, Pfizer, Georgia, and New York… and giving you the context on why it all matters. 

Next: There’s a tiny but historic election going on in Bessemer, Alabama. Amazon warehouse employees there have voted on whether or not to unionize. We’ll tell you why this one small town is really getting under Jeff Bezos’s skin. 

ICYMI: The situation in Myanmar is only getting more dire. After the military took over in a coup back in February, people are continuing to protest, with many protests turning deadly. We’ll tell you about the global response (hint: barely any) and what’s expected to happen next.  

Finally: We asked: which quarantine habit are you most trying to shake? And a lot of you said: snacking. Here’s the deal: snacking is good for us. So we asked an expert how we can snack … smarter. 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: Less than a week after a mass shooting in Atlanta, there was another massacre – this time in Colorado. We’re diving in to look at what’s changed – and what hasn’t – about gun violence in the US. 

Then: From Israel’s elections and a ship stuck in the Suez Canal to Equal Pay Day and Virginia abolishing the death penalty, we’ve got the context on this week’s biggest headlines.

Next: As spring breakers crowd the streets in Miami, we ask an epidemiologist: are we gonna see another surge in COVID outbreaks? And what can we start to enjoy safely?

Plus: Evanston, Illinois just made history as the first city to approve reparations in the US. We’ll break down what reparations are, and how they could work in practice. 

Finally: Endometriosis is tricky to diagnose, but it affects at least 10% of women (ages 15-44) in the US. So we asked an expert: what is it, how do we know if we have it, and how can we treat it? 

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Luke Vargas. With additional support from Peter Bonaventure and 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 deadly shootings around Atlanta, where a lone gunman murdered 8 people — 6 of them of Asian descent — in a time when attacks against Asian Americans are rising. 

Then: Last weekend, police in London shut down a vigil for Sarah Everard, who was abducted and murdered while walking home from a friend’s house. We break down why Everard’s death matters — not just in the U.K., but everywhere.

Next: We’ve got the context on some of this week’s other big headlines, including big news on same-sex marriage in Japan, a frosty summit in Alaska, and the IRS giving us another month to do our taxes.

Plus: This week, some EU countries temporarily paused their rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. We break down how regulators have reacted to concerns over blood clots — in 60 seconds.

ICYMI: Is there a “crisis” at the US-Mexico border? We dive into what’s going on, and what’s changed about immigration policy so far in the Biden Administration.

Finally: Every week, there’s a new financial acronym to learn. First it was SPACs. Now it’s NFTs. We’ll break down why all these new investment crazes are happening.

P.S. Here are some of resources we mentioned if you’re struggling to cope with this week’s news:

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

First up: Today, President Biden signed a long-awaited stimulus bill. We’ll break down three of the biggest wishes he granted and look at who’s gonna be affected. (Here’s the rest of theSkimm on the stimulus bill)

Then: We’ll explain the CDC’s new guidelines about what we can do once we’ve been vaccinated.

Plus: We’ll follow one Skimm HQ’er as she gets her first shot.

Remember Me? TheSkimm sat down with former President Obama this week and asked him what it will take for Americans to truly get to a place of racial equality.

ICYMI: It’s almost time to “spring forward” this weekend for Daylight Savings. We’ll share some tips to make losing an hour less difficult this year. 

Finally: A year after the pandemic officially began, we’ll talk to a grief counselor about reckoning with the losses we’ve dealt with — from loved ones to jobs — and how to move forward.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: We had some questions for the new CDC director, like: if it’s my turn, how do I sign up to get vaccinated?

Then: We’ve got the context on some of this week’s big headlines, including the latest on NY Governor Cuomo, why the Capitol is on high alert, and what’s up with Dr. Seuss.

Next: We’ll explain the fate of the $15 minimum wage … in 60 seconds. 

ICYMI: A new report found that political and economic freedoms are declining all around the world, including in the U.S. We’ll tell you why that’s happening — and why we’re still hopeful.

Finally: We all know that Zoom fatigue is real, but now scientists are telling us just how real. We’ve got the scoop on why, and what you can do about it.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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

First up: A few places, including the U.K. and Israel, have successfully rolled out COVID-19 vaccinations. We want to know: how did they do it? And can we copy what they got right?

Then: We’ll fill you in on what you need to know about Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, which should get FDA approval this week.

Next: We’ve got the context on two of the week’s headlines, involving former President Trump’s taxes and Illinois eliminating cash bail.

ICYMI: The racial wealth gap is still a huge obstacle for Black women. We’ll talk to one woman who’s helping make that gap smaller. 

Finally: A lot of Texans are still without running water after last week’s winter storm. This week, we’re talking to one of the volunteers hoping to fix that — literally. 

P.S. For more info on the racial wealth gap, check out this handy guide from the Skimm Money team.

On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

Want more Skimm? 

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

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