Presented by Cornell University’s Skimm’bassador Erica Baevsky

 

MEDIA (2/26)

THE STORY

Yesterday, the FCC gave a big ‘yes’ to net neutrality.

THIS AGAIN?

Yup. This means that from now on, Internet providers can’t speed up access to some websites just because those sites are willing to pay for a faster connection. The Internet will be treated as a public utility. Translation: The FCC wants you to be able to browse the websites of bigger companies with lots of influence (like Facebook) just as quickly as you can pull up a smaller website, with less clout (like your friend’s cooking blog).

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Many, including President Obama, say this is a win for the open Internet. But Internet providers insist this is going to open the door to costly government regulations that will suppress innovation. They plan on taking the fight to court. PS: If net neutrality still gives you a headache, Skimm our fancy guide.

 

NATIONAL (2/25)

WHAT TO SAY WHILE MAKING TRAVEL PLANS…

Syria is not on my list. But it apparently was for three UK teens. Last week, British police announced that three teen girls traveled from London to Istanbul, allegedly to try to enter Syria and join ISIS. Law enforcement’s been trying to track them down before they reached Syria. But earlier this week, London police say they believe the girls made it there. Which is great, since it’s so easy to navigate and find people in Syria these days. Meanwhile, ISIS has reportedly  abducted dozens of Christians from Syrian villages. ISIS is apparently raiding new villages to try to make up for some recent losses.

THE STORY

On Wednesday, three men who live in Brooklyn, NY were charged with aiding ISIS.

COME AGAIN?

You read that correctly. The three men apparently came to the US’s attention last year, after one of them posted pro-ISIS messages online. An investigation into that man – including visits to his home where he told US agents that he wanted to join ISIS – gave the feds a hunch that he might be trouble. It also led to investigations into the other guys. Two of the men arrested on Wednesday allegedly planned to travel to Syria via Turkey to join up with ISIS. If that didn’t work out, their alleged Plan B was to commit an act of terrorism at home.

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It now seems that ISIS’s influence has come as far as New York. This, along with the three UK girls who are believed to have fled to Syria recently, raises flags about the group’s international pull and online recruitment tactics.

 

ENTERTAINMENT (2/23)

WHO WON?

“Birdman” can fly in any weather, especially the Best Picture and Best Director categories. Eddie Redmayne is officially a star. Julianne Moore can live a little longer now. JK Simmons won and scored mom points. Patricia Arquette’s 12 years of “Boyhood” paid off. The musicians formerly known as Common and John Legen–wait for it–dary made everyone cry with “Glory.” And then Lonnie Lynn and John Stephens brought home their trophy. This won best speech.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Some actresses are tired of ‘who are you wearing?’ and would like Ryan Seacrest to #AskHerMore. Patricia Arquette took her time at the mic to push equal pay for women. Meryl and J.Lo agreed. John Travolta, still living down Adele Dazeem, now has this to explain. And it turns out Lady Gaga can sing. But really.

 

U.S.  (2/24)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR OFFICE RIVAL SUPPORTS YOUR IDEA AT THE AM MEETING…

Are we actually agreeing on something? Monday, reports surfaced that the US and Iran  might be almost ready to compromise on a nuclear deal. Word on the diplomatic street is the deal would put restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program for at least a decade. After that, these restrictions would slowly ease up – along with harsh economic sanctions on Iran that the West has put in place in recent years. Iran has always said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes (think: energy and science), to which the US and friends have always responded with a skeptical, ‘is that so?’ These talks have been on and off for years. In late 2013, Iran and the US agreed to a temporary nuclear deal while both sides worked out a more permanent solution. Those talks got extended. Twice. And here we are. Bottom line: if compromise is really on the way, it would be a big deal. Officials have until the end of March to agree on a framework before more details can be hammered out.

 

POLITICS (2/25)

WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR FRIEND FROM THE WINDY CITY…

Rahm Emanuel. On Tuesday, the Chicago mayor failed to get enough votes to win reelection – so he’ll face his second-place challenger in an April runoff. Before he was elected mayor in 2011, Emanuel served as President Obama’s chief of staff. And last week, Obama took a trip to Chi-town to try and give the mayor a boost. No dice. Emanuel’s had some very pubicclashes with teachers, and the guy challenging him in April has the support of a powerful teachers union.

 

INTERNATIONAL FINANCE (2/25)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR TAX RETURN ARRIVES RIGHT BEFORE YOUR RENT IS DUE…

That was close. Greece can breathe a sigh of relief now that Eurozone finance ministers have agreed to extend its loan program by four months. To review: Greece was in the midst of a financial meltdown when Europe stepped in to save the day, but not without austerity measures such as tax hikes and layoffs. This did not go over well. Greece retaliated by electing a new government that promised to make life easier by getting rid of these reforms. Mission not exactly accomplished. During this extension, Greece says it will do things like fight tax evasion, reform its pension system, and write “Wah” over and over again.

 

CIVIL RIGHTS (2/25)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT…

George Zimmerman. Again. On Tuesday, the Justice Department officially decided not to file federal charges against him. In 2013, he was acquitted in the shooting death of 17-year-old unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman said he was acting in self-defense. Others said not so much , and massive protests erupted. The Justice Department had been conducting a separate civil rights investigation. On Tuesday, it said it couldn’t prove that Martin’s shooting was motivated by race. Meanwhile, the department’s also conducting a civil rights investigation into the shooting death of black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO last summer.

 

UNFORTUNATE LOSSES (2/25)

WHAT TO SAY AT THE MORNING MEETING…

Did you see the Eddie Ray Routh update? On Tuesday, a Texas jury found him guilty of murdering Chris Kyle – the former Navy SEAL sniper who inspired “American Sniper.” Routh was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The former Marine, with a history of mental instability, killed Kyle and his friend at a shooting range in 2013. The two men had taken Routh there as part of an effort to help former troops struggling with PTSD.

 

EXCITING DISCOVERIES (2/25)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONS THE CHICAGO POLICE ‘BLACK SITE’…

Something head-scratching happened in Canada too. A tunnel more than 20 feet long lit by a generator was discovered near a sports complex in Toronto. No one except for The Others and John Locke know what it’s for or how it got there. The structure had reinforced ceilings, tools inside, and likely the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 carved into the walls. Officials have said there’s no immediate cause for concern, but Canadians are saying WTF, as the sporting complex is set to house a major international sporting event in July.

 

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