Presented by Cornell University’s Skimm’bassador Erica Baevsky

POLITICS (3/16)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR CO-WORKER SAYS SHE’S SORRY TO HEAR YOU’RE LEAVING THE COMPANY…

Who are your sources? Earlier this month, it came out that former US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton had an interesting way of keeping up with her work correspondence. She exclusively used a personal email address managed through a private server at her home. While there’s been lots of talk about her email practices, there hasn’t been a lot of talk about where the leak came from. Now, the New York Post has published a report that Valerie Jarrett – senior adviser to President Obama – was the leaker. Jarrett reportedly planted the info through people outside the Obama administration, so the story couldn’t be traced back to the White House. Which clearly worked out well. But the good news for Clinton doesn’t stop there…this week, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is reportedly planning on announcing an investigation into her emails.

 

U.S. (3/16)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE READING…

 This New York Times story from last weekend. It alleges that the CIA has funded al-Qaeda in recent years by accident. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

 

ENTERTAINMENT (3/17)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU EAT THAT GREEK YOGURT JUST BEFORE ITS EXPIRATION…

Timing is everything. On Monday, Robert Durst – real estate heir and the subject of HBO’s “The Jinx” – was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Susan Berman, his friend who was killed 15 years ago in Los Angeles. There have been questions over the timeline that led to these charges. On Sunday, Durst was arrested in New Orleans. Also on Sunday, “The Jinx” aired its final episode in which Durst seems to make a hot-mic confession to three murders, including Berman’s. Some speculated that the producers of the show cut a deal with police to hold Durst’s arrest until the day of the final episode. Because best TV ever. The LAPD and the producers have denied this. If convicted, Durst could face the death penalty.

 

TECHNOLOGY (3/17)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU SEE PICS OF YOUR FRIENDS ON VACATION WHILE YOU’RE AT THE OFFICE…

FOMO. That might be how Comcast is feeling right about now. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is trying to launch an online TV subscription service. It would reportedly include a selection of about 25 channels, including ABC, Fox, and CBS. But not NBC. Apple and NBC’s parent company Comcast apparently had a falling out recently after talks to work together on a streaming project fell through. And it turns out that may have poisoned the Apple. Apple has reportedly been trying for years to create a subscription service like this, and it would work across Apple devices (looking at you, iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV set-top boxes). It’s reportedly aiming to launch the new service this fall.

 

SPORTS (3/17)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU SUBMIT A JOB APPLICATION FOR THE THIRD TIME…

Just really trying to make this happen. So is Pete Rose. On Monday, the former Major League Baseball player and manager applied for reinstatement. Rose — who still holds the record for most hits in baseball history — was banned from the MLB for life in 1989 for gambling on games while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds. Meanwhile, Tim Tebow is still trying to make football happen. The former NFL QB reportedly worked out with the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday. Since getting cut from the NY Jets, Tebow’s been getting airtime as a sports analyst. And trying for another shot on the field. But even though he worked out with the Eagles, the team’s reportedly not planning on signing him anytime soon. The eagle has not exactly landed.

 

MARCH MADNESS

March Madness. It’s hereeeee. There are lots of balls in the air, so we made you a guide.

WHAT’S MARCH MADNESS?

The one with all the brackets. It’s the NCAA tournament that decides who’s number one in college basketball. The women’s tournament started Friday. You’ll be hearing a lot about men’s Division I for the foreseeable future.

WHEN AND WHERE?

The games that really count started on Thursday. Watch the games on TV, online, or get the app.

I’M NOT INTO BASKETBALL. BYE FELICIA.

Good for you. But more than 20 million people watched last year’s final game, and about $9 billion will be spent on bracket betting. So…there is no escaping.

FINE. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

On Thursday, there were 64 men’s college teams. Of those, 32 won their respective conferences. The NCAA picked the rest on Selection Sunday through a complex and secretive process a la conclave. They’re lumped into four groups of 16 via Sorting Hat: East, West, South, and Midwest. From there it’s three weeks and a lot of alliteration as the teams compete to get into the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and then finally the big ol’ Championship Game on April 6th.

theSKIMM

If you’re a college basketball fan, this is the tourney you’ve been waiting for all year. If you’re not, your co-workers are going to be having afternoon “chiropractor appointments” for the next month. Might as well get on board.

 

INTERNATIONAL (3/18)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU MAKE IT ONTO THE TRAIN AS THE DOORS ARE CLOSING…

That was a close one. On Tuesday, Israelis hit the voting booth to decide whether or not longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would get to keep his job. And after what looked like a tight race, Bibi came out very much on top. Netanyahu’s win is a big deal not just for Israel, but for the international community – especially the Obama Administration. Earlier this week, Netanyahu unexpectedly said he would not allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state. In other words, an Israeli-Palestinian compromise that the US and friends have been pushing for years would be off the table. Just so happens that compromise has been one of President Obama’s top foreign policy goals. So this should be fun.

 

MEDICAL (3/19)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU HEAR THE NAME “WALDO” IS GOING EXTINCT…

Here’s another word I haven’t heard in a while: tuberculosis. On Wednesday, Kansas officials said that 27 people have tested positive for TB at a local high school. This comes after a student there was recently diagnosed with an active case. TB is an infectious disease affecting the lungs that is common in developing countries. But it hasn’t been a big problem for the US in decades. Officials say that since these 27 people were diagnosed early, they aren’t contagious and will undergo treatment right away.

 

RELEVANT (3/19)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU ORDER YOUR STARBUCKS COFFEE BLACK…

Let’s talk about race.

 

FINANCE (3/19)

WHAT TO SAY WHEN IT’S AFTER THE ESTIMATED DELIVERY TIME AND YOUR SEAMLESS STILL HASN’T ARRIVED…

I’m running out of patience. So is the Fed. On Wednesday, everyone’s favorite central bank was a big tease and hinted it’s probably going to raise interest rates by June. How did it tease, you ask? By removing the word “patient” while writing about raising rates in its regular policy statement. Gasp. This is the Fed’s subtle way of suggesting that the cost of borrowing money could go up for the first time since the financial crisis.  Reminder: since the crisis, the Fed has been doing things like buying bonds and keeping borrowing rates low to stimulate the US economy. So Wednesday’s riveting statement is the Fed’s way of saying things are looking better. But just in case everyone’s getting a little too hot and bothered, Fed Chair Janet Yellen also warned that the bank might not raise the rates in the end after all. To be continued on the next episode of “Days of our Fed.”

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