"If anyone thinks anything mean, I’ll know. And I’ll quit"
— Jennifer Lawrence’s first (no, really) Instagram post is the exact energy we all need right now. If anyone can fix the internet, it’s her.
Politics
Throwing Money at the Situation
What's going on: The Republican midterm convention — nicknamed “Trump-a-Palooza” by the RNC chair — brought one big and unusual campaign promise. In a speech on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that if Republicans take both the House and the Senate, he’ll give every American $5,000 to spend within the US. Trump called the payments a “Trump dividend,” comparing it to how “a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders.” Then, yesterday, Trump promised to give voters even more money in the form of a $500 rebate to those he says have been “ripped off” by the Affordable Care Act. The cash will arrive before the midterms, in the next few weeks, he said.
Is this even legal?: Some Democrats say no — or in the words of Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), it’s “corrupt and blatantly illegal" — but it’s not immediately clear. Federal law prohibits outright bribery but allows campaign promises that would financially benefit all voters, like lowering taxes. Experts say that both the $5,000 “Trump dividend” and the $500 ACA rebate may require Congressional approval. Another reason to hold off on adding items to your online shopping carts: Trump made similar promises in the past and didn’t follow through, including a DOGE dividend and a $2,000 payment that was supposed to be funded by tariffs. Economists say the $5,000 payment would add over $1 trillion to the national debt and worsen inflation.
🗞️ Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a landmark social media safety law that restricts addictive features for users under 16 and mandates disclosure around chatbots.
🗞️ A federal judge in Miami denied the Tate brothers' bail request as they fight extradition to the UK. The brothers face nearly 60 charges, including allegations of rape and human trafficking.
🗞️ A salmonella outbreak linked to broccoli sprouts has hit four states. Can we please just enjoy one crunchy salad?
🗞️ New research suggests that daily omega-3 fish oil and vitamin D supplements may be harmful for the aging brain. At least they waited for the end of Sardine Girl Summer to tell us.
If you're going to take one vitamin gummy over the next few weeks, take this one.
Keep scrolling... more recs below
Rogue Agents
AI Bots, Meet Capitol Hill
What's going on: There’s a scene in I, Robotwhere Will Smith’s character reminds the machine in question about all the things it cannot do: It can’t sleep, dream, do art, or write a symphony. Well, Will Smith, it turns out, they can lie. In July, some 700 OpenAI bots went rogue during an exercise and hacked Hugging Face, an AI startup. The bots were searching for the answers to a test and cheated to get them (relatable?). But what’s more concerning is that they tampered with evidence to hide the fact they cheated. Bad bots. Now, a Senate subcommittee on disaster management (hello, that’s saying something) has opened an investigation into the incident. In a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman this week, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) called OpenAI’s behavior “reckless” and wants Altman to provide more answers. It shouldn’t be that hard, Sam. Just ask ChatGPT for help.
What it means: The alarming part isn’t just that the AI bots cheated — it’s that they tried to conceal their behavior, andOpenAI wasn’t transparent about it. In the past week, there have been several warnings from AI researchers about the existential threat AI poses to humanity. Maybe it’s time to pass that “AI Kill Switch Act”? Some have even suggested a federal system like the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) but for artificial intelligence. While individual states have taken measures to hold AI companies accountable, Capitol Hill has been incredibly slow to create any type of guardrails. The Hugging Face attack isn’t even the first incident of its kind — raising the question: How often have the bots gone rogue, and what else have they tried to hide?
What's going on: For the first time since 1972, a Black American man will play in the final of the US Open Tennis Championships. The match featuring Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will take place later today inside Arthur Ashe Stadium — named for the last player to do it. Shelton’s road to the semis included a record-setting five-set quarterfinal against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz into the wee hours of Wednesday morning (3:33 am to be exact). The only thing better than how he’s playing tennis right now is his enviably adorable relationship with soccer star and number one hype woman Trinity Rodman (whose hilarious “What about me?” is so relatable). And we’ll never forget Tiafoe and fellow American Alex Michelsen showing us how real men act in defeat with the “hug heard round the world.” We almost forgot about toxic masculinity for a minute.
What about the women?: Williams sisters Venus and Serena returned to play doubles together for the first time in four years, serving peak tennis nostalgia and delivering ESPN a 17% increase in viewership. Even when they lose (which they did in a tiebreaker to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint), we all win. Also winning? Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, who won their respective semi-finals last night and will go head-to-head in Saturday’s final. As always, there was no shortage of celebrity sightings and jaw-dropping, high fashion moments off — but mostly on — the court (thank you, Coco and Naomi). Don’t let the influencers claim the drama with their bright lights and bad etiquette. The real good drama is right where it belongs: on the court.
Ali, Senior Commerce Director, here. Believe it or not, the holidays are on their way. Every year, my mom asks me to keep a running list of things I may want gifted — so even though I’m still sweating when I step outside, I’ve done as she’s asked and started a list. Here’s what I have so far:
🫐 If you want to get more antioxidants, experts say you should snack on these six foods. We’ll be pairing number two with number four for added deliciousness.
🧣 The latest in “everyone is dressing like it’s 2006”: Skinny scarves are back. We’re regretting getting rid of our sparkly stash from Wet Seal.
💇 Maple cream, cherry glaze, dark chocolate. These aren’t donut flavors, they’re hair colors trending for fall. We’re hungry.
👭 Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston joked about how they once “shared a boyfriend” in the ‘90s. An iconic bestie origin story.
Skimm This
And the winning skimm is…
“Me vs the morning person at an 8 am meeting”
With 41% of the vote, Ria C. from Williamsport, PA, is this week’s winner. Go ahead and hit snooze.
We're back with another one Tuesday. May the best skimm win.
On Our Calendar
Friday, September 11
🕯️ 25th anniversary of 9/11
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks — it reshaped national security, air travel, and US foreign policy. More than two decades later, there are still stories from that morning that stay with you. One of them started 81 floors up.
Saturday, September 12
🏆 US Open women’s singles final
It’s Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina — and you can catch it at 4pm ET on ESPN or ESPN Deportes. The winner gets the glory — and a cool $5.5 million.
If you haven't touched self-tanner since high school, these tanning drops are a good place to start. Add one or two drops to your moisturizer for a natural-looking glow.
Psst… love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).
KNOW IT ALL
Which one of these grandparent nicknames is also the name of an exotic fruit that grows wild in eastern North America and is known for tasting like a combo of banana and mango?
