— The star of this classic Halloween movie, toasting her castmates during a special screening… at a cemetery. Cheers, witches.
Seeing Red
The “America First” Rebrand
What’s going on: Nobody appreciates the power of a good slogan like President Donald Trump. Since his first term, he’s touted “America First” as shorthand for his isolationist views on foreign policy and wars abroad. But these days, both Trump and other political players have employed the phrase to mean, well, whatever they want. Take conservative influencer and Trump ally Laura Loomer. As of last month, she’s pushing a new cause: advocating for a Ukraine-US alliance. Once a sharp critic of the country, Loomer recently told The Washington Post: “It is ‘America First’ to support Ukraine over Russia.” She now warns against Russian propaganda, has interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (despite once calling him “a Jihadi apologist”), and even took an interview from a Ukrainian bomb shelter. She may have Trump's ear (to the relief of NATO allies), but is her message MAGA-approved?
A flipped script: “America First” has changed from a coherent-if-controversial foreign policy framework to a flexible political buzzword. Trump campaigned in 2024 on limiting America’s military commitments abroad, and said he’d end the Ukraine war within 24 hours (that didn’t age well). His attempts to redefine “America First” — especially since entering the war in Iran — have exposed cracks in the GOP ahead of the midterms. Even former ride-or-dies like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon have publicly called out the apparent contradictions, focusing on US-Israel relations. Now, others in the MAGA base are splitting hairs over the difference between “war” and “forever war,” perhaps to make sense of the president’s shifting approach. Even Democrats have begun to co-opt the phrase for their own political ends. If anyone can claim the slogan, the GOP’s messaging machine might need some retooling.
🗞️ Today, Democrats in Michigan decide not only their pick for Senate, but potentially the future of the party as a whole. No pressure though.
🗞️ A second person has died in ICE custody after being held at a detention center in New Jersey, while a pregnant woman held in Kentucky says she’s experienced signs of miscarriage but has not received adequate care.
🗞️Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made a deal with GOP senators stalling his confirmation, but it'll cost $1.8 billion.
🗞️ Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) spoke out publicly against his former son-in-law, Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), who faces domestic abuse allegations against Moreno’s daughter and their toddler.
🗞️ Yet another state is considering partisan redistricting, joining many others in redrawing voting maps.
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Abuse of Power
When Cop Cameras Become Stalking Tools
What's going on: Flock cameras were supposed to help police solve crimes. But instead, some law enforcement officers have used the surveillance cameras (which capture license plates and vehicle details) to commit them. According to a new investigation from The Washington Post, at least 50 officers have been accused of misusing Flock and similar tech for unauthorized purposes, such as stalking. As of last month, 20 known officers in Georgia alone have been arrested over alleged misuse. According to a website that aggregates police search logs via public records, one police chief used Flock more than 600 times to view license plates for both his ex and her daughter. Another allegedly checked to see if his ex-girlfriend had gone to an abortion clinic. When your abusive partner or ex is the police, where do you turn?
Safety or surveillance?: More than 120,000 Flock cameras record over 20 billion plate logs across the US each month, and that number is rising. A Flock executive told The Washington Post that some level of misuse is inevitable, but that those who violate the terms of service would be held accountable. (Was this meant to be reassuring?) As with other types of surveillance technology — looking at you, “pervert glasses” — backlash against Flock is growing. Some have even destroyed the cameras. And while there are officials who insist that license plate readers are necessary for public safety, analysis of FBI data in Atlanta shows that the rate at which police solved many crimes actually decreased after the cameras became more widely adopted. As one Atlanta activist told Futurism, the tradeoff between safety and privacy looks more like a “one-way transaction.”
What’s going on: When you pass down keepsakes for your child, don’t forget the photo album, recipe book, and your work-induced stress. A new study from the Journal of Public Economics found that, despite similar educational and financial status, birth outcomes for women working as lawyers and doctors were dramatically different. Physicians were 16% more likely to deliver babies with low birth weights and 10% more likely to deliver pre-term (surgeons fared the worst). These differences may be due to the additional time physicians spend on their feet, and the intense spikes in stress that they face on the job. Researchers also got a glimpse of what better work/life balance could mean for doctors and their babies. They tracked how mothers in medical residencies fared before and after a 2011 reform that put a 16-hour cap on their workdays. The shorter shifts led to higher birth weights.
Can’t catch a break: This research quantifies the toll of stress that working mothers can already feel, even if they aren't in medicine or law. The study's authors suggest that policymakers focus on labor reforms, like limiting the hours in a shift. Changes like this benefit everyone: Long-term workplace stress can worsen heart health and sleep patterns. But instead, today’s job market pressures us to work longer hours without sacrificing performance, while prioritizing wellness perks that don't actually help. A free Snoo is great, but more hours sleeping at home? Priceless.
📚 Scientists clocked a new brain-training activity that takes five to 10 minutes and offers endless boosts to cognitive health. If you like theSkimm, you’re gonna love this.
☀️ Veterinary students are increasingly learning how to treat this surprising creature. I guess it is fuzzy…
🤷 Harry Styles took a tumble on stage — and made a golden recovery that only he could pull off.
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Every Tuesday, we pick one photo and ask you to give it the Skimm treatment in 20 words or fewer. Then we narrow down the finalists, you vote on your favorite on Thursday, and we share the winner in Friday's Daily Skimm.
This week: Princes George and Louis take in track cycling at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. (We think their expressions give you plenty to work with.)
In addition to Michigan, voters in Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, and Washington cast their ballots. Republicans will be keeping a close eye on this race.
👖 Old Navy denim line launches
The brand’s latest fall collection drops today, with a new silhouette: the mid-rise Arc Jean. Bring on the PSLs.
📚 Take What You Can by Naima Coster hits bookshelves
Two friends bonded while studying abroad in France and grieving their mothers. Now in their 30s, they’re pregnant, living in Brooklyn, and facing a long-simmering rift that could change their friendship for good.
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Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Molly Longman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Samantha Darby, Kate Preziosi, Jessica Prois, and Kylie McConville. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.
Photos by Al Drago/Bloomberg, Max Mumby/Indigo, and Amy Sussman via Getty Images, Brand Partners
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