Daily Skimm: It was all a dream

Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [SHARE THIS]( [SHARE THIS]( Skimm for February 23rd Skimm’d while [getting informed on immigration]( QUOTE OF THE DAY “Keeping Up With the Kattarshians” — [The name of a new ‘reality show’ in Iceland](. It features a live stream of kittens. In a fancy cat mansion. Meow Mix and chill? Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( [Insta This]( PEE(CEDE) WITH CAUTION THE STORY Yesterday, President Trump’s administration said it [should be up to the states to decide where transgender kids can pee.]( REMIND ME. Last year, [North Carolina passed “HB2″ aka the ‘bathroom bill’]( that requires transgender people to use public bathrooms that match the sex on their birth certificate. Translation: a person born as a boy has to use the boys’ bathroom. Cue a lot of [backlash](. Then the [Obama administration stepped in.]( The feds said HB2 goes against Title IX (psst: the education law that protects students from discrimination based on sex). So they put out guidelines that said public schools should let transgender kids use the bathroom of their choice, or else risk losing federal funding. SO WHAT NOW? Yesterday, the Trump administration [got rid of those Obama-era rules]( saying they didn’t go through extensive legal analysis and have led to too much [back and forth]( court. Team Trump didn’t replace the rules with anything new. Meaning the bathroom debate will now be hashed out at the state level. This comes just weeks before the Supreme Court is supposed to hear a case about [a transgender boy from Virginia who is suing his school]( for not letting him use the boys’ bathroom. A lower court used the Obama-era rules to side with the boy. Now, without those rules, it’s TBD where the Supremes’ gavel will fall. WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING? Supporters — including many in the GOP — say the ‘bathroom bill’ was meant to ensure [privacy and safety for everyone.]( And that the Obama administration’s guidelines qualified as [federal overreach.]( Critics — including many Dems and LGBTQ activists — say the Trump administration’s moves could lead to [more discrimination](. And that since Trump’s team hasn’t put out its own rules, there’s going to be even more confusion. theSKIMM This controversy is about more than just bathrooms in North Carolina. It’s a showdown between states’ rights and civil rights — a textbook GOP vs. Dems fight. And it’s a tale as old as political time that’s not going away anytime soon. Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( REPEAT AFTER ME... WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU’RE NOT THE LAST PERSON STAYING LATE AT THE OFFICE... Not alone here. Yesterday, astronomers blew everyone’s mind and said they’ve [discovered seven Earth-sized planets]( about 40 light years away (‘nearby’ in space-speak) that could sustain life. Yes, really. They’re all getting their orbit on around the same star. And these planets could be jusssttt the right temp for liquid water to exist. Meaning Matt Damon could potentially grow a lot of potatoes. Or aliens are real. Researchers want to keep looking into what the planets’ atmospheres are made up of, which could take years. But scientists say this discovery is the best chance yet of finding extraterrestrial life. ET phone home. Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR FRIEND WHO WOULDN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT THE RIO OLYMPICS… Did you hear about Larry Nassar? Yesterday the prominent gymnastics doctor was [charged with sexually assaulting nine girls.]( spent years treating young gymnasts through Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics (think: the group that oversees gymnastics programs across the country and trains Olympians). In recent years, allegations about his behavior have cropped up. Last year, Michigan State [fired him.]( More than 80 people have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault. Meanwhile, he’s already in jail on charges related to several other cases, including allegedly possessing child porn and molesting the daughter of family friends. Nasser has said he never abused anyone. Now the Michigan attorney general is charging him for doing things like molesting patients during treatment. Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( WHAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING... [The girls murdered in Indiana.]( Last week, two young teenage girls there went missing while on a hike. Their [bodies were found]( the next day in the woods and police have been trying to figure out who’s responsible. Then yesterday, police said that one of the girls recorded video of the main suspect on her phone. They released an audio clip from the video hoping that someone might recognize the suspect’s voice. In it, a man can be heard saying[“down the hill.”]( also say that a photo they’ve been circulating of a potential suspect came from this girl’s phone. It’s unclear if the voice on the recording belongs to the man in the photo. But officials say the girl’s a “hero” for pulling out her camera. Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU SEE THAT INSTAGRAM’S LETTING PEOPLE [UPLOAD PHOTO ALBUMS](... Just in time for endless red carpet pics. The Oscars are Sunday. [Here’s everything you need to know about the Big O.]( Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( NO EXCUSES: IMMIGRATION Skimm HQ doesn’t want you to have any excuse not to talk about the issues that matter. Meet No Excuses: Immigration. For the next few weeks, we’ll be here, giving you the history of immigration reform, the names and terminology you should know, and what happens next. Here’s a #TBT to high school history…. 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act: The Civil Rights movement has the country doing some soul searching about how it treats immigrants. President Johnson signs this law, getting rid of immigration quotas that favored certain nationalities. 1980 Refugee Act: The Vietnam War had hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asians fleeing the threat of a communist regime to come to the US. Cue the US realizing it needed a more comprehensive refugee policy. This act means the number of refugees the US accepts every year goes from less than 20,000 to 50,000. PS: Want to know what happens next? We have [the whole timeline]( from the ’60s to today on our No Excuses site. [Check it out.]( [Make No Excuses]( Skimm This[Like Us]( with Us]( [Insta This]( THING TO KNOW [15 Yemen Road:]( place Chandler Bing tried to go to avoid Janice. Some people may think Yemen’s in Africa. It’s not. It’s a country in Asia that’s considered part of the Middle East. And it’s one of the countries listed in President Trump’s controversial immigration order. [Click here]( for more on immigration (because ICYMI, there are #NoExcuses). SKIMM SHARE Skimm A woke up thinking it was Wednesday. Skimm B reminded her that it’s already pre-Friday. Share theSkimm if you want the weekend to come even faster. [Share theSkimm]( [Share theSkimm]( SKIMM BIRTHDAYS [* indicates Skimm’bassador. ]( some confetti. 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