Daily Skimm: Iran, Women Leaders, and Boo Buckets

Elnaz Rekabi

The Story

Many are concerned for an Iranian rock climber.

Fill me in.  

Over the weekend, 33-year-old Elnaz Rekabi competed without a headscarf in South Korea. Videos of her went viral. The problem? Rekabi — an Iranian athlete — is required by Iranian law to cover her hair in public. Many interpreted her appearance as a sign of solidarity with the ongoing demonstrations in Iran: For over a month, thousands of women have turned out to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by burning hijabs, cutting their hair, and standing up to Iranian police. As a result, they called Rekabi a “hero” on social media and posted illustrated images of her climbing up the letters of the protest slogan, “Woman. Life. Freedom.” But then things started getting murky…

What do you mean?

Rekabi was reportedly missing for at least a day — drawing parallels to the disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. And there were reports that Rekabi’s passport and phone were confiscated. But like Peng Shuai, Rekabi has since reappeared back home. Yesterday, she seems to have posted on Instagram apologizing for the “concerns created” and chalking up the lack of hijab was a wardrobe malfunction. (Worth noting: Rights groups say Iran has a history of coercing public confessions.) Today, Rekabi was greeted by large crowds upon landing. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Sport Climbing, which says it’s been in contact with the athlete, is “trying to establish the facts.” Iran denies all the allegations as “fake, false news and disinformation.”

Speaking of Iran, what’s the latest?

The anti-government uprising is still going strong, though the government’s been cracking down on “chaos and riots.” Hundreds of people have been killed, including at least 22 kids. Most recently, a 16-year-old Iranian schoolgirl was reportedly beaten and killed for not singing a pro-regime song. The death toll has risen at Evin prison. And Iran maintains that the protests are being led by the Kurds — not in solidarity with Amini.

theSkimm

Iran is facing its worst unrest in years. Now, many fear Rekabi — who was seen by some as a symbol of solidarity — could be another target of the regime’s crackdown.

And Also...This

Who’s not settling…

Women in power. Yesterday, research from McKinsey and LeanIn.org found that women in leadership roles — think: senior managers and up — are switching jobs at the highest rate ever seen. Meaning, companies are struggling to retain the relatively few women leaders that they have (see: only 1 in 4 in the C-suite). The reasons: The survey found women are more likely to experience microaggressions compared to male leaders — like being mistaken for someone more junior. Women in leadership roles are also bearing more of the burden to support the well-being of employees. According to the survey, they find it increasingly important that their company prioritizes things like diversity and inclusion — and end up spending more time on those issues. But if their companies don’t, they’ll look elsewhere. Now, report authors are warning that unless companies take action, they risk losing the next generation of women leaders. Mic drop.

Who could be fueling some relief…

President Biden. Today, he’s set to announce that he’s releasing up to 15 million barrels of oil from US reserves. The move is part of an effort to drive down fuel prices. (Reminder: gas is currently averaging $3.87 a gallon.) And it’s in response to OPEC+’s decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day. But the move has angered some Republicans, because timing: as in, the announcement comes three weeks before the midterms. Not to mention: gas prices have largely gone down by now — and are mostly well below their summer peak of over $5 a gallon. Still, others point out that the current average is up by about 20 cents from last month. And, as the president put it last week, it’s “still too high.” Now, the move will fulfill the Biden admin’s directive to release a historic 180 million barrels.

While everyone's still wondering if Love Is Blind…

Netflix has answers on subscriber numbers. Yesterday, the streaming giant said it gained 2.4 million subscribers in the last quarter — more than double what was expected. Plot twist. It comes after Netflix lost nearly 1 million subscribers over the summer because of competition. And as it's been looking for ways to tighten its purse strings by laying off hundreds of employees, shutting down offices, cracking down on password sharing, and unveiling a cheaper, ad-supported plan. Now, the news has investors convinced Netflix still has main character energy. Shares jumped 14% in after-hours trading. Gotta love a happy ending.

What’s being forced to gif it all away…

Meta. Yesterday, it announced it’s selling Giphy, the company responsible for GIFs. UK regulators ordered the sale, saying that the deal reduced competition in the social media ad market. It marks the first time Meta — Facebook’s parent company — has been forced by regulators to sell a part of its business. *Sends ‘Homer Backs Into Bushes’ GIF.*

Who pioneered Hollywood and now currency…

Anna May Wong.

Who got Corden-ed off...

James.

What we’re Mclovin’...

The return of “Boo Buckets.”