— Billie Eilish, talking about getting ghosted. Finally, a celebrity we can relate to.
What's Happening
Politics
Supreme Court Justices Caught In Secret Recordings
What's going on: New audio recordings dropped on social media appear to tell the public how Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts really feel about the country’s polarization and religion. Liberal documentary filmmaker Lauren Windsor secretly taped the justices at an annual dinner earlier this month, posing as a Catholic conservative. At one point, Alito appeared to endorse returning “our country to a place of godliness” and said “one side or the other is going to win” when asked about the country’s polarized politics. As for Roberts, when asked whether the court should guide America "toward a more moral path,” he quickly responded with “I think the role for the court is deciding the cases.”
What it means: Alito’s comments in the audio recordings come as questions over the justice’s impartiality have been front and center(see: the controversy over his flags). It’s left many wondering how he can be fair when it comes tohigh-profile (and potentially life-altering) caseson abortion,guns, and former PresidentTrump’s immunity claims —rulings which are expected later this month.Meanwhile, Windsor —who’s known for approaching high-profile conservatives — defended the secret recordings amid criticism,saying the court is “shrouded in secrecy” and has been unaccountable.
Oh Snap: France’s Macron Called For Surprise Elections
What's going on: French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the lower house of parliament over the weekend and called for snap elections in a bid to keep the far-right from taking control of France. The unexpected decision came after his party suffered a humiliating defeat to conservative Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in the elections for the European Parliament (the law-making body in the European Union). Yes, that’s the same anti-immigration Le Pen who lost the presidency to Macron in 2022. The elections, which were supposed to happen in three years, will now take place just weeks before the Summer Olympics kick off in Paris.
What it means: It appears that Macron is banking on voters banding together against the far-right in national elections, but early reports predict conservatives will take a majority of the seats. However, some analysts say Macron has 2027 vision: He could be hoping the French grow unhappy with their far-right lawmakers by the time the next presidential elections come around, driving them to go against a Le Pen presidency. Still, it comes as Europe sees a far-right surge. The European Parliament elections handed conservatives a win in Germany, Italy, and Austria.
What's going on: Apple shared its plans yesterday to get generative artificial intelligence into its iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers by the end of the year, marketing it as “Apple Intelligence.” Creative. Apple is making all of its AI dreams come true by working with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Users will be able to use generative AI to write texts, create images from scratch, and prioritize notifications (no more excuses that you didn’t see your boss’s text). There’s also Genmoji, which uses AI to create new emojis on command. Call us when Siri can do the laundry.
What it means: The introduction of AI into its core products could be one of Apple’s largest software overhauls in years. It comes as other companies like Microsoft and Meta are making major strides with the tech. Still, experts, including former and current OpenAI employees, have raised concerns about the safety of artificial intelligence if it continues to develop rapidly and go unchecked. Apple did emphasize privacy and security during the presentation, saying that users’ data will not be stored or shared.
🪄 Get ready for some midnight margaritas. “Practical Magic 2” could be coming soon.
Let's Unpack This
Why is segregation in public schools increasing?
70 years after the landmark Brown v. Board of education ruling, one analysis found that segregation has increased drastically over the last three decades. Data from public schools shows segregation between white and Black students went up by 64% since 1988 in the 100 largest districts. US government data has found similar results in the past, noting racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic divisions. There is more racial and ethnic diversity in America than ever before, so why the increase in segregation?
Experts have pointed to many reasons. See: School district boundaries and historical practices like redlining. Bruce Fuller, a sociologist and professor at UC Berkeley, told theSkimm that growing inequality in family income also plays a role. How? It can allow higher-income families the ability to move their children to better-funded schools, which can be less diverse.
Segregated schools tend to have less access to resources and funding, with high-poverty schools generally being less effective in part because of a lack of experienced teachers. It all trickles down to hurt the student body, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino students. One analysis found higher poverty rates in schools whose student populations were made up of more than 90% of under-represented minority students (Black, Latino, multiracial). And that can have long-term implications.
“If we just keep isolating white kids and upper-middle-class kids in the same schools, we’re not going to generate a well-educated and diverse workforce,” Fuller said.
A recent McKinsey study found that generative AI could add $4.4 trillion to the global economy every. single. year.
Trying to be on the right side of that boom? Adobe’s live virtual event, Design Made Easy, is here to help. Join the inaugural session today at 12 pm ET, 9 am PT to learn how leaders at organizations like Unilever and IBM are using Adobe Express to supercharge design across teams, drive brand consistency, and accelerate content creation. Register nowor watch on demand — and prepare for productivity to soar.
Skimm Picks
Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life…
The eyeshadow-highlighter stick that gives you an instant eye lift.
New credit card to the rescue. No, seriously. Experts love that this one puts interest on ice until nearly 2026 and offers up to 5% cash back on qualifying purchases. Talk about the best of both worlds.*
Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).
Extra Credit
Read
Although pop culture would have you believe otherwise, coming-of-age stories can happen at all ages. In Miranda July’s second novel, "All Fours," we follow a 45-year-old unnamed narrator and her supposed road trip between California and New York. Her plans go awry when she takes a slight detour to a motel where she has an affair. Fear not: This is not your typical “affair novel.” Instead, expect substantial yet comedic commentary on childbirth, daughterhood, motherhood, aging, death, and every other complicated layer of female middle age.
For more recs...
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Settle This
Meghan Trainor’s his-and-her toilets have the internet divided. Would you go to the bathroom next to your spouse?
Start your Tuesday off right with Typeshift, a fun new game that challenges you to create words from a set number of letters. Warning: It’s very addicting. Start playing.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever left the doctor’s office feeling unsatisfied with the care you received. When doctors dismiss women's symptoms, it can negatively impact their health. Skimm Well’s scripts can help.
Our weekly newsletter provides you with expert-backed scripts to navigate tough health conversations. Plus, you’ll get a round-up of the latest health news and wellness trends to stay in the know.
