Skimm for July 12th Quote of the Day: “@billclinton thanks for taking the time to talk Mr. President. Your words meant alot. #greatguy.” — Justin Bieber. Turns out when you pee into a restaurant’s mop bucket and curse out an ex-prez, sometimes all you need to do is apologize. Swoon. Not Jodi Arias THE STORY: George Zimmerman is accused of second-degree murder in the Feb. 2012 death of Trayvon Martin in Florida. Closing arguments are wrapping up and then it’s up to the jury to decide if he is guilty or not. This story is a big deal. WHO IS GEORGE ZIMMERMAN? A former neighborhood watch volunteer. His gated community had experienced some crime in the months leading up to the shooting and he saw someone he believed to be suspicious. WHO WAS TRAYVON MARTIN? A 17-year-old who was killed by George Zimmerman. He was walking back home, unarmed, when he and Zimmerman came into contact. WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? This case has drawn national attention and stirred up debate on race relations, gun control, and “stand your ground” laws (which increase legal protection for those who use deadly force in self-defense). It has also drawn attention to Zimmerman’s interesting choice of an attorney (hint: don’t tell knock-knock jokes). Zimmerman is Hispanic; Martin was African-American. Prosecutors think Zimmerman took the law into his own hands, went against advice of the police, racially profiled Martin, made incorrect assumptions about what he was up to, and then shot him. Zimmerman, who did not take the stand, says he killed Martin in self-defense after he was attacked. WHERE’S THE CONFUSION? There’s no doubt that there was an altercation and that Zimmerman was responsible for Martin’s death but the main question is was he acting with malice or in self-defense? It’s unclear who started the fight. There are conflicting witness accounts and the evidence brings up a lot of questions over the mechanics of how the fight went down. 911 recordings include cries for help but it’s unclear who is shouting. WHAT’S NEXT? The jury decides. To convict Zimmerman of second-degree murder, the jury will have to find that he acted with bad intentions when shooting Martin. The judge ruled yesterday that the jury can also consider manslaughter (your average killing without malice). theSKIMM: George Zimmerman could face up to life in prison if convicted. This case has been a lightning rod for big issues surrounding race & guns. So whatever the outcome, you’re going to hear a lot about it. REPEAT AFTER ME… What to say when a co-worker embarrasses you… We’ll see who has the last laugh. Last month, leaders in the GOP-controlled House were majorly embarrassed when their farm bill didn’t pass. Turns out the farm bill doesn’t just have to do with farmers, but also funds the food stamp program and other things. It failed then because Dems didn’t like the proposed major cuts to the food stamp program and conservatives thought the whole bill was way too pricey. So this time, House Republicans, working to please those who think farming & nutrition don’t mix, went for Plan B and totally removed the food stamp program. Some would like the program to be dealt with in an entirely separate bill. Guess who hates this plan? Dems. And the White House, which vowed to veto it. Now, the future of both the farm and the food stamp program are in major limbo, especially since the House has to find some solution with the Senate. Bon appetit. What to say when you unwrap your new iPhone… Why don’t you just wave it in Microsoft’s face a bit more? It’s no state secret Microsoft hasn’t been having the best of times competing with the Apple and the Google, but now there’s going to be some changes. CEO Steve Ballmer posted a company wide memo explaining it was time for MS to keep up with the “fast changing world” (cough, mobile, cough). Say goodbye to multiple competing divisions in the company, and hello to a new focus on “devices and services.” We’ll let you know when there’s a new product. Speaking of state secrets, though, world-traveller Edward Snowden has spilled again. According to documents obtained by the Guardian, Microsoft helped the NSA and FBI get in on your communication more than previously thought, sometimes allowing them to get past its own encryption to offer a looksie into things like user Skype calls and Outlook emails. So when you had that weird feeling someone was reading your mind? They were. What to say while planning a meeting… I’ll send the calendar invite. All in a day’s work for Edward Snowden (see above). After a few weeks in Moscow’s airport, Snowden is still trying to figure out his next move. He says the US, which has revoked his passport and has asked (begged) other countries from helping him, is waging an “unlawful campaign” to prevent him from taking up some of his many offers of asylum (think countries like Venezuela or Bolivia). So he reportedly sent an email and invited human rights groups to meet him in the airport today and discuss his situation, which he hopes will include an end to airport food. He says he’ll talk to the media later, according to another email he apparently sent to Reuters. No one can accuse him of not staying in touch. What to say when “Sharknado” keeps you up at night… Call Leah Remini, she’s also got a lot on her mind. The actress, best known from “King of Queens” and for her role as Stacey Carosi on “Saved by the Bell,” has been a noted long time Scientologist, but seems to have cut ties with the church. And maybe not so amicably. She allegedly had some issues with some of the controversial church’s practices and Xenu (or just management) is not a fan of Q&A when the tables are turned. Remini has thanked fans for support. Rumor has it the place has really gone down hill since Suri left.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:07:02 +0000
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