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Friday, May 19, 2023

Game recognizes game

"Nugget ice"

— The smaller ice cubes Starbucks will now begin using in its iced drinks. It's causing quite a stir.

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Dance, Dance, Revolution

The Story

Strippers in California voted to unionize.

Catch me up.

Yesterday, the National Labor Relations Board confirmed that the 17 dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood, CA, unanimously voted to unionize. They are the first to do so in the US since the '90s. Dancers have long called for safer working conditions in an industry riddled with exploitation and hazards. The group at North Hollywood said they've been harassed at work, dealt with drunk and handsy customers, and were filmed without consent. They were also dancing on stages with exposed nails and broken glass. Last year, some of the strippers tried to raise their concerns with management but were met with pink slips. After that, the strippers protested and went to form a union. The club eventually filed for bankruptcy. Now, the strippers will join the Actors' Equity Association.

What's next?

They'll have 30 days to negotiate a first contract with their employers, likely asking for better pay and health insurance. The club's lawyers said it's dismissing its bankruptcy plans and will reopen within two months after that, and will give the fired dancers backpay. One of the dancers said it's "been a long, exhausting fight, which is why this victory is so sweet." Star Garden said it "is committed to negotiating in good faith with Actors' Equity, a first-of-its-kind collective bargaining agreement." Workers across the board, from Trader Joe's to Starbucks, have been pushing to unionize these past few years. People are pushing for better workplace conditions and pay.

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Many strippers have come forward to address the poor and dangerous work conditions they face, but their concerns have generally been dismissed. Now, dancers are reminding everyone that they're employees too, and that they also want the opportunity to work in fair and safe workplaces.

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And Also...This

What's kicking off...

The G-7 Summit. Today, world leaders and representatives from seven major industrial countries (US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy) are meeting in Hiroshima, Japan. Other nations that are important players in regional politics like India, Indonesia, and South Korea were also invited as tensions between the West and China deepen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to attend in person. Other topics on the mind? the Ukraine-Russia conflict, inflation, and the US debt ceiling debate.

Who had a busy day…

The Supreme Court. Yesterday, the justices sided with Big Tech in two lawsuits on whether they can be held liable for the events that occurred in the 2017 ISIS attack and the 2015 Paris terror attacks. At the center of both cases is Section 230 — a rule that protects online platforms from lawsuits over the content that users post. Yesterday, the justices unanimously threw out the Twitter case where the family argued that Twitter did not properly block extremist content to prevent the ISIS attack that killed 39. The justices also sent the Google case back to the lower courts because they don't believe the Section 230 argument can be used against Google in the Paris attack that killed an American student. A lawyer for one of the families said they were disappointed and would continue to fight Google in court. Advocates called it "a huge win for free speech on the internet."

…Oh and speaking of the Supreme Court, yesterday the justices ruled Andy Warhol had infringed on a photographer's copyright after he created his artwork of Prince. Art popped.

Where an investigation could be underway…

Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Yesterday, authorities confirmed an 8-year-old girl died in CBP custody from a "medical emergency" on Wednesday. Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez was being held along with her family in Harlingen, TX, in the Rio Grande Valley — reportedly one of the busiest areas for migrant crossings. Officials are investigating her death (which is standard protocol) and a judge has ordered an autopsy. Alvarez was born with heart problems and did have an operation three years ago. Now, her death comes just a week after a 17-year-old Honduran boy died while in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. Alvarez's death could be the first known death of a migrant child in CBP custody since the Trump admin. All of this comes as the Biden admin lifted Title 42 restrictions just last week.

What could be coming soon…

An RSV vaccine for newborns. Yesterday, an FDA advisory panel recommended Pfizer's single-dose shot for newborns. Up to 500 kids under five each year die due to complications from RSV. More than 57,000 others are hospitalized. The vaccine would be given to pregnant mothers between weeks 24 and 36 of pregnancy in order to protect babies from the virus. It comes nearly two weeks after the FDA approved the vaccines for adults 60 and older. While the panel unanimously agreed on the vaccine's efficacy, they did have some concerns over preterm birth rates. If approved by the FDA, the shot would be the first that protects babies from RSV. A decision could come by August.

While We're on the Subject...

Curious about today's subject line? (Game recognizes game) We saved you a Google. It's a…

A: Scene from "Fast X."

B: Lyrics from Kesha's new album, "Gag Order."

C: Scene from season six of "Selling Sunset."

Scroll for answer. Click here to submit a subject line.

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We like to celebrate the wins, big and small. Let us know how your friends, neighbors, coworkers (and yes, even you) are making career moves, checking off goals, or making an impact in the community.

Making a splash…Cathy M (NC). She created an online platform, Our Wave, to help survivors share their stories and explore their own healing journeys. She also launched a journal for survivors to work on their own journeys offline.

(Some) Birthdays…Rosemary Musial (IN), Mason Rudnick (NY), theSkimm's Paul Yun (NJ), theSkimm's Maria del Carmen Corpus (WI), Jaclyn Chesner (NY), Allison Fields (NY), Jeff Aprati (IL), Hannah Zorn (NY), Annie Marshall (NJ), Ahnissa Beaupre (MA), Kristin Dantagnan (MT), Sarah Corradino (AZ), Tara DaChemin (DC), Amira Marion (CA), Leslie Liszak (IN)

PS: Paging all members of theSkimm. Reach out here for a chance to be featured.

Answer: A. Today's subject line (Game recognizes game) is from "Fast X." Rev your engines for the tenth installment of the "The Fast and the Furious" franchise, out now in theaters. If action-packed films aren't your speed, and the party doesn't start 'til you walk in, Kesha's new album "Gag Order" could be the soundtrack for your next kickback. If that's not who you R, ring the bell because (some of) your favorite realtors who live rent-free in your head are back in Netflix's sixth season of "Selling Sunset." Ding dong.