Daily Skimm

Quote of the Day

"Just the men stay standing. The girls get to sit down"

— Jean Smart after making Emmys history with five consecutive wins for Hacks. Deborah Vance knows how to work a crowd — and so do these iconic women.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers speech

The Walls Are Closing In

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown: Past, Present, and Future

What’s going on: Symbolism is powerful — look no further than the metal cages used at "Alligator Alcatraz," a now-shuttered immigration detention facility in South Florida. President Donald Trump joked about the center’s dangerous conditions in the past, but a new report from a Department of Homeland Security watchdog shows just how bad conditions were at the facility. It said “Alligator Alcatraz” — which housed over 21,000 migrants — failed to meet national standards for food, medical care, personal hygiene, and recreation. Additionally, nearly 80 detainees were held in “calming areas,” which were small metal enclosures the size of phone booths that exposed them to heat and mosquitoes for hours. Though he didn’t read the report, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) defended the facility’s conditions Monday, saying it was a “crucial part” of Florida’s efforts to “remove criminals.”

It’s not the only thing under review: Yesterday, several major cities and 22 states (plus Washington, DC) sued the Trump administration to block the “public charge rule,” which is set to take effect Friday. The policy would allow federal officials to deny green cards to immigrants who use public assistance (like SNAP or housing aid), or to those they believe could become dependent on those benefits in the future. While noncitizens are rarely eligible for these benefits, advocates worry the rule will keep US citizens with family members who don’t have the same status from seeking assistance. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said as many as 4 million people across the country could unenroll from their health insurance, while DHS says at least 950,000 could forgo social services. DHS defended its policy, saying Democratic-led sanctuary states and cities are only worried about losing federal funding.

The News in 6

🗞️ The Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s mail-in voting plan for the midterms, with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissenting.

🗞️ Health insurance premiums are expected to rise for nearly everyone next year, whether you are insured through work benefits, the Affordable Care Act, or Medicare. Schedule that check-up now.

🗞️ Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies — a bipartisan campaign — has pledged $100 million toward efforts to cut the US maternal mortality rate in half.

🗞️ Shocking video shows the chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America physically restraining PETA protesters at a New York Fashion Week show.

🗞️ Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) returned to work after spending more than three months recovering from a fall. If only we all had sick leave this good.

🗞️ Legendary costume designer Bob Mackie, known for dressing icons like Cher and Diana Ross, has died at age 87. Wear some sequins in his honor.

✴︎

In Our Rotation

Clean energy is having a moment, but its C-suite is still overwhelmingly male. This COO is one of the few exceptions — and she’s sharing her career playbook.*

Still recovering from your over-plucked brow era? This clinically proven serum is built for comebacks — delivering visibly fuller brows in six weeks. Save 30% off now.*

Keep scrolling... more recs below

Drama at the Theater

Bankruptcy Blues at the Kennedy Center

What's going on: Give them President Donald Trump’s name on the building, or give them… bankruptcy? Those are the apparent cries from trustees at the embattled Kennedy Center who claim the venue needs financial help or it could close as early as today. The president has offered to raise money, but according to documents obtained by The New York Times, he needs his name put back on the building to fundraise successfully. President Trump named himself Chairman of the Kennedy Center in 2025 and replaced dozens of board members with his own appointees. Since December, a legal back-and-forth has played out over the center’s renovations, name, and fate. Now, officials who stand behind the president say the renovations are necessary for safety. Oh, and they also brainstormed 10 different ways to inscribe Trump’s name back on the building (yes, 10).

This feels like another Reflecting Pool situation: Indeed. And like that debacle, it’s not clear who’s to blame. Following the president’s takeover, ticket sales and fundraising plummeted, according to a Washington Post report last month. The board allegedly knew of the theater’s financial troubles, including a $100 million revenue shortfall, but claimed it inherited a mismanaged theater. Even as artists canceled performances and donors walked away because of Trump, the center characterized him as the savior the theater needed. Skeptics aren’t buying it. “This constant effort to add Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center facade is the definition of insanity,” one trustee said.

Related: The “Frankenstein Nature” of President Trump’s DC Architecture (The Guardian)

When a Care Package Isn’t Enough

A Mom Away from Mom

What's going on: For many college students, freshman year marks the first time they’ve been away from their parents for longer than a sleepover or summer camp. But luckily — or unluckily, depending on who you ask — they don’t have to be alone. A new generation of anxious parents is turning to concierge services, hiring another “mom” to help their children out. Companies with names like the Bama Mama, the GA Mom, and Campus Mom offer support for college students transitioning into a new level of independence. There’s a big range in both cost and what’s covered: Packages start as low as about $500 per year but, depending on the service, can top $10,000 per year. And while some companies make a point of not doing students’ laundry, others will wash their dirty clothes, clean their dorm rooms, coach them through sorority recruitment, and deliver their favorite energy drinks. Don’t worry, they won’t provide beer for frat parties.

Is this just helicopter parenting?: Some experts say yes. One clinical psychologist told USA Today that these services can interfere with young adult development. However, others argue the extra support can make a tough transition easier on both kids and parents — particularly moms, who tend to do the majority of childcare. That’s especially true when parents live far away and don’t know the local community and culture (like all those Northern kids applying to Southern schools after watching Bama Rush TikToks). For some families, it’s a relief to have someone check on their kids if they get sick or start ignoring their texts, even if it’s a stranger they’re paying. “It’s not a DoorDasher,” one real mom told The New York Times of the campus mom service she hired for her son. “It’s like a surrogacy.”

Quick Hits

🎤 Macklemore may have been booted off of Ed Sheeran’s tour, but here’s why he considers it his “most successful” one yet.

🏨 Flight attendants call it the “hotel room autopsy” — a six-step safety check when overnighting away from home. And it only takes 90 seconds.

🍑 Martha Stewart is ready to launch the next chapter in her empire: her nudes. Because that’s what’s left for the woman who’s done it all.

🏆 Megan Stalter may have taken that advice to "visualize a win" a little too literally — but she can never be too much.

🔪 So are plastic cutting boards safe? Oncologists weigh in. At this point, we don’t even know if we wanna know.

😵‍💫 If you’re feeling extra moody this month, there’s a scientific reason why. And no, it’s not perimenopause this time.

💇‍♀️ You knew this day was coming: Crimped hair is back. Now, start the timer on Bump-Its.

✏️ Before you buy a single school supply, try these back-to-school savings strategies. Psst… tip #6 is criminally underrated.*

Skimm This

How Would You Skimm This Photo?

It’s that time again: Give us your best skimm, in 20 words or fewer. We choose the top three. On Thursday, you vote for your favorite. Winner gets a shoutout in Friday’s Daily Skimm.

This week: Céline Dion in Paris on the first day of her 26-show residency there.

Submit Your Skimm

On Our Calendar

Tuesday, September 15

☑️ National Voter Registration Day

There are 49 days left until the midterms. Use this to make sure you’re registered. It takes 30 seconds.

🗳️ Primaries in Delaware

Voters across the state cast their ballots today. That includes the race for Senate, where one Democratic candidate switched sides since the last election — and changed his name, which has something to do with the president.

⚖️ Nick Reiner court hearing

A pretrial hearing is scheduled in Los Angeles for the 33-year-old, who along with murder, is being charged with lying in wait. Here’s how that could shape a potential sentence.

💃 New season of Dancing with the Stars premieres

Somehow, it’s season 35, and as one writer said, it’s "giving millennial fever dream.” And from the trailer, we’d have to agree. Hi, Julia.

Report Card

Tell Us How We’re Skimm’ng

It’s that time of year again — when we ask you, our brilliant and very honest readers, to review our performance. This is a chance to tell us what you think — about our newsletters, social posts, the Well Played podcast, our interviews with athletes, celebrities, and notable women across industries, or anything else we do. Feel like there’s something we aren’t covering enough? We want to hear that, too. As always, we’ll read every word — and use it to inform the stories, features, and tools that matter to you.

Share your thoughts

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In Our Rotation

L.L.Bean's adorably named "Tall Small" tote bag is one of the product launches we're most excited about. For more cool new stuff, click here.

Plaid is trending for fall. This handkerchief-hem maxi skirt is a perfectly nostalgic way to wear it.

Psst… love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).

KNOW IT ALL

Off the coast of England, a menacing ocean “blob” has appeared. What’s it made of?

A. Jellyfish

B. Trash

C. Octopuses

Ease into your day with Typeshift, the word-building game. Start playing.

Together with

Quote of the Day

"Just the men stay standing. The girls get to sit down"

The Walls Are Closing In

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown: Past, Present, and Future

The News in 6

✴︎

In Our Rotation

Drama at the Theater

Bankruptcy Blues at the Kennedy Center

When a Care Package Isn’t Enough

A Mom Away from Mom

Quick Hits

Skimm This

How Would You Skimm This Photo?

On Our Calendar

Tuesday, September 15

☑️ National Voter Registration Day

🗳️ Primaries in Delaware

⚖️ Nick Reiner court hearing

💃 New season of Dancing with the Stars premieres

Report Card

Tell Us How We’re Skimm’ng

✴︎

In Our Rotation

KNOW IT ALL

Off the coast of England, a menacing ocean “blob” has appeared. What’s it made of?

And the Emmy goes to…