Daily Skimm

Quote of the Day

"My dream was always to have nipples made out of wicker"

— Alexander Skarsgård on playing the romantic role of a lifetime. Never let anyone tell you your dreams are too specific.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives at the stadium before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Red Card

Europe to FIFA: “Pitch, Please”

What’s going on: Imagine last month’s World Cup without Spain’s historic run, Erling Haaland's man bun, or Jude Bellingham (for… reasons). Future World Cups may be robbed of such joys if FIFA doesn’t play ball. After FIFA announced plans this week to sell a 20% stake in the tournament to private investors, UEFA — which reps all 55 European soccer federations — said it will boycott future World Cups if FIFA follows through. Hours later, UEFA's counterpart, CONCACAF (guys, we gotta work on these names) — which oversees North and Central America, and the Caribbean — rejected FIFA's plan as well. FIFA says the $20 billion proposal would generate over $80 million for each member association over the next 12 years. But the money comes at a cost: The frontrunner is a US-based investment group led by Joshua Kushner. His brother, Jared, is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and his father, Charles, is Trump’s ambassador to France and Monaco.

Crossing a line: Everyone’s pulling out their red cards, pointing to the potential for corruption in the world’s most popular sport. (And, to be fair, FIFA certainly knows a thing or two about that.) Although the organization tried to calm the waters with a response Thursday night — saying “Nobody is selling football" — FIFA said it would still push ahead with the controversial move. But if private investors are calling the shots, future decisions — like selling broadcasting rights and tournament formats — would be driven by profits instead of what's best for the game. It doesn’t help that the Trump/FIFA/red card fiasco is still fresh in everyone’s minds, not to mention the scrutiny Jared has fielded for mixing politics and personal business in the Middle East and Albania. The stakes are especially high for women’s soccer, which faces the possibility of a World Cup next year without three of the last tournament's top-performing countries.

Related: The WNBA Social Team Fumbled the Bag on a Betting Post (USA Today)

PS: Need to sound off about your favorite athlete? Still don’t understand what being offside means? Call our Well Played podcast hotline with your thoughts, questions, and concerns at (828) 412-4825, and you might be featured in next week's episode.

The News in 6

🗞️ President Donald Trump is considering an unusual workaround after two GOP senators stalled his attorney general pick. The art of the timeout.

🗞️ More hospitals say patients are showing up uninsured after Obamacare cuts. Some warn they may scale back things like behavioral health services and maternal care.

🗞️ This humble, heroic teen lifeguard spoke out about his heart-stopping viral rescue in Santa Cruz. He better get a raise.

🗞️ A 4,000-year-old disease is making a comeback in Florida, and scientists have a theory. As if 2026 needed to soft-launch a biblical plague.

🗞️ A US government map mislabeled a bunch of countries at a conference. Guess how the map was created…

🗞️ RFK Jr. just unlocked his final influencer form, adding "cooking show host" to his résumé. Roadkill, anyone?

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In Our Rotation

If your car insurance bill makes you sigh, this free tool checks if you’re overpaying — and could save you $600+ a year. You’re welcome.*

There are lots of good sales to be had this week, from 30% off back-to-school items at Target to 25% off at BaubleBar.

Keep scrolling...more recs below

Clear the Board

Voters Got 99 Problems, and Government Is #1

What’s going on: With less than 100 days until the midterms, primaries in Michigan, Virginia, and Kansas next week could offer an early preview of which party will control the Senate. Typically, the party in power (in this case, Republicans) loses seats in the midterms. And that’s still the expectation for November. But the Democratic establishment is also taking hits. In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens (D) has been endorsed by the state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and minority leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) –– yet, she's trailing progressive Detroit health official Abdul El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by viral Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. And what’s happening in Michigan isn’t happening in a vacuum. A new CNN poll suggests American voters are ready for an overhaul.

So all politicians should be nervous?: Yep. A majority of poll respondents say Congress would be better off if most of its current members were voted out. Democrats lead Republicans by eight points on the generic congressional ballot, their largest advantage this cycle. But they shouldn’t pop champagne just yet (or at all): Roughly half of Americans say neither party deserves labels like “the party that gets things done.” That sentiment echoes a Gallup poll earlier this week where voters declared their number one issue is simply “the government.” It’s like when UNC and Duke play basketball… can’t they both lose?

Related: Democratic Party Drama Rivals a Reality Show (The New York Times gift link)

Upping The Ante

Vegas, Babies

What’s going on: Those of us who grew up playing The Sims in our friend’s basement 'til 2 am on weekends (“rosebud” forever) probably felt our brain chemistry shift in strange and inexplicable ways. But even we couldn’t have seen this coming. As researchers warned The Atlantic, today’s games are giving Vegas — they’re flashy, full of dopamine hits, blind boxes, and promises of winning coins, jewels, and other rare items. Platforms like Roblox — which boasts that two-thirds of kids ages 9 to 12 play on it — include “pay to play” games that beg kids to spend more to win more. Experts say such titles mimic the same dopamine-reward loops that slot machines and betting apps use to get adults hooked. Roblox, for its part, told The Atlantic it has “clear policies prohibiting both actual and simulated gambling.” Of course, kids aren’t the only ones at risk, and it’s not just Roblox — even educational platforms like Duolingo gameify learning to the point that it can be more about scoring gems than learning French. Sacre bleu.

Time to hedge our bets: Experts worry this trend could be disrupting kids’ regulatory systems in a new way. Adults who play on Roblox or bet on sports (or Love Island) can ostensibly use the control centers in their minds to cut themselves off before compulsive gaming becomes a problem. But, it’s harder for little kids to do this, since their brains are not fully developed. Regions sensitive to rewards tend to develop earlier than those that help kids control themselves. That means this early exposure that favors intermittent rewards might change the way the brain develops, possibly leading to a higher risk for addiction later in life. Even simple, charming-looking games that are a far cry from the Grand Theft Auto discs of yore should still be vetted by parents — at the very least, to avoid that dreaded iPad rage.

Quick Hits

🚨 Longevity influencers tell us to fight inflammation, from our face to our gut. Here's why scientists say we need to rethink that.

😭 Jason Kelce made one Taylor and Travis wedding confession that definitely earned him a long car ride home with Kylie.

💉 Smooth foreheads are out. “Strategic wrinkles” are in. We just…….*long exhale*

🛍️ Need a table topic for the tween in your life? Say this: “I can’t believe Allegra got fired.”

📺 One of the most quotable movies of the '90s is making a comeback, with the OG star attached. No more reboots… except this one.

🎵 Former President Barack Obama just shared his annual summer playlist. We love his refusal to commit to a single genre.

🎡 Yelp crowned a clear winner for the best state fair food in the country. A magical land where people will deep-fry everything.

Skimm This

And the winning skimm is…

“Like a Pilgrim…touched for the very first time.”

On Tuesday, we asked you to skimm this photo of UK pop star Self Esteem at a recent concert. We got hundreds of submissions — and narrowed it down to our top three.

But, there was a twist: Two Skimm’rs sent in the exact same response. And this week, they snagged the top spot, with 51% of the vote. Congrats to Cristen S. from Leawood, KS, and Katie G. from Ann Arbor, MI. Time to start a group chat.

Your next Skimm This drops in four days. Stay tuned.

On Our Calendar

Friday, July 31

🎶 New Ariana Grande album drops

Welcome, Petal — the singer’s eighth studio album. She surprise-performed this new song at a recent concert. Maybe the next single?

🍿 Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits the big screen

Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon are back for the franchise’s next installment, in which Spidey’s focused solely on fighting crime. And yes, we know it's a superhero movie, but this trailer is definitely giving rom-com vibes.

Saturday, August 1

🎸 Olivia Rodrigo x Lego launches

This first-ever multiple-set collab with a musician (five to be exact), ranges from the 1,228-piece iconic purple guitar to Easter eggs, like handwritten notebooks. Take a look.

Sunday, August 2

😋 National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

This viral croissant ice cream sandwich calls for just two ingredients. Purists, look away.

🎬 The Matilda movie turns 30

Happy anniversary to this ’90s classic. Could a sequel be in the works? And what we really want to know: Who would play Miss Trunchbull?

Psst…this is just the preview: Subscribe to theSkimm app and never miss a moment.

New Beauty Products on Our Radar

We’re loyal to our skincare and makeup routines, but when a buzzy beauty product rolls around, we can’t help but engage in a little experimentation. Here are a few new (or new-to-us) beauty products that’ve piqued our interest recently:

The peptide serum Kate Hudson uses
The brightening vitamin C version of our all-time favorite eye patches
Skincare-packed foundation drops that are finally back in stock (and absolutely worth the money)
A $13 cleanser that leaves our skin soft and hydrated
A $39 perfume that smells exactly like Baccarat Rouge 540
This lightweight body serum with facial-grade ingredients

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In Our Rotation

If you can't stand to look at that one "nice shirt" he wears on repeat, get him this one while it's on sale.

A llama-shaped bag charm with a pocket for your earbuds and lip gloss? We're not asking questions, we're just getting.

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

Costco is spending serious bucks to fix one of its customers' biggest frustrations. What’s the big wholesale improvement?

A. Shopping-cart traffic jams

B. The parking

C. Self-checkout waits

D. Running out of fan-favorite bakery items

Love solitaire? Then you'll be obsessed with Pile-Up Poker. Climb the leaderboard.

Spotlight on

🥳 Some Birthdays

Forever Honorary Skimmer Rashaan Ayesh (DC), theSkimm’s Becky Murray, theSkimm’s Michelle Simon, Emillie Dodd (NC), Sarah-Lee Watson (South Africa), Katie Bakken (MN), Mara Drouhard (TX), Victoria Burns (IA), Linda Mason (WV), Carol Salter (SC), Ephie Aardema (NY), Skyla Doodle (FL), Ally Billingsley (AL), Gilbert Thrasher (GA), and Courtney Hirata (WA)

These wrinkles are strategic