THINGS THAT HAPPENED FAR AWAY

ISRAEL
THE STORY: Mitt Romney visited Israel and asserted that the US and Israel should use “any and all measures” to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He also said that the US should support Israel’s right to defend itself.

THE WHY (DO I NEED TO SKIMM?): Breaking news – Israel and Iran don’t get along. Romney’s base thinks Obama has been too lax in supporting Israel. His visit abroad is aimed at building overseas cred, but his trip hasn’t gone as planned (ex. when Romney criticized London’s Olympic preparedness). This was no exception. While previewing the speech, one of his advisors said Romney supports Israel’s right to a pre-emptive strike against Iran, which the campaign then dialed back. Romney stopped short of saying he would support such a strike while giving the speech, but did say that preventing a nuclear Iran “must be our highest national security priority.”

THE * : Romney also declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, a controversial subject on the long list of Israeli/Palestinian disagreements.

LONDON
THE STORY: No one gets between a Michael Phelps Olympic race and his fans. Except an #nbcfail. Welcome to London 2012.

THE WHY (DO I NEED TO SKIMM?): NBC promised to air over 3,500 hours of the Olympic events on a live stream. But what happened when you sat down in front of your TV on Saturday afternoon to watch the epic showdown between record-holder Michael Phelps and his biggest pool rival Ryan Lochte? Um, nothing.

Twitter fans had a serious panic attack when they realized that the Phelps/Lochte showdown, in addition to most other events, would be replayed during primetime hours and was not available live on TV. The worst part? The race was a huge upset and Phelps came in 4th place, with Lochte securing the gold. With #nbcfail trending on Twitter, NBC’s Olympics producer Jim Bell even (bravely) got in on the Twitter fight to defend the network’s programing decisions.

Laugh’s on @jfb because NBC’s coverage is breaking ratings records. Read the Skimm’s Olympic guide for everything you need to know.

REPEAT AFTER ME…

What to say to start a rumor… Apple is allegedly in talks with Twitter about taking a bigger stake in the ‘I still don’t know how to describe what Twitter does’ service to detract from its own social media deficiencies. We’re talking possibly hundreds of millions of dollars to be invested, although no deal has been reached. Some say talks are ongoing, others say they aren’t happening at all. Either way, it’s good gossip.

What to say in a meeting… Syria reached a pivotal and dangerous point in its ongoing conflict when President Assad’s forces declared victory over Damascus, its capital. But Aleppo, its largest city, is really where everything hangs in the balance. It’s an all out showdown between Assad’s military and the rebel forces, and a real test over which side has a chance to take and maintain control.

What to say when that fast food craving hits… I’m in the mood for some grease, as long as it’s not “hate chicken,” as D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray called Chick-fil-A, alluding to the chain’s recent vocal preference for “the biblical definition of the family unit.” Sarah Palin got in on the action by tweeting that she stopped by the chain “to support a great business.” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he supports blocking a plan for a new location in Chicago because the chain “disrespect[s] our fellow neighbors and residents.” Who knew lunch could be so political?

What to say about the Sunday morning news shows… I watched “Fox News Sunday,” where conservative Justice Antonin Scalia said that the Second Amendment leaves the door open to gun control legislation. When asked by host Chris Wallace if he felt any pressure to vote a certain way during the Obamacare trial, the cheery Scalia laughed and responded, “No. What can [President Obama] do to me?” The robes are off; this is one rumble that could really up C-SPAN’s ratings.

What to say when you get your morning coffee… Got milk? This is New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s concern. Starting September 3rd, many New York City hospitals will keep formula milk on lockdown, in an effort to encourage new mothers to breastfeed. Requests for formula will be granted but only after new mothers receive a Boob 101 info session on the benefits of breastfeeding. No word on whether or not Bloomberg was breastfed.

Who’s more fit than you…
Dana Vollmer (Team USA) set a world record to win the 100-meter butterfly. She didn’t qualify for the 2008 Beijing games. We’re guessing she hasn’t left the pool since.

Jordyn Wieber (Team USA) is a world champion gymnast and was favored to win gold. But the 17-year-old fell short in qualifying for the all-around finals and broke our hearts, and probably hers.

Men’s basketball (Team USA) defeated France in preliminary rounds and even got hugs from Michelle Obama.

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