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July 13, 2023 Subscribe Read in browser Daily Skimm Together with Skimm'd while going back to science class "The otter was shredding" — A teen describing an otter that stole someone's surfboard. Gnarly. Top Story Once Upon A Time In Hollywood The Story Hollywood's actors are getting ready for the picket lines. What's going on? Today, SAG-AFTRA said they've unanimously voted to recommend a strike. For weeks, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA) — a union that represents 160,000 actors — has been working on new contract negotiations with studios. The union is asking for higher pay (including royalties) and limits on how AI is used in the industry. The studios asked federal mediators to step in and help sort out the drama. Studios missed the Thursday negotiations deadline. Now, the SAG-AFTRA board will vote today at 9 AM PST on an official strike. Give me the potential preview. The actors could join the more than 11,000 Hollywood writers who've been on strike since May. It could be the first time since 1960 that both unions walk out at the same time. The actors' strike may not majorly impact the highly-anticipated "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" films next week, but it could affect everything from 2024 movie releases to international productions. In a joint statement, the several Hollywood boards said "Hollywood must be a place where every worker, on-screen and off, is treated according to the value their skills and talents command." The studios haven't commented on the latest contract negotiations. theSkimm Hollywood is facing a reckoning as the streaming era and AI threaten how actors and writers produce content and how they're compensated. It's now up to negotiators if the audience can get a season finale to this new type of drama. Related Stories Emily Blunt Is Taking A Break From Acting All The Celebs Supporting The Actors' Strike Here's What Happens If The Actors Go On Strike Why Hollywood Is Worried About AI And Also...This What could be doing more than crunching numbers… Tax prep firms. Yesterday, a congressional report found that H&R Block, TaxSlayer, and TaxAct shared the financial data of tens of millions of customers with Meta and Google. That includes filing status, adjusted gross income, and tax refund amounts. The report found the tax companies used code that tracks visitor activity — tech used by most websites — "for at least a couple of years." It also found the companies removed or disabled the tracking code from their sites last year after The Markup reported the privacy breach. Meta said it used the taxpayer info to target ads and train its AI algorithms. TaxSlayer reportedly said the report "contains numerous false or misleading statements," and H&R Block said it takes protecting client privacy "very seriously." Now, lawmakers have called on the gov to investigate and "prosecute any company or individuals who violated the law." …Oh and speaking of obtaining private info, yesterday, the gov said it's investigating how Chinese hackers breached the emails of State and Commerce Dept leaders. The attack targeted at least a dozen organizations. Who's doing an unboxing… Elon Musk. Yesterday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO announced the launch of his new AI company, xAI. Musk, who's been an avid supporter of AI, has also warned of the tech's potential for "civilizational destruction." Now, his new company is comprised of former employees from DeepMind, OpenAI, and Google. xAI says the goal is "to understand the true nature of the universe," but many say it's the latest competitor in an ever-developing AI world. The company will share more details during a live Twitter Spaces event tomorrow. Who's playing the waiting game... NATO. Yesterday, the transatlantic alliance wrapped up its two-day summit without providing Ukraine with a timeline on its membership request. The group said Ukraine can't join while Russia's invasion is still ongoing. Instead, leaders promised to give Ukraine a fresh supply of weapons and ammunition to help fight the war. While actors may be hitting pause... Here's a look at who made the Emmys cut. What was full of MVPs... The ESPY Awards. Why we're feeling fired up… Free fries on National French Fry Day. Forward this to a friend. Click here. Here are today's recs to help you live a smarter life… 1. A travel-friendly shoe so comfy, celebs (and Skimm HQ'rs) are wearing them everywhere. This B corp-certified brand's sneakers keep breaking the internet with their broken-in fit made for all-day comfort. It's no wonder they've got over 40K five-star reviews. Use SKIMM20 for 20% off.* Get moving 2. Serious savings on beauty staples that'll simplify your routine.  Merit's vegan, cruelty-free sets are curated to help you do more with less, for less. And Skimm'rs get exclusive access to secret sets, save up to 15%, and get a free gift with their first purchase.* Shop now 3. The easiest way to get kids to take their vitamins.  And make mornings easier. These one-a-day chewable vitamins are made of 15 essential nutrients (including 12 fruits and veggies). With zero added sugars, artificial dyes, fillers, or gummy junk. PS: Skimm'rs get 50% off.* Add to cart 4. Big savings on an e-bike that'll help you live your best life this summer.  This brand sells top-notch, certified e-bikes at up to — wait for it — 60% off retail prices. The best part? Skimm'rs can get $150 off with code SKIMM.* Get cyc'd Psst...looking for more discounts on brands Skimm'rs love? Check out all of our exclusive promo codes here. On Our Radar Looking for a serious wardrobe upgrade? Get designer styles shipped directly to your door thanks to Rent the Runway. For a limited time only, the first 5,000 Skimm'rs who sign up will get a month of RTR's five-item subscription for free with code RTRTHESKIMMJULY23. Expires 7/31/23. Terms apply.† Skimm'rs 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. Jamming out…Camille H (NY). A few other DJs and Camille are putting together a show in New York City. Their mission is to bring together different kinds of people together under one roof to enjoy live music. (Some) Birthdays…Peter Jankowski (NJ), Colleen Hall (NY), Lauren Corbett (TX), Kenneth Connell (IL), Jessie Austin (WV), Kasey Thibodeaux (AL), TJ Kory (AL), Leanne Sikora (CT ), Robin Pollock (CA), Thomas Mulroy (MA), Erin Polselli (RI), Kim Fink (OR), Ellin Mitchell (NY), Cathy Mattscheck (MA), Priscilla Bautista (NJ), Katherine Grabar (CA) PS: Paging all members of theSkimm. Reach out here for a chance to be featured. Skimm'd by: Rashaan Ayesh, Melanie De Lima, Anacaona Rodriguez Martinez, Chantal Vaca, Maria del Carmen Corpus, and Mariza Smajlaj Photos by Mario Tama via Getty Images, Brand Partners Design by theSkimm *PS: This is a sponsored post. †Code reduces the price of the first (1) month of a 5 items/mo. RTR membership by 100% (1st month only) to $0/month (+tax). At the end of the promo period, the membership will renew automatically each month at the applicable membership price listed on RTR's website or mobile app until paused or canceled. 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