“Skimm This” is a weekly news program that breaks down important stories from the past week and adds context and clarity to answer the questions on your mind. Every Thursday evening.

NSFW: Omicron Surge and Swear Words

December 23, 2021 0:33:34 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

First up: We’ve got the latest on the end of the Kellogg’s workers’ strike, the government hitting pause on student loan repayments again and emergency FDA authorization for Pfizer’s at-home COVID-19 pill. 

Then: If you’ve been wondering why we’re all still scrambling for rapid tests two years into the pandemic… you’re not alone. We Skimm’d Biden’s announcement this week on the plan for tackling Omicron - which includes revamping testing.

Next: Season Three of COVID-19 just dropped, and a lot of people are getting positive tests for the first time. We’ll ask two doctors what we should do if we test positive.

Plus: If you’re planning some serious sofa time over the holidays — whether you’re isolating at home, or just relaxing — we’ve got you covered. We’re sharing some of theSkimm staff’s top TV, film, book, and podcast recs from 2021.

Finally: We’re really done with being in a f****** pandemic. And apparently it’s showing up in all our language, because we’re all cursing a lot more. We’ll break down why, and what you can do if you wanna clean things up. 


On this episode, you’ll hear from: 

  • Dr. Amber D’Souza, infectious disease epidemiologist, Johns Hopkins University
  • Dr. Lipi Roy, medical director, Housing Works
  • Dr. Kavita Patel, primary care physician and fellow, Brookings Institution 
  • Skimm HQ’rs Alaisha, Andrew, Anthony, Ciara, Clem, Erika, Graelyn, Niven, and Sarah 


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Skimm'd by Alex Carr and Ciara Long. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s head of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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