Daily Skimm: The World Cup, Interest Rates, and Henry Cavill

The World Cup

The Story

A lot’s happening at the World Cup.

Tell me.

Last week, 49-year-old sports journalist Grant Wahl unexpectedly died while covering the Argentina vs Netherlands game. Tributes from athletes like LeBron James and Carli Lloyd poured in. But so did questions about his death. Some on social media seemed to blame COVID vaccines. Others pointed fingers at the Qatari government. At one point, Wahl had been detained for wearing a rainbow T-shirt in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. He was also known for speaking out against the Qatari World Cup organizers' mistreatment of migrant workers. But this week, Wahl’s body returned to the US. An autopsy revealed he died of an undetected aortic aneurysm (aka a ruptured blood vessel), which is generally hard to diagnose and treat. Wahl’s wife said his return home “was handled with the utmost care” by everyone involved. Then there's yesterday's game.

Go on.

Yesterday, reigning World Cup champ France defeated Morocco to move to the finals. The 2-0 win came after an attempted bicycle kick and strong defense, ending Morocco’s Cinderella story. As the first Arab and African country to ever make it to the semifinals, Morocco’s success became a rallying point for many in the Middle East — including the diaspora. Many of the Moroccan players’ stories have struck a chord with those watching and dancing along. But even after the loss, reports say Morocco’s fans cheered for the team with gratitude and pride. Next up: Morocco and Croatia face off Saturday for a chance at third place. Then, Kylian Mbappé and the French team are up against Lionel Messi and Argentina on Sunday. Messi (with over 700 career goals under his belt) has said this will be his final World Cup — making it his last chance to bring home the trophy.

theSkimm

Soccer is the single most popular sport in the world. So it’s no surprise that anything that happens at the World Cup is a conversation starter. But this year, the tournament has seen people come together in an array of ways — whether it's supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, rallying the Arab diaspora, or reminding us of each other’s humanity.

And Also...This

Where things may be cooling down…

The Federal Reserve. Yesterday, it raised interest rates by 0.5 percentage point. This is the seventh time rates have gone up this year in an effort to get inflation — still near 40-year highs — under control. This time, it comes as the latest CPI report — which measures the average change in prices for a variety of goods and services over time — rose only 0.1% last month. That’s the smallest annual inflation increase in nearly a year. Next up: the Fed said it will continue raising rates next year until inflation settles to that sweet spot of 2%. The news of the continuing rate hikes sent stocks sliding which investors found aggressive given the small inflation increase. Economists worry that additional rate hikes could tip the economy into a recession.

Where things have escalated…

Peru. Yesterday, the government declared a 30-day state of emergency after at least seven people died during violent protests. Last week, then-President Pedro Castillo — facing multiple corruption allegations — was impeached after he tried to dissolve Congress. Many saw it as a coup attempt. So lawmakers voted him out of office and authorities arrested him. His VP, Dina Boluarte, was tapped to replace him until the 2026 election — making her the country’s sixth president in less than five years. Now, protests have erupted with some claiming Castillo is the rightful president. Meanwhile, others are demanding a fresh set of elections. To appease protesters, Boluarte proposed moving up elections sooner to 2024. Meanwhile, authorities suspended the rights of assembly and freedom of movement across the country to keep the peace. Boluarte said the demonstrations need to stop because “Peru cannot overflow with blood.” But ousted Castillo says the “rights” of Peruvians “who cry out for justice” should be restored.

Who people are remembering…

Stephen Boss. This week, the DJ on “Ellen” also known as “tWitch” died at the age of 40 by suicide. In 2003, he rose to stardom after placing as a runner-up on “So You Think You Can Dance.” He later returned to judge season 17 of the dance competition show. In 2014, he joined Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, later becoming co-executive producer. And had also appeared in “Step Up: All In” and “Magic Mike XXL.” His wife remembered Boss — a father of three — as the “backbone” of their family who always led “with love and light.” Ellen DeGeneres said she was “heartbroken” and will miss his ability to bring people together with “joy and laughter.”

PS: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

What's dropping even more bombs...

"Harry & Meghan" Volume 2. 

Where you could finally ride on Rainbow Road…

Super Nintendo World.

Who's hanging up his cape...

Henry Cavill.