Tuesday Scoop: Shutdown Update
The big story…
Trump Proposes Deal to End Shutdown
Over the long weekend, Trump proposed a deal to end the shutdown: $5.7 billion to fund the border wall along with various protections for immigrants. The Democrats said “no thanks.” Also over the weekend, the number of TSA screeners who are calling in “sick” hit 10 percent. Meanwhile many government workers are heading for their second missed paycheck this week.
Get daily updates on the shutdown over on our Twitter account.
In national news…
United Flight Stranded for Hours in Freezing Temperatures
A United Airlines flight from New Jersey to Hong Kong was stranded at a Canadian Military base in Newfoundland on Saturday. Passengers were forced to remain on the plane in the frigid cold for over 15 hours, while the crew addressed a medical emergency and mechanical problems. A new plane eventually arrived to take passengers back to Newark Airport.
In global news…
America Is Now a Flawed Democracy According to the Democracy Index
The United States of America is now considered a flawed democracy. According to the 2018 edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, the U.S. is ranked 25th out of 165 sovereign independent countries and two territories. The Democracy Index, which started more than 10 years ago in 2006, defines a flawed democracy as a democracy where despite free and fair elections as well as civil rights and liberties there are “significant weaknesses” in other democratic characteristics, such as problems in institutional governance, a poor political culture, and lower levels of political participation in public life. Read more in Duane Paul Murphy’s report for CMN.
In politics…
Kamal Harris Announces 2020 Presidential Campaign
Democratic Calif. Senator Kamala Harris announced Monday that she plans to run for president in the 2020 election. CNN reports, “In a brief video from her campaign that was released on social media Monday morning at the same time she appeared on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America,’ Harris called on her supporters to join with her to ‘claim our future.’”
Harris is the first black woman to announce her presidential campaign and the fourth woman in the field. She kicked off her announcement with the argument that the time has come to fight against what she views as the injustice of the last two years of the Trump administration. Speaking of presidential candidates, check out our running list of the other candidates who are vying for the White House in 2020.
In sports…
Patriots Will Face the Rams in Super Bowl LIII
The Los Angelos Rams will be going up against the New England Patriots on Feb. 3 in Atlanta, Ga. The government said there’s no need to worry about the government shutdown interfering with the event, but there is need to worry about who will perform at halftime (although it will probably be Maroon 5). Meanwhile, the Saints are still bitter about their loss to the Rams and are vowing change in the NFL.
In equality…
Crowd of Teens Confront Native American Elder at Lincoln Memorial
A crowd of teenagers surrounded a Native American elder and other activist Friday, appearing to mock them following the Indigenous Peoples March at the Lincoln Memorial. CNN reports, “Videos of the confrontation show a smiling young man in a red Make America Great Again hat standing directly in front of the man, who was playing a drum and chanting. Other kids could be seen laughing, jumping around and seemingly making fun of the chants.”
Nathan Phillips, an elder of the Omaha tribe, described the confrontation as a feeling of “hate unbridled.” The behavior of the Covington Catholic High School students, an all-boys school in Kentucky, has sparked widespread condemnation and they may face expulsion. However, after the video went viral, the Covington students are saying that’s not the whole story.
In film…
The Oscar Nominations Are Being Announced (Like Right Now)
Trending today…
Ali Wong Sticks the Landing
After an UCLA gymnast’s floor routine went viral last week, comedian Ali Wong gave it a try.
Last but not least…
CMN Vibes: January Jams
The calendar is heading toward mid-winter, classes are back in session, and February isn’t far off. Here’s a playlist of recent favorites to take you into this mid-winter weekend.
Today’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Duane Paul Murphy, Hazel Dequito, Natalia Kolenko, and the CMN Staff. It’s been a cold start to the semester for a lot of college students in the U.S. Stay warm out there CMNers! P.S. Was this newsletter forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here to get the Morning Scoop straight to your inbox every day.
