Monday Scoop: Shutdown Over
The big story…
President Announces Deal to Reopen the Federal Government Until Feb. 15
On Friday, President Trump announced that the federal government would be reopening and back paying the 800,000 federal workers who had missed two paychecks. Funding for a border wall is not included in the temporary deal, which expires on Feb. 15, so Congress and the president have about three weeks to figure out what to do next. So, the longest government shutdown is over — but not really. Meanwhile, it looks like the State of the Union address still won’t be happening on Tuesday.
In equality…
Angola Decriminalizes Homosexual Sex and Outlaws LGBTQ Discrimination
The southern-central African country of Angola has decriminalized same-sex relations between LGBTQ individuals and outlawed discrimination against the country’s LGBTQ community on Wednesday, Jan. 23. According to Human Rights Watch, the legislative unicameral National Assembly in Luanda, Angola’s capital city, has decided to repeal a colonial-era law that outlawed homosexual sexual relations since the country was part of Portugal for more than 400 years between 1575 to 1975. Furthermore, new anti-discrimination laws state that if anyone in Angola is refusing to employ or provide services to individuals based on their own sexual orientation, they may face up to two years imprisonment. Read more in Duane Paul Murphy’s report for CMN.
In music…
The Cure to Release New Album in 2019
In December of 2018, leader Robert Smith shared the news during a call in to SiriusXM Volume’s “Debatable” afternoon show. The proud lead singer and co-founder of the band is the only member that has been constant throughout the band’s existence and to complement their album release, the band will also be going on tour this year, with multiple dates already announced in Europe. Read more in Clarissa Dent’s report for CMN.
In film…
What Happened at Sundance?
The 2019 Sundance Film Festival started last week and is still going on in Park City, Utah. Here’s what’s happened so far.
- The Mindy Kaling film Late Night scored a $13 million deal with Amazon.
- AOC canceled her appearance because of the shutdown.
- Zac Efron has some new hair.
- The festival premiered many notable documentaries, including one about Harvey Weinstein and another about Michael Jackson.
In the economy…
What Happened at the World Economic Forum?
Another major event of last week was the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The annual event attracts economists, world leaders, and the occasional celebrity (hello there, Bono) to talk about the world economy and some other stuff. Here’s what happened this year.
- Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg spoke about climate change.
- People are worried about Brexit.
- President Trump wasn’t there, but the new Brazilian president made his premier.
- Several businesses signed on for the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality.
- Attendees also walked away with free Davos hats (because even rich people love free stuff).
Trending today…
Brad + Gaga
The crowd went wild when Lady Gaga invited Bradley Cooper on stage at her show in Las Vegas.
Last but not least…
Let’s Start Separating Penn Badgley From Joe Goldberg
Following the life of a twenty-something bookstore manager who becomes obsessed with a customer (and ya know, kills some people so nothing gets in between them), this show is sure to give you the creeps. However, despite its uncomfortable nature, fans can’t stop watching. In fact, fans seem to be falling in love with Joe Goldberg— and Badgley’s reaction is hilarious. Read more in Lindsay Wigo’s review for CMN.
Today’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Duane Paul Murphy, Lindsay Wigo, and the CMN Staff. The royal announcement’s out: Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews are doing ‘Princess Diaries 3.’ Miracles really do happen once in a while. P.S. Was this newsletter forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here to get the Morning Scoop straight to your inbox every day.
