Friday Scoop: Nancy Pelosi
The big story…
Nancy Pelosi Elected Speaker of the House
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was officially elected the new House Speaker on Thursday, winning the majority of the vote by the House of Representatives on the first day of the 116th Congress. As House speaker, Pelosi is expected to regularly face off with President Trump and preside over a newly energized Democratic majority that will likely challenge Trump’s every move.
One of the major challenges Pelosi will face first is budgeting for Trump’s long-promised border wall that brought Democrats and Republicans to a head, leading to the partial government shutdown. Late Thursday night, the new Democratic House passed bills that would reopen the government without paying for Trump’s border wall. However, the White House is drafting a veto threat leaving the shutdown nowhere near resolved.
In politics…
Elizabeth Warren Announces She is Running for President in 2020
On New Year’s Eve, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced her candidacy for the 2020 presidential race. She also made plans to start campaigning in Iowa this weekend, planning to visit the following cities: Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, and Sioux City. Read more in Britney Hoobraj’s report for CMN.
In Thailand…
Thailand Hit by Tropical Storm
Southern Thailand, a region of the country popular among tourists, is currently being hit by tropical storm Pabuk. While many people have evacuated, thousands are still on the islands targeted by the storm, which is expected to be the worst the country has seen in 30 years.
In espionage…
Russia Indicts American Paul Whelan on Charges of Espionage
Former Marine Paul Whelan is in Russian custody over charges of espionage. If convicted, Whelan could face 20 years in prison. U.S. officials are attempting to help Whelan, who maintains his innocence. Some speculate that these unexpected charges may be a response to the conviction of Russian spy Maria Butina.
In music…
YouTube Announces Livestream of Coachella Throughout Festival Weekends
This year, YouTube is stepping up their nine-year partnership with Coachella, announcing that they will be hitting the desert and presenting live content over both weekends of the music fest. In recent years, YouTube typically only live streamed the first weekend. However, now not only will the service stream the festival’s first weekend, which takes place April 12th-14th, but YouTube will also host a “curated live experience” on the second weekend, including select performances, artist vignettes, and behind-the-scenes footage of the festival. Read more in Erin Whitten’s report for CMN.
In the economy…
December Jobs Report Shows Economic Growth
While many were expecting a dip in the economy, the December jobs report actually reveals that the U.S. added a whopping 312,000 jobs during the month (up from 155,000 in November) in the longest job creation streak the U.S. has ever had.
Trending today…
New Year’s Resolutions
We’re breaking the rules because this tweet is relevant pretty much all year round.
Last but not least…
Unknown Album Review: Survivor ‘Vital Signs’
As part of CMN’s ongoing Music Journalism Course, participants were asked to find a physical copy of an album by an artist they had never heard of. The challenge was to listen and react to the recording without any prior knowledge. Read more in Kevin Ashley’s unknown review of Survivor “Vital Signs.”
Today’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Britney Hoobraj, Erin Whitten, Kevin Ashley, Natalia Kolenko, and the CMN Staff. ICYMI, the Golden Globes are this Sunday. Don’t worry if you can’t watch — head over to CMN’s Twitter account where we’ll be live tweeting the whole thing.
