Thursday Scoop: Trump vs. Pelosi
The big story…
Pelosi Cancels Trump’s State of the Union Address
President Trump and House Speaker Pelosi have been having a public back-and-forth in the form of letters. First, Rep. Pelosi requested that Trump postpone the State of the Union address, originally set for Jan. 29, due to security concerns raised by the shutdown. In response, Trump sent a letter canceling Pelosi’s trip abroad, saying that she needed to stay in the country during the shutdown. Pelosi sent another letter yesterday essentially disinviting Trump from his own State of the Union given in the House of Representatives chamber. Then, amidst rumors that the president was looking into other venues, Trump agreed to delay the address until the end of the shutdown.
In national news…
5 Dead in Florida SunTrust Bank Shooting
A gunman killed five people in a SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Fl. Wednesday after barricading himself inside, according to Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund. CNN reports, “The suspect called authorities to say he had entered the bank in Sebring, about 85 miles south of Orlando, and began shooting, according to Hoglund. Authorities identified the suspect as 21-year-old Sebring resident Zephen Xaver, who is in custody.” Initial negotiations with the suspect failed but eventually he surrendered to the SWAT team. A motive has yet to be identified, as well as the victims.
In global news…
Trump Supports Juan Guaido, the New Self-Declared President of Venezuela
The new face of Venezuela is the country’s new president Juan Guaido. Guaido declared himself interim president yesterday, angering sitting President Nicolas Maduro, who many view as a dictator. The U.S., Canada, and several Latin American countries have already proclaimed their support for the interim president.
In politics…
Senate to Vote on Competing Bills to End the Shutdown, Neither Expected to Pass
Today, the Senate will be voting on two pieces of legislation that could end the partial government shutdown. One, is the deal that President Trump himself suggested over the weekend: $5.7 billion for border wall funding with protection for Dreamer and other immigrants. The other is a proposal by Democratic Senators that would temporarily reopen the government until Feb. 8, but does not give any funding to Trump’s border wall. Both bills are expected to fail.
In higher education…
Amanda Knox Wins Over $20,000 in Damages from Italy
A European court has ordered that Amanda Knox, the American suspected of killing her British roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007, be awarded more than $20,000 in damages from Italy as the country failed to provide Knox with legal assistance or a translator during questioning.
In #MeToo…
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Director Faces Charges of Sexual Assault
While the film scored five Oscar nominations on Tuesday, the Bohemian Rhapsody‘s director, Bryan Singer, has been facing 20 years worth of sexual assault assault allegations revealed in an article in The Atlantic.
In journalism…
Gannett and Buzzfeed Announce Major Layoffs
It’s been a rough year for journalists. Yesterday, Gannett, the owner of USA Today and other regional publications, laid off journalists across the country as Buzzfeed cut its staff by 15 percent. Meanwhile Verizon Media, the owner of the Huffington Post, AOL, and Yahoo, will be laying off 7 percent of its workforce sometime this week.
Trending today…
Meet Marshall
Last but not least…
Fyre: Two Documentaries Tell a Very Different Story
As streaming services start to replace traditional film and TV production companies, a battle for viewership is breaking out. The latest contenders? Hulu vs. Netflix. Last week, Netflix was set to release its documentary Fyre about the 2017 Fyre Festival that became the scam to end all scams. But on Monday Hulu’s own version of the festival story called Fyre Fraud got an early release. So, the question remains, who did it better? Read all about it in Grace Cooper’s review for CMN.
Today’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Natalia Kolenko, Grace Cooper, and the CMN Staff. Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin completed another test yesterday, making it one step closer to taking paying passengers into space. P.S. Was this newsletter forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here to get the Morning Scoop straight to your inbox every day.
