Thursday Scoop: Several Suspicious Packages

The big story…

Suspicious Packages Sent to Prominent Democrats

The suspicious package sent to the CNN offices in New York. (image: New York Times video)

The past couple days there has been incident after incident of suspicious packages sent to prominent Democrats, including George Soros, the Clintons, the Obamas, Robert de Niro, and the New York offices of CNN. The explosive devices, which appear to be crudely built pipe bombs, have so far all been intercepted before causing any harm. President Trump condemned these “despicable acts,” calling for unity and the media’s responsibility to create civility. Law enforcement believes these packages are all coming from the same person. Read more in Britney Hoobraj’s report for CMN and stay tuned for updates in the investigation.

In national news…

Megyn Kelly’s Show Could End Over Racist Comments

Megyn Kelly made offensive comments about blackface Halloween costumes during her NBC morning show on Tuesday, sparking backlash and numerous criticisms from public figures condemning her remarks. CNN reports, “Her exit from the 9 a.m. hour of the ‘Today’ show appears to be imminent. Variety reported on Wednesday evening that Kelly and NBC News executives have been holding conversations about a new role for her.” While Kelly started her Wednesday show with an apology, those within NBC News are still unhappy with the morning show host. Consequently, Kelly will not be hosting her show on Thursday and is unlikely to return, someone familiar with the matter stated.

In weather…

Super Typhoon Yutu Hits U.S. Territories

Said to be the strongest storm on Earth this year, Super Typhoon Yutu hit several U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean yesterday. With gusts of 180 mph and an 85 mile radius, the typhoon is similar to a very strong Category 5 hurricane and may actually be the strongest tropical cyclone on record.

In global news…

Ethiopia’s First Female President 

Sahle-Work Zewde is now Ethiopia’s first female president and the only current female head of state in Africa. Her goals as president are to promote women’s equality and maintain peace in the country.

In religion… 

Catholic Clergy Abuse in Other States

Since the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, there have been efforts to uncover abuse in other states as well. States with open investigations or plans to investigate the Church include: Virginia, Maryland, Vermont, Michigan, Florida, Wyoming, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Missouri, and Washington, D.C.

In economics…

The Dow Drops 600 Points

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has now dropped 600 points, erasing its gains for the entire year.

In social media…

Facebook  Fined in Cambridge Analytica Case

Britain’s information regulator is fining Facebook $645,000 for the Cambridge Analytica data breach. Although that small of a sum will mean virtually nothing to a company as large as Facebook, the fine is mostly a symbolic punishment on behalf of the one million British users who had their data stolen.

Trending today…

The One Where Ross Steals the Beer

When Blackpool police posted CCTV footage of a suspect wanted for a restaurant theft, it was only a matter of time until Twitter users cracked the case: It was “Friends” star David Schwimmer. Schwimmer took to Twitter himself to claim his innocence by posting his own  reenactment video of the theft, and we’ve got to admit that the resemblance is uncanny. But, don’t you worry, the Blackpool police have confirmed that Schwimmer is not a suspect, considering he was not in the U.K. at the time and he’s David Schwimmer.

Thursday’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Natalia Kolenko, Britney Hoobraj, and the CMN Staff. A $500 million replica of the Titanic is projected to sail across the Atlantic in 2022. Would you take a ride on Titanic II? We say yes — as long as Kate and Leo promise to come along.