Wednesday Scoop: Trump’s Speech

The big story…

What Happened at the State of the Union

President Trump gave his second State of the Union Address last night in the House of Representatives. In the speech, he talked about paid family leave, criminal justice reform, lowering prescription drug prices, North Korea, socialism, and, of course, the border wall.

There were several notable guests at the event including a young cancer survivor, two Holocaust survivors (one of whom was also a survivor at the Tree of Life shooting), a police officer from the Pittsburgh shooting, Alice Marie Johnson, Buzz Aldrin, and several more. In the audience, the female Democrats wore white, and AOC was not amused. Nancy Pelosi is the queen of condescending applause and Trump was all sniffs.

In religion…

Pope Francis Acknowledges Sexual Abuse of Nuns as a Problem

Pope Francis has acknowledged for the first time that the sexual abuse of nuns by priests and bishops is a “problem” in the Catholic Church. CNN reports, “The Pope’s comments, which came during a press conference aboard the papal plane on a return flight to Rome from the United Arab Emirates, come as the Catholic Church is dealing with sexual abuse scandals on several continents.” The pope said the Vatican has suspended some clerics and sent them away and dissolved some orders of nuns that were tied up in corruption, but acknowledges the issue is not over and more needs to be done.

In college news…

Jerry Sandusky to Receive New Sentence

Former Penn State Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky, who is convicted of child molesting, will be receiving a new sentence, after his request for a new trial was denied.

In film…

Billy Eichner to Write and Star in Gay Romantic Comedy

Billy Eichner will be writing and starring in a romantic comedy film to be produced by Judd Apatow and directed by Nick Stoller. Needless to say, we can hear the excitement already. 

In music…

Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings’ Tops the Charts for the Second Week in a Row

Ariana Grande’s musical reign shows no signs of slowing down. Her latest single “7 Rings” debuted at the top spot on the Billboard charts and stayed there in the most recent edition. This track uses a familiar tune heard in the Sound of Music, creating an updated version of “My Favorite Things.” Grande has swapped out versus like, “Raindrops on roses/And whiskers on kittens/Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,” into “Breakfast at Tiffany’s and bottles of bubbles/Girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble.” Read more in Romané Salazar’s report for CMN.

In makeup…

Bhad Bhabie Puts on Big Money Makeup Deal

Young female rapper and internet personality Bhad Bhabie (real name: Danielle Bregoli) has just signed a $900,000 brand deal with makeup line Copycat Beauty. She will be promoting products from liquid lipsticks to highlighters and more, according to Allure. These products will be marketed on the 15-year-old’s Instagram and music videos, and in return she will claim a percentage of sales. Read more in Julia Roxas’ report for CMN.

Trending today…

When Someone Says You’re Too Sensitive

Last but not least…

Viewpoint: God is a Woman and Her Name is Ariana Grande

Everybody has their own opinion on everything: other people’s lives, their relationships, what they do and how they do it. Even what they wear. Being one of the recognizable names in pop culture doesn’t exclude you from this, if anything it probably makes it 1000 times worse. With almost 56 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Ariana Grande has put her name on the map, to say the least. Read more in Autumn Miller’s piece for CMN.

Today’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Natalia Kolenko, Romané Salazar, Autumn Miller, and the CMN Staff. If you need a little encouragement today, we’ve got you. It’s hump day, but you can do this! P.S. Was this newsletter forwarded by a friend? Subscribe here to get the Morning Scoop straight to your inbox every day.