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HEAR YE, HEAR YE

The Story

Tonight, President Trump is giving his second State of the Union address.

How do I watch?

9pm ET on all major networks. Or stream it live here.

So…this is definitely happening? No rain check this time?

Yup. The SOTU address was originally scheduled for Jan 29. Then, the partial gov shutdown happened – and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) asked Trump to postpone it until after the shutdown. After a lot of back and forth between the two, they agreed to reschedule it for tonight.

Got it. So what will he talk about?

Bipartisanship…Trump's hoping everyone can just get along and work together on everything from infrastructure to health care (think: lowering prescription drug prices). Especially after the 35-day partial gov shutdown...and the fact that a new funding deadline is coming up on Feb 15. Which brings us to…

The US-Mexico border wall…the issue that shut down the gov. Trump has threatened to declare a national emergency at the border so that he can build a wall there. There's a chance he could do that tonight.

Trade…at last year's SOTU, Trump promised to fix trade deals he said hurt US jobs. Long story short, that promise led to the current US-China trade war. Expect him to talk about that, and for him to brag about the USMCA – the new trade deal between the US, Mexico, and Canada.

North Korea...after the historic summit between Trump and NK leader Kim Jong Un last year, the two are planning a reunion. Trump may update us on where and when that could happen.

HIV…tens of thousands of Americans are diagnosed with it every year. Trump's planning to announce a 10-year plan to end the epidemic in the US.

Will he talk about the Russia investigation?

Don't count on it. Or for him to elaborate on his "executive time."

What will the mood be like?

Expect to see women dressed in white to honor suffragettes. You'll also see Trump and first lady Melania Trump's guests, including Alice Johnson – Trump commuted her life sentence over a nonviolent drug offense last year. And lawmakers' guests, including border patrol officials and the father of a Parkland shooting victim. Plus Pelosi has a new seating arrangement next to VP Mike Pence. Make sure to point him out to everyone at your watch party.

Does the other side get to talk?

Former Georgia state congresswoman Stacey Abrams – who lost the GA governor's race in November – will give the Dem rebuttal. California AG Xavier Becerra will deliver the rebuttal in Spanish.

Anything else?

Speaking of Trump, yesterday federal prosecutors subpoenaed his inaugural committee. Late last year, a report said that prosecutors were looking into whether donors made contributions in exchange for political favors. Which could violate federal corruption laws. The committee says it'll cooperate with the subpoena.

theSkimm

The SOTU address is usually when presidents congratulate themselves on their accomplishments and set an agenda for the upcoming year. This time, it's also a test of whether Trump can inspire a divided gov to work together on major issues that affect Americans' everyday lives. And a chance to set the tone as he gears up for a 2020 campaign.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

Who people are still talking about…

Virginia's Gov. Ralph Northam (D). He's continuing to resist calls to resign over his yearbook scandal. The one where he apologized for appearing in a photo that shows one person wearing blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. And then he backtracked, saying he wasn't in the photo. Meanwhile, people are also talking about the state's Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D), who's next in line to become the state's governor if Northam resigns. Yesterday, Fairfax denied a woman's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2004. He said the encounter had been consensual and suggested Northam's supporters may be behind this, saying the timing of the allegation didn't seem like a coincidence.

What to say when you're ready to introduce your new SO to friends…

Let's go public. Slack is saying 'same.' Yesterday, the company announced it had filed paperwork with the SEC to go public. Usually, companies go public with a traditional IPO, which means they hire investment banks to handle all the complicated stuff like pricing shares. The non-traditional way is a direct listing, when companies potentially save some cash money by skipping the part where banks underwrite the IPO. Last year, Spotify successfully went public with a direct listing, making people say 'who's next?' Now, Slack is saying 'pick me, choose me, buy me.' It was recently valued at about $7 billion. It is the first of several big-name tech companies (hi Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb) that could go public this year.

Skimm More: We have theSkimm on IPOs in our app.

What people are talking about…

This interview with Liam Neeson. The actor said that after someone close to him was allegedly raped by someone who was black, he walked around hoping to kill some "black bastard" in revenge. He went on to say that "it was horrible, horrible, when I think back, that I did that," and that he'd learned "a lesson" from his reaction. He's now facing backlash for his admission.

What to say to the medical resident in the group…

Hear about this? A new study found that cancers tied to obesity are on the rise for millennials. Including gallbladder, kidney, and pancreatic cancer. Those usually show up in patients who are in their 60s and 70s. But the study found some of the biggest increases in recent decades were among millennials. Doctors say this puts pressure on physicians to screen for childhood obesity.

What to say to your friend who bought a jade egg…

This docuseries is for you.

What to say when you're feeling underappreciated…

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We teamed up with Shondaland to share stories all month about major moments in black history and culture.

This week, we're talking to Michael Strahan and Chandra Wilson about Colin Kaepernick and the significance of silent protests.

Check it out.

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SKIMM'RS

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Cheers to…Jillian H (FL), who paid off her student loans in full, years earlier than expected. And Bailey B (TX), who negotiated her first raise after graduating college less than a year ago. Also Heather E (TX), who performed stand-up comedy at her first open mic.

(Some) Birthdays…David Lane (AUS), Abby Barwig (MI), Amy Koch (CA), Elizabeth Petrey (FL), Lauren Bagley (VA), Myles Osborne (TX), Carra Ramsey Roth (MO), Elicia Spearman (UK), Jayne Chauvin (LA), Kerry Scanlon (DC), Koko Olszewski (OR), Laura Smith (NJ), Layla Khuri (GA), Muhammad Nadeer (MAU), Whitney Stewart (ISR)

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