Trump Advances the North Dakota Access Pipeline and 5 Other Stories to Know Jan. 24
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- President Donald Trump signed executive orders to advance construction on the controversial Keystone and North Dakota Access pipelines. In November 2015, then-President Barack Obama rejected the Keystone pipeline proposal, which would carry oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. The North Dakota Access Pipeline's construction was halted last November so government engineers could explore routes that did not cross Native American water sources.
- The president signed another executive order making the day he was inaugurated, Jan. 20, 2017, a national holiday. Trump named the event the National Day of Patriotic Devotion. His declaration is not unprecedented, however. Obama also declared his inauguration in 2009 a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation.
- Halsey put her money where her mouth is and donated $100,000 to Planned Parenthood on Monday. The pop singer announced her effort on Twitter, pledging to donate a dollar for every retweet her post about the Women's March received. The tweet racked up over 100,000 retweets in five hours.
- Erin Andrews, an ESPN sideline reporter, revealed in Sports Illustrated that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. Around the same time, Andrews was embroiled in a lawsuit against a hotel in Nashville that allegedly allowed a man who was stalking her to book a hotel room next to hers; she was eventually awarded $55 million in damages.
- Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, penned a letter to citizens of the Netherlands asking people to leave the country if they do not respect its customs. Many saw the letter as an attempt to win over far-right voters before the March election. Rutte said his intention was not to expel people but to "make it crystal clear what is normal, and what is not normal, in our country."
- The 2017 Oscar nominations were announced this morning and La La Land is the clear front runner with 14 nominations. Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and Manchester by the Sea also picked up several nominations. The show will air on Feb. 26 and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.