Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
Senate Confirms Mike Pompeo As Secretary of State
The Senate has confirmed Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State by a 57-42 vote, ABC News reports.
Every Republican — with the exception of Senator John McCain who was not present of the vote due to health reasons — and six Democrats and one Independent voted in favor of Pompeo.
According to ABC News, Pompeo faced opposition in regards to him becoming the next Secretary of State, with Democrats who had voted to confirm him as CIA Director last year opposing him as the next potential top diplomat of the nation.
“I realize my Democratic friends in many cases feel like that in supporting Pompeo, it’s a proxy for support of the Trump administration policies, which many of them abhor. I understand that,” Senator Bob Corker, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, said last week on the Senate floor.
This opposition is unprecedented, with past Secretaries of State, including Hillary Clinton and John Kerry easily passing through the nomination process.
Speaker Paul Ryan Asked House Chaplain to Resign
Speaker Paul Ryan asked House Chaplain, Father Pat Conroy, to resign, and now House Democrats want to know why the Conroy was asked to step down from his post, CNN reports.
After spending nearly seven years praying at the beginning of House sessions, Conroy resigned on April 15.
According to documents obtained by CNN, there were apparently two drafts of Conroy’s resignation letter. In the first letter, Conroy states “as you requested, I hereby offer my resignation…” and also told Ryan to consult with his chief of staff on a resignation date. However, in the second draft, there is no mention of Ryan asking Conroy to resign and the letter stated that Conroy’s last day would be May 24.
A spokesperson for Ryan said that Conroy was not asked to leave for any comments or actions made on Conroy’s part. “The speaker consulted with the minority leader, but the decision was his,” spokesperson AshLee Strong told CNN. “He remains grateful for Father Conroy’s service.”
According to an aide for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Minority Leader told Ryan that she had only heard positive comments about Conroy and did not agree with Ryan’s decision to have Conroy resign, CNN reports.
A bipartisan group of House members are drafting a letter to Ryan to request that the Speaker explain his reasoning for asking Conroy to resign.
“We are seeking additional information regarding your decision to request the resignation of Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, the 60th Chaplain of the House of Representatives,” the letter, states. “The sensitive nature of this situation requires a description of the process followed to arrive at the decision and a justification for that decision.”
According to CNN, Conroy was not afraid to bring up political issues. Before the new Republican tax bill became law, Conroy mentioned it in a prayer, reminding House members to “be mindful that the institutions and structures of our great Nation guarantee the opportunities that have allowed some to achieve great success, while others continue to struggle.”
President Trump Has a Female Doppelgänger
It looks like President Donald Trump has found his doppelgänger on a small farm in Nanton, La Coruna in Spain, AOL reports.
Paula Vázquez, a Spanish journalist at La Voz de Galicia, took a picture of Dolores Leis Antelo, who lives and works on a small farm, and posted it on Instagram.
Donald Trump na Costa da Morte pic.twitter.com/HQhAce25yM
— Paco Mariño (@Laboreiro) April 21, 2018
The picture quickly went viral, with people realizing just how uncanny the resemblance was. Antelo was dubbed the “Donald Trump of the Costa da Morte,” the region where the picture was taken.
When the picture was taken, Antelo was trying to plant potatoes, and the dust that was kicked up as a result of her planting gave her that tanned look that Trump has.
In an interview with La Voz de Galicia, Antelo said that she was surprised that her picture was shared by so many people.
“My photo seems to have traveled far. I say it is because of the color of my hair,” Antelo said.
Antelo’s children have kept her up-to-date on her newfound fame.
“I have never been curious to have [a phone] but I do look at what my daughters show me,” she said. “They say this picture will make me famous but I don’t get why.”
What to look out for…
Just a friendly reminder that Avengers: Infinity War is now out in theaters. I definitely know what I’ll be doing this weekend!