The VICE Morning Bulletin
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The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

White House asks for border wall prototypes, global companies hit by ransomware attack, Paul Manafort declares himself a foreign agent, and more.

Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.

US News

Trump Administration Asks for Border Wall Prototypes
The Customs and Border Protection agency has announced a prototype process for companies bidding to build President Trump's planned US-Mexico border wall. Four to eight companies will get 30 days to develop model demonstrations in San Diego for the longer border project, according to Ronald Vitiello, the agency's acting chief.—AP

Trump Contemplates Failure on Healthcare Bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the healthcare bill would be pushed back until after the Fourth of July recess on Tuesday, after more GOP senators announced their opposition. Trump met at the White House with his party's senators shortly after to seek a way forward, intoning, "And if we don't get it done, it's just going to be something that we're not going to like. And that's okay, and I understand that very well."—CBS News/VICE News

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Roger Stone Set to Testify to House Committee on Russia
Roger Stone, an erstwhile Trump adviser with no role in the White House, will be questioned by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed session next month. Stone said he relished the chance to rebut the "serial lies" of John Podesta, the former Clinton campaign chairman who has already testified. "The claim that I had knowledge of the hacking of his email by WikiLeaks in advance is a demonstrable lie," Stone said.—Politico

Paul Manafort Declares Himself a Foreign Agent
Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, has retroactively filed as a foreign agent, his firm declaring that it was paid $17.1 million by a Ukrainian political party. Manafort's spokesman said his "primary focus was always directed at domestic Ukrainian political campaign work."—The Washington Post

International News

Helicopter Attacks Venezuelan Government Buildings
Grenades were dropped on Venezuela's Supreme Court from a helicopter snagged by a police pilot who claims to be fighting Nicolás Maduro's government Tuesday. The helicopter also fired shots at the interior ministry. Venezuela's government said a man named Oscar Perez had launched the attack. A video on Perez's Instagram shows him with a group of hooded men, pledging to fight "the vile government."—Reuters

Global Companies Hit by Ransomware Attack
Hackers have hit the IT systems of major companies and organizations around the world with malware. The virus, which freezes computer systems ostensibly until a ransom is paid via Bitcoin, has affected the Russian oil company Rosneft, Danish shipping company Maersk, and Ukraine's central bank. Russian analysts at Kaspersky Lab have estimated some 2,000 digital assaults so far.—BBC News

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Arab States Mull New Sanctions Against Qatar
A leading diplomat for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said a Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries is considering new economic sanctions against Qatar over its alleged support for extremist groups. Omar Ghobash, the UAE's ambassador to Russia, suggested one possibility being considered "right now" is pressuring trade allies to pull back from or halt business with Qatar.—The Guardian

At Least 17 Philippine Civilians Found Dead in Marawi City
The military in the Philippines said the decapitated heads of five civilians were found in Marawi City, where Islamist rebels are waging an insurgency. A total of 17 civilians were found dead in the latest gruesome discovery, according to Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Garcia. A military spokesman said the death toll would likely "increase significantly" when troops were able to assess the impact of the five-week siege.—Reuters

Everything Else

Drake Announces OVO Fest in Toronto
Drake has announced on Instagram the lineup for this year's OVO Fest in Toronto. The eighth annual label event on August 7 will feature PartyNextDoor, Roy Woods, DVSN, Majid Jordan, and Drake himself.—Vibe

Sarah Palin Sues 'New York Times' for Defamation
Sarah Palin has filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over an editorial that accused the former Alaska governor of "political incitement" before the 2011 shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords. Palin wants over $75,000 in damages for the piece, which was corrected after publication.—CNN

Michael Moore Gives $10,000 to 'Julius Caesar' Theater Company
Documentarian Michael Moore is giving $10,000 to the group behind the controversial production of Julius Caesar after corporate sponsors pulled support from the show. Moore said he supported the Public Theater's "right to free speech."—TIME

Kendrick Lamar Drops New Video
Kendrick Lamar released a video for "Element" Tuesday, the third video he's dropped from his new album DAMN. The Jonas Lindstroem–directed video features a father urging his son to hit him as a way of toughening him up.—Noisey

Adidas Releases Steve Zissou Shoes from 'The Life Aquatic'
Adidas has dropped the customized shoes Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) wears in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic. The limited edition shoes have submarine-yellow shoelaces and sea-blue stripes.—i-D

Hacker Steals Internet Radio Accounts
Millions of user account details for internet radio service 8tracks are being traded online, according to breach notification site LeakBase. The hacked data includes email addresses, user names, and passwords.—Motherboard