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The VICE Morning Bulletin

Mueller subpoenas docs related to key Trump figures (including the man himself), Frances McDormand wins best actress, South Korean delegation heads North for talks, and more.
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Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.

US News

Mueller Subpoenas Trump Campaign Documents
Special counsel Robert Mueller reportedly ordered an unnamed witness to hand over emails, texts, notes, and other material related to the Trump campaign dating back as far as November 2015. The subpoena, furnished in February, is said to have sought all documents involving the president and nine of his campaign associates, including Steve Bannon, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, and Hope Hicks.—Axios/NBC News

State Department Spends Nothing to Push Back on Election Meddling
Despite the Pentagon being ordered to provide $120 million to help resist election interference attempts by foreign powers, the State Department still hadn't received or spent a dime of the money, a new report revealed. It also uncovered that no one at the department's center designated with tackling Russian propaganda actually spoke the language. The State Department said Monday it would now accept $40 million from the Pentagon.—The New York Times

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Frances McDormand Wins Best Actress
After winning the best actress award at last night’s ceremony, McDormand used her speech to call for more use of the “inclusion rider”—the contractual agreement stars can demand to help ensure greater diversity on their set. The best picture prize went to The Shape of Water, and Guillermo del Toro won best director. Jordan Peele became the first African American writer to win the Oscar for best screenplay.—VICE/Broadly

ISIS Claims to Release Video of US Soldiers Under Attack
The notorious extremist Islamist group shared a clip purporting to show the October 2017 ambush in Niger in which four American troops were killed. Some of the footage appeared to be from helmet cameras worn by US soldiers. The Pentagon planned to publish an official report on the deaths later this week.—CBS News

International News

Parliament Hung in Italy Despite Populist Gains
Preliminary results showed the anti-establishment, anti-European Union Five Star Movement winning the largest share of the vote with about 32 percent, but no single party earning a majority in parliament. A coalition of right-wing parties led by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, including the anti-immigrant Northern League Party, appeared to be the strongest bloc.—VICE News

Aid Trucks Reach Eastern Ghouta in Syria
A UN convoy of 46 trucks carrying food and medical supplies for 27,500 people reportedly accessed the rebel enclave on the edge of Damascus. It was the first humanitarian delivery there since mid February. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces had seized roughly a third of the bitterly contested territory.—BBC News/Al Jazeera

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South Korean Delegation Meets Kim for Talks
A group of ten South Korean officials traveled to Pyongyang Monday for discussions aimed at establishing direct talks between North Korea and the US. The national security office chief, Chung Eui-yong, said the South Korean government hoped for “better inter-Korean relations created by the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.”—Reuters

Beijing Hikes Military Spending
The Chinese government’s annual defense budget will rise by 8.1 percent, a move revealed Monday at the opening of the National People’s Congress (NPC). A spokesperson for the NPC said the increase was “to make up for the low military spending in the past.” Meanwhile, President Trump was looking to bolster US defense spending by 10 percent.—VICE News

Everything Else

Ryan Seacrest Has Weak Night on the Red Carpet
Several major stars and nominees appeared to shun the E! host at the Oscars after he was accused of sexual misconduct but allowed to remain in the role. Taraji P. Henson did speak to Seacrest and said: “The Universe has a way of taking care of the good people, you know what I mean?”—Variety

M.A.S.H. Favorite Dies At 75
David Ogden Stiers, best known for playing Major Winchester on the TV series, died at his home after a fight with bladder cancer. “How gentle you were, how kind, except when devising the most vicious practical jokes,” his co-star Alan Alda tweeted.—Entertainment Weekly

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‘Black Panther’ Still Dominating Box Office
The Marvel movie took in about $65.7 million during its third weekend in North American theaters. Ryan Coogler’s film has earned at least $500 million at the domestic box office—the third-quickest any movie has reached that landmark sum.—AP

Sufjan Stevens Joined by Special Guests for Oscars Performance
St. Vincent and Moses Sumney backed the artist for a performance of “Mystery of Love,” his Oscar-nominated song from Call Me by Your Name. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez took home the best song prize for Coco's “Remember Me."—Noisey

Facebook Pulls Survey Asking People How to Handle Pedophiles
The company has withdrawn a survey asking UK users the best way to deal with “a private message in which an adult man asks a 14-year-old girl for sexual pictures." The company admitted the question was “a mistake”.—VICE News

YouTube Denies It's Deleting Alex Jones Content
The company said it would not be removing the conspiracy theorist’s channel, despite Jones's suggestion that his videos would be purged. YouTube did, however, recently tell Jones that advertisers had requested their ads be pulled from his channel.—Motherboard

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