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The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

Irma wipes out a quarter of homes in the Florida Keys, the White House wants to cap refugee admissions, Seattle's mayor resigns amid sex abuse allegations, and more.
A man surveys the damage Irma caused to his home in the Florida Keys on September 12. Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Image

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

US News

FEMA Assesses Damage from Irma
Hurricane Irma demolished roughly 25 percent of all homes in the Florida Keys and severely damaged another 65 percent, according to FEMA estimates. The storm killed at least 19 people in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; at least 37 people died in the Carribbean. As of Wednesday morning, 9.5 million Floridians remained without power.—AP

White House Reportedly Wants to Slash Refugee Admissions
The Trump administration plans to dramatically reduce the number of refugees offered sanctuary in the US. Several sources told VICE News no more than 50,000 refugees would be admitted in the next full fiscal year, fewer than half as many as the Obama administration allowed last year. —VICE News

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Congress Asks Trump to Condemn Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally
The Senate and the House have passed a resolution to reject "white nationalists, white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and other hate groups" of the sort that gathered in Charlottesville last month. The legislation, which also urges President Trump "speak out against hate groups," now awaits Trump's signature. —The Washington Post

Seattle Mayor Resigns Amid Sex Abuse Allegations
Ed Murray said he will step down from his role as mayor Wednesday following the fifth allegation of sexual abuse. The latest to come forward is the politician's younger cousin Joseph Dyer, who said he was regularly abused by Murray in 1975. He joins four other men who have made sexual assault claims against the mayor, all of whom were teenagers at the time of the alleged abuse. Though Murray denies the claims, he said it was "best for the city if I step aside."—AP

International News

Suu Kyi Ditches UN General Assembly Meeting
Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar's ruling party, has decided not to appear at UN General Assembly sessions next week. Suu Kyi's office said she was "concentrating on establishing stability," as she continues to face criticism over Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims, around 400,000 of whom have sought safety in Bangladesh after widespread violence against them. The UN Security Council will discuss the situation today.—Reuters

UNICEF Wants Unified Response to Irma in the Caribbean
The UN children's charity has called for an international plan for relief and rebuilding work across the Caribbean islands hit by Hurricane Irma. Leaders in France, the UK, and the Netherlands have vowed to help their respective territories recover. "We need to go beyond the thought that these are territories and leave it to the respective governments," said Khin-Sandi Lwin, UNICEF's representative for the region.—CNN

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French Prime Minister Pledges to Change Labor Laws Amid Protests
Édouard Philippe has vowed to implement changes to the country's employment practices, despite union protests Tuesday. The proposed reform package includes a plan to give companies more flexibility in firing employees. That has prompted strikes from powerful truckers unions and demonstrations where hundreds of thousands took to the streets. But Philippe has refused to change course, saying voters who backed his party earlier this year were voting for these policies. —Reuters

Israel Backs Kurdish Effort to Create Independent State
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country supports the creation of an independent Kurdish state as Iraqi Kurds prepare for a September 25 referendum on separating from Iraq. Netanyahu's office said Israel "supports the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to attain a state of its own" but also condemned the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey as a terrorist group.—AP

Everything Else

PewDiePie Admits 'No Excuses' for Using the N-Word
The YouTube gaming star has put out an apology video after using the N-word during a livestream. "I said the worst word I could possibly think of and it just sort of slipped out," he said. "I'm not going to make any excuses for it because there are no excuses for it. I'm just an idiot."—Motherboard

Rebel Wilson Wins $3.7 million in Libel Case
An Australian court has granted the actress around $3.67 million in damages following a successful lawsuit against Bauer Media. The company's publications had run stories claiming the Pitch Perfect star was a "serial liar." Wilson said the money would be going to "some great Australian charities" and "the Oz film industry."—Fortune

Porn Account Now Selling Ted Cruz T-Shirts
Twitter user @SexuallPosts is selling Ted Cruz T-shirts online after the Republican senator's account liked one of the porn account's porn clips. One shirt features the slogan "MASTERDEBATER."—The Hill

Chance the Rapper Facing Copyright Lawsuit
Abdul Wali Muhammad, a composer and jazz musician, has filed a lawsuit against Chance the Rapper, alleging a breach of copyright. Muhammad claims Chance's 2012 song "Windows" uses parts of Lonnie Liston Smith's track "Bridge Through Time," to which he claims to own the copyright.—Billboard

Apple Says Face ID Makes iPhone X Its Most Secure
Apple's new "Face ID" feature makes the iPhone X more secure than previous models, the company claimed Tuesday. Marketing chief Phil Schiller said there is only a one in 1,000,000 chance of someone else using their face to unlock your phone.—VICE News

Radiohead Release Video for Fan Favorite 'Lift'
Radiohead has released a video for "Lift," a 1997 track that was included on the recent OK Computer reissue. It features singer Thom Yorke looking uncomfortable in an elevator. —Noisey