AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.New Spending Bill Gets Government Open Again
Lawmakers passed a budget agreement early Friday after Republican senator Rand Paul forced a short closure, saying he wanted to make people feel “uncomfortable” about raising the debt ceiling. The two-year deal allowed for a $300 billion increase in government spending.—The New York Times/VICE NewsDemocrats and Republicans Harsher Rivals than Ever, Poll Finds
New analysis of polling data found Democratic and Republican voters dislike their rivals more intensely than at any time in the past two decades. Over the past three years, CBS polls found, an average of 87 percent of Democrats held an unfavorable view the GOP, while 88 percent of Republicans held an unfavorable view of the Democratic party.—CBS NewsOregon Lawmaker Reluctantly Stepping Down After Groping Report
Republican Jeff Kruse announced he will resign as state senator next month after an investigator’s report detailed claims made by several women of inappropriate touching or groping. Kruse nonetheless denied wrongdoing and insisted the touching was “instinctual.”—APUS Stock Market Plummets All Over Again
The Dow Jones fell more than 1,000 points Thursday, even after Wall Street had appeared to recover from initial sharp declines earlier in the week. The longer-term 10 percent drop from an annual high means the Dow has undergone a “full market correction.” Greg McBride, an analyst at Bankrate.com, said: “This is just some healthy, and overdue, volatility to wring out any excess.”—NBC NewsKim Jong-un’s Sister Appears at Winter Olympics
Kim Yo Jong has become the first person from North Korea’s ruling dynasty to visit South Korea in modern history, attending Friday's Olympic opening ceremony on behalf of her brother. She shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the event, which US Vice President Mike Pence also attended.—AP/BBC NewsSyrian Rebel Turf Sees Highest Death Toll Since 2015
At least 229 people were killed in a Syrian rebel stronghold on the edge of Damascus in just four days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The monitoring group said it marked the Eastern Ghouta area's worst week for casualties since 2015. Government forces began an intense period of air strikes and shelling early this week.—ReutersTwo ISIS Fighters from the UK Captured in Syria
Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, two British Islamists fighting with the militant group in northern Syria, have been caught by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) allied with the US in the region. Thanks to their accents and origins, the duo and two others were sometimes called "The Beatles." —The New York TimesMexican Authorities Arrest Cartel Boss
Security forces detained Jose Maria Guizar, believed to command a southern branch of the powerful Los Zetas drug cartel. The US State Department said Guizar, a US citizen, was suspected of flooding the US with “thousands of kilograms” of cocaine and methamphetamine each year.—ReutersRose McGowan’s Former Manager Commits Suicide
Jill Messick, McGowan’s manager at the time the actress said she was raped by Harvey Weinstein, took her own life on Wednesday. Her family said “seeing her name in headlines” in connection with the scandal had been “devastating for her.”—The Hollywood ReporterOmarosa Turns on Trump
Appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, former White House staffer Omarosa Newman shared her regrets about working for Trump. She said she was “haunted by [his] tweets every single day.” Asked if she would vote for him again, she said: “In a million years, never.”—ABC NewsTarantino Apologizes for Roman Polanski Remarks
After a 2003 interview resurfaced in which he suggested Samantha Geimer had wanted to have sex with Polanski when she was only 13, Tarantino apologized. “I was ignorant, and insensitive, and above all, incorrect,” he said.—Indiewire2Chainz Drops New EP
The Georgia rapper released a four-track selection called The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It. Both YG and Offset feature on “Proud,” and producers include Street Runnerz and Non-Stop Da Hit Man of 808 Mafia.—NoiseyJudge Says Neo-Nazi Has to Stop Hiding
A federal court ordered Andrew Anglin, who runs the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer, to reveal his location after he claimed he couldn't for his own safety. A Montana woman is suing Anglin, credibly claiming he incited online harassment.—VICE NewsTumblr Makes Adult-Free Version Its Default Mode
The social media platform announced that a previously “opt-in” mode censoring all adult content would become Tumblr’s new standard. The company said users would still have the option “to turn it off if they want.”—MotherboardMake sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we hear from Bryan Bethea, the founder of the youth coding event Hip Hop Hacktivist. Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.
US News
Lawmakers passed a budget agreement early Friday after Republican senator Rand Paul forced a short closure, saying he wanted to make people feel “uncomfortable” about raising the debt ceiling. The two-year deal allowed for a $300 billion increase in government spending.—The New York Times/VICE NewsDemocrats and Republicans Harsher Rivals than Ever, Poll Finds
New analysis of polling data found Democratic and Republican voters dislike their rivals more intensely than at any time in the past two decades. Over the past three years, CBS polls found, an average of 87 percent of Democrats held an unfavorable view the GOP, while 88 percent of Republicans held an unfavorable view of the Democratic party.—CBS News
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Republican Jeff Kruse announced he will resign as state senator next month after an investigator’s report detailed claims made by several women of inappropriate touching or groping. Kruse nonetheless denied wrongdoing and insisted the touching was “instinctual.”—APUS Stock Market Plummets All Over Again
The Dow Jones fell more than 1,000 points Thursday, even after Wall Street had appeared to recover from initial sharp declines earlier in the week. The longer-term 10 percent drop from an annual high means the Dow has undergone a “full market correction.” Greg McBride, an analyst at Bankrate.com, said: “This is just some healthy, and overdue, volatility to wring out any excess.”—NBC News
International News
Kim Yo Jong has become the first person from North Korea’s ruling dynasty to visit South Korea in modern history, attending Friday's Olympic opening ceremony on behalf of her brother. She shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the event, which US Vice President Mike Pence also attended.—AP/BBC NewsSyrian Rebel Turf Sees Highest Death Toll Since 2015
At least 229 people were killed in a Syrian rebel stronghold on the edge of Damascus in just four days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The monitoring group said it marked the Eastern Ghouta area's worst week for casualties since 2015. Government forces began an intense period of air strikes and shelling early this week.—Reuters
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Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, two British Islamists fighting with the militant group in northern Syria, have been caught by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) allied with the US in the region. Thanks to their accents and origins, the duo and two others were sometimes called "The Beatles." —The New York TimesMexican Authorities Arrest Cartel Boss
Security forces detained Jose Maria Guizar, believed to command a southern branch of the powerful Los Zetas drug cartel. The US State Department said Guizar, a US citizen, was suspected of flooding the US with “thousands of kilograms” of cocaine and methamphetamine each year.—Reuters
Everything Else
Jill Messick, McGowan’s manager at the time the actress said she was raped by Harvey Weinstein, took her own life on Wednesday. Her family said “seeing her name in headlines” in connection with the scandal had been “devastating for her.”—The Hollywood ReporterOmarosa Turns on Trump
Appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, former White House staffer Omarosa Newman shared her regrets about working for Trump. She said she was “haunted by [his] tweets every single day.” Asked if she would vote for him again, she said: “In a million years, never.”—ABC NewsTarantino Apologizes for Roman Polanski Remarks
After a 2003 interview resurfaced in which he suggested Samantha Geimer had wanted to have sex with Polanski when she was only 13, Tarantino apologized. “I was ignorant, and insensitive, and above all, incorrect,” he said.—Indiewire
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The Georgia rapper released a four-track selection called The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It. Both YG and Offset feature on “Proud,” and producers include Street Runnerz and Non-Stop Da Hit Man of 808 Mafia.—NoiseyJudge Says Neo-Nazi Has to Stop Hiding
A federal court ordered Andrew Anglin, who runs the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer, to reveal his location after he claimed he couldn't for his own safety. A Montana woman is suing Anglin, credibly claiming he incited online harassment.—VICE NewsTumblr Makes Adult-Free Version Its Default Mode
The social media platform announced that a previously “opt-in” mode censoring all adult content would become Tumblr’s new standard. The company said users would still have the option “to turn it off if they want.”—MotherboardMake sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we hear from Bryan Bethea, the founder of the youth coding event Hip Hop Hacktivist. Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.