The VICE Morning Bulletin
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The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

At least 20 dead in Texas floods, North Korea threatens more unrest in Pacific, Joel Osteen opens doors to flood evacuees, and more.

US News

Body Count Reaches 22 in Texas Floods
Some 22 people have been confirmed died in the unprecedented flooding that's swept through southeast Texas since Hurricane Harvey touched down on Friday, authorities said. More than 13,000 residents in the Houston area have now been rescued, and even more have arrived at shelters. Although the rain began to ease in Houston Tuesday, the overflow from two dams and a levee threatened to make things worse. Police ordered a curfew from midnight to 5 AM Tuesday following reports of looting in the city.—AP/The Washington Post

Joel Osteen Opens Doors to Flood Evacuees
Lakewood Church welcomed in Houston evacuees Tuesday afternoon after facing criticism that the huge evangelical church had closed itself to the community. Church pastor Joel Osteen said, "We are receiving anyone who needs shelter." Spokesman Don Iloff claimed Lakewood was "never closed," explaining that church officials had been dealing with flooding in parts of the 606,000-square-foot building.—The Washington Post

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Turkish Security Officials Indicted Over DC Violence
A District of Columbia grand jury has indicted 15 Turkish security officials following alleged assaults on protesters outside the country's embassy in DC back in May. Charges include conspiracy to commit violence, aggravated assault, and assault with a dangerous weapon. Protestors had been waving Syrian Kurdish PYD party flags.—VICE News

Congressman Wants to Tell Trump About His Assange Meeting
Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher claims he is arranging a meeting with President Trump so he can reveal details of a recent discussion with Julian Assange. Rohrabacher said the WikiLeaks founder told him the Russians had nothing to do with the hack of Democratic National Committee emails. Rohrabacher told Sean Hannity the election interference story has amounted to a "con job."—CNN

International News

North Korea Threatens More Unrest in the Pacific
North Korea warned that Tuesday's ballistic missile launch over northern Japan was only a "first step" in further action it plans to take in the region. According to state broadcaster KCNA, leader Kim Jong-un also said the launch was a "meaningful prelude to containing Guam," the US island territory. The UN Security Council called the firing of the missile over Japan "outrageous." And in an official White House statement, President Trump said, "All options are on the table."—BBC News

At Least 1,200 People Killed in South Asian Floods
The severe flooding in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh during this year's summer monsoon season has left at least 1,200 people dead. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimated that almost 700,000 homes have been hit by flooding in Bangladesh alone.—The Guardian

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Iranian President Slams Saudi 'Support' for Terrorists
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani condemned Saudi Arabia's military actions in Yemen, claiming the Saudis have offered "support" to terrorists in the war-torn country. "Saudi Arabia should stop backing terrorists," he told Iranian state television. The Saudis have been leading the fight in Yemen against the Houthis, a Shia militant group, since 2015.—Al Jazeera

About 18,000 Rohingya Escape Violence in Myanmar
More than 18,000 Rohingya Muslims have left Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past five days, according to the International Organization for Migration. After Rohingya militants attacked security checkpoints in Myanmar Friday, reports surfaced that the country's authorities were brutally targeting the minority group.—Reuters

Everything Else

NFL Star Raises $5 Million for Houston Flood Relief
NFL star J.J. Watt, who plays for the Houston Texans, has helped raise over $5 million for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts after launching an online crowdfunding campaign. Separately, Kris Jenner and her daughters said they would donate $500,000 to relief charities.—TIME/Billboard

Sean Spicer Meets the Pope
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer met Pope Francis on Sunday as part of reception arranged for Catholic political leaders. Spicer was apparently miffed to have been left out of President Trump's entourage when the president met the pope in May.—USA Today

NYT Dodges Sarah Palin Defamation Case
A New York federal judge has tossed Sarah Palin's legal claim against the New York Times for allegedly defaming her. Judge Jed Rakoff said errors in an editorial about Palin campaign material had been corrected and did not appear to be malicious.—CNN

Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller Appear on DJ Kay Slay Song
Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller have collaborated on the newly released DJ Kay Slay track "Cold Summer." Kevin Gates and Rell also feature on the New York City hip-hop producer's latest project.—Noisey

Roughly Two-Thirds of Americans Describe Trump as 'Selfish' in Poll
The latest Pew Research poll found 65 percent of Americans would describe President Trump as "selfish." A majority of respondents (55 percent) see Trump as "prejudiced," while only 37 percent describe him as "honest."—VICE

Young Thug Belatedly Realizes His Video Won a VMA
Young Thug, who did not attend this year's MTV Video Music Awards, was apparently late to the news he shared in the. The music video for his song "Wyclef Jean" won for best editing. Thugger tweeted: "So no one was going to tell me that I won an award??"—i-D