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The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

Government hours from possible shutdown, Supreme Court blocks ruling against gerrymandering in North Carolina, Trump appointee quits over gross history of hate, and more.
Photo by Zach Gibson/Bloomberg

US News

Shutdown Looms Ahead of Major Senate Vote
House Republicans pushed through a short-term government spending bill late Thursday and were hoping to compel Senate Democrats to pass the measure before the government shuts down at midnight tonight. But nine Democratic senators who voted for the last stopgap bill said they could not back this latest measure, with some leaders citing the lack of funding for DREAMers, disaster relief, and opioid treatment.—The Washington Post

Trump Appointee Quits After Horrific Remarks Surface
Carl Higbie, appointed chief of external affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service by the Trump administration, has resigned after comments he made on an internet radio show resurfaced. Higbie made derogatory remarks about African Americans, Muslims, women, and the LGBTQ community, claiming black women believe “breeding is a form of government employment.”—CNN

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Supreme Court Halts Ruling Against Gerrymandering in North Carolina
Justices placed a temporary block on last week’s federal court ruling against Republican state lawmakers who redrew voting boundaries in favor of the GOP. The lower federal court had ordered lawmakers to come up with a new map by January 24, but the Supreme Court decision means the midterms are now expected to be fought using the existing boundaries.—The New York Times

White Supremacy Linked to Majority of Extremist Deaths in US
Violent white supremacists were behind 18 of the 34 deaths attributed to extremists in the US past year, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Its latest report found Islamist extremists were behind nine deaths in 2017. CEO Jonathan Greenblatt warned against underestimating “the effect of an increasingly visible alt-right.”—NBC News

International News

Car Strikes Crowd at Rio Beach
An infant was killed and at least 15 people injured when a motorist drove a car into a busy promenade outside Rio De Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach. According to local reports, the driver had an epileptic fit, with medication found at the scene. A police official said the incident was not believed to be a terrorist attack.—BBC News

North Korea Could Hold a Military Parade Prior to Olympics
Diplomats in Pyongyang claimed international officials have been invited to a military display marking the 70th anniversary of the North Korean army set to take place on the eve of the 2018 Winter Olympics despite plans for a joint Korean team. An analyst for the NK Pro monitoring site said satellite shots appeared to reveal North Korean soldiers preparing for the display.—Reuters

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Ukraine Says Russia Occupying Eastern Provinces
The Ukrainian parliament passed a bill asserting parts of the country’s Donbass region were under “temporary occupation” by Russian separatist forces. The legislation allowed Ukrainian citizens to sue the Russian government for property damage. The Russian foreign ministry responded: “You cannot call this anything but preparation for a new war.”—Al Jazeera

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Is Pregnant
The Labour leader, Jacinda Ardern, who became prime minister in October, has announced she and her partner are expecting their first child in June. Ardern said she would take six weeks of parental leave before returning to work. She explained on Facebook that her partner, Clarke Gayford, would be a “stay at home dad.”—The Guardian

Everything Else

Colin Firth Refuses to Work with Woody Allen
The British actor, who starred in Allen’s 2013 movie Magic in the Moonlight, has said he not appear in any of his future films. “I wouldn’t work with him again,” said Firth. His comments came around the same time as Dylan Farrow’s first TV interview in which she claimed her adopted father sexually assaulted her as a child.—The Guardian

Machine Gun Kelly Starring in Mötley Crüe Biopic
The rapper will play drummer Tommy Lee in a Netflix movie based on the 2001 autographical account of the metal band called The Dirt. Jeff Tremaine will direct the film, and members of Mötley Crüe will act as co-producers on the project.—Variety

Cosby Prosecutors Want 20 Accusers to Testify
The prosecution team is making moves ahead of Bill Cosby’s retrial for his alleged sexual assault of Andrea Constand, set to begin in April. Lawyers want 19 fellow accusers to testify, whereas only one other woman was allowed to speak during the first go-around.—VICE

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