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The VICE Morning Bulletin

Trump floats bonuses for teachers who pack heat, students expect 500,000 people at gun-control protest, former Trump aide Gates expected to plead guilty, and more.
Drew Schwartz
Brooklyn, US
Photo by Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg

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

US News

Trump Proposes Giving Teachers Bonuses to Carry Guns
The president suggested 10 percent to 40 percent of teachers might be qualified to carry a gun on school grounds. “You give them a little bit of a bonus, so practically for free, you have now made the school into a hardened target,” he said Thursday, echoing language used by the NRA. Meanwhile, the sheriff's deputy tasked with guarding Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resigned after video revealed he did not try to enter the school to face down the shooter.—The New York Times

Students Expect 500,000 People at Gun Control Protest
Activists behind the “March for Our Lives” scheduled for March 24 in Washington, DC, said they believed up to half a million people could attend. Organizers were still finalizing the location with the National Park Service, with Pennsylvania Avenue and West Potomac Park said to be possible sites for the rally. Marches were also expected to be held in London, as well as various other US cities.—The Washington Post

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Manafort and Gates Hit with 32 Charges, Gates Expected to Plead Guilty
Special counsel Robert Mueller indicted the former Trump campaign manager and his deputy—the men were already facing a slew of federal charges—for new, finance-related felonies. The allegations of false tax returns, bank fraud, and failure to register foreign accounts (among others) were connected to work carried out by Manafort and Gates for political parties in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Gates was expected to plead guilty, possibly as soon as Friday, in a move that would increase pressure on Manafort and ultimately on Trump. —VICE News/The New York Times

Bernie Sanders’s Son Mulling Run for Congress
Levi Sanders said he was “excited, motivated, and interested” in this year’s race for New Hampshire’s first district congressional seat. Levi told VICE News he was “dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s” before officially launching a campaign and that if he did run, he would campaign on a similar policy platform to his father.—VICE News

International News

Moscow Complicates UN Resolution on Syria Ceasefire
Russia’s ambassador to the UN said the current plan for a 30-day ceasefire to allow aid and evacuations across the war-torn country was impractical. The UN Security Council was tussling Friday on the resolution, backed by the US, UK, and France. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 400 people—nearly 100 of them kids—had been killed in regime-affiliated strikes on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, east of Damascus, since Sunday.—BBC News

Australian Deputy PM Quits
Barnaby Joyce is out as both deputy prime minister and leader of Australia’s National Party, though he was expected to stay in parliament. The politician came under fire after admitting he had an extramarital affair with a former aide, now his partner; he was later accused of sexual harassment, which he denied but conceded made his current role untenable. His official resignation was slated for Monday.—The Guardian

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Cocaine Worth $61 Million Seized at Russian Embassy in Argentina
Former Russian diplomat Alexander Chikalo and Argentine police officer Ivan Blizniouk were arrested after authorities discovered an alleged smuggling operation at the Russian embassy. After 389 kilograms of cocaine were found inside luggage, Argentine officials replaced the drugs with flour, attached a GPS system, and tracked the bags to gather evidence.—AP

UNICEF Deputy Director Steps Down
Justin Forsyth resigned from the UN children’s charity after news broke that he had been accused of sexual misconduct in his previous job as head of Save the Children. Female staffers there said he sent unwelcome messages and made inappropriate remarks about their attire.—Al Jazeera

Everything Else

One Kylie Jenner Tweet May Have Cost Snapchat $1 Billion
Snap Inc.’s share price fell 6.1 percent and its market value tanked by $1.3 billion Thursday, apparently at least in part as a response to a thumbs down from Kim Kardashian’s little sister. Jenner tweeted: “sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore?”—Bloomberg

David Mamet Writes Play About Harvey Weinstein
The acclaimed writer of Glengarry Glen Ross said he has finished new work about the disgraced Hollywood mogul. “I was talking with my Broadway producer and he said, ‘Why don’t you write a play about Harvey Weinstein?' And so I did.”—Chicago Tribune

Joss Whedon Ditches ‘Batgirl’ Project
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator will no longer helm a Batgirl movie for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. “It took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story,” said Whedon, who was supposed to write and direct.—The Hollywood Reporter

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Janelle Monáe Releases New Music
The artist dropped two new songs from her forthcoming album Dirty Computer. Monáe revealed “Make Me Feel” on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show and also released a video for “Django Jane” in which she sits on a throne.—Noisey

There's a Movie About Flamin’ Hot Cheetos on the Way
FOX Searchlight revealed it will be making a biopic about Richard Montanez, the factory janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos by adding his own spices to the snack. Lewis Colick will write the screenplay.—VICE

Make sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we hear from Christopher Gray, the founder of the app Scholly, which helps young people access and receive college scholarships.

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