The VICE Morning Bulletin

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The VICE Morning Bulletin

This morning, the Koch brothers are not funding efforts to block Trump, North Korea defies UN sanctions by shooting missiles into the sea, a team of refugees will compete at the Rio Olympics, and more.

US NEWS

Koch Brothers Won't Block Trump
The nation's most powerful Republican donors, Charles and David Koch, have no plans to fund any efforts to stop Donald Trump, according to their spokesman. The Koch brothers spent $400 million in 2012, but reportedly believe any money spent attacking Trump would be pointless. —Reuters

Alabama Cop Charged with Murder of Black Man
A white Alabama police officer has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Greg Gunn, an unarmed black man. Smith shot Gunn as he was walking home on February 25. Police initially said Gunn was carrying a stick, but it's unclear if he was holding anything. —CNN

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Former Clinton Staffer Given Immunity
The Justice Department has granted immunity to a former State Department staffer who worked on Hillary Clinton's private email server. The FBI has reportedly gotten Bryan Pagliano to cooperate with its investigation into Clinton's emails, with immunity a sign possible criminal wrongdoing is being probed. —The Washington Post

Google Gives $1 Million to Zika Battle
Google's philanthropic arm Google.org is giving a $1 million grant to UNICEF to help combat the spread of the Zika virus across South America. The internet giant has also assigned a team of data scientists to help UNICEF analyze weather and travel patterns.—USA Today

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

North Korea Fires Missiles into Sea
North Korea has fired six short-range missiles off its coast and into the sea, according to South Korea. It is being seen as an act of defiance, coming hours after the UN imposed tough new sanctions, including inspections of all cargo going in and out of the country. —AP

Russian Atheist Faces Year in Jail
Viktor Krasnov faces a potential year-long jail sentence after he was charged with "offending the sentiments" of Russian believers over an internet chat in which he wrote "there is no God." The law was introduced in 2013 after Pussy Riot performed in Moscow cathedral. —The Guardian

Australia to Test Possible MH370 Debris
Malaysia's transport minister has said there is a "high possibility" that debris found off the coast of Mozambique came from the same aircraft model as the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The meter-long chunk of metal is being sent to Australia for testing. —Reuters

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Socialist-Led Coalition Rejected in Spain
Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez has failed to form a government after two centrist parties voted down his attempt to form a coalition. Pablo Iglesias, leader of the far-left Podemos party, has urged Sanchez to try to form a left-wing government instead. —BBC News

EVERYTHING ELSE

Refugee Team to Compete at Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has announced that a team of refugees will compete at the Rio games this summer. A total of 43 have been identified as prospective candidates to take part under the flag of the Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA). —CBC News

San Francisco Raises Smoking Age to 21
The city's Board of Supervisors has voted to increase the legal minimum age to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21. It is supposed to discourage young people from turning into lifelong smokers. —NBC News

Erotic Fiction Has Trump and Cruz Hate-Fucking
Sex writer Sam Shiver's new book is called Can't Stump the Drumpf: An Erotic Tale and features hot and heavy hotel encounters involving leading Republican candidates. "I had to do it, and I am so SO sorry. Enjoy," says Shiver. —VICE

Dairy Farm Charged with Beating Cows
One of Canada's largest dairy farms is facing 20 counts of animal cruelty. The charges come two years after video showing workers kicking and punching cows, and cows being hoisted up by the neck. —Motherboard

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