The VICE Morning Bulletin
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

Spicer apologizes for Hitler remarks, China calls for calm in the Korean Peninsula, Trump says US troops not going into Syria, and more.

US News

Spicer Apologizes for Hitler Remarks
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer offered an apology Tuesday night following widespread outrage over comments he felt compelled to make about Adolf Hitler. "To draw any kind of comparison to the Holocaust was inappropriate and insensitive," he said, having earlier claimed that Hitler did not use "the gas on his own people the same way Assad used them." Both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect called on President Trump to fire Spicer.—NBC News

Trump Says US Troops Not Joining Fight in Syria
President Trump stuck to his campaign-trail line about avoiding foreign entanglements Tuesday. "We're not going into Syria," he told FOX News in an interview set to air Wednesday. Trump added he still thought Russia should withdraw support for Bashar al-Assad's government. "Putin is backing a person that's truly an evil person. And I think that's very bad for Russia. I think that's very bad for mankind."—Politico

Advertisement

United Airlines CEO Orders Review of Removals
Embattled exec Oscar Munoz has issued a second, more fulsome apology for the "horrific" incident in which a 69-year-old doctor was dragged off a United flight. Munoz also ordered a review of the airline's policies governing oversold flights, incentivizing volunteers, and more, saying the company would "fix what's broken so this never happens again." Roughly $1 billion had been knocked off the company's value at the end of Tuesday's trading.—The Guardian

FBI Snagged FISA Warrant to Monitor Carter Page
The feds got a warrant to surveil the communications of former Trump foreign policy advisor Carter Page during the campaign, anonymous officials have revealed. A judge granted the court order under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act last summer after finding probable cause that Page was "acting as an agent of a foreign power" by working for Russia.—The Washington Post

International News

China Calls for Calm in the Korean Peninsula
Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Trump he wants a "peaceful" solution to the escalating spat over North Korea's weapons program. The Chinese foreign ministry quoted Xi saying China wanted to work toward the "denuclearization of the peninsula" during a phone call with Trump. Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China hoped "all parties will refrain from irresponsible actions."—AP

German Soccer Team Bus Attacked with Explosives
A bus carrying the German soccer team Borussia Dortmund was hit by three explosives as the team traveled to a Champions League match Tuesday evening. Defender Marc Bartra was injured, breaking his wrist. German police are investigating a possible link to Islamist extremism after a letter found near the bus reportedly references Syria and the attack on Berlin's Christmas market.—BBC News

Advertisement

Eight Brazilian Cabinet Ministers Under Investigation for Corruption
A justice on Brazil's top court has ordered corruption investigations into eight cabinet ministers, including President Michel Temer's chief of staff Eliseu Padilha. Dozens of other politicians and legislators are also under fire following testimony from 77 employees of Odebrecht, a construction firm that apparently was deep into bribery.—Reuters

Militant Leader Killed by Philippine Soldiers
Philippine forces have killed a leader of the Islamist group Abu Sayyaf, the country's military has announced. Moammar Askali, also known as Abu Rami, was among six militants killed in a gun battle on the island of Bohol. Four soldiers and policemen were also killed. Abu Sayyaf was thought to be responsible for the beheading of two Canadians and one German national.—Al Jazeera

Everything Else

Bill O'Reilly Announces Vacation
FOX News host Bill O'Reilly announced Tuesday on the O'Reilly Factor he'll be taking a two-week vacation "because it's spring and Easter time." Roughly 60 companies pulled advertising from his show after the public learned several women had accused the host of sexual harassment, and some sources believe he will never return to the air.—AP/NYMag

Kendrick Lamar Album Features U2 and Rihanna
Kendrick Lamar released the artwork and track-list for his forthcoming album DAMN on Twitter. Rihanna and U2 are the only artists listed as collaborators on his fourth record, expected to be released this Friday.—Noisey

Right-Wing Preacher Says Katy Perry 'Ruled by Satan'
Former Colorado legislator Gordon Klingenschmitt, now an evangelical preacher, has said Katy Perry is "ruled by Satan." Referring to her support for the LGBTQ community, Klingenschmitt prayed for Perry to "stop promoting sin to young people."—The Huffington Post

Uber PR Boss Steps Down
Uber's head of communications Rachel Whetstone has left the company, becoming the latest in a series of executives to resign. She did not give a reason for her departure, saying only she was "incredibly proud of the team that we've built."—Gizmodo

Grimes Is Writing a Novel
Avant-pop artist Grimes has announced that she's working on a debut novel. "This is gonna be a dang endurance test if there ever was one and don't expect anything good for like 20-25 years," she warned fans in an Instagram post.—i-D

Alabama Church Allowed to Form its Own Police Force
The Alabama Senate has voted 24–4 to allow the Briarwood Presbyterian Church to form its very own police force. Randall Marshall, director of the ACLU, said it would be unconstitutional to allow the Birmingham church its own private force.—VICE