Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.Trump Voter-Fraud Source Registered in Three Different States
The man President Trump has cited as a credible source on voter fraud was apparently registered in three different states last year. Gregg Phillips, a board member of conservative group True the Vote who claimed at least 3 million people cast illegal votes in the 2016 elections, a claim repeated by Trump on Twitter, was apparently registered in Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi. He voted only in Alabama.—APTrump Fires Acting AG for Defying Immigration Order
President Trump has fired the acting attorney general, Sally Yates, after she told Justice Department lawyers not to attempt to defend his executive order on immigration and refugees. The White House said Yates had "betrayed" the department by refusing to enforce his order. Dana Boente, a US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has been installed as the new acting attorney general.—VICE News
US News
The man President Trump has cited as a credible source on voter fraud was apparently registered in three different states last year. Gregg Phillips, a board member of conservative group True the Vote who claimed at least 3 million people cast illegal votes in the 2016 elections, a claim repeated by Trump on Twitter, was apparently registered in Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi. He voted only in Alabama.—APTrump Fires Acting AG for Defying Immigration Order
President Trump has fired the acting attorney general, Sally Yates, after she told Justice Department lawyers not to attempt to defend his executive order on immigration and refugees. The White House said Yates had "betrayed" the department by refusing to enforce his order. Dana Boente, a US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has been installed as the new acting attorney general.—VICE News
Advertisement
State Department Dissidents Prepare to Protest
Hundreds of foreign service officers in the State Department are said to be preparing a public demonstration opposing President Trump's executive order on immigration. The officers will condemn the order for standing "in opposition to the core American and constitutional values," according to a draft of a memo obtained by LawFare.—VICE NewsBoy Scouts to Allow Transgender Recruits
The Boy Scouts of America will allow transgender boys to join by registering with their gender identity, marking a reversal of the previous policy accepting only those listed as boys on their birth certificate. In a statement, the organization explained the old approach was "no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently."—Chicago TribuneFrench Canadian Student Charged for Quebec Mosque Shootings
Twenty-seven-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette has been charged with the deaths of six Muslims at a Quebec mosque. The student, arrested on Monday after calling police to say he wanted to cooperate, faces six counts of first-degree murder and five of attempted murder for the Sunday attack. A second man was also arrested, but is no longer a suspect and is instead now considered a possible witness.—BBC NewsAlleged Mastermind of Mumbai Attack Under House Arrest
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the man accused of orchestrating the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, has been placed under house arrest by Pakistani police. Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba militant group, was held at his charity's headquarters before being taken to his home in Lahore. He maintains he had no role planning the attacks that saw 166 people killed by gunmen.—Reuters
Hundreds of foreign service officers in the State Department are said to be preparing a public demonstration opposing President Trump's executive order on immigration. The officers will condemn the order for standing "in opposition to the core American and constitutional values," according to a draft of a memo obtained by LawFare.—VICE NewsBoy Scouts to Allow Transgender Recruits
The Boy Scouts of America will allow transgender boys to join by registering with their gender identity, marking a reversal of the previous policy accepting only those listed as boys on their birth certificate. In a statement, the organization explained the old approach was "no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently."—Chicago Tribune
International News
Twenty-seven-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette has been charged with the deaths of six Muslims at a Quebec mosque. The student, arrested on Monday after calling police to say he wanted to cooperate, faces six counts of first-degree murder and five of attempted murder for the Sunday attack. A second man was also arrested, but is no longer a suspect and is instead now considered a possible witness.—BBC NewsAlleged Mastermind of Mumbai Attack Under House Arrest
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the man accused of orchestrating the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, has been placed under house arrest by Pakistani police. Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba militant group, was held at his charity's headquarters before being taken to his home in Lahore. He maintains he had no role planning the attacks that saw 166 people killed by gunmen.—Reuters
Advertisement
Austria Moves to Ban Full-Face Veils in Public
The Austrian government wants to ban most face veils in public places, apparently determined to head off a right-wing political insurgency. The country's coalition is set to impose the ban on both the niqab and burqa and may impose it on public employees as well.—The IndependentSamantha Bee to Host Alternative Correspondents' Dinner
Samantha Bee has announced she will host an evening called the "Not White House Correspondents' Dinner" on April 29 as an alternative to the official press gala on the same night. Proceeds will go to the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Obviously, the press is under attack," the comedian explained.—VICEBen Affleck No Longer Director of Next Batman Movie
Hollywood mainstay Ben Affleck has announced he is stepping aside as director of the Warner Bros. project The Batman. Affleck will still star as the caped crusader in the movie, but said he "cannot do both jobs to the level they require."—VarietyMemo to EPA Staff Tells Them Not to Believe Media Reports
A leaked internal memo sent by a senior White House advisor to EPA staff tells them "much of what we see (in the news) is just not accurate." It follows a claims by the former EPA transition team leader Myron Ebell that the Trump administration would likely make major staff cuts.—MotherboardDrake Puts Yolo Estate on the Market
Drake has reportedly placed his home in the Hidden Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on the market for around $20 million. Dubbed the Yolo Estate, the house has appeared in several music videos.—NoiseyPrince Music Reportedly Coming to Spotify and Apple Music
Prince's back catalog, famously absent from most mainstream streaming services bar TIDAL, is reportedly being made available to Spotify and Apple Music on February 12. Purple Spotify banners have popped up in London and New York.—Noisey
The Austrian government wants to ban most face veils in public places, apparently determined to head off a right-wing political insurgency. The country's coalition is set to impose the ban on both the niqab and burqa and may impose it on public employees as well.—The Independent
Everything Else
Samantha Bee has announced she will host an evening called the "Not White House Correspondents' Dinner" on April 29 as an alternative to the official press gala on the same night. Proceeds will go to the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Obviously, the press is under attack," the comedian explained.—VICEBen Affleck No Longer Director of Next Batman Movie
Hollywood mainstay Ben Affleck has announced he is stepping aside as director of the Warner Bros. project The Batman. Affleck will still star as the caped crusader in the movie, but said he "cannot do both jobs to the level they require."—VarietyMemo to EPA Staff Tells Them Not to Believe Media Reports
A leaked internal memo sent by a senior White House advisor to EPA staff tells them "much of what we see (in the news) is just not accurate." It follows a claims by the former EPA transition team leader Myron Ebell that the Trump administration would likely make major staff cuts.—MotherboardDrake Puts Yolo Estate on the Market
Drake has reportedly placed his home in the Hidden Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on the market for around $20 million. Dubbed the Yolo Estate, the house has appeared in several music videos.—NoiseyPrince Music Reportedly Coming to Spotify and Apple Music
Prince's back catalog, famously absent from most mainstream streaming services bar TIDAL, is reportedly being made available to Spotify and Apple Music on February 12. Purple Spotify banners have popped up in London and New York.—Noisey