The VICE Morning Bulletin

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

US News

Teen Charged with Killing 17 in School Shooting
Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old suspected of a mass shooting at his former high school in Parkland, Florida, has been charged with 17 counts of pre-meditated murder following Wednesday’s tragedy. Another 14 students were hospitalized with bullet wounds. Cruz had been expelled from the school, and was left parentless after his mother died in November. The family he lived with reportedly knew he kept an AR-15 rifle in a locked cabinet at their home.—AP / VICE News

Top WH Officials Don't Have Permanent Security Clearances
Well over 100 people working directly for President Trump or his white House lacked the highest level of security clearances ten months after his inauguration, documents revealed. In November of last year, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, White House Counsel Don McGahn, and Social Media Director Dan Scavino were operating with only interim clearances.—NBC News

Senators Close In on Immigration Deal
A bipartisan group of lawmakers agreed to the outlines of a bill that would give roughly 1.8 million Dreamers a route to US citizenship. The bill would also guarantee $25 billion for border security, and would not allow Dreamers who achieve citizenship to sponsor their parents. Despite the breakthrough, leading Democrat Dick Durbin admitted getting 60 votes in the Senate would not be a “slam dunk," and the probability of a Trump veto loomed anyway.—CNN

Trump’s Military Parade Could Cost Up to $30 Million
Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), said the military display Trump is pining for would cost somewhere between $10 million and $30 million. Appearing before the House Budget Committee, Mulvaney indicated the Trump administration would likely have to ask Congress for extra funds “if we decide to push forward” with the parade.—CBS News

International News

Jacob Zuma Resigns as South Africa's President
The 75-year-old stepped down after his (and the country's) dominant party, the African National Congress (ANC), urged him to go and threatened a vote of no confidence or eventual impeachment parliament. “The ANC should never [have] been divided in my name,” Zuma said in a televised resignation speech. ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa was subsequently sworn in as the new president.—The Guardian / VICE News

UK Accuses Russian Military of Cyberattack
The British foreign ministry said the “NotPetya” virus that hit computer systems across Europe last June was the work of the Russian military. The Brits said the “malicious cyber activity” had been aimed at the Ukrainian government, but had affected businesses in Britain and across the continent. Russia denied the allegation.—Reuters

At Least 10,000 Civilians Dead or Hurt in Afghan Combat Last Year, Report Finds
The United Nations’ latest annual report found at least 3,000 people were killed and more than 7,000 others wounded in conflict across the country in 2017. Those figures included the highest number of civilian deaths related to suicide and "complex" attacks in Afghanistan since the UN started collecting detailed records on the suject in 2009.—Al Jazeera

Australian PM to Ban Sex Between Ministers and Staffers
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he would change the ministerial code of conduct to include a ban on sexual relations with employees after word broke that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce slept with a former aide. Turnbull said Joyce had made “a shocking error of judgement.”—BBC News

Everything Else

Stormy Daniels Free to ‘Tell Her Story’
The porn star’s manager Gina Rodriguez said Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen invalidated a non-disclosure agreement by admitting he helped get her $130,000 with his own money. “Everything is off now, and Stormy is going to tell her story,” Rodriguez said.—VICE News

Kanye West Settles Lawsuit, Returns to Social Media
The artist’s lawyer said a legal dispute with insurance company Lloyd’s of London over canceled Saint Pablo tour shows had been “amicably resolved.” Kanye also shared his first Instagram post in nine months Wednesday, a Valentine’s Day message to Kim Kardashian.—Rolling Stone / TIME

Milo Yiannopoulos’s Mexico Speech Scrapped
A Republican student group that invited the alt-right figurehead to speak at UCLA later this month voted to cancel his appearance, according to the man himself. Yiannopoulos’s planned talk was entitled “Ten Things I Hate About Mexico.”—Los Angeles Times

Meek Mill Makes New Appeal Bid
The rapper’s lawyers filed a fresh petition for his release from prison on bail, alleging a Philadelphia cop gave false court testimony. The policeman, Reginald Graham, appeared on a list of officers considered unreliable by the city’s district attorney.—Billboard

Frank Ocean Drops ‘Moon River’ Cover
The artist released his own version of the Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer ballad, made famous by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Featuring layered vocals, Ocean shared the cover on YouTube on Valentine’s Day.—Noisey

Elizabeth Warren Responds to Trump’s ‘Pocahontas’ Nickname
The senator spoke about her mother’s “part Native American” family before the National Congress of American Indians Wednesday. “Every time someone brings up my family’s story, I’m going to use it to lift up the story of your families and your communities,” she said.—VICE News

Make sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we dive into the controversy surrounding Kratom, an herbal supplement with a range of purported health benefits that the FDA just labeled an opioid.

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