The VICE Morning Bulletin

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

US News

Explosion at Texas FedEx Could Be Linked to Austin, FBI Says
After a package exploded at a FedEx building outside San Antonio early Tuesday morning, wounding one employee, authorities said the blast might be linked to the four bombings in Austin. “We suspect it is related to our investigation,” FBI spokesperson Michelle Lee said.—CNN

Facebook Data Boss Said to Be Stepping Down
Chief Information Security Officer Alex Stamos reportedly planned to leave the company by August. He was thought to be unhappy with Facebook’s lack of transparency about Russia-related matters, though he initially defended the company on Twitter after it was revealed Cambridge Analytica misused data from up to 50 million accounts before deleting his tweets.—The New York Times

Weinstein Co Says Non-Disclosure Agreements Are History
“No one should be afraid to speak out,” the company Harvey Weinstein co-founded said in a statement, after officially requesting bankruptcy protection. The revocation of the NDAs was expected to help pave the way for possible criminal prosecution of the alleged serial rapist. —AP

Trump Adds Deep State Conspiracy Theorist to Legal Team
Joe diGenova, a TV commentator who's claimed the FBI was plotting against Trump, has joined the president’s legal team. Trump may have made the decision without asking Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, according to an anonymous insider. Meanwhile, his attorneys were said to provide documents to Special Counsel Robert Mueller in an effort to shorten any interview investigators conduct with the president.—The Washington Post

International News

ISIS Seizes Damascus Neighborhood
Fighters from the Islamist militant group took control of the Syrian capital's al-Qadam district, killing 36 Syrian soldiers, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. ISIS first moved into the district after rebel fighters agreed to evacuate the area last week.—Reuters

UK Government Wants Cambridge Analytica Data
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham asked for a court order to access Cambridge Analytica’s computer systems after the company failed to comply with her request for information. In a Channel 4 documentary aired Monday, executives from the company claimed to use bribes and Ukrainian sex workers as part of their political campaign work.—VICE News

Palestinian President Accuses Hamas of Bomb Attack
Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas was responsible for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah after an explosion injured seven security officials traveling with Hamdallah’s convoy in Gaza last week. Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was “shocked” by Abbas’s accusation. The organization also called for new elections in the Palestinian territories.—Al Jazeera

Chinese President Says Separatists Face ‘Punishment of History’
Xi Jinping provided a clear warning for pro-independence politicians in self-governing Taiwan that China would never grant the territory full autonomy. “Any actions and tricks to split China are doomed to failure and will meet with the people’s condemnation and the punishment of history,” he said.—VICE News

Everything Else

Cynthia Nixon Is Running for Governor of New York
The actress best known for her role in Sex and the City revealed she was running against incumbent Andrew Cuomo, sharing the news in a video on Twitter. Nixon pledged to address inequality and fix the subway system. “Our leaders are letting us down,” she said.—VICE

Teen Stars of ‘Stranger Things’ Said to Get Raises
Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp and Gaten Matarazzo will reportedly be paid at least $200,000 an episode on season three, having been paid $30,000 per episode for the first two seasons. Millie Bobby Brown was said to be slated to earn more than any of her co-stars.—Deadline

Kodak Black Out of Solitary Confinement
The confined rapper was released from solitary after winding up there for allegedly making a prohibited phone call. His lawyer Bradford Cohen said: “In my 21 years of practice, I’ve never had someone get 30 days solitary for a three-way call.”—Pitchfork

The Last Male Northern White Rhino Has Died
Conservationists in Kenya revealed the death of 45-year-old Sudan, believed to be the last male of the endangered rhino species. There were two known remaining females, and scientists hoped to use in vitro fertilization to try to ensure the species survived.—AP

Diddy and JAY-Z Creating Black Business App
The artists were developing an app together to allow users to find and support black-owned businesses. “This is not about taking away from any other community,” Sean Combs explained. “We’ll still go to Chinatown. We’ll still buy Gucci.”—i-D

Uber Suspends Self-Driving Car Tests After Pedestrian Dies
The company stopped testing its self-driving vehicles after 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg was killed by one of its cars running in autonomous mode in Tempe, Arizona. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family,” Uber said.—Motherboard

Make sure to check out the latest episode of VICE's daily podcast. Today we're discussing how the Cambridge Analytica scandal isn't about a data breach, but something much worse.

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