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The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

CIA says North Korea nearly capable of nuclear attack, protesters shut down Richard Spencer at his own rally, Senate passes Republican budget plan, and more.
Photo by ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images

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

US News

North Korea Almost Capable of Nuclear Attack, CIA Director Says
CIA director Mike Pompeo said Pyongyang was "close enough" to being able to launch a nuclear strike on the US that Washington "ought to behave as if we are on the cusp." Although Pompeo admitted the CIA did not have precise intelligence on North Korean powers, he said "when you're now talking about months, our capacity to understand that at a detailed level is in some sense irrelevant."—AP

Senate Passes Republican Budget Plan
Lawmakers voted 51—49 to approve the GOP's proposed budget last night. President Trump took to Twitter to hail the "first step toward delivering MASSIVE tax cuts." If the House approves the budget resolution, it would allow for a tax cut package estimated to blow up the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over ten years.—The Washington Post

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LAPD Investigates New Claim Against Harvey Weinstein
An Italian actress in Los Angeles has accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, prompting a police investigation. The unnamed woman claims Weinstein attacked her in a hotel room in 2013. More than 40 women have now made allegations of sexual assault or harassment against Weinstein, and police departments in three cities have launched criminal probes.—AP

Protesters Shut Down Richard Spencer at His Own Rally
The alt-right figurehead was shouted down throughout his speech at the University of Florida Thursday. While Spencer did have some supporters in the front two rows, most of the 300-strong audience booed and heckled. Frustrated, he criticized them as a "cartoonish caricature of the left." There were five minor injuries and two people arrested at protests.—VICE News

International News

Combat Begins in Iraq's Kirkuk Province
Fighting broke out between Iraqi government forces and Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers in an area of Kirkuk Province north of the main city. Iraqi troops moved into the disputed area, controlled by the Kurdish militia since 2014, earlier this week. Both rockets and gunfire have been reported in the district of Alton Kupri.—BBC News

Typhoon Lan Changes Japanese Election Plans
Voting will be moved up a day in some parts of southern Japan to help people avoid the typhoon weather expected to hit this Sunday. Okinawa officials have arranged for ballots to be cast on Saturday instead. Lan is forecast to increase from a Category 1 to Category 3 typhoon and bring heavy rains.—Reuters

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Almost One in Six Deaths Connected to Pollution, Study Finds
According to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, pollution was a contributing factor in 9 million deaths around the world in a single year. Air pollution was at least partly responsible for 6.5 million deaths in 2015, while water pollution was linked to 1.8 million.—CNN

New Zealand PM Promises Vote on Legalizing Weed
The country's new leader Jacinda Ardern said her government would push for a referendum on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Ardern said she does "not believe that people should be imprisoned for personal use of cannabis," but also said she had "concerns" about young people abusing the drug.—The Washington Post

Everything Else

Quentin Tarantino Says He Knew 'Enough' About Weinstein
The director expressed regret over his failure to report the disgraced mogul, accused of sexual assault and harassment over several decades. "I knew enough to do more than I did… I knew he did a couple of these things," said Tarantino. "I wish I had taken responsibility for what I heard."—VICE News

Lupita Nyong'o Shares Harvey Weinstein Story
The actress has penned an op-ed detailing her experiences with the shamed producer, including an incident at his home in 2011. Nyong'o said Weinstein wanted to give her a message and attempted to take off his pants before she left.—The New York Times

Taylor Swift Drops New Single
The star shared a lyric video for "Gorgeous," the third track released from her forthcoming album Reputation, due out November 10. Swift teased the song in a series of Instagram clips on Thursday.—Billboard

Paul Ryan Makes Mild Jokes About Trump
Delivering this year's Alfred E. Smith charity dinner address, the House Speaker said he checks Twitter each morning "to see which tweets I will have to pretend that I didn't see later." Ryan said former speaker John Boehner calls him up "just to laugh."—NBC News

Future and Young Thug Drop Surprise New Album
The Atlanta hip-hop artists dropped the 13-track collaboration SUPER SLIMEY at midnight. Migos star Offset features on the song "Patek Water," and the cover art features a snake writhing through a bird skull.—Noisey

'Big Little Lies' Rejected by Amazon Due to Lack of Nudity, Report Says
Roy Price, the former Amazon Studios boss, reportedly refused to snap up the show—which eventually went to HBO—unless its stars appeared naked. Price allegedly wanted Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon to "show their tits." He resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment this week.—i-D