Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.
US News
Obama Urges Democrats to Fight for Affordable Care Act
President Obama has encouraged Democrats to fight to save his Affordable Care Act in a meeting with party lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Obama reportedly urged Democrats to “stay strong” and refuse to work with Republicans on a replacement bill. Vice President-elect Mike Pence met with House Republicans to talk about ways to repeal the law.—The Washington Post
Videos by VICE
Four Teens in Custody After Livestreamed Torture Video
Four teenagers are being held in police custody in Chicago after a video streamed on Facebook Live appeared to show the group beating and cutting another teenager who was bound and gagged. Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson called the torture seen in the video “brutal” and “sickening.” Charges against the four 18-year-olds, two male and two female, are expected in the next 24 hours.—NBC News
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Pushes for US Statehood
Jenniffer González, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, has launched a bill for a referendum on statehood for the US island territory. It would ask voters in Puerto Rico to choose between independence or becoming the 51st state by 2025. Gonzalez claimed statehood would result in an extra $10 billion a year in federal funds.—AP
US Department of Labor Sues Google
The US Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Google for the company’s refusal to provide information on its equal opportunity program. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) will ask the court for permission to bar Google from government contracts. A Google spokesperson said complying with the OFCCP request would reveal “confidential data.”—Reuters
International News
Israeli PM Calls for Pardoning of Convicted Solider
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he supports the pardon of Elor Azaria, the Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting a wounded Palestinian dead. Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, is the only person who has the power to grant pardons. Rivlin said he would wait until the legal process was at an end before making a decision on Azaria, who faces sentencing next week.—Al Jazeera
Turkey Accuses Syrian Regime of Ceasefire Violations
Turkey has accused Bashar al Assad’s government of breaking the terms of a ceasefire agreement in Syria. Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, has warned that continued assaults on the rebel-held Wadi Barada area by government forces and Iranian militias threaten the peace talks planned in Kazakhstan later this month.—Deutsche Welle
Former PM of Kosovo Arrested in France
The former prime minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, has been arrested by police in France on a warrant issued by Serbia. Haradinaj is accused by Serbia of war crimes dating back to the Kosovo conflict of the 1990s, but Haradinaj has been acquitted twice of war crimes at the Hague. Kosovo’s foreign ministry called the arrest and Serbia’s extradition request “unacceptable.”—Reuters
Baghdad Car Bombs Kills Nine
A car bomb detonated at a fruit and vegetable market in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad has killed at least nine people and left at least 15 others wounded. No group has claimed immediate responsibility for the attack, but ISIS has carried out a series of bombings in Baghdad in the past week. More than 100 people have been killed.—AP
Everything Else
Chance the Rapper to Play Governors Ball
Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino, Rae Sremmurd, and Wu-Tang Clan will all play this year’s Governors Ball music festival at Randall’s Island in New York City. Rock band Tool will play its first New York City gig in 11 years at the June festival.—Rolling Stone
Carrie Fisher Fans Want Leia Designated a Disney Princess
Fans of the late actress have launched a petition urging Disney to make Princess Leia an official princess. Signed by more than 30,000 people, it asks the company “to do away with the rule that an official Disney princess must be animated.”—TIME
Iggy Pop to Appear in New Terrence Malick Movie
Forthcoming Terrence Malick movie Song to Song will feature cameos by Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and Florence and the Machine. It stars Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, and Ryan Gosling as two couples navigating the music scene in Austin, Texas.—Noisey
NASA Announces New Asteroid Missions
NASA has announced two new missions to asteroids for its Discovery Program. A spacecraft named Lucy will journey to six Trojan asteroids near Jupiter, while Psyche will go to 16 Psyche, the exposed metallic core of a protoplanet in the asteroid belt.—Motherboard
Airbnb to Lose Millions after UK Cracks Down on Rentals
As Airbnb begins to comply with a new UK law limiting rentals to 90 days a year, new analysis shows it could mean $400 million less in bookings. AllTheRooms has revised predicted annual revenue from Airbnb bookings in London from $1.24 billion to $812 million.—VICE News
Dementia Linked to Living Near Heavy Traffic
A huge new study by Canadian researchers has revealed people living next to busy roads with heavy traffic are more likely to develop dementia. It shows air pollutants getting into the brain via the blood stream can lead to neurological problems.—The Guardian
