US News
Trump’s Tax Return Shows $100 Million in Losses Claimed
President Trump’s 2005 tax return, revealed by investigative reporter David Cay Johnston late Tuesday, shows he paid $38 million in federal taxes on an income of $153 million. Critically, Trump saved millions by writing off $105 million in losses. The White House said MSNBC’s release of the information on the Rachel Maddow Show, where Johnston appeared, was “totally illegal,” but Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter to thank her “for proving… that he paid $40mm in taxes!”—The Washington Post/VICE
Russia-Affiliated Yahoo Hack Suspects to Face Federal Charges
The Department of Justice is expected to announce charges against four people Wednesday in connection with the hacking of hundreds of millions of Yahoo accounts. Three of the suspected hackers are reportedly in Russia, with one other—who’s expected to be arrested—in Canada.—ABC News
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White House Threatens to Quit UN Human Rights Council
According to a letter sent by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to nine nonprofit groups, the United States may abandon the United Nations Human Rights Council. Tillerson said the US would leave unless the body undergoes “considerable reform.” A senior aide to Tillerson added, “We’re not taking withdrawal off the table.” Steady criticism of Israel is thought to be the main objection on part of the US.—Foreign Policy
Twitter Accounts Hacked by Suspected Turkish Nationalists
Hundreds of Twitter accounts, including those of Forbes, U-Haul, the Atlanta Police Department, and Justin Bieber, were briefly hacked and flooded with messages of support for Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The tweets showed Turkish flags and targeted the Netherlands for abuse.—NBC News
International News
Dutch Voters Head to the Polls
Voters in the Netherlands have begun casting ballots in the country’s general election, as Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s center-right party and the far-right Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders, vie for power. Election eve polls showed support for the Freedom Party dropping, with the final Ipsos survey projecting the party to win only 20 seats in parliament’s 150-seat lower house.—Bloomberg
Migrant Deaths in Mediterranean Higher So Far This Year
At least 525 people have drowned when trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. It’s a marked increase from roughly the same stretch of 2016, during which 471 people drowned.—Al Jazeera
Pirates Want Ransom to Release Hijacked Tanker
The pirates who hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Somalia Tuesday have demanded a ransom for the vessel’s return, according to the EU Naval Force. Eight Sri Lankan crew members remain hostages onboard.—Reuters
Around 250 Skulls Found at Burial Site in Mexico
Some 250 skulls and other bones have been discovered at the Colinas de Santa Fe site near Veracruz in Mexico. State prosecutor Jorge Winckler said it appeared to be a mass burial site likely to contain the victims of the country’s drug cartels. “I cannot imagine how many more people are illegally buried there,” said Winckler.—AP
Everything Else
Trump Lawyer Calls Snoop Video ‘Disgraceful’
President Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, has demanded an apology from Snoop Dogg for his “Lavender” video, in which the rapper fires a toy gun at a clown intended to represent Trump. “Shame on you, Snoop,” said Cohen. “It’s totally disgraceful. Snoop owes the president an apology.”—Billboard
Ben Affleck Reveals He’s Been Treated for Alcoholism
Actor-director Ben Affleck has opened up about completing treatment for an “alcohol addiction” in a post on his Facebook page. “I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it,” he wrote.—CNN
Hollywood Wants to Reboot Matrix Franchise
Warner Bros. studio is reportedly developing a new version of The Matrix. Zak Penn, creator of sci-fi show Alphas, is reportedly in talks to write a new treatment, but there is no word whether Keanu Reeves or the Wachowski siblings will be involved.—The Hollywood Reporter / VICE
Unfinished Orson Welles Film Set for Netflix Release
Orson Welles’s final, unfinished film, The Other Side of the Wind, is to be released by Netflix. The late filmmaker’s collaborator and director Peter Bogdanovich will consult on editing it, and Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos promised Welles’s “true artistic intention” will remain “intact.”—VICE
