Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.
US News
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Plan to Scrap DACA
US District Judge William Alsup has moved to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, describing the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate the scheme as “arbitrary” and “capricious.” In a Tuesday night ruling, Alsup ordered the Department of Homeland Security to accept renewal applications from immigrants enrolled in the Obama-era program while legal challenges to DACA continue.—VICE News
Videos by VICE
At Least 15 Killed in California Floods and Mudslides
Santa Barbara County authorities said storm flooding and resulting mudslides caused the deaths in Montecito and the surrounding area. At least 50 people were rescued by helicopter as several dozen homes were badly damaged or destroyed. Recent wildfires in the area have removed the vegetation that typically prevents mudslides.—AP
Steve Bannon Out at Breitbart
The former White House chief strategist left his role as executive chairman of the right-wing media organization following a public clash with President Trump over comments published in Michael Wolff’s new book Fire and Fury. The Mercer family, wealthy donors who publicly pulled support for Bannon last week, may have pushed for his ouster from Breitbart.—VICE News
Trump Lawyer Sues Buzzfeed, Firm That Produced Dossier
Michael Cohen has filed a defamation lawsuit against Fusion GPS and its founder, Glenn Simpson, over a dossier about Trump produced by a former British spy the firm hired. Cohen is also suing BuzzFeed and several staffers for publishing it. A transcript of a Senate committee’s interview with Glenn Simpson made public this week revealed Simpson’s lawyer claimed someone had “been killed as a result of the publication of this dossier.”—CNN / CBS News
International News
South Korea Says US Pressure Helped Talks with North Korea
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said President Trump “deserves big credit for bringing about the inter-Korean talks” that successfully took place Tuesday. “It could be a resulting work of the US-led sanctions and pressure,” he added. North Korean and South Korean officials agreed Pyongyang would send a delegation to the Winter Olympics, and also vowed to restore communication between their militaries.—Reuters
Israeli Soldiers Hunt for Killers in the West Bank
The Israeli military was searching Palestinian villages around the West Bank city of Nablus for suspected murderers after a 35-year-old Israeli rabbi was fatally shot in the area. Roadblocks were set up in the vicinity, but no arrests had been made.—AFP
Tourists Stranded by Snowstorm in the Alps
More than 13,000 visitors at a ski resort in the Swiss town of Zermatt were stuck after almost 40 inches of snow fell in 24 hours. Some people were initially airlifted out by helicopter, but the flights were reportedly halted. Tourists were said to be trapped at several other resorts in the Alpine region in France, Italy, and Switzerland.—BBC News
Leading French Women Attack #MeToo ‘Puritanism’
Actress Catherine Deneuve is among the 100 female entertainers, writers, and academics in France to have signed an open letter condemning the movement to name and shame sexual harassers, claiming men should be “free to hit on” women. They said men had been unfairly treated and “forced out of their jobs when all they did was touch someone’s knee or try to steal a kiss.”—AFP
Everything Else
James Franco Event Canceled Following Misconduct Allegations
The New York Times scrapped a planned panel event with the actor following allegations made by actress Violet Paley, who accused Franco of pushing her head towards his “exposed penis.” Paley also claimed he asked her 17-year-old friend to come to his hotel.—Variety
Greta Gerwig Remorseful About Working with Woody Allen
The Lady Bird director said she regrets appearing in Allen’s To Rome With Love, referring to allegations of sexual abuse against him made by Dylan Farrow. “If I had known then what I know now, I would not have acted in the film,” Gerwig said.—The New York Times
Michelle Williams Reportedly Paid Insanely Less Than Wahlberg for Reshoot
According to anonymous insiders, Mark Wahlberg was given $1.5 million to reshoot scenes from All the Money in the World after Kevin Spacey’s abrupt departure. Williams is said to have been paid less than $1,000 based on a rate of $80 a day.—USA Today
Radiohead Apparently Not Suing Lana Del Rey After All
A spokesperson for the band’s publishing company said they had not filed a lawsuit over the similarities between “Creep” and Del Rey’s “Get Free,” despite reports of legal action. Radiohead has, however, asked for a writing credit.—Noisey
Congressman Proposes ‘Stable Genius Act’
Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, planned to introduce a bill that would force presidential candidates to undergo mental health check-ups as well as physical tests. He dubbed it the “Stable Genius Act” in reference to Trump’s recent tweet.—VICE
The Breeders Announce First Album in a Decade
The alt-rock band is coming out with a new LP entitled All Nerve, set to be released March 2. It will be their first album since 2008. Kim Deal’s group also shared the comeback album’s title track “All Nerve” on Spotify.—Noisey
Make sure to check out the latest episode of VICE’s daily podcast. Today we’re looking into the world’s largest biometric ID system and studying why it keeps getting hacked—putting millions of people’s identities at risk.
