Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.
US News
California Asks Trump for Federal Help as Wildfires Spread
Governor Jerry Brown has urged President Trump to declare a federal state of emergency in Southern California to provide for more help battling the wildfires tearing through the region. A new fire broke out in the San Diego Thursday, one of six fires that raged across the state. Forecasters said ongoing winds would leave firefighters struggling to contain wildfires until Sunday. Almost 200,000 residents have now been evacuated.—NBC News
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Russian Social Media Boss Contacted Trump Campaign
Konstantin Sidorkov, a marketing executive at Vkontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, urged Donald Trump Jr. to create an account for his father to boost his support among Russian Americans. Sidorkov emailed Trump’s son and the Trump campaign’s social media director Dan Scavino in January 2016 and again in November. Trump Jr.’s lawyer said his client did not act on the request.—The Washington Post
GOP Lawmaker Quits Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims
Representative Trent Franks announced his resignation Thursday as the House Ethics Committee was investigating claims of sexual misconduct against him. Franks reportedly asked two female staffers if they would be surrogates, after he and his wife had problems having children. The Arizona lawmaker admitted he made the women “feel uncomfortable.”—VICE News
White House Hanukkah Party Spurns Critical Groups
Thursday’s gathering reportedly left out Jewish leaders who have found fault with President Trump’s policies. The president of the Union for Reform Judaism was not invited, and Democrats were also sidelined, despite it usually being a bipartisan affair. A spokeswoman for White House event planner Melania Trump said it was intended to be “more personal than political” this year.—The New York Times
International News
Dozens Injured at West Bank Protests over Trump’s Jerusalem Move
At least 50 Palestinian demonstrators were wounded in clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank, according to local medics. Protests over the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital also took place in Gaza and East Jerusalem. The Israeli military said three rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, but two failed to make it over the border and the third caused no damage or injuries.—Al Jazeera/Reuters
British PM Strikes Brexit Deal Over Irish Border
Prime Minister Theresa May has reached an agreement with EU leaders that there will be no “hard” border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland when her country leaves the EU. A trade deal is said to be next on the Brexit agenda. —VICE News
Judge Calls for Arrest of Argentina’s Former President
Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio has urged Argentina’s Senate to allow the arrest of sitting senator and former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for treason. The judge accused her of working with Iranian officials to cover up their alleged role in the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center in which 85 people were killed.—VICE News
Three Dead After Sword Attack at Tokyo Shrine
Shigenaga Tomioka allegedly stabbed and killed his own sister—the priestess at a Shinto shrine—before killing another woman and himself. A Samurai sword was discovered nearby by police. Tomioka had been the chief priest at the shrine before his removal, apparently in favor of his sister.—BBC News
Everything Else
Bryan Singer Sued, Accused of Raping Teenage Boy
Cesar Sanchez-Guzman filed a lawsuit claiming the Hollywood director raped him at a yacht party in 2003 when Sanchez-Guzman was 17 years old. Singer has denied the allegation. Earlier this week, he was fired as director of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.—VICE News
‘Breath of the Wild’ Wins Game of the Year
The latest installment in The Legend of Zelda franchise took home three top prizes at the Game Awards, including the best video game of 2017. Nintendo announced the game’s second pack of extra content, “The Champion’s Ballad,” is now available.—Rolling Stone
Cardi B and Offset Drop New Track
The star behind “Bodak Yellow” and the Migos rapper dropped “Um Yea” off the album Control the Streets Volume 1. The Quality Control compilation also features Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, and Ty Dolla $ign, among others.—Pitchfork
‘Wonder Woman’ One of the AFI’s Movies of the Year
The American Film Institute has selected its ten best movies of 2017, including Lady Bird, The Florida Project, and Wonder Woman. The institute gave an AFI special award to Ken Burns’s TV series The Vietnam War.—The Hollywood Reporter
Rap Stars Get Statues in Brooklyn Museum
Statues of SZA, Metro Boomin, and 21 Savage are going up in the Brooklyn Museum as part of the venue’s new “RapCaviar Pantheon” exhibition. The project is a collaboration with Spotify, and three new hip-hop stars will be chosen each year.—i-D
Pantone Says Ultra Violet Is the Color of 2018
The Pantone Color Institute has chosen Ultra Violet as the color to watch next year. The institute said the purple shade “takes our awareness and potential to a higher level.”—VICE
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