Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE
US News
Kushner, Manafort, Trump Jr. May Appear Before Senate Next Week
Presidential adviser Jared Kushner, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, and Donald Trump Jr. may appear before Senate committees next week to talk about any connections they might have with Russian officials. Kushner has agreed to be questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed-door interview Monday, while Manafort and Trump Jr. are scheduled—albeit not yet confirmed—to give public testimony at a Senate Judiciary Committee session Wednesday.—ABC News/CBS News
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McCain Diagnosed with Brain Cancer
Arizona US senator John McCain’s office revealed he’s been diagnosed with cancer. A glioblastoma brain tumor was discovered around the same time the senator had a blood clot removed above his left eye. McCain’s doctors said he is now looking at options, including chemotherapy and radiation, to treat the condition. Barack Obama tweeted a message of support that concluded: “Give it hell, John.”—VICE News
Trump Flips on Jeff Sessions over Russia Recusal
President Trump criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his “extremely unfair” decision to recuse himself from anything related to investigations of Russian election meddling. “Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else,” Trump said in a new interview.—The New York Times
Obamacare Repeal Would Cost 17 Million Insurance in 2018, CBO Says
Repealing Obamacare without replacing it would leave 17 million more Americans without health insurance next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO analysis, based on the Republicans’ latest (dubious) healthcare plan, shows 32 million more people would lack insurance over the next decade than under current law—The Washington Post
International News
Cameroon Military Accused of Mass Torture
The human rights NGO Amnesty International has accused Cameroon’s security forces of torturing suspected supporters of the Islamist group Boko Haram. A report by Amnesty details more than 100 cases of alleged abuse against both men and women. Some victims reported being struck by electrical cables and wood studded with nails.—The Guardian
Army Officer Guilty of Trafficking Offenses in Thailand
A top general in Thailand has been convicted of charges relating to a human trafficking network targeting Muslims from abroad. Lieutenant General Manas Kongpaen was among the 62 people found guilty Wednesday. The massive trial followed the discovery of graves in southern Thailand in 2015, and the subsequent revelation that Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar had been held captive for ransom.—Al Jazeera
Former Brazilian President Has Assets Frozen
The popular former president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has had his assets frozen after being found guilty of accepting bribes. Judge Sergio Moro ruled that some $190,000 in his bank accounts—along with three apartments, two cars, and and land—should be blocked from him. Lula is appealing the conviction and is still widely expected to run for president next year.—BBC News
Everything Else
‘Game of Thrones’ Squad Working on Series About Confederacy
HBO has announced that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are working on a series for the network called Confederate. It’s based on an alternative history of the country in which the South won the Civil War and slavery is still the law of the (Southern) land.—The Verge
Lena Dunham to Appear in ‘American Horror Story’
Lena Dunham will feature in the next season of American Horror Story, the show’s creator Ryan Murphy revealed on Twitter. Murphy has said the seventh season will be set during and after the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.—The Hollywood Reporter
Radiohead Play Controversial Show in Israel
Radiohead performed at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv Wednesday in defiance of calls from pro-Palestine campaigners to boycott. “A lot of stuff was said about this, but in the end, we play some music,” Thom Yorke reportedly told the crowd during a massively long set.—SPIN
Humans Have Produced Over 8.3 Billion Metric Tons of Plastic
Human beings had produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic as of 2015, according to a new study published in Science Advances. Around 6.3 billion metric tons of that plastic became waste, and only 9 percent of that waste was recycled.—Motherboard
Lawmakers Want to Make Supporting Israel Boycott a Felony
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has come out strong against a proposed law that would criminalize support for a boycott against Israel. The ACLU said the bill was “antithetical to free speech” and “in direct violation of the First Amendment.” In theory, violators could be punished with 20 years in prison under the measure.—VICE
