Subscribe now to receive the morning briefing by email.
Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories.
Pentagon reallocates $1bn for Trump’s border wall
Donald Trump’s streak of good news continued on Tuesday, as the House failed to secure the two-thirds majority required to overturn the president’s veto on his declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. That means the declaration will stand, and the Department of Defense has already announced the redirection of $1bn towards construction of Trump’s coveted border wall.
Puerto Rico aid. Trump has said he believes Puerto Rico has received too much disaster aid compared to mainland states such as Texas and Florida, despite the deaths of almost 3,000 on the island as a result of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Trump’s pastor says their relationship is God’s ‘assignment’
Pastor Paula White, Trump’s personal spiritual adviser, has told the Guardian in an exclusive interview that her relationship with the president was an “assignment” from God, who gave her instructions “directly regarding Trump” when they first met in the early 2000s. White preaches the prosperity gospel, which tells followers that God will bless them for donating to the church – in this case White’s own megachurch, the New Destiny Christian Center in Florida.
FBI files. The FBI’s files regarding the Trump Organisation have been published under freedom of information laws.
‘Embarrassing’ tweets. Scientists have analysed tens of millions of tweets from US Twitter accounts and found that mentions of “embarrassment” have spiked by 45% under the Trump administration.
Dissident North Korean ‘government-in-exile’ seeks to oust Kim
A dissident group that styles itself as North Korea’s “government-in-exile” has claimed responsibility for last month’s raid on the country’s consulate in Madrid, during which intruders tried to persuade an embassy official to defect before fleeing with computers and other items. The secretive group, Cheollima Civil Defence, is thought to represent the first ever organised North Korean opposition to the Kim dynasty, and has vowed to overthrow Kim Jong-un and his regime for committing crimes against humanity.
FBI offer. A Spanish judge has laid out the details of last month’s raid on the North Korean consulate in Madrid, including how the group of 10 mysterious intruders subsequently offered stolen intelligence to the FBI.
The #MeToo movement reaches Mexico
Hundreds of Mexican writers, journalists, academics and film-makers have shared incidents of sexual harassment and abuse on social media in recent days, as the #MeToo wave at last broke over Mexico’s media and creative industries. Some alleged victims named names in their tweets, including those of well-known literary figures. A recent survey of 400 Mexican media professionals found that 73% had suffered sexual harassment at work.
Endemic abuse. The frequency of sexual harassment in Mexico City has led to a rise in women-only public transport, while the UN says one in five women in Mexico has suffered sexual violence.
Crib sheet
The UK prime minister Theresa May is facing pressure from Brexit ultras to announce a date for her resignation in return for their support of her Brexit deal, as MPs prepare to hold a series of indicative votes in search of viable alternatives.
The mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, has complained of a “whitewash of justice” after prosecutors dropped criminal charges against the Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who had been accused of faking a racist, homophobic assault.
The New York City suburb of Rockland County has banned unvaccinated children from public areas, after recording 153 cases of measles since October, one of a series of such outbreaks of the disease across the US.
Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has generated fresh outrage from critics after he ordered the country’s armed forces to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the coup that led to the country’s violent, two-decade dictatorship.
Must-reads
The Russia investigation’s remarkable romance
The Russian covert agent Maria Butina will appear in court again on Thursday. Her boyfriend Paul Erickson was indicted last month for fraud and money laundering. Their relationship throws light on a Kremlin campaign to infiltrate and influence the US conservative movement, as Lucia Graves and Peter Stone report.
House-hunting with tech’s instant millionaires
With Uber, Airbnb, Lyft and Pinterest all preparing to go public, thousands more instant millionaires will soon flood the Silicon Valley housing market. Carol Pogash sees real estate agents showcase their properties with baristas and flamenco dancers, in a spectacle of excess that leaves no room for the middle and working class.
Are psychiatrists misdiagnosing sexual abuse victims?
Complex PTSD, a disorder often suffered by sexual abuse victims, was first identified almost 30 years ago. It is supported by dozens of studies, yet it remains unrecognised by the American psychiatric establishment – which means many patients are misdiagnosed, with troubling emotional consequences, finds Alexandra Shimo.
Welcome back, Killing Eve
Killing Eve returns for its second season on 7 April, picking up precisely 30 seconds after the first season finale left off. It’s a deft way to dodge the sophomore slump, says Jake Nevins.
Opinion
Father James Oyet Latansio, the general secretary of the South Sudan Council of Churches, has met both Donald Trump and Boris Johnson in the course of his work, in hopes of turning their minds from the border wall or Brexit to the plight of his young country.
We are a “nation interrupted”. The civil war that broke out only two years after we gained independence in 2011 has killed more than 400,000 people, ruined the economy, driven nearly 4 million people from their homes and disrupted the education of generations.
Sport
The news of Conor McGregor’s retirement was swiftly overshadowed on Tuesday by reports that the UFC star is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in Dublin in December.
The 20-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic became the youngest American to score 10 goals in international soccer on Tuesday night, shortly before he limped off the field injured during the USA’s 1-1 friendly draw against Chile.
Sign up
The US morning briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
