Here's a roundup of news trending across the nation and world today.
What to know now:
1. Gorsuch vote: Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R-Kentucky), says he has the votes to stop Senate Democrats should they decide to filibuster in an attempt to delay a final vote on Judge Neil Gorsuch's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, said Democrats "need to reconsider" their threat to filibuster for Republicans are ready to launch the "nuclear option." The nuclear option which would eliminate the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees and lower the vote needed for confirmation to the Court from 60 to 51.
2. Rice under fire: Susan Rice, former ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser to President Barack Obama, has denied that she used intelligence reports to spy on President Trump or his associates for political purposes. Rice came under fire on Tuesday when it was reported that she asked for the names of Trump associates who surfaced in intelligence reports. While Rice said she sometimes asked for names in classified reports to be "unmasked," she would not confirmed the report from a U.S. official that she saw intelligence briefings relating to Trump associates or that she asked for names to be revealed.
3. Missile test: North Korea tested a newly developed ballistic missile Tuesday, according to South Korean and U.S. officials. The missile is believed to be a medium-range weapon that was first tested in February. The test comes ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
4. Advertisers leaving: As of Tuesday evening, 22 companies have pulled their advertising from Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" over mounting claims of sexual harassment by the show's host, Bill O'Reilly. GlaxoSmithKline, Allstate, Coldwell Banker and Mercedes-Benz have all decided to take their advertising money elsewhere. According to a story by The New York Times, five women have received a total of $13 million in settlements over accusations of sexual misconduct by O'Reilly.
5. Ferguson mayor re-elected: The man who was mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, when the small city was thrust into the limelight following the police shooting of an unarmed black teen, was re-elected to a three-year term on Tuesday. James Knowles III defeated Ella Jones, a city councilwoman, who had sought to become the city's first black mayor.
And one more
If you live in an area populated mainly by minorities you could be paying higher car insurance rates. A study by ProPublica and Consumer Reports looked at insurance rates in California, Illinois, Missouri and Texas, and determined that customers in neighborhoods where most residents are minorities are paying up to 30 percent more for car insurance. An insurance industry group says the report used faulty statistics, and that the results are flawed. The study used insurance claims payments by zip code as the basis for the report.
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