IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ Greece: Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’tChaos erupted on the streets of Athens yesterday as protestors clashed with police, and Greek PM Alexis Tsipras faced down his party’s vanguard led by Energy Minister Lafazanis (a man who still calls St. Petersburg Leningrad). The embattled PM had to get harsh austerity measures approved in parliament by midnight yesterday. Although he missed the deadline by a few hours (really, no one respects deadlines anymore), he was able to get the measures passed by 229 to 64 votes. The Speaker of the House walked out, then walked back in, and former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, ever helpful, voted no.
Remember, this vote is just a precondition to get the bailout talks started (it really is a miracle that Europe can get anything done). Meanwhile, Germany still needs to vote yes, banks in Greece are still closed and the Eurozone is struggling to find the cash for a bridge loan for Greece.
The Morning After The Night Before…President Obama fought off Republican accusations of “appeasement” today after the Iran deal was signed Tuesday. A true shakeup in geopolitics has ensued as President Obama engaged in an “encouraging” phone call with Putin. The Russian President said that the world “has sighed a huge sigh of relief” now that it’s a done deal. Saudi Arabia and Israel have aligned in their shared opposition.
The US Congress now has 60 days to review the agreement. Congress can reject the deal and keep sanctions in place. Obama can veto their decision and most likely will if it comes to this… Good Read:Why the Iran Deal Makes Obama’s Critics so Angry
NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ Federal Reserve Shows Off Its Strong Growth Rates
Nothing makes the US happier than upstaging Europe, and most certainly when it comes to the economy. The mood of the US Federal Reserve was definitely an octave higher than that of the European Central Bank (ECB) yesterday when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that the economic conditions were “favorable.” Not only that, but they will also likely raise rates later this year (Fedspeak for USA! USA! USA!). Yellen gets to spend the next two days being grilled by Congress… fun.
Meanwhile, China has conveniently hit its growth target of seven percent (wink wink nudge nudge) despite ongoing panic in its markets.
Obama Won’t Revoke Bill Cosby’s Presidential Medal Of Freedom
That’s right… the famed comedian now in the throes of rape allegations — specifically for drugging women with quaaludes and then raping them — was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom back in 2002 under Dubya. While Obama commented (without commenting of course) that drugging a women and then having sex with her without consent is rape, he conceded that there’s no “mechanism” to revoke a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Although, it’s never too late to start that precedent, Mr. President.
Finally Convicted Of Being ‘Complicit’ In The Murder Of 300,000 Jews
That’s 71 years too late for former Nazi SS officer Oskar Groning, convicted Wednesday of being “complicit” in the murder of 300,000 Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944. While claiming to have had a “desk job” — which entails taking cash and valuables from incoming prisoners — Groning certainly knew exactly what was going within the extermination camp based on the evidence. Yet he barely mustered up an apology. The punishment really seems to fit the crime. At 94, he’s now serving a four-year jail sentence… that’s six months longer than state prosecutors had asked for (seriously?).
#Pnut4Prez: Gettin’ Hot In Here… Jeb Vs. El DonaldoTrump is not a fan of the fundraising approach to politics (sounds easy if you’re a billionaire!) and thinks Bush’s $100 million treasure trove will not bode well for his opponent. Bush takes great offense to Trump’s recent comments about Mexican immigrants (as do we all), but Trump insists, “The Hispanics love me” since he employs “thousands of them.” Enough said, we can end here.
LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT #TBT: US To Invade The SouthTexas seems to be waking up to the realization that they are not, in fact, a sovereign nation. Operation Jade Helm 15 is a “war game” (training exercise) run by the US military on its own turf (that includes you Texas) that began yesterday. A number of right-wing conspiracy nuts claimed that the exercise is a way for Obama to “take over Texas,” and Governor Greg Abbott has pandered to the theorists promising to keep an eye on the games. Given that Texas is already “taken over” by Obama, I am not sure what Governor Abbott will be watching out for. So far, reports indicate that the good people of Texas are surviving this military onslaught just fine.
Documented: El Chapo’s disappearing act. One second he’s there, the next he’s not.
