November 23, 2015

Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina

PNUT GALLERY

Happy Monday, Pnutters. Not looking forward to the workweek? Grab one of these Oculus Virtual Reality headsets and pretend you are on a beach in Bali… or anywhere apart from at your desk.

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Al-Qaeda And ISIS At War, Everyone Else Victims

First Mali:
Al-Qaeda gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali (a country in Africa’s Western Sahara) on Friday, killing at least 19 people, including many foreigners. Al-Qaeda took credit for the attack in what is a presumed attempt to prove its relevance after its rival, ISIS, carried out the Paris Attack (a deadly form of attention-seeking). Perhaps they can settle the score by killing each other instead of innocent civilians?

Back to Brussels:
Brussels was under lockdown this weekend as authorities continued the search for Salah AbdelSalam and a ninth attacker who were involved in the Paris attack. Some 16 other people were arrested. The city remains under the highest security alert with the metro, university and schools shut down on Monday. Meanwhile, residents tweeted cat pics to the police to relieve the tension and lift spirits (helpful?).

The Refugee Connection
It is believed that at least two of the attackers might have been Syrian refugees who entered the EU through the Greek island of Leros. The revelation will add fuel to the refugee debate fire going forward (except in the US where the debate is already in full swing). Finally, a Turkish Airline flight from JFK to Istanbul was diverted to Nova Scotia due to a bomb threat.

Nutshell: ISIS

Argentina: We Promise We Won’t Default This Time

After a long period of “Kirchnerism” (a loosely defined form of Argentine populism centered around Christina Kirchner and her late husband — both of whom were presidents), it appears Argentina will elect a center-right president. Exit polls showed Mr. Mauricio Macri well ahead of Daniel Scioli, Kirchner’s chosen successor.

Mr. Macri had pledged to reign in inflation and repair Argentina’s ties with the global financial system (which have been frayed due to repeat defaults). Mr. Macri is the son of one of Argentina’s richest families.

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Space: The Last Frontier For Privatization

NASA announced that SpaceX will be one of the first private companies to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS, not ISIS). Right now, to get to ISS astronauts need to take off from Russia, presumably something the US isn’t thrilled about. SpaceX joins Boeing in the vanguard of companies trying to privatize space travel, something previously reserved for rich governments… and Iran.

GREAT READ: Elon Musk’s Interview About SpaceX With Esquire

#pnut4prez: Let’s Talk About The Donald

We generally try to avoid this topic, but Donald Trump has had quite a week. First he insisted that all Muslim Americans should register in a database. When confronted about the policy’s similarity with Nazi Germany, he didn’t bother giving a response. He then went on record to say that he would “absolutely bring back waterboarding.” Finally, when a Black Lives Matter protestor was kicked during one of his rallies, he encouraged it by saying that “maybe he should have been roughed up.” Trump seems to be running for the office of Dictator-in-Chief rather than Commander-in-Chief.

GOOD READ: How The GOP’s Attempt To Be More Inclusive Failed (Politico)

Keeping Our Eye On…

Louisiana Governor: Democrat John Bel Edwards defeated Republican rival David Vitter in this historically Red state to be the next Governor of Louisiana. Vitter was suffering from a prostitution scandal in 2007.
Crimea: Unknown attackers plunged the contested province of Crimea into darkness yesterday when they blew up power lines from Ukraine into the Russian-occupied territory.
Iran: An Iranian court sentenced Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American reporter for the Washington Post, to a prison term. The court didn’t specify what he was guilty for or how long the term would be.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

Want To Lose Weight? A Bag Of Russian Coal Will Help

Obesity rates in the Siberian region of Kemerovo have caused such concern that a television show has been launched to promote weight loss. This sounds normal but it’s Russia so the show encourages contestants to lose weight not with money or gold…but with coal…yes coal. For every kilogram that a contestant loses they will be rewarded with an equal weight in “top-grade, high-quality coal.” Weird? yes. Effective? We’ll let you know.

Adele’s new album is out, and it has the power to save your Thanksgiving dinner.

Today’s Pnut is sponsored by MONK Collection.

LAUNCHING TODAY ON THE DAILY PNUT.
WINTER. IS. COMING. This time, there’s more than just the Night™s Watch to protect you. Welcome to MONK Collection: an e-commerce fashion company dedicated to infusing modern designs with century old artisanship in a socially responsible way. Our first line honors the Fabric of Emperors, with five sweater and scarf styles all made with 100% Grade-A Cashmere. The artisans behind MONK™ hand-crafted packaging, custom buttons and knitted garments all hail from Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. With each purchase, our customers help rebuild a community wracked by a devastating earthquake that ripped through Nepal on April 25, 2015. So, armour up, this year’s beloved Indian Summer has sadly come to an end.

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