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PNUT GALLERY
“I’m not a cop hater. That is a misrepresentation. That is slanderous. That is not how I feel…. I’m not taking back what I said. What I said was the truth.†–Quentin Tarantino in responding to police boycott calls of his new film “The Hateful Eight.”
IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ
China To Taiwan: ‘Hello, It’s Me…’
A few weeks after Adele’s latest song, China and Taiwan will meet for the first time since 1949 (no coincidence). The two countries have been estranged since the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 when the Nationalists fled to Taiwan and the Communists took over the mainland. China’s been bitter about the breakup since and wants Taiwan back. The US maintains a substantive military presence in Taiwan.
Why is this happening now?
Chinese President Xi Jinping is pushing a more assertive foreign policy, particularly in the neighborhood. He’s worried that the “pro-unification” government in Taiwan might get thrown out in January’s elections by a more “pro-independence” party. This might complicate things back home where the economy is slowing down, but also in the South China Sea where China has conflicting claims with Taiwan.
Volkswagen Scandal Part II: Revenge Of The CO2
September was a disastrous month for German automaker Volkswagen after it emerged that devices to cheat emissions test had been used in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The CEO resigned and everyone got angry. Yesterday it was revealed that the automaker has also been understating CO2 levels in 800,000 diesel and gas vehicles. The new CEO, Matthias Mueller, said he would stop at “nothing and nobody” to find out what had happened. The third installment in the Volkswagen series coming to newspapers soon.
NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ
Bitcoin Surges, Everyone Still Confused
Bitcoin, that thing most people don’t understand, jumped 12% yesterday, passing $400 dollars for the first time in over a year. A digital “crypto-currency” that can act as “digital gold,” Bitcoin is up 125% since its low point in January and has been “surging” for the past month. Experts claim that Bitcoin is surging as Chinese investors try to circumvent capital controls and a VAT decision in Europe.
Amazon Goes Full Circle On ‘Disruption’
The unthinkable happened yesterday as Amazon opened its first physical bookstore in Seattle. “Amazon Books” was considered a “perk for employees” by the New York Times who recently called Amazon’s culture “bruising.” The store will use data from its website to inform what books it has in stock. Expect a lot of copies of Trump’s latest book (#7 on their bestseller list).
Jon Stewart Is Back!
Jon Stewart, the legend behind the Daily Show, followed in his former student John Oliver’s footprints, signing a four-year contract with HBO. Stewart recently retired from the Daily Show because he “wasn’t getting the same satisfaction.” His new job will help push HBO further into digital by making shorter content, which hopes to play well on their HBO Now streaming service. Stewart’s former bosses at Viacom can’t be pleased.
#pnut4prez: Turns Out The US Had An Election Yesterday
All eyes were on Kentucky and Housotn yesterday as the US held an election (not a presidential one). In a major upset, Matt Bevin easily beat his rival to become the next Republican Governor of Kentucky. Bevin had almost missed the deadline to file for running and won the Republican primary by only 83 votes. Meanwhile in Houston, voters repealed an LGBT nondiscrimination law. This was a defeat for progressives and a victory for Christian conservatives who claimed that the law allowed “male predators” into female bathrooms.
Keeping Our Eye On…
- Russian Plane: Egyptian President Sisi called ISIS’ claims that they downed the Russian plane that killed 224 people in the Sinai “propaganda.” Investigators are still confused about what happened.
- Yemen: A cyclone pummeled war-torn Yemen yesterday, hitting the coastal town of Mukalla (which is currently controlled by Al-Qaeda). The storm dropped four years’ worth of rain in a single day.
- Spanish Jihadis: Spain arrested three people with ties to ISIS who were plotting an attack in the country. Recent attacks in France have left Europe on edge.
LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT
Iran Clarifies What It Hates About America
If you think that the slogan “Death to America” has lost its meaning you might be mistaken. According to the Ayatollah, apparently the slogan is backed by “reason and wisdom.” He also clarified that it was obvious that the slogan didn’t mean “death to the American nation” (duh!) but death to US “policies and arrogance.” The Iranian government chose to further clarify what that meant by shutting down the country’s first KFC branch one day after it opened. Perhaps they just mean death to Colonel Sanders?
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Drake meets the Bern…
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