PNUT GALLERY
Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals for winning the World Series (where only US teams play) and to New Zealand for winning the Rugby World Cup and scaring everyone with the “haka” war dance.
IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ
Turkish Elections: Reset Democracy Until You Win
Turkey’s Islamist ruling party, AKP, regained a parliamentary majority yesterday in a high stakes election for the country. The AKP fell short of a majority in June and hadn’t been able to form a government since. The campaign was marred by a terrorist attack in Ankara and a war between the AKP government and the PKK (a Kurdish group that wants to leave Turkey).
What does this mean?
Erdogan (leader of the AKP who believes Muslim sailors discovered America) achieved a majority but fell short of having enough seats to change the constitution to give him, the President, more power. AKP captured most of its votes from the far-right party, who are hostile to the Kurds, creating an odd Nationalist-Islamist alliance. Meanwhile, the Kurdish political party HDP was able to retain its presence in parliament.
Russian Plane Crashes In Sinai
A Russian passenger jet crashed in Central Sinai, Egypt, on Saturday killing all 224 people on board. An ISIS offshoot based in the Sinai claimed responsibility for the attack as retaliation for Russia’s intervention in Syria. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the crash, saying that the plane was too high to be shot down, but haven’t ruled out a bomb on board yet. An investigation is underway.
NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ
Obama Authorizes Ground Troops In Syria
On Friday President Obama authorized the use of special forces in a limited capacity in Syria. The US will deploy 50 soldiers as “advisors” to Kurdish troops fighting ISIS. Obama long resisted deploying “boots on the ground” in Syria, trying to limit his exposure to the conflict. However, after a year-long bombing campaign against ISIS failed (ISIS recently captured a city in Syria) it seems that the US is ready to up the ante.
 Pnut’s Nutshell: Syria
San Francisco Votes To Get Angry At The Sharing Economy
AirBnB, the company which lets you squat in someone else’s apartment, is facing a crisis in its hometown of San Francisco as residents vote on whether to limit short term rentals (under 75 days). The company has hired Chris Lehane, the guy who helped President Clinton “manage” the Monica Lewinsky scandal, to help with public relations after several hilariously bad attempts to make peace with the locals backfired.
#pnut4prez: Republicans Vs. NBC
The Republican National Convention (RNC) decided not to air a Republican debate on NBC in February after the debacle that was the CNBC Republican debate last week. RNC Chairman Reince Preibus wrote to NBC saying the debate was conducted in “bad faith.” The complaint comes after a debate where the moderators appeared unprepared when challenged by candidates and often asked questions meant to spark a confrontation rather than probe policy proposals…
Keeping Our Eye On…
- Former Law & Order Senator Dies: Fred Thompson, a former US Senator and actor, died in Tennessee over the weekend of lymphoma. He had appeared in the classic “Die Hard 2: With a Vengeance” and “Law & Order.” He was 73.
- Australia Abolishes ‘Sirs’ & ‘Dames’: Australian PM Duncan Turnbull has scrapped knighthood honors (when a person is awarded a “Sir” or “Dame” by the Queen). He said they were “out of date and inappropriate in the 21st century.”
- Romania Club Fire: A fire in a Bucharest nightclub claimed 29 lives. The fire was apparently caused by fireworks set off by a heavy metal band. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis suggested that the rules were ignored.
LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT
The Walking Dead Told to Be More Considerate On Subway
Zombies, Ghouls, Death-eaters, Werewolves and Kardashians were ordered by officials in the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou to avoid public transport during the Halloween season. Officials said that riding the metro in costume could cause “panic†and the “subway does not encourage such acts.†Next time you see a zombie or a Kardashian on the train make sure you tell the police (and then run).
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