PNUT GALLERY How good is your algebra? Here are five sample questions from New York’s Regents Algebra I Exam which people are complaining is too hard. How many do you get right?
IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ
Paris: It’s Gettin’ Chaud In Here
Flowery speeches and lofty promises of a brighter future for our grandchildren marked the first day of the Climate Change summit in Paris (COP21). President Obama spoke of submerged cities and the PM of Tuvalu (yes, it exists) made a passionate plea to save his island nation from rising sea levels.
It wasn’t all “kumbaya,” though, as differences emerged on the best method for tackling climate change. European Commission President Juncker pushed for a binding deal, while Indian PM Modi asserted his country’s right to energy, encouraging a global investment in solar energy. Meanwhile, Putin and Obama met to cool things down in the Middle East (pun intended).
Over the next two weeks, the 195 nations will try and agree on a global deal for climate change… sounds promising.
NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ
Iraqis Plan To Take Back Iraq
The Iraqi Army warned civilians in the ISIS-controlled, Iraqi city of Ramadi to leave yesterday in preparation for what will be a vicious battle to reclaim the city. Ramadi fell to ISIS in May of this year and sits only 75 miles west of Baghdad (Iraq’s capital). The battle will be a crucial test to see if the Iraqi Army can push back ISIS from central Iraq and reverse the momentum against the group.
Meetings, Markets And Money
Markets are on edge as three of the most important “committees” meet soon to determine which way they will swing:- European Central Bank (ECB): The ECB, led by an Italian affectionally called Super Mario, meets on Thursday to determine if the Euro area needs a further boost to get the economy going (it probably does).
- OPEC: This organization of oil-producing nations will decide on Friday if it is time to scale back production and raise oil prices (could go either way as Saudi doesn’t want to give Iran more money from higher oil prices but unclear if they can sustain such low prices for so long).
- The Fed: While they won’t meed until the 15th, we will be hearing from Chairwoman Janet Yellen and some others this week to see if they will raise rates for the first time in a decade (they probably will, but then again we said that in August).
#pnut4prez: Christie’s New Hampshire ROI Up
The polls may not show it, but Christie’s incessant Granite State campaigning has started to pay off. He recently received the endorsement of New Hampshire heavyweights, including the state’s largest newspaper (the New Hampshire Union Leader) and many influential local politicians. The GOP presidential candidate has spent considerable time in New Hampshire, amounting to 49 visits and over 112 events. This puts the ol’ Gov right in the thick of it this primary season… ’tis the season.
Keeping Our Eye On…
- University Of Chicago: A 21-year-old engineering student, Jabari Dean, was charged with making the mass shooting threat that shut the school down for a full day. His motive was linked to the police shooting of Laquan McDonald.
- Turkey And Refugees: A few hours after signing a deal with the EU (cash for help on the refugee crisis) Turkey rounded up 1,300 refugees bound for Greece… amazing what a bit of money can do.
- Russia: Still bitter about having its pilot shot down, Putin claimed that Turkey did it to protect its oil trade with ISIS. Turkey challenged Russia to show the proof.
- Tombs: Archeologists in Egypt say they are pretty certain Nefertiti’s tomb is hidden behind that of Tutankhamun. The discovery is exciting for Egyptologists and people who enjoy looking at old, shiny gold artifacts (we fall in that category).
LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT
Greece And Turkey Engage In The War Of 140 Characters Twitter, that place you use to send snide remarks to people you don’t know, hosted a rare diplomatic tiff between the prime ministers of Greece and Turkey. Greek PM Alexis Tsipras felt the medium was appropriate to castigate his Turkish counterpart for violating Greek airspace instead of focusing on the refugee crisis (pointing out that Greece didn’t shoot down the Turkish planes). The Turkish PM (who presumably doesn’t personally manage his Twitter feed) asked Tsipras to focus on the conference they were both attending at the time. |
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