PNUT GALLERY

Did you know that there was a Democratic town hall/debate last night (Hillary plus the two other guys)? We didn’t bother to write about it because it was so monumentally dull but more interestingly Ben & Jerry’s have released a new ice cream flavor called “Bernie’s Yearning.” Yum.

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

PSA: Zika Virus Spreading Across Americas….And Avoid Mosquitos
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus may end up spreading across the Americas. Currently there is no vaccine available and the virus has been found in 21 countries, including Puerto Rico.

What is the Zika virus and how can I contract it? The Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito and can cause mild fever, conjunctivitis (pink eye), headaches and babies to be born with underdeveloped brains. The situation is especially bad in the Brazilian State of Pernambuco where it is estimated that up to one in 50 children are born with the brain deformity. At least four countries have recommended that women delay getting pregnant until they can control the spread of the virus.   

HEALTH READ: The Lowdown On The Zika Virus Via PAHO/WHO
Europe Gives Greece Gift Of Three Hundred Thousand Refugees
European leaders proposed sealing off Greece from the rest of Europe to stop the flow of migrants into the Schengen zone (the passport free travel zone within Europe). Plans were also drawn up for Greece to set up vast holding camps which would house 300,000 refugees. Greece, currently also dealing with major economic and political crises, predictably got mad at the proposals. In other news, European police said that ISIS was setting up training camps across the continent. Never a dull moment…..

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Twitter: Like Facebook But Worse Jack Dorsey, Twitter and Square CEO and now no longer a member of the “three-comma” club (an expression for billionaires… think about it), has fired four top executives as part of a management shake-up. Twitter’s stock lost almost 5% on the announcement and is now trading at a third below its 2013 IPO price. Trump’s Twitter feed should keep traffic up at least till November.

GOOD READ: Is Silicon Valley Screwed?

Texas Clears Planned Parenthood And Indicts Its AccusersA Texas Grand Jury cleared Planned Parenthood of wrong-doing after the reproductive health service provider was accused of selling parts of fetuses. Instead, prosecutors charged a group who had filmed Planned Parenthood staff and tried to dupe them. Federal funding for Planned Parenthood is highly partisan with President Obama threatening to veto any bill which strips the non-profit of its funding.

UN Actually Does Something, Brokers Colombia Peace DealThe UN Security Council approved a mission to oversee a ceasefire between the Colombian government and the left-wing FARC rebel guerrilla group. The longest running conflict in the western hemisphere has claimed 220,000 lives and guerella the magnitude of the talks was illustrated when the Colombian government negotiator described the request to the UN as “transcendental.” Dunno about that, but it would make the world’s largest emerald producing country a bit safer to visit.

PROFILE: What The FARC?

Keeping Our Eye On…
 

• Decline Of The iPhone?: Apple’s stock dipped below $100 for the first time since October 2014 amid concerns that iPhone sales have peaked (the device accounts for more than two-thirds of the company’s revenue). It must be the curse of the Jeb!
• Syria Peace Talks: The United Nations stated that it will issue invitations for Syrian peace talks, the first in two years. The talks were delayed after the usual arguing between all sides. 
• Putin Corrupt: In the world’s least surprising announcement, the US Treasury has, for the first time, openly stated that Russian President Putin is “corrupt.” This comes after a 2007 CIA report that stated he is worth $40 billon. No sh*t, the guy wears cashmere work-out pants.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

Thefts Leave Wisconsin Doubly Cheesed Off The great cheese-producing state of Wisconsin has recently seen a crimewave relating to its most famous export (apart from Barbie). Firstly, $90,000 of parmesan cheese was stolen from a storage facility, then a trailer containing $70,000 worth of cheese was stolen from another. The internet promptly went into melt-down (“Not Gouda News,” “Police Give Edam” and “Thieves made off with $160k of Cheddar”). Netflix is rumored to be making Confessions of a Cheese Pilferer, a follow-up to the hit Wisconsin Making of a Murder series.

Receive this email from a friend?
Get the Daily Pnut every day – subscribe now!