More Police Violence, Bangladesh Suffers Another Attack

PNUT GALLERY

Move over, Margaret Thatcher. There’s a new woman Prime Minister coming to town, and her name is either Theresa May or Andrea Leadsom.

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

More Police Violence, More Outrage

In the last two days, there have been two fatal shootings of black Americans at the hands of police officers, prompting outrage and concern across the country. Less than 24 hours after Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana, 32-year-old Philando Castile was shot by police during a routine traffic stop in Minnesota. Castile was in the car with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year old daughter, and Reynolds captured the graphic event on video to share on Facebook Live. The footage compelled Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to call on the Department of Justice to begin an investigation.

Permit Us, If You May, An Editorial Aside:

Philando Castile is the 136th black person killed by Police in 2016 alone. At least 24 of those killed were completely unarmed, and many of them were killed while doing routine daily tasks. Sadly, this is not a new news in the United States. Well before the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, black Americans were more than twice as likely as white Americans to be killed by police. Increased national attention and movements like #blacklivesmatter don’t seem to put an end to the violence. Research suggests that the bias runs deep, and, unfortunately, so does a sense of helplessness about what to do. This is not to suggest that all police are racist but this can’t really be the “land of the free” if ~10% of the population risks humiliation, harassment and death by a state meant to protect them.

Good Read: 15 Things Your City Can Do To End Police Brutality

Bangladesh Suffers More Attacks On Eid

Nearly a week after militants killed 20 people in a cafe in Dhaka, the country suffered more attacks during its biggest festival for Eid al-Fitr. At least five militants launched an assault on police in Kishoreganj during a time when roughly 300,000 people had gathered for a prayer service and celebration. Three people were killed and another 14 were wounded. While police investigate the cause and group responsible, the death count from last week’s wave of attacks continue to rise. In Iraq alone, the death toll from last week’s Baghdad bombing is rapidly climbing toward 300 people. 

Pnut Read: The Origins Of ISIS

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Brazil’s Eduardo Cunha Finally Takes The Hint

Less than three months after he spearheaded the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the ultra-conservative lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha resigned in tears, realizing that nobody liked him either. Although he denies the corruption charges against him, former allies from all sides argued it was time for him to go. Of course, he couldn’t step down quietly. Burning bridges left and right, Cunha sobbed, “It is well known that the house is brainless.” It would have been a total #MicDrop if it weren’t for the fact that he helped shape the house. 

Tony Blair Is Still #SorryNotSorry

The always humble former British Prime Minister Tony Blair responded to the Chilcot report by saying the world is a better place because of the Iraq War. While he made these remarks to argue that Saddam Hussein did pose an imminent threat, others couldn’t help but notice that his “Iraq War made a better world” rant took place the same time as the UK’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond’s “Iraq War made ISIS” rant. Hammond believes the mass removal of Ba’ath party supporters from the Iraqi army led directly to the formation of ISIS. Still, Blair believes “we would be in a worse position if we hadn’t acted that way,” while also giving himself the caveat, “I may be completely wrong about that.”

Germany’s New Law: Nein Means Nein

Germany passed a long overdue law that defines rape as when a victim says no, even if they did not fight back. The “no means no” law is established in most developed nations at this point. Germany is a bit late to the party. Under their previous law, a simple “no” was not sufficient to find the defendant guilty, and thus many perpetrators got away with rape. They still have a ways to go, however. Last year, California passed a “yes means yes” law to protect women who are either unconscious or can’t convey consent. German activists intend to keep campaigning. 

KEEPING OUR EYE ON…

James Comey: Because we can’t leave well enough alone, FBI Director James Comey was set to testify yesterday before the House Oversight Committee. He testified on the agency’s decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of personal emails as Secretary of State. 

Israel: An Israeli official stated that debris from the EgyptAir MS804 crash was found north of Tel Aviv yesterday. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, stated it is “high probability” that the debris belonged to the missing aircraft.

Cuba: Pack your bags, Americans! In the latest move to normalize relations with Cuba, there are tentative plans to allow eight US airlines to fly direct from the US to Cuba, up to 20 times a day. If approved, flights will begin this fall.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

Invite This Seagull Drone That Poops Sunscreen To Your BBQ

The marketing team over at Nivea have given us the PSA we never wanted. Use your sunscreen kids, otherwise a drone painted to look like a seagull will find you and poop sunscreen on you until you rub it into your skin. The seagull is supposed to be a cute advertisement for children’s sunscreen, and what could be cuter than the consumer version of a military weapon making flatulent noises every time it delivers a load of sunscreen onto your shoulders? That’s right, it’s a seagull drone that poops sunscreen and farts and hunts down your children! It will totally be a hit this summer. 

Weekend Reads: Curated By Loyal Pnutter Mike Tanzer

• The Easy Guide to Why Brexit Happened. A UK-centric theory of everything. Related: NYT: The Myth of Cosmopolitanism (On the “global-citizen bubble.”)
• Bloomberg: The Strange Story of A Murdered Banker In Puerto Rico. “She told Blanco that the man was her Santeria godfather and that he was helping the bank with its recapitalization.” Zeke Faux at Bloomberg is awesome.
• NYT: Welcome to Liberland, the World’s Newest Country (Maybe). “Travels with Vit Jedlicka, the would-be founding father of a libertarian paradise.” Very funny and intriguing profile of the Liberland mission/conundrum.
• Medium: Innovation in the Middle East: 48 things I learned while designing a new bank in Dubai. An incredibly interesting listicle on Dubai.
• NYMag: The Brand Keeping Oprah in Business. Rembert Browne on Tyler Perry.
• The New Yorker: Who Are All These Trump Supporters? One of my favorite authors, George Saunders, on Trump.
• NYT: How Abbas Kiarostami Had Me Thinking in Persian. AO Scott’s touching obit of the late Iranian filmmaker.