September 22, 2016

No More Syrian Ceasefire And Yahoo! Got Hacked

PNUT GALLERY 

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IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Let’s Talk About This Syrian Ceasefire

The last week was an emotional roller coaster for Syria. First a partial ceasefire was announced, then the US accidentally bombed Syrian troops, then Russia/Syria bombed a UN aid convoy and the ceasefire quickly fell apart. Still, US Secretary of State John Kerry had hopes that this ceasefire could be salvaged until Wednesday night when Syrian government planes “set rebel-held Aleppo ablaze” in one of the most intense raids in months. The shattered peace, while unsurprising, is still disheartening.

The upcoming US election will almost guarantee a changed US policy vis-a-vis Syria. Although no one knows what Trump might do, it’s believed that he will be much more accommodating to Vladimir Putin and his ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It’s also thought that Hillary Clinton will take a much more aggressive stance against Assad and Putin. She’s previously advocated for “no-fly zones” in Syria which would level the playing field and risks bringing the US and Russia into direct conflict. With so much uncertainty in the air, it’s no wonder that the ceasefire fell apart as both sides try to gain as much as possible before the next president is sworn in.

GOOD READ: Pnut’s Summary Of The Syrian Civil War

Tell Your Parents: 500 Million Yahoo Accounts Hacked In 2014

If you have an account with Yahoo, there is a pretty good chance your information was stolen. But don’t worry, the state-sponsored hackers have only had the information for two years! At least 500 million users had names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates and passwords stolen in the 2014 breach. Yahoo did not say which state they believe sponsored the hack, but they encouraged users to check their accounts for suspicious activity, though it seems a little late for that now. It is unknown how much of an effect the breach will have on Verizon’s potential acquisition of Yahoo, but it certainly won’t be good.

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Charlotte Police Will Not Release Shooting Video To Public

After two days of riots in Charlotte, NC following the fatal shooting of a black man, Keith Lamont Scott, Charlotte Police Chief Kerr Putney said the shooting video will not be released to the public on his watch. Scott’s family has asked to see the video, however, and Chief Putney says he plans to show it to them. According to Chief Putney, the video does not show “definitive visual evidence” that Scott pointed his gun at police officers. But the spokesman for the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police said the footage shows Scott bearing a gun and an ankle holster, proving that he was “an obvious threat” to the police officers. Since the protests began Tuesday night, there have been 44 arrests, nine civilian and five police injuries, and the deployment of the National Guard.

In Tulsa, the police officer who shot Terence Crutcher has been charged with first-degree manslaughter. According to the Tulsa police chief, Crutcher was unarmed. Very few police officers are ever charged (and even fewer are convicted) in the killings of civilians.

Putin Wants To Celebrate Flashback Friday By Bringing Back KGB

Latching onto the “hipster revival” craze that’s been gripping the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin is indulging his own nostalgia by bringing back the notorious Soviet security agency, the KGB. The agency, which stamped out dissent in the Soviet Union and spied against its enemies abroad, was disbanded when the USSR fell apart in 1991. While most people see the closure of the KGB and the collapse of the USSR as a good thing, Putin, who is a former KGB agent himself, does not. In fact, he called the collapse of the USSR a “major geopolitical disaster.” Putin’s christening his new KGB with a different name, the “Ministry of State Security.” Just because it now has a new name, will the agency be less repressive?

PNUT READ: Our Profile On Vladimir Putin

Brazil Running Out Of People To Investigate For Corruption

Brazilian police arrested former finance minister Guido Mantega on Thursday for alleged corruption during his time at the finance ministry and as chairman of the state-owned oil company Petrobras. Police allege that Mantega asked for kickbacks to his political party, PT, from a Brazilian billionaire in return for awarding him Petrobras contacts. The investigation, dubbed “Operation X Files” is part of a wider “Operation Carwash,” which highlights both Brazil’s corruption problem and its ability to come up with creative names for criminal investigations. Former President Lula will also be tried for corruption despite his assertions that no one except Jesus Christ is more popular than him in Brazil.

KEEPING OUR EYE ON 

New York: The father of the man arrested for last weekend’s bombings in New York and New Jersey told the New York Times that he reported his son to the FBI as early as 2014. “They didn’t do their job,” he said.

Afghanistan: An insurgent faction led by one of the country’s most notorious warlords, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, signed a peace agreement with the Afghan government. Officials from Afghanistan and the United States applauded the deal, but others were not happy that Hekmatyar received immunity. There’s something about making a deal with the devil…

Gabon: The central African country’s Constitutional Court began hearing arguments about its recent presidential election. The leader of the opposition party claimed the election was rigged after one region reported 95 percent support for the President with 99.9 percent turnout. The judges are expected to rule today either by announcing final results or a recount.

 PNUTTY VIDEOS

In what might be the funniest interview of the campaign yet, Zach Galifianakis interviews Hillary Clinton where she shines as the deadpan master.

Just when you thought you’d seen it all this campaign season: the Dalai Lama did a Donald Trump impression.

If you’re sick of all the bad things in the news, watch this 6-year-old talk about Syrian refugees.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

FARC Rebels Take Cue From Burning Man

Getting out of the jungle never felt so good… or confusing. No, but seriously, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) threw a rave to mark the end of the country’s 50-year guerrilla war. The rebels’ festivities took place in a field in the Savannas of Yari, a remote part of the country known for being home to FARC hostages chained up during the war. But the rebel commanders took a cue from Burners and transformed the vast landscape into an epic party equipped with a fog machine, massive video screen and bands hailing from the country’s capital of Bogota. What was meant to be a conference to ensure a smooth transition for the rebels into the country’s broader electoral politics evolved into a Burning Man-esque rave… just the ravers had never raved before. Apparently many looked on very confused. If the October 2 referendum passes officially bringing an end to the war, should we celebrate next year in Yari? Black Rock City is so 2016.

WEEKEND READS

16 Stories To Get You Through The Weekend

Yes, I want to sound marginally more intelligent: