February 01, 2017

Trump Picks His SCOTUS Nom And Le Pen Dodges Her Loan Sharks

PNUT GALLERY

If you completed Dry January this year, congrats! You made it! Now enjoy that mimosa with breakfast.

 IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

 Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch For Supreme Court

“So was that a surprise? Was it?” asked President Donald Trump when he announced his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. While not much of a surprise, it was a huge disappointment for the Democrats still angry over Republican’s decision to ignore former President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. (Remember that guy?)

The nomination of Gorsuch, a 49-year-old federal appellate judge from Colorado, gives the GOP an opportunity to steer the court to the right and keep it that way for decades. In some of Gorsuch’s better known court cases, he sided with both Hobby Lobby’s and Little Sisters of the Poor’s argument that their faith made it impossible to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s policies, namely the requirement to provide health insurance that covers contraceptives. His selection will no doubt kick off an intense fight with Senate Democrats who want to return the favor for the GOP blocking Merrick Garland. (Whatever happened to that guy?)

 NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

 Marine Le Pen Refuses To Repay EU Funds

The European Parliament says that France’s far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen owes them €300,000 in funds that she allegedly misspent, but Le Pen refuses to pay. The parliament says she wrongly used the funds to pay an aide at the National Front’s headquarters in Paris and has until midnight on Tuesday to repay the money. If she doesn’t parliament threatened to retain half of her salary as an MEP and take away other allowances. If the European Parliament’s debt collectors are anything like American student debt collectors, our best advice is to pay it. Otherwise she’ll get calls from the EU seven times a day and nobody wants that.

US Army Gets The Green Light For Dakota Access Pipeline

Despite months of protests under extreme conditions and international outrage, the US Army has been ordered to allow the construction of the final section of the North Dakota Pipeline. This is another piece of news that isn’t exactly surprising– President Trump, after all, recently signed an executive order giving his support for the pipeline. But North Dakota Senator John Hoeven’s announcement is still a major blow to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that will lose sacred sites and possibly their water supplies from this construction. Representatives of the Standing Rock community have vowed legal action to stop it.

 KEEPING OUR EYE ON: 

Israel: The government announced plans to build 3,000 new homes in West Bank settlements, continuing a construction spree that began after US President Trump’s inauguration. The plan is aimed at calming settler anger over the court-ordered evacuation of a different settlement in Amona.

Warren Buffett: Sure, his candidate didn’t win, but that didn’t hurt the billionaire’s appetite for stocks. Buffett revealed that he has bought $12 billion of stock since Donald Trump won the election. Retail therapy, anyone?

 LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

 Rob Gronkowski Once Missed A Free Throw On Purpose To Keep Score At 69

#Nice

Yes, I want to sound marginally more intelligent: