PNUT GALLERY

Don’t go spending your tax return all in one weekend, now. Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that will hopefully make next year’s taxes a little less complicated. 

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Boko Haram Releases Video Of The Missing GirlsAt the request of negotiators, Boko Haram has released a video purporting to show some of the Nigerian girls they kidnapped two years ago. Distraught parents from the town of Chibok were shown the video and identified their daughters on screen. Boko Haram provided the footage as a show of good faith, yet families aren’t exactly relieved given the organization’s increased usage of children in suicide bombings. Only 15 girls appear on screen, with over 200 still missing. 
#pnut4prez: Dems Bring It To Brooklyn  Hillary and Bernie came out swinging yesterday in their last debate before next Tuesday’s New York Primary. Hillary was looking to snap Bernie’s momentum, while Bernie used the stage to try and deprive Hillary of a much needed win in NYC. The Brooklyn audience did not disappoint: cheering, booing, heckling and treating the candidates like the stand-up comedians they would rather be watching on a Thursday night.

• Wall Street reform: The candidates clashed on whether Hillary would be fit to reform Wall Street after raising millions of dollars from the big banks. Hillary used the opportunity to bring up Bernie’s interview with New York Daily News, and Bernie asked her to release the transcripts of her Goldman Sachs speeches. She refused. 
• Death and Taxes: Sanders claims he’ll be releasing his tax return soon, but who wants to look at more taxes this week? The debate took a somber turn when the conversation pivoted toward gun control. Hillary zeroed in on this issue and accused Sanders of protecting the gun industry.
• The Middle East: Last night’s debate underscored a landmark shift in the Democrats’ attitude toward Palestinians and Bibi Netanyahu’s right-wing government. Sanders called Israel’s response “disproportionate” in the 2014 Gaza war to loud cheers from the audience. Meanwhile, Clinton defended her record on the Libyan war despite Obama calling it his biggest foreign policy failure.
• Entitlements: When Clinton said that she and Sanders were in “vigorous agreement” over tax reform, she was met with boos. Yet Sanders received cheers when he gave a sarcastic, “Welcome on board! I’m glad you’re here.” What can we say? The city that gave us Broadway will always love drama. 
• Unifying the party: Hillary came as close as she could to encouraging Sanders to drop out and start unifying the Democratic Party, but Sanders was unwavering. He even indicated that he might take this race all the way to the Convention in July. 

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Colombia Confirms Its First Two Cases Of ZikaFor a brief moment in 2016, the lull in coverage over the terrifying Zika virus led many to believe the problem was under control. That was a mistake. Not only have US officials admitted that the virus is even worse than they initially thought, but it’s also continuing to spread. Public health officials in Colombia have confirmed two cases of microcephaly linked to the Zika virus. Although there have been 33 microcephaly cases recorded in Colombia that are associated with various causes, the health ministry stated that these were the first two directly linked to Zika. Meanwhile, Brazil has reported over 1,046 cases of microcephaly, most of which were caused from the virus. 

PNUT READ: Everything You Need To Know About The Zika Virus

How Many Cops Does It Take To Arrest Six Brothel Managers? Apparently, 900. While prostitution is legal in Germany, tax evasion is not. The managers at one Berlin mega-brothel, which belongs to an industry that is now thought to be worth 16 billion euros, are accused of evading 17.5 million euros in social security payments since 2006. Prosecutors also allege that employees were forced to pretend to be self-employed to avoid the payments. Reports estimate that 900 police officers took part in the raid to arrest six individuals, which begs the question: why did it take 900 police officers? Was it a slow night? Did 890 police officers just volunteer to swing by the brothel in support? 

The ‘Fight for 15’ Goes Nationwide Protesters in more than 300 cities across the US marched for a $15/hour minimum wage nationwide. While New York, California and Seattle have implemented plans to move to a $15 minimum wage, the current federal minimum is still $7.25. Supporters for the law want to boost wages and reverse widening income inequality. Critics argue that doubling the federal minimum wage would hurt low-skilled workers the most, saying that purchasing power varies dramatically by state. Expect this issue to loom large in the current election cycle.  

GOOD TABLE: List Of Countries By Minimum Wage.

Keeping Our Eye On…

• Japan: At least nine people died and 19 houses collapsed after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Japan. While the damage is still being assessed, we know that at least 135 people have been hospitalized. The government warns of aftershocks. 
• Germany: In an effort to integrate migrants into the country, Germany is planning new laws that will require refugees to take language lessons. Critics feel obligatory classes are too forceful while proponents argue that it will give refugees access to the job market. 
• Brazil: Tensions are high as Brazil’s congress prepares for a Sunday vote on President Rousseff’s impeachment. She’s called the attempts to impeach her a “coup” and promises to “fight to the last minute.”

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

UK Airport Spends A Million Pounds On Security Dogs That Can Only Smell Sausage When an airport spends 1.25 million pounds on security measures, are we supposed to feel safer? After dropping all that money on a new fleet of airport security dogs, Manchester Airport discovered that their new canine hires failed to sniff out a single Class-A drug in their seven months of employment. Their biggest bust to date? A whopping 181kg of meat. Most of their detections have been cheese and sausage products brought back from holiday. D’aww, who’s a good security dog? 

Weekend Reads:

• Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble is shaking up the startup world. Hubspot’s founder even wrote a response. 
• The life of cannabis farmers hidden in India’s Himalayas.
• Do you suffer from allergies? You may have to blame the Western diet for derailing our evolution.
• What ever happened to the kids that were featured in the documentary Children of Jerusalem? The Forward tracked them down. 
• The Office of Intellectual Freedom published its list of the most challenged books in 2015. The Bible made its debut!
• Is parenthood the enemy of creative work? 
• When the Oil Fields Burned: A harrowing photo essay of one of the worst environmental disasters in history. 
• How “empowerment” became something for women to buy. 
• This CFR Global Monetary Policy Tracker lets you see what central banks around the world are doing at any given point in time. 
• Instagram is ruining vacation. 
• “I’m on the Kill List. This is what it feels like to be hunted by drones.”
• A New York Times essay on building a better father. 
• Reasons you were not promoted that are totally unrelated to gender. Totally.