Libya Kicks ISIS To The Curb, POTUS Endorses Hillary

PNUT GALLERY

Get your brackets and beer steins ready. It’s time for the Euro! 

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Libya Kicks Out ISIS And Changes The Locks

There was serious drama in Sirte after Libyan forces told ISIS it was over between them. Libya didn’t even bother with the “it’s not you, it’s me” speech; they just kicked ISIS out of the apartment and left all his stuff on the sidewalk. Sirte was the last ISIS stronghold in the country, which the Libyan navy stole back after a three week offensive. Just two months ago, ISIS had an estimated 6,000 fighters in the city and posed a possible threat to neighboring Tunisia. After three weeks of heavy fighting, Libya now cautiously celebrates that the Islamic State may have lost all of its territory in the country.

Are they gone for good?

It’s still possible that the ISIS retreat was tactical and retaliations could follow. However, experts on the ground believe the military offensive revealed ISIS to be far weaker in Libya than many thought. It’s also pretty impressive that forces were able to win back Sirte after three weeks, when a similar offensive in Fallujah continues at a much slower speed. 

Pnut Read: ISIS Origins In A Nutshell

#pnut4prez: Dems Circle The Wagons

In a boldly unsurprising move, President Barack Obama endorsed Hillary Clinton’s campaign, because, well, who else could he endorse at this point? The better-late-than-never endorsement comes the same day Obama met with Bernie Sanders, where The Bern vowed to work with Hillary Clinton despite his intention to remain in the race, whatever that means. Meanwhile, the real battle has already begun on Twitter, where the presumptive nominees began arguing in 140 characters or less.  

#pnut4prez: Our Guide To The Campaign Trail

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

UN Makes A Bold Move Against Ireland’s Abortion Laws

In a landmark court ruling, the UN Human Rights Committee found that the Irish government violates women’s human rights by criminalizing abortion. The case surrounded Amanda Mellet’s trauma after doctors said her fetus had defects that would cause it to die in her womb or shortly after birth. Ireland, which has some of the most notoriously strict abortion laws in the world, wouldn’t allow her to terminate the pregnancy. The UN court stepped in and found that this act violated her right to freedom from “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.” Lawyers hailed the bold move as one that could trigger an international precedent. 

Muhammad Ali’s Funeral Brought Peace And Political Snubs

An estimated 14,000 people arrived in Louisville, Kentucky yesterday to pay their respects to boxing legend Muhammad Ali. A traditional jenazah was held on Thursday to honor Ali’s Muslim faith and an interfaith service is scheduled for today, which will include former President Bill Clinton and other political dignitaries. But it’s not a proper funeral without a bit of drama. Turkish President Erdogan was initially invited to speak at the service but was later snubbed when the roster of speakers grew too larger. Instead, comedian Billy Crystal will be speaking, and we know how little Erdogan likes comedians. 

Watch: Livestream The Funeral Today At 2pm EDT

A Whopping Ten Countries In The World Are Still At Peace

Daily Pnut predicted that 2016 would be garbage, but we don’t want to say we told you so. Instead, we’ll leave it up to the Institute for Economics and Peace, which reported this week that there are now only 10 countries in the world that are actually free from conflict. The Global Peace Index describes a growing “peace inequality gap” where conflicts worsened in 79 countries. The report also makes the dismal observation that the world is further away from world peace than it has ever been in the last 10 years. But hey! Let’s look on the bright side. We now know which 10 countries are ideal for our next (permanent?) vacation: Botswana, Chile, Costa Rica, Japan, Mauritius, Panama, Qatar, Switzerland, Uruguay and Vietnam.

KEEPING OUR EYE ON…

Israel: In light of the attack in Tel Aviv, Israeli authorities
froze the entry permits of 83,000 Palestinians. The vast majority of these permits were for family visits during Ramadan. 

Berlusconi: The former Italian Prime Minister’s health isn’t as good as his spokesman initially claimed. Silvio Berlusconi will undergo heart surgery for a defective aortic valve, after an attack that doctors claim nearly killed him. 

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

Canadian Supreme Court Finds Most Bestiality Legal

Oh, Canada. According to a surprising ruling by the country’s Supreme Court, sex acts with animals are totally legal, provided no penetration is involved. The bizarre ruling made the fur fly with animal rights groups, one of which has implored Parliament to pass the aptly-named Modernizing Animal Protections Act. Supporters of the bill hope that in the future, all forms of sexual activity between a man and a moose will be considered, well, loony.

Weekend Reads:

• Read US Vice President Joe Biden’s open letter to the Stanford rape survivor. 
• Meet the Egyptian satirist who started a revolution. 
• Meryl Streep as Donald Trump proves she can play any role. 
• For the bucket list: the most beautiful and difficult marathons on earth.
• An interview with Noam Chomsky, a Daily Pnut reader. 
• What voters forget about Hillary Clinton’s historic nomination.
• Why Iran’s first contemporary Arab art exhibit was important. 
• How Putin is growing organic power one tomato at a time.
• A look at Uber’s no good, very bad deal with Saudi Arabia. 
• You don’t need to convince us: in defense of the three-week vacation.