Democrats In Disorder And Attacks In Bavaria

PNUT GALLERY

The Democratic National Convention kicks off tonight! Follow us on Twitter for up to the minute updates and commentary. 

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Clinton Can’t Escape Email Drama…

Whistleblower site Wikileaks released a trove of private emails from the Democratic National Convention (DNC) leadership just as they were gearing up to start their own four-day love fest to coronate Hillary Clinton. The emails are a damning indictment of DNC leadership, showing clear bias against Bernie Sanders’ upstart campaign. At some point it was even suggested that Bernie’s faith be called into question, hoping to paint him as an atheist. It is alleged that the Russian government leaked the emails to Wikileaks after they hacked the DNC earlier this year, raising fears of a “weaponized Wikileaks” and Putin’s pro-Trump bias. The leak has been so damning that DNC chair and Clinton ally Debbie Wasserman Shultz resigned. 

Oh, and Hillary has a new campaign motto: “Yes, She Kaine”

Hillary’s new VP announcement was lost under the noise from the email leak. After months of ruminating, Clinton went with former Virginia governor Tim Kaine to help her win in November. Kaine is seen as so boring that he makes fun of it himself, calling boring the “fastest growing demographic in the country.” That shouldn’t distract from the fact that he is a successful governor of a crucial swing state, speaks fluent Spanish, has an “F” rating from the NRA and a 100% approval from the Brady Campaign and Planned Parenthood… or as Politico calls it, “boring like a fox.” 

Full DNC schedule and speaker list

Bavaria Hit With Mass Shootings And A Bombing

An explosion on Sunday by a Syrian migrant killed one person and injured eleven others in Ansbach, Germany. Roughly 2,000 people were evacuated from an outdoor music festival due to what police believe to be an explosive device. Separately, on Friday, German-Iranian teenager opened fire at a McDonald’s and then at a shopping center in Munich, killing nine people and wounding another 27 before killing himself. The 18-year-old Ali Sonboly reportedly shouted “I am German” and “Fucking Turks” at the crowd while shooting, but the police are still unclear on his reasons. Munich police said there was no evidence of an “Islamist motive” and it’s anybody’s guess as to what brought this round of violence.

When Sonboly was still at large, many were stranded in the city with no place to hide, so Munich locals began using the hashtag #OffeneTür, meaning #OpenDoor, to invite strangers into their homes to find shelter from the crisis. In that moment of fear, locals opened their doors. However small an act that may be, it’s a powerful – if not defiant – act of hope.

Good Read: Germany And Gun Laws

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Sore Loser ISIS Takes It Out On Kabul

A peaceful demonstration turned deadly after two people detonated their suicide belts near the large crowds. ISIS already claimed responsibility for the targeted violence against Hazara, the Shiite minority group that organized the demonstration near Kabul University. At least 80 people were killed and over 260 were wounded. Experts believe the terrorist organization is increasing their cadence of attacks in Afghanistan to make up for their lost territories in Iraq and Syria. The idea of a bunch of sore losers with explosives is not a comforting thought, but as ISIS continues to lose grounds in previous strongholds, strategists expect more violent attacks in old stomping grounds. 

Pnut Read: The Origins Of ISIS

Turkey: Crackdowns And Defending Democracy

President Erdogan disbanded Turkey’s Presidential Guard in his latest round of purging the government. The once-elite group must have seen it coming though, with 300 of its members getting detained after last week’s failed coup. Meanwhile, thousands of Turks joined a “pro-Democracy” rally in Istanbul yesterday organized by the opposition, centre-left and secular party CHP. The rally also received the backing of Erdogan and his ruling AKP party despite subtle digs against his creeping authoritarianism and his use of the coup to crackdown on his adversaries opponents.  

Turns Out, Defense Ministers Aren’t That Into Poetry

Israeli radio faced controversy and far-right Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman is pissed that Israel Army Radio played a recording of a poem during an educational segment. Poetry readings on the radio sound like a pretty benign snooze fest, but the poem just so happened to belong to the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. The controversy began when Culture Minister Miri Regev called on Lieberman to stop funding the station in retaliation, catalyzing a robust national dialogue on free speech all for a poet known mostly for writing about the landscape. Army Radio defends its decision to broadcast, arguing that that the poem was presented alongside writers like Rabbi Kook and Theodor Hurzl in order to “offer listeners a wealth of ideas.” 

KEEPING OUR EYE ON…

Yahoo: After months of “he said, she said,” Verizon finally announced that it was buying Yahoo for $4.8 billion, ending years of uncertainty. Yahoo joins Huffington Post and Tech Crunch in Verizon’s growing online portfolio. 

Switzerland: As part of the investigation into Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Switzerland seized a painting by Van Gogh and two works by Claude Monet. The paintings were confiscated at the request of the US Justice Department, who filed lawsuits seeking to reclaim more than $1 billion in assets linked to stolen or laundered 1MDB funds.

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

UK Now Has To Fear Seagulls Tripping On Acid

Britain just can’t catch a break these days. Scientists are warning Plymouth residents that their seagulls are most likely tripping on acid. That’s because it’s flying ant mating season, and large masses of flying ants have been outside tempting seagulls with their juicy deliciousness. These ants “are like M&Ms for seagulls,” described one expert. The only problem is that the formic acid inside these ants have a psychedelic effect on our feathered friends, making them a little on edge. The loopy gulls have become so obsessed with tripping on ants, they may forget where they are and crash into a human or two.