PNUT GALLERY
Help us figure out what the hell happened in the debate last night.
We want to know what your favorite moment was and who you think won. Your guess is as good as ours.
IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ
#pnut4prez: Recapping 90 Crazy Minutes That Might Decide Your Future
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump went head to head in a 90-minute debate where the clear loser was the English language. The stakes were high for both candidates who are locked in an essential dead heat in the polls and early voting underway in some states. In case you missed it, here are the highlights:
- Hillary spent the 90 minutes speaking in full sentences about her trade policy, support for NATO and defending the Iran deal.
- Trump spent the 90 minutes amalgamating a loose collection of half sentences that implied that the Iran Deal was terrible, free trade was worse and that Stop-and-Frisk was a good idea (he didn’t seem to realize it was ruled unconstitutional).
- Trump attacked NAFTA for the devastating effect it had on industrial communities across the US. Many economists agree with this point. Hillary defended the deal, pointing to rising standards of living overall for the middle class as a result of free trade. Many economists also agree with this point.
- Hillary defended her plan to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans as well as raise the minimum wage to ensure that more Americans benefit from the economic recovery. Trump defended an opposing plan to lower taxes for the wealthiest Americans, saying it will bring money back into the country and spur economic growth.
- Trump tried to defend his decision not to release his tax returns, claiming he is being audited. The IRS has said there is no reason not to release tax returns while under an audit.
- Trump took the bait on his support for the birther movement, taking us down a long and winding road involving Sid Blumenthal, some company called McClatchy and other things that meant to imply that Hillary Clinton started the birther movement. FACT: she did not start it. He also seemed proud to have procured Obama’s birth certificate, which is not exactly something to be proud of. Hillary called him out on his racism and brought up a lawsuit by the DoJ alleging discrimination against African Americans in Trump properties in the 1970s. He didn’t deny that he had discriminated but did say he settled without admitting guilt and that everyone else was doing it.
- Trump also took us down memory lane while trying to prove that he was against the Iraq War from the start. He asked us to call Sean Hannity and ask him what Trump’s stance was, but as is clear from this interview with Howard Stern, Trump was lying. He was actually pro the Iraq War.
- Trump also denied that he claimed that global warming was a hoax started by the Chinese, but according to this tweet from 2012, he did exactly that.
- Trump claimed he had a “winning temperament,” and Hillary did a little shimmy in response.
- Things got awkward for everybody when Lester Holt called out Trump on his accusation that Hillary Clinton doesn’t have “the look” to be President. Hillary then slammed him for calling women “pigs, slobs and dogs.”
NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ
Colombia Dances The War Away With A Signing Party
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Timochenko officially ended Latin America’s longest running conflict, so naturally, they threw a party –
the second in less than a week. After a half century of war and over four years of negotiations, it was time to catch up on the networking opportunities. Roughly 2,500 dignitaries attended the ceremony in Cartagena, including A-listers such as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Cuban President Raul Castro and US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Using a
pen made from a bullet, the two leaders signed an agreement that will place FARC, which began as a peasant revolt, on the ballots as a political party. In exchange, they must hand over their weapons to the United Nations within 180 days.
EX-IMF Chief On Trial For Most Obvious Type Of Fraud
Rodrigo Rato, who served as the head of the International Monetary Fund from 2004-2007, is on trial in Spain with 64 other bankers for
allegedly racking up around $13 million on company credit cards for personal travel, entertainment and luxury clothes. The credit cards were issued by Bankia when Rato was at the helm, but before the Spanish bank was bailed out by its government in 2012. If convicted, Rato could face more than four years in jail and a $3 million fine. Consider this a win for
finance regulation activists, who began investigating Rato in 2012. You could almost hear Elizabeth Warren cheering from across the pond.
Saudi Women Sign A Petition To Ditch Their Male Guardians
Saudi women are their own guardians, but now they want the Kingdom to recognize that too. Over 14,000 women
signed a groundbreaking petition calling for the end of male guardianship. The current guardian laws in place mean women must have male consent to travel abroad and often need their male guardian’s permission to study or seek employment. The petition gained attention from Human Rights Watch thanks to a viral Arabic hashtag meaning “Saudi women want to abolish the guardianship system.” (This is a much more concise hashtag in its original Arabic.) Thousands of women also responded by creating bracelets that say “I am my own guardian” and bombarding King Salman’s offices with 2,500 telegrams demanding an end to the law. Saudi officials have yet to respond. Hopefully they’re still reading those telegrams.
KEEPING OUR EYE ON
Texas: Houston officials identified Nathan DeSai as the man who opened fire in the parking lot of a strip mall,
wounding nine people. DeSai is being described as an attorney who was disgruntled by his work at the law firm. He was fatally shot by police on the scene.
Philippines: President Rodrigo Duterte isn’t known for being everybody’s pal, but the Philippines leader said he wants to
get closer with his counterparts in Russia and China. Duterte hopes to create “open alliances” with the two powers known for their historic rivalries with the United States.
Iran: Canadian-Iranian academic Homa Hoodfar was
released from prison. Hoodfar was arrested in Iran earlier this year and indicted alongside other dual-nationals for alleged “acts against national security.” Officials say she is ill and is returning to Canada via Oman.
PNUTTY VIDEOS
You’ve heard all about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s “scandals;”
John Oliver sets the record straight.
Some highlights (or lowlights, depending on how you look at it) from
last night’s debate.
LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT
Iceland Might Sue Iceland
To clarify: Iceland (the country) confirmed that the ministry of foreign affairs is
considering suing Iceland (the company) for using its name. Seems a little late, considering Iceland (the company) has been around for 45 years, and Iceland (the country) is only getting around to this now. Iceland (the country) claims it only wants to do this to ensure they can register the name “Iceland” across the UK and EU. Iceland (the country) insists that it doesn’t want Iceland (the company) to surrender its brand name, because Iceland (the country) agrees that it’s a great name.
