New York Terror Case Resolved And Merkel Faces The Music

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IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

New Yorkers Crack The Case In The Most New York Way Possible

Police were able to arrest bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami after a shoot out in New Jersey. Rahami was wounded but ultimately brought into custody, where he is suspected of both the New York and New Jersey bombings. The US gave a collective sigh of relief but New Yorkers made it clear that they didn’t worry too much about that guy anyway. Instead, they celebrated the typical New Yorkers who helped solve the case: petty thieves. It was revealed that thieves snatching bags from city streets inadvertently helped law enforcement crack the case and identify Rahami. Not all heroes wear capes.

One of the two bombs planted in Chelsea detonated on West 23rd Street, while two thieves accidentally helped to disable the second pressure cooker bomb left on West 27th Street by stealing the suitcase that was hiding it. According to witnesses, two gentlemen opened the bag and took the bomb out before placing the explosive into a garbage bag and walking away with the rolling suitcase. Police were able to examine the cellphone attached to the bomb still intact, eventually discovering that it was connected to the family of Rahami.

It’s Time For Angela Merkel To Face The Music

After her Christian Democrats Party (CDU) suffered their second electoral blow in two weeks – slumping to their lowest level since 1990 – German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked if it was too late to say sorry. Of course, “es tut mir leid” is the Germans’ lengthy way of apologizing so nobody really got that she was referencing her idol Justin Bieber.

“If I could turn back time, I would by many, many years,” Merkel said, loosely referencing her other idol, Cher. The CDU only won 17.6% in the Berlin election, down from 23.3% in their last election in 2011. Merkel is accepting the blame for her party’s failing numbers, as many are still resistant to her open-door refugee policy. The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) only snagged 14% of the vote, but the margin between them and the established, moderate CDU is striking. While not admitting defeat, Merkel is facing the music that her uncompromising “commitment to refugees” has pissed off a lot of people.

NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

Syrian Ceasefire: Nice While It Lasted

Not only must all good things come to an end, so must all slightly-improved things. A convoy of aid trucks was hit by an airstrike in Aleppo, just hours after the ceasefire was declared over. At least 18 of the 31 trucks were hit during the strike, killing 12 people including aid workers and truck drivers. According to the Syrian Red Crescent, the convoy was making a routine delivery from Aleppo to rural rebel-held areas. While many of us have grown accustomed to sad news coming out of Syria, this story is particularly frustrating, given that the US and Russia brokered this ceasefire to allow the flow of aid in the first place.

Zika’s Miami Vacation Could Be Over

Wynwood, the Miami district that hosted the first locally transmitted case of the Zika virus, was officially declared Zika-free. Authorities credit an aggressive campaign of aerial and ground insecticide spraying, one that didn’t kill any bees, either. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has since lifted its travel warning on the neighborhood.

But of course, there is bad news. You didn’t think we’d let you off that easy, did you? The virus has already spread elsewhere in Florida. In fact, five new cases were recorded on Friday in nearby Miami Beach, while the Florida Department of Health has recorded 93 total cases since this summer. That being said, Wynwood’s actions were swift and effective, and it’s a rare opportunity when other neighborhoods can learn from a plan that worked. Hopefully it’s a success story that spreads.

Nutshell: What You Need To Know About Zika Virus

Indonesian Tax Authorities Want Some Of Google’s $$$

A few weeks after the EU ruled that Apple owed Ireland $14.5 billion in back taxes, Indonesian authorities are going after another tax-avoiding tech giant, Alphabet aka the artist formerly known as Google. Indonesia is claiming that Alphabet owes them ~$400 million in taxes and fines from the last few years and say that the company only paid 0.1% of the VAT and income tax it owed. Google parks about ~$40 billion outside the US and avoids paying taxes by funneling “profits” through places like Ireland and Singapore. Muhammed Hanif, the head of the tax agency, isn’t pissed that Google is “tax-planning” — he’s pissed that they are so good at it that they don’t pay Indonesia any taxes.

KEEPING OUR EYE ON: 

Minnesota: Investigators are trying to identify the motives behind Dahir Adan’s stabbing spree at a Minnesota mall on Sunday. The 22-year-old Somali-American and private security firm employee is said to have been “acting strangely” in the hours leading up to the attack. While ISIS claims responsibility, officials believe this was a lone attack.

DRC: Protests have erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where activists are calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down. At least 17 are confirmed dead after violence broke out in the capital Kinshasa, but opposition groups claim that the death toll is reaching 50 people. One eye witness reported that police fired live ammunition into the crowd, but hundreds of protestors remain in the streets.

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PNUTTY VIDEOS:

While you wait for news from this week’s United Nations General Assembly, watch some of the craziest moments from past UNGA meetings.

In case you thought Russia’s parliamentary elections were going to be above board, there is evidence of voting fraud… caught on cameras set up by the Russian government to prevent voting fraud.

Jeb Bush had some words of wisdom for Jimmy Kimmel during the Emmys on Sunday night.  

LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

More Than 800 Immigrants Mistakenly Granted US Citizenship

According to an internal Homeland Security audit released on Monday, the US government mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants, many of whom had pending deportation orders. Meanwhile, half of our friends from college couldn’t even leave for Spring Break with their student visas. DHS said the findings reflect what has long been a problem for immigration officials: they’re still using old paper-based records containing fingerprint information that can’t be searched electronically. So far, at least three of the shiny new citizens were able to acquire aviation credentials, granting them access to secure areas in airports. Oh, and at least one of them has already become a law enforcement officer.