Crisis In Libya, Hangovers In Delhi And A Bunch Of Cheaters

PNUT GALLERY

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 IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

Migrant Crisis Still Claims Too Many Lives

More than 240 migrants are presumed dead after two ships capsized in the Mediterranean, according to survivors. The Coast Guard is tasked with the depressing task of looking for the bodies. We haven’t been covering the migrant crisis lately, but that doesn’t mean that it’s gone away. A deal between the EU and Turkey has slowed the flow of migrants through the Aegean, forcing desperate people to take the more deadly Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy. The result has been that 2016 is the most deadly year for migrants on record, with more than 4,200 fatalities already.

PNUT READ: Where Are They Now? Europe’s Refugee Crisis By The Numbers

Latest Attacks In Kunduz End In Afghan And American Casualties

Americans have been so optimistic about Iraqi forces kicking ISIS out of Mosul that they forgot about that other war. Yet, the battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan rages on, after two US service members and at least 30 Afghan civilians were killed during an air-and-ground operation in the Kunduz province. Four members of Afghan special forces were also killed. Meanwhile, in the Faryab province in northern Afghanistan, a Taliban mortar attack killed at least seven people and injured 13 others during a wedding party.

 NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

 Brexit Just Got Even More Complicated

A British court threw a wrench into British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plans on Thursday when they ruled that the government couldn’t trigger “Article 50” and formally start the Brexit process without consulting parliament. The Brits voted 52%-48% in a referendum earlier this year to leave the EU. The court said that the Brexit process would fundamentally change the UK and that Parliament should have to weigh in. The government is appealing the ruling, preferring not to be hampered with things like the Constitution, the legislative arm and the democratic process. They say that voters have already weighed in on the matter and fear that referring it to Parliament could delay the process indefinitely.

GOOD READ: Why The 2016 Election Is Not Like Brexit

#Pnut4Prez: Turns Out This Election Is Obama Vs. Trump

President Obama has been campaigning so hard against Donald Trump you would think he was running. As the race enters its final few days, Obama has emerged as Clinton’s most powerful surrogate, which is fitting since we think Trump’s presidential ambitions started when Obama mocked him during a White House Press Correspondents Dinner in 2011. Trump spent most of Obama’s presidency trying to undermine him by pushing the birther conspiracy, and his transition team is now focused on figuring out how to dismantle Obama’s legacy in the event he wins. Meanwhile, Melania Trump gave her first speech of the campaign trail (better late than never) and promised to protect children from social media bullying… which is ironic when you think of all the people Trump has insulted on social media.

PNUT READ: The Ins And Outs Of A Contested Election

Delhi Pollution Is The Worst Hangover Ever

Usually when we think of pollution, we think of giant factories and deforestation. But in Delhi, air pollution reached hazardous levels due to fireworks being set off during Diwali.The night of pyrotechnic revelry created a pollutant-induced hangover in the city for the last four days. Levels of a super fine air pollutant called PM 2.5 have peaked at 800 micrograms per cubic meter. To put that in perspective, the World Health Organization caps levels at 25mg per cubic meter over 24 hours. The smog is so heavy that adults and children alike are complaining of shortness of breath after 20 minutes of exposure to the outside air. According to the Indian Meteorological Department it is the worst smog recorded in in 17 years. A 55-year-old auto-rickshaw driver pointed out that the government makes them use “compressed natural gas for tuk-tuks” citing that it’s “so ironic that we use greener fuel, but suffer the most from pollution.”

 KEEPING OUR EYE ON

Cheaters: Professional poker player Phil Ivey lost his appeal against a London casino over winnings of £7.7 million. The winnings were initially withheld from Ivey due to his use of “edge-sorting,” a technique of remembering design irregularities on the backs of cards.

More Cheaters: Students in Asia were notified that their test scores from last month’s ACT college-entrance exam were canceled after ACT Inc discovered that the essay question had been leaked. Just last month, ACT had to cancel exams across South Korea and Hong Kong for similar reasons, as they struggle to contain an epidemic of internet-guided cheating.

 PNUTTY VIDEOS

In her first major speech since the Republican National Convention, Melania Trump spoke about her desire to end cyberbullying.

The Cubs won the World Series for the first time since 1908 so Bill Murray interviewed GM Theo Epstein amidst a champagne shower.

John Stewart recounted the story of his Twitter war with Donald Trump as a warning to America.  

 LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

 Looks Like Steven Seagal’s Plans For Diplomacy Are… Under Siege

Steven Seagal isn’t the first American actor to retire into a life of politics, but he’s one of the few to be Out for Justice for Russia. The action star of the 1990s has been given Russia citizenship according to the Kremlin. Russian President Putin is clearly eager to reward anyone who compliments him. Seagal has called Putin “one of the greatest world leaders” and even held a concert in Crimea after Russia annexed it in 2014. Putin was so inspired my Seagal’s keen judgement of character that he reportedly proposed that Seagal be made honorary consul of Russia in California and Arizona. The move would have made Seagal a potential intermediary between the White House and the Kremlin. But the idea wasn’t exactly Hard to Kill. “Our reaction was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’” a US official who was present at the meeting told reporters.

 WEEKEND READS

 17 Stories To Read This Weekend

• We’re not saying Trump is definitely going to start his own news network, but if he does, this is what the rundown will be on Trump TV.
• Pnut takes a look at what a dystopian future with a President Trump might look like.
• There is one thing that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have in common: they love sleeping in their own beds.
• New York Review of Books looks at the battle to liberate Mosul and what it means for the area.
• The Egyptian Pound just devalued, and we look at what that means.
• North Carolina is one of this election’s fiercest battleground states. It’s history is a big reason why.
• A former George Bush speechwriter makes the conservative case for Hillary Clinton.
• Former NBA star Ray Allen wrote a moving letter to his younger self.
• If you think election day is going to be bad… things could get even worse on November 9.
• Here are 5 reasons people don’t respond to your emails.
• The Financial Times looks at how Obama and Clinton disagreed over how to treat Mubarak during the Arab Spring. Who was right? (paywall)
• Trade isn’t rising, but the economy is growing. Find out what’s behind the macroeconomic trends playing out in the United States.
• Donald Trump is peddling conspiracy theories, but he’s not doing a very good job. Meanwhile, the New York Review of Books looks at how conspiracy theories are taking hold on both sides of the aisle.
• So many think pieces about Trevor Noah! Here’s one from the New Yorker, and here’s one from the New York Times.
• The Economist endorses Hillary Clinton.
• The craziest thing about this whole election is that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton used to be friends.
• Probably the most delicious read on this list. If you haven’t heard of SUGARFISH, you will soon. If you live in NYC and love amazing sushi, check out this LA spot that just opened its first location in New York.
• Check out Eurasia Group’s newsletter: Signal. You’ll hear from the greatest collection of international politics wonks the private sector has ever seen.