Obama Bids A Tearful Farewell While Trump Is Greeted With More Gossip

PNUT GALLERY

Here’s some solid news: a team at MIT developed a super light weight material 10x stronger than steel.

 IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ

 Obama Says Goodbye With A To-Do List

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his farewell address to a room full of teary-eyed fans. His language was steeped in conviction, gratitude and those trademark Obama one-liners like “Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear.” But more importantly, he offered a few tips for the next four years, emphasizing empathy and action among the nation’s citizens. Somewhat shockingly, he called on minorities to try to see from the perspective of “the middle-aged white man who from the outside may seem like he’s got all the advantages, but who’s seen his world upended by economic, cultural, and technological change.” This request was in many ways targeted at Democrats, who were frequently accused of ignoring the plight of working class whites during last year’s election.

The night in Chicago would not have been complete without a wink from Joe Biden and a few laughs, but Obama’s calls to action were the clear takeaways. The celebrated orator’s words will likely become battle cries in the protests that are planned around the inauguration. Among his several attempts to mobilize the citizenry he insisted, “regardless of the station we occupy, we have to try harder.”

 NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ

 Ban Ki-moon’s Family Charged With Bribery

Well this is going to be an awkward conversation at the next family dinner. Prosecutors charged former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s brother and nephew with conspiracy to bribe a government official. Ban’s little brother allegedly offered money to a Middle Eastern official through an American middleman in an attempt to bribe the official to use state funds to buy their building project. US officials say that the two men paid millions of dollars in bribes and tried to leverage the prominence of their family name to convince officials to work with them. Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman says he was completely unaware of the circumstances, no doubt too busy monitoring the rest of the world for corruption.

Gossip And #GoldenShowers Welcome Trump To The White House

Buzzfeed dropped a bombshell yesterday when they published a dossier that makes explosive — but unverified — accusations that the Russian government has been “cultivating, supporting and assisting” President-elect Donald Trump for years. The documents also claim that Russia possesses extremely compromising information about Trump, including video footage from his stay at the Moscow Ritz Carlton Hotel, where Trump allegedly hired prostitutes to perform “golden showers” in the same room where the Obamas once stayed during one of their official trips.

Naturally, #GoldenShowers became the national headline and top trending hashtag, eclipsing President Obama’s farewell address. But it’s important to remember that none of these claims are verified. Many of these claims aren’t new, and there is still no compelling public evidence to prove the dossier’s juiciest gossip. We also aren’t sure how much of this information the intelligence community thought was worth mentioning in the two-page document they presented to Obama and Trump, so let’s not get carried away.

Taliban Targets Kabul Security Forces, Kill Civilians Instead

At least 30 people are dead and 70 others are injured from a twin bombing near Afghanistan’s parliament building in Kabul. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said they were trying to target members of the government’s security forces. However, government officials said most of the victims were civilians. The attack began with a suicide bomber on foot, followed by a car bomb during Tuesday’s rush hour traffic. Both attacks seemed to have targeted a bus carrying government personnel leaving parliament but pedestrians and other motorists were caught in the crossfire.

 KEEPING OUR EYE ON: MORE FROM THE US

Jeff Sessions: In his hearing for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions stood before Senators on the Judiciary Committee and denied being a racist despite a controversial history. If approved for the job, he will oversee the enforcement of civil rights laws in the United States.

Dylann Roof: The man convicted of murdering nine black church members during a Bible study in South Carolina was sentenced to death. Roof was convicted of 33 federal charges last month. The jury took roughly three hours to deliberate before announcing their decision that he will be executed.

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 LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

 There’s A 900-Person Waiting List To Perform Goat Yoga

What will these hippies think of next? Those visiting Oregon should check out the No Regrets Farm, a quiet venue that decided to offer “Goat Yoga” last summer as a way to connect with both nature and the spirit. The experiment turned into the latest yoga sensation, prompting farm owner Lainey Morse to quit her job of 10 years to pursue Goat Yoga full time. The premise is very simple: you practice yoga with goats in the room. Seriously, that’s it. “My goats are very social and friendly animals and love to interact with people,” Morse explained. If you’re interested in trying a Downward Goat, sign up soon. The waiting list already exceeded 900 people.