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In a Nutshell: Must Read
1. Republican Debate Highlights
“[God] has blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates” – Sen. Marco Rubio stating a not-universally-held belief.
In case you missed the most highly-anticipated event of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign thus far (the Republican debate, where wrestling meets politics), here it is in a nutshell:
- Sadly for the Republican establishment, Donald Trump failed to disappoint.
- Jeb Bush looked like a deer in the headlights 90 percent of the time.
- Scott Walker needs a toupee for the next debate.
In all seriousness, there are too many good moments to recount, but some of the best include Chris Christie and Rand Paul going at it over the NSA and Paul’s opposition to the Patriot Act — what one political commentator called “testosterone with a little bit of Tabasco”; Trump not ruling out a third-party candidacy while on the GOP debate stage and also being completely unapologetic about his past disparaging remarks about women (see below); and John Kasich on attending a gay friend’s wedding in response to his feelings about same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, Trump was “very proud of [his] great performance.”
There seemed to be no clear winner, according to conservative pundits, but we feel that it was a strong showing by Kasich, Trump (who received the bulk of the air time and applause) and Christie… and not so much for Walker, Bush and Carson.
Alarming Read: “What if Trump Wins”
Nuts and Bolts: Should Read
2. Suez Canal Opening: Big, Bold And Bonkers
Fireworks, fighter jet shows, blimps, “surprise trains” and Game of Thrones music were all part of the opening ceremony for Egypt’s new Suez Canal connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The ceremony, while certainly overblown for an infrastructure project less complex than one completed 140 years ago, is meant to signal that Egypt’s economic turmoil is behind it and instill optimism in the business community. It might be working as Egypt’s GDP growth rate is expected to hit 4.7 percent.
3. Ferguson A Year Later
In August 2014, the town of Ferguson, Missouri in the U.S. was thrown into turmoil by the shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer. This triggered protests across the country and a nationwide debate on police brutality against African-Americans, racial injustice and the militarization of the police.
In March this year, the U.S. Justice Department ruled that the Ferguson Police Department had engaged in “a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct” against the local black community. A year later and progress has been made, albeit slowly, with greater black political representation in the community but with significant obstacles still in place.
As one resident put it: “it’s sad that it took all of that to happen for people to start paying attention”. A year on and America is still struggling with its ever present racial divide.
Informative Read: “Ferguson Sees Change But Asks If It’s Real”
4. Plane Debris Confirmed To Be Part Of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370
It was finally confirmed Wednesday that the debris found washed ashore on the beaches of Reunion Island is in fact from flight MH370, the Malaysian Airlines flight that disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people on board. It is unlikely, however, that this will lead to any further details as to what exactly caused its disappearance. The findings (given how far it is and how long ago it crashed) will only add fuel to the conspiracy theory fire.
5. Obama To Take On The Climate
We can’t tell if it is the hubris of success or perhaps the near lame-duck status that is making President Barack Obama feel bold, but he is about to take on another big battle this week.
Yesterday, the White House released a video memo outlining Obama’s plan to impose federal limits on the amount of carbon power plants can release. He said it was the “biggest, most important step, we’ve ever taken to combat climate change.”
Meanwhile, the Republicans are still reeling from Obamacare, gay marriage, the Iran Deal… and the Donald.
Loose Nuts: For Your Enjoyment
6. Minion Mania Brings Chaos To Ireland
Minions are fictional, small, yellow animated creatures that “have existed since the beginning of time.” They serve the world’s most evil people and hypnotize children across the world with their yellowness. Audiences have actually paid money to watch the latest Minion film as they shout phrases such as, “me want banana” and “bananonina.”
However, Ireland failed to see the funny side as a giant 40-foot inflatable minion was blown onto a major road causing a traffic accident. Quick-thinking emergency services raced to deflate the Minion to prevent it from causing further havoc. Witnesses were quoted as being relieved that “no one had been injured.” Go back to work, the panic is over!
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WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Pnut Gallery: July 31, 2015 – Week in Review.