Today’s 5 things: Debating, campaigning, remembering

Debating in Michigan, campaigning everywhere and remembering Nancy Reagan. It’s Monday, and here are the five things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE

Michigan melee: Admit it: The GOP debates have been a lot more fun. The Donald and Co. hurl insults and argue about the size of their hands. The Democrats only offer sober policy discussions. Doesn’t mean there weren’t fireworks last night in Flint. Hillary ripped Bernie over his opposition to the auto bailout; Bernie slammed Hillary over her Wall Street ties. They even interrupted each other! Maybe there’s fire in the Dems’ belly after all. Here’s the debate in 90 seconds, the five takeaways and who was lying.

CAMPAIGN 2016

And on the seventh day…:  The day after Super Saturday was not a day of rest. The Dems debated (see above). The GOP candidates got face time on the Sunday talk shows (Ted Cruz), picked up endorsements (John Kasich) and spoke out in favor of torture (yes, The Donald). There was even actual voting by actual voters yesterday: the Maine caucuses went to Bernie Sanders, while Marco Rubio won the Puerto Rico primary. He now heads back to Florida, otherwise known as his last stand.

NANCY REAGAN

Saying goodbye: Condolences and tributes poured in yesterday as word got out that former first lady Nancy Reagan had died. She was remembered as much for her devotion to husband Ronald Reagan as she was for her love of country. Many noted that her death seemed to mark the end of an era: “With the passing of Nancy Reagan, we say a final goodbye to the days of Ronald Reagan,” 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney wrote on Facebook.

YEMEN ATTACK

‘Pointless slaughter’: Even in a country subjected to countless acts of violence, this one sticks out. Sixteen people, including four nuns, were killed on Friday at a home for the elderly in Yemen. The victims were handcuffed and shot in the head. Yesterday, Pope Francis called the nuns — part of a group founded by Mother Teresa — martyrs and prayed for the other victims. No word on who’s responsible. But an al Qaeda-affiliated group in the country says don’t look at them, stating that “it’s not our way of fight.” 

MIGRANT CRISIS

Stopping the flow: A step in the right direction or too little, too late? That’s what everyone’s wondering as a summit on the migrant crisis gets underway today in Brussels. Heads of government from the EU will meet with Turkey’s Prime Minister to talk about staunching the flood of migrants into Europe, many of whom have traveled through Turkey. More than 130,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe so far this year; more than 400 of those have died along the way.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.

Quote of the day:

“We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight”

Jeanne Yu, an executive at Boeing, which is developing a self-cleaning bathroom for airplanes 

Peyton’s parting

It’s curtains for Peyton Manning. The Super Bowl 50-winning QB called it quits yesterday after 18 years.

Cancer fighter

Good news for ex-President Jimmy Carter: he no longer needs treatment for his skin cancer.

Sibling rivalry

Losing to your brother under any circumstances is irritating. Only winning $7 in the lottery while he wins $291 million? Infuriating (but you’ll forgive him).

That sucks

A Florida scuba diver sues a power company after he says he was sucked into a nuclear power plant by an underwater pipe.

AND FINALLY …

Gastronomic surgery

The “Food Surgeon” implants a stick of a Kit Kat into a hollowed-out 3 Musketeers candy bar. Why? Who knows, but it’s oddly riveting.

Exit mobile version