Hard Numbers: Gonzalez shuns summons, Defense contractors make bank, Anger over Nigerian plane purchase, Brazil’s gay community on edge, Former GOP staffers back Harris, Oasis returns
2: On Monday, Venezuela’s top prosecutor issued a second summons for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez to answer charges that his party violated electoral law by posting results from the July 28 election independently of state authorities. Those results suggested Gonzalez won in a landslide, countering the government’s still-unsubstantiated claim that President Nicolas Maduro won the vote. Gonzalez, who’s been in hiding since the vote, says he won’t comply because the terms of his appearance aren’t clear. If he fails to show up, the government can issue a third summons, which permits the police to arrest him.
52 billion: War, huh ... what is it good for? Absolutely everything — if you sell weapons for a living. With two major wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza, dozens of smaller conflicts burning, and countries worldwide warily arming themselves to the teeth these days, the top 15 defense contractors are set to rake in a free cash flow of $52 billion by the end of 2026. That’s more than double what they made in 2021.
$100 million: This is just plane dumb politics. While his country struggles with soaring inflation and deepening poverty, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has outraged members of his government and ordinary Nigerians by buying a new presidential jet for $100 million. A spokesperson for Tinubu – who has pushed through painful subsidy cuts and other reforms to put Nigeria on firmer macroeconomic footing – said they got the aircraft at a bargain price.
5: Brazil’s gay community is on edge amid a spate of incidents in which men were lured with fake profiles on dating apps and then robbed or killed. At least 5 such murders have occurred in recent months. Public safety watchdog groups say killings motivated by homophobia in Brazil shot up by more than 40% last year, and that the 214 recorded cases are likely an undercount. Activists say authorities are often reluctant to investigate these crimes as hate crimes specifically.
238: Former Republican staffers have signed a letter saying that a second Donald Trump presidency would be “untenable” and that advancing the policy goals of Project 2025 would "hurt real, everyday people and weaken our sacred institutions.” The 238 signatories, including former staffers under President George W. Bush, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, endorsedKamala Harris for president.
14: If you thought you’d never get a chance to hear “Wonderwall” at Wembley Stadium, think again. The famed 1990’s band Oasis have — after a 15-year split fueled by differences between the Gallagher brothers — announced a reunion tour with 14 shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland for next year. Tickets go on sale on Saturday.