Traffic Jams, a Polygamy App, and the Drug War Finds a New Target: The VICE Morning Bulletin

If Something Sounds 'Too Good to be True' It Probably Isn't
Indonesia has a problem with fakes. The latest instance of someone being exposed for lying about their achievements hit the presses with the very public takedown of Dwi Hartanto, an aerospace engineer once heralded as "the next Habibie." Dwi is a PhD candidate in a university in the Netherlands, but he claimed to be so much more. He told reporters that he was involved with projects with Airbus, Eurofighter, NASA, JAXA, and the ESA—and the Indonesian press ate it all up. Why do we keep falling into the same trap? Experts say blind nationalism and lack in literacy in science and technology are to blame.—VICE

New Electronic Toll System Fails Miserably, Actually Causes MORE Traffic
Talk about unexpected results. A plan to roll out an electronic toll system, called e-Money here, in order to reduce traffic on the country's toll ways had the opposite effect—traffic actually got worse. The issue was that toll booth operators were suddenly told they couldn't accept cash anymore, a change that left thousands of motorists with no way to pay the toll. Traffic backed up, people got mad, and the central bank stepped in a said every gets a free e-Money toll card from now on. —Katadata/ Detik

Anti-Narcotics Chief Lashes Out Against Death Penalty Critics, Accuses Them of Working for 'Drug Syndicates'
Budi Waseso isn't exactly known for his soft touch when it comes to drug trafficking. The head of Indonesia's anti-narcotics agency (BNN) has said that he wants to jail drug traffickers on an island prison guarded by crocodiles and piranhas. He's expressed admiration of Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte's own bloody crack down that's left as many as 5,000 dead. So, of course, Budi wasn't too happy about the growing chorus of critics calling on the central government to end its controversial policy of sentencing convicted drug traffickers to death.

The BNN chief slammed Amnesty International ("What has Amnesty International ever done for this nation?"), accused human rights defenders of working for drug syndicates ("What if they are part of the drug mafia syndicate?"), and said he had a better idea that shooting drug traffickers ("If we just chopped them up, there would be no need for them to be shot."). —Coconuts

Cops Complain About Latest Teen Trend: Putting Thai License Plates on Your Motorbike
The roads of Java are starting to look a bit more like Thailand. That's because teen motorists are, for some reason, replacing their Indonesian license plates with Thai ones. The local police are, understandably, pissed off. But at least they are keeping a sense of humor about it. Police in Karawang posted a warning on Instagram telling motorists to not to change their vehicle plates. "Sawadee khap, we can learn Thai, but you don't have to change your license plates, you know."—Detik

Officer Fatally Shot at Texas Tech University
A campus police officer was shot and killed inside the university's police station Monday night while questioning a student about a drugs case. The suspect, 19-year-old Hollis A. Daniels, was arrested one hour after the university issued at emergency warning at around 8:30 pm.—The New York Times

UN Busts Ships Found Moving Goods for North Korea
The United Nations said four ships had broken sanctions placed on Pyongyang by "transporting prohibited goods," and would no longer be allowed to stop at any member nations' ports. One vessel was reportedly registered in North Korea, a second in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and a third in Comoros. The registration of one ship was not recorded.—AP

Turkey Asks US to Rethink Visa Ban
Turkey's foreign ministry has called on the US embassy to end a suspension placed on visa services following the arrest of a consulate staffer in the capital of Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the restriction as "upsetting." The Turkish lira has fallen 3.4 percent over the dispute.—Reuters

One-Third of Adults Will Be Overweight by 2025, Study Finds
The World Obesity Federation estimates that 2.7 billion adults across the globe will be overweight or obese within two decades. The organization said the "alarming" medical costs of obesity-related illnesses would amount to at least £1.2 trillion ($1.6 trillion USD) a year, beginning in 2025.—The Guardian

That Polygamy Marriage App is Back
It was like Tinder for Indonesia's wanna-be polygamists. The app, AyoPoligami, aimed to connect men with their second (or third, or fourth) wife through a service that was basically an Islamic dating site. It was, obviously, pretty controversial right from the start and it didn't take long for the app's creator to pull it down.

But now the app is back, this time with stricter rules, according to founder Lindu Cipta Pranayama. Users now need to upload an image of their government ID, as well as a permission slip from their current wife. "Sex chat" will no longer be allowed and interested parties will only have one week to meet in person. But that whole polygamy thing, the part that generated all that controversy in the first place? It's apparently here to stay. —Jakarta Post

ESPN Suspends Host Over NFL Protest Tweet
Jemele Hill was slapped with a two-week suspension after suggesting her followers could boycott the Dallas Cowboys' advertisers. She tweeted the message after Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones said players who took a knee during the anthem would not play. Last month, Hill described President Trump as a "white supremacist" on Twitter.—The Washington Post

Trailer for New 'Star Wars' Unveiled
The first glimpse of Star Wars: The Last Jedi aired during Monday Night Football, with director Rian Johnson warning of spoilers beforehand. The first batch of tickets for Episode VIII went on sale online after the trailer was shown.—TIME

Chance the Rapper Live Streams Encounter with the Cops
The artist filmed and shared a traffic stop on Instagram Sunday. "Just want y'all to be here in case it gets out of hand," he said. Illinois police said Chance's companion Kirsten Corley was given a warning after being stopped for a moving violation.—Chicago Sun-Times