Notations From the Grid (Special Friday Editon): Out & About in Our World

As we went to press, our view is that the Confirmation Vote for President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court appears imminent.   The President was implicated by the New York Times about avoiding Taxes--vehemently denied by the White House.    This is also as Iran won in the International Criminal Court based on a 1955 Treaty of Friendship which then Prompted the Secretary of State to cancel the Treaty.   Our team felt the lawsuit to be frivolous.   We continue to assess on-going matters in Iran including  The most important matter-   the on-going strike by the Truckers in Iran that has led to some 170 arrests so far.   

Our team complied a snapshot of the World This week including The Economist and the Real News Network along with Vox and Esquire:  

Trump Officials Headline Pro-Regime Change Summit on Iran

John Bolton and Mike Pompeo headlined the annual United Against Nuclear Iran summit, where speakers celebrated the strangling of the Iranian economy under U.S. sanctions and cheered on regime change. We report from inside the summit

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Disaster Profiteers vs. the People of Puerto Rico

One year after Hurricane Maria, counting the dead is one of many challenges that Puerto Rico faces under massive debt, crippling austerity, and disaster profiteers. Aaron Maté speaks to writer and educator Rima Brusi and Carla Minet of the Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico

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German Far-Right Uses ‘Judeo-Christian’ Values to Polish its Racism

Shir Hever discusses the new Jewish section in the “Alternative to Germany” far-right party in Germany, and the way that pro-Israeli politics are used to mask Islamophobia, racism against Jews and the xenophobia

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Sanders Calls for Kavanaugh Perjury Investigation – Where are the Democrats? A Q&A with Paul Jay

Dharna Noor and Paul Jay discuss the announcement by Mitch McConnell that a Senate vote will be held before the end of this week and a letter from Sen. Bernie Sanders calling for an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh’s possible perjury

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LA Teachers May Be Forced to Strike for More School Funding

Los Angeles teachers are now in mediation over wages, evaluation, smaller class size and school funding. The teachers have authorized their union to call a strike if negotiations fail

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Department of Justice Sues California to Stop its Net Neutrality Law

In a highly contradictory move, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is telling California that only the federal government has the authority to regulate internet service, while at the same time maintaining that it cannot (will not?) regulate it either. We speak to Ernesto Falcon, legal counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation

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Could Obama’s Endorsement Help Ben Jealous Defeat Larry Hogan?

Marc Steiner weighs in on the Maryland Governor’s race, where a popular Republican incumbent has a double digit lead over the Sanders-inspired Democrat

including the late This week our cover focuses on China’s investment in Europe, which has soared in recent years. Many investments are private, profit-seeking and harmless, but China is also buying political influence. The Czech president, Milos Zeman, wants his country to be China’s “unsinkable aircraft-carrier”. Last year Greece stopped the EU from criticising China’s human-rights record at a UN forum. Hungary and Greece prevented the EU from backing a court ruling against China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. Europe’s experience matters to the rest of the world, which also takes Chinese money, and even more to America, which is Europe’s chief ally. What can Europe do to enjoy the benefits of Chinese investment but minimise the threats?  Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s picks Here are the highlights from the current edition General Electric Blame game John Flannery could not reverse the mistakes of former GE chiefs rapidly enough. Will Larry Culp do better? Business Italy’s new budget Luigi Di Maio tries to take charge More spending for his supporters is a way of countering the rise of Matteo Salvini. But Brussels does not like it Europe Lexington From #MeToo to #ScrewYou Inspired by Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump elects to take on American women United States The changing labour market Serfs up Worries about the rise of the gig economy are mostly overblown Finance and economics Crime in South Africa Gun town How Cape Town has become one of the world’s most violent cities Middle East and Africa School bullying The unhappiest days of their lives Surveys in Britain and America consistently show that the biggest worry parents have for their school-age children is that they will be bullied International Europe’s potato shortage The chips are down A long, hot summer has left tattie crops in tatters Europe Film Data with destiny More than 90% of the world’s data appeared in the past two years. From privacy to politics, Facebook to facial recognition, discover the true impact of this data revolution Is the president a crook? New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called for a state investigation to potentially recoup millions of dollars in taxes from President Trump that were not paid because of various family tax schemes, reported in an EPIC NEW YORK TIMES INVESTIGATION. BLOOMBERG. Related: The passage of time and weakly enforced tax laws make it unlikely the president will be prosecuted on criminal charges, but that doesn’t diminish the accusations. NEW YORK MAGAZINE. More: The Times thoroughly traced Trump’s past, but those tax returns he won’t release could indicate if he’s still up to similar tricks. VOX   This Vicious Buffoon Is a Vessel for All the Worst Elements of the American Condition   This video of Donald Trump, American President, mocking Dr. Christine Blasey Ford should be the only news from now until Election Day, and probably beyond that, all the way to the next Election Day in 2020 as well. This video captures perfectly where we are as a nation at this moment in history. It shows with startling clarity the end result of civic disengagement and democratic apathy. It shows without question that we have allowed our republic to fall into the hands of a sociopath whose feeling for his fellow human beings can be measured against a poker chip. We have had good presidents and bad—a Buchanan is followed by a Lincoln who is followed by an Andrew Johnson, and so forth. But we never have had such a cheap counterfeit of a president* as currently occupies the office. Read More