Notations On Our World (Special Edition): Weekly #RandomThoughts on Our World

The Prime Minister of Lebanon has resigned as protests continue.   Hassan Diab admitted the corruption and the ineptitude in his final speech as the future of Lebanon is murky--especially as in our view Hezbollah will not go quietly.  Al Jazeera's Marwan Bishara underscored it: 

   As our team continues to assess it, we decided to feature these clips from the 2019 protests by the Revolution DJ Madi Karimeh  that is so poignant for the moment:

This is as our team has been assessing the on-going developments in India & Turkey and analyzing the latest from the Financial Times' Gideon Rachman as , "..  Narendra Modi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan have grandiose views of themselves as refounders of their own nations. In rejecting secularism, both the Indian and Turkish leaders are remaking their countries as faith-based states..."  

It has also been quite a week On the US Political Scene--We hereby present a sampling of the discourse over Social Media along with the on-going situation in Iran as COVID-19 rages and nationwide strikes continue--The National University Exams was postponed in light of the raging pandemic as we went to press: 

Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): On the Prowl For #Election2020 In the United States

President Trump @ Walter Reed (Source: President Trump's Personal Twitter Feed) 

While "Out & about" on the #Election2020 watch here in the United States, our Team chose the following perspectives courtesy Seth Meyers & Trevor Noah & ABC News' as   interview  with President Trump's Niece, Mary Trump  on her book.   This is as President Trump relaunched his daily #COVID-19 Briefings after having embraced masks as a Patriotic Duty earlier in the week through his Social Media Channels--as we also note this interesting perspective from the Al Jazeera' English Marwan Bishara: 

Our team will continue to assess what is going on in Portland as reports were of the Defense Secretary expressing concerns about Federal Agents dressing up as Soldiers and as plans were apparently sending to cities like Chicago: 

Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets: Federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14.Lie/Deny/Divide

We hereby note a sampling of the coverage by US Media over the past two weeks (as there was some good news on a vaccine for COVID-19), as the push for School openings continued, as COVID-19 continued to rage on courtesy The Washington Post, The Atlantic RedState & Other Media Outlets  as #Election2020 is well on its' way: 

1. There is no mystery in the number of Americans dying of COVID-19.

This summer surge in deaths was entirely predictable by looking honestly at the case and hospitalization data that preceded it, Alexis C. Madrigal explains.

2. America needs to prepare for a double pandemic.

This is what keeps our Science reporter Ed Yong up at night. “If America could underperform so badly against one rapidly spreading virus,” he asks, “how would it fare against two?”

3. We talked to Anthony Fauci. He called efforts by the White House to discredit him “bizarre.”

But no, he hasn’t thought about resigning. “I just want to do my job,” he told our reporters. “I’m really good at it.”

4. The pandemic will force some to face their cognitive dissonance.

“When the facts clash with their preexisting convictions, some people would sooner jeopardize their health and everyone else’s than accept new information or admit to being wrong,” two social psychologists write.

Trump replaces Brad Parscale as campaign manager amid reelection staff shake-up Amid sluggish polls that show him struggling to find footing against Democratic rival Joe Biden, President Trump announced he will promote deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien to campaign manager. The president shared on Wednesday that current campaign manager Brad Parscale will become a senior adviser to his reelection campaign and will also continue his work leading the digital and data strategies team. Read the full story here.

World White House takes aim at Anthony Fauci over Covid-19 comments Outspoken public face of US administration’s coronavirus response appears to be increasingly sidelined JULY 12, 2020 by Courtney Weaver in Washington

Lindsey Graham says he'll grant request from Democrats for Mueller to testify Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said he would invite special counsel Robert Mueller to testify as part of the Republican-led panel’s investigation into the origins and conduct of the Trump-Russia investigation. “Apparently Mr. Mueller is willing — and also capable — of defending the Mueller investigation through an oped in the Washington Post," the South Carolina Republican tweeted on Sunday. “Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have previously requested Mr. Mueller appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about his investigation. That request will be granted.” Mueller, a former FBI director, wrote an opinion article in the Washington Post on Saturday arguing that Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser to President Trump, "remains a convicted felon, and rightfully so." Whether Mueller accepts Graham's invitation remains to be seen. Read the full story here.

'Fauci is not 100% right': Top HHS official pushes back on infectious disease expert's recommendations Adm. Brett Giroir pushed back on some of the public health recommendations made by his colleague on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Anthony Fauci. "I respect Dr. Fauci a lot, but Dr. Fauci is not 100% right, and he also doesn't necessarily, he admits that, have the whole national interest in mind," Giroir said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. "He looks at it at a very narrow public health point of view."

Trump Tells Minnesota Governor to Go Jump In a Lake, Denies Request for ‘Disaster’ Relief After Riots     READ STORY

'Kids need to go back': Betsy DeVos calls CDC guidelines 'flexible' while pushing for fall school reopening Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said it's up to local leadership to start preparing for the reopening of schools across the country this fall, calling guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "just that." The coronavirus pandemic, which has transferred classroom environments to remote learning since March, is set to be a major concern on how to safely resume schools as early as next month. "Kids need to be back in school, and that school leaders across the country need to be making plans to do just that," DeVos said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. Read the full story here.

Roger Stone is still a criminal President Trump granted clemency to Roger Stone just a few days before Stone was set to start his prison sentence. This decision was a mistake, as many of his advisers, administration officials, and fellow Republicans reportedly told him. And to understand why, it’s worth remembering why Stone was sentenced to prison in the first place. Stone denied under oath that he had had contact with Guccifer 2.0 or Julian Assange, a blatant lie that obstructed Mueller’s investigation and Congress’s subsequent probe. He then attempted to prevent InfoWars conspiracy theorist Roger Credico from telling Congress the truth about his coordination with Assange. As a result, Stone was charged with and convicted of obstructing the House’s investigation, lying to investigators under oath, and tampering with a witness who would have exposed his lies. These are serious offenses that reek of political malpractice and corruption — two things Trump promised to fight when he vowed to “drain the swamp.” Stone’s pardon makes it clear that Trump has no intention, and perhaps he never did, of draining the swamp or its villains. Read the full story here.

Taking a harder line on masks

Leaving home without a mask can be an expensive business these days. Almost four months after the pandemic peaked in Germany, Berlin’s transport authorities were this week given permission to slap a 50-euro ($56) fine on passengers who don’t cover their faces. That’s just 10 euros less than the penalty for traveling without a ticket. Other European cities are charging miscreants even more. Since the end of June, unmasked travelers on the London Underground are threatened with a 100-pound ($125) penalty, while getting caught on the Paris Metro costs 135 euros. Like other countries, Germany is trying to reduce the chances of a second wave of infections later in the year. And when it comes to taking trains, buses and trams, an official recommendation may well go unheeded — despite the health risks to other passengers. A traveler wearing a protective face mask buys a train ticket at Hauptbahnhof main railway station in Berlin Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe As a result, cities across Europe have been forced to take a harder line. In the French capital, for example, transport workers initially barred anyone who wasn’t protected from stations, a tactic that appears to have paid off. The Swiss have generally been less willing to play ball, judging from the government’s decision to tighten its rules on protective clothing earlier this month after infections accelerated. Even before the outbreak, face coverings were relatively common in Asian countries such as Japan, China and Hong Kong. Since the start of March, more than 50 nations around the world — from Vietnam to Venezuela — have made masks mandatory in at least some public areas. A notable exception is the U.S., where the government merely recommends that individuals wear face coverings, although some states have stricter face-covering measures. Wearing a mask “isn’t always a pleasure,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn has acknowledged, but he says it could make the difference in the battle to contain the virus. Paul Ziemiak, the secretary general of Angela Merkel’s party, is trying to increase its appeal. “Wearing a mask is sexy,” he tweeted last week. — Andrew Blackman

The race for a vaccine

Photographer: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP Photographer: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP Watching the Race Companies large and small are engaged in a high-velocity race to find a way to keep people safe from the coronavirus. Keep track of the latest developments in the hunt for a vaccine with our interactive graphic.

World Mueller defends conviction of Roger Stone and Russia probe Former special counsel breaks silence after Trump commutes sentence of longtime friend JULY 12, 2020 by Courtney Weaver in Washington FAUCI vs. Peter Navaro: Fauci, "..he's in a World on his own".... White House, "...he's gone rogue"... Director of strategic communication:  It is his opinion **Based on what was published in USA Today"  As the coronavirus crisis spins out of control, Trump issues directives — but still no clear plan By Philip Rucker, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Ashley Parker ●  Read more » Two crimes benefited Trump’s campaign in 2016. Ever since, the president has worked to block scrutiny of those schemes. By Rosalind Helderman ●  Read more » Trump’s 5 worst predictions on coronavirus Analysis ●  By Aaron Blake ●  Read more » The first governor to contract the coronavirus was also among the most cavalier about it Analysis ●  By Aaron Blake ●  Read more » Trump shows no interest in acknowledging, much less addressing, anti-black police violence Analysis ●  By Eugene Scott ●  Read more » The rise and humiliating fall of Jeff Sessions, a cautionary tale for other Republicans Analysis ●  By Amber Phillips ●  Read more » ’16 Syndrome: Pennsylvanians broadly back Biden — but worry about a secret Trump surge Analysis ●  By Philip Bump ●  Read more » What are you curious about in politics? Read more »

Notations From the Grid (Week-End Edition): #RandomThoughts For the Week-End

It has been quite a week where we were witness to a concerted campaign to stop execution in Iran--Over 6 Million Tweets were sent and members of our team joined this effort.  We have also been on prowl as the Pandemic continues to wreck havoc as our team works away on on-going projects. 

We wanted to begin the weekend on a positive note.  We hereby present this for our community--A beautiful rendition of an ancient Iranian Classic by Shajarian as we remind all of our Esparanza Virtual Town Hall and remind all to #WearAMaskSaveALife:

Notations On Our World (Special Mid-Week Edition): On Our World

 COVID-19 rages on--we in the United States are one of the major epicenters in the World.      We had featured a Virtual PSA throughout our properties to provide guidance courtesy the Centers for Disease Control here in the United States that we will continue to maintain throughout our Visions, Education, Esparanza and Ordinary Faces Platforms--as we hope all our valued community visitors and partners are uplifted by this.   This was written by Kelmti Horra and her iconic scenes when she stood up during the Tunisian Revolution of 2011 that saw Tunisia be Free--the only success of the Arab Spring.   Although Tunisia has been the victim of terrorism, it has enjoyed a sense of Freedom unseen in other parts of the Arab World.    This is as Libya is in chaos, Egypt is ruled by a dictator while grappling with massive unemployement and a raging insurgency in the Sinai, Yemen is a continued human tragedy and Lebanon is in the midst of the worst economic crisis it has seen since the end of the Civil War.    There is, of course, Syria.      

We must note the only success story which is the United Arab Emirates as it is a island of stability as it is now planning on a mission to Mars as it also has been at the forefront of the struggle against COVID-19.     We have also been assessing Bahrain as well--that continues to be sustained through the support of Saudi Arabia.     Saudi Arabia has also been quite busy along with Iraq--as the New Prime Minister of Iraq has profound challenges trying to right the ship in Iran.  This is a snapshot of what the UAE has been up to : 

We have also been assessing the situation in Iran as the controversy over the 25 year proposed agreement with China, the raging COVID-19 pandemic that has led to a shutdown in the Capital along with the economic collapse.  We have also been assessing the on-going US Election Scene for which Notations will be released.   This Thought Resonated with us: