Notations From the Grid (Special Mid-Week Edition): A Daily Snapshot Of the Middle East ((Courtesy Al-Monitor)

 

Turkey 1 Manbij holds the key to improved Turkish-US ties Ankara is worried the United States and Russia may be working on a deal in Syria that will be to Turkey's disadvantage.

Washington 2 Top Democrats urge Gulf to drop demand for Houthi surrender in Yemen Some of the House’s most hawkish Democratic leaders rebuked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their offensive on the key port of Hodeidah.

Iraq 3 Billion dollar debt, heat wave push Iran to cut electricity to Iraq Iran has cut off electricity supplies to Iraq amid increased consumption during a hot spell and reports of massive accrued debt by Baghdad, sparking a wave of protests in central and southern Iraqi regions.

Iran 4 Why Putin won’t throw Iran under the bus in Syria Despite speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin may sacrifice Iran's interests in his upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump, Russian policy appears geared toward gaining concessions from the Americans without going beyond Iran’s red lines in Syria.

Israel 5 US administration silent on Israel's occupation policy Contrary to former US administrations, President Donald Trump accepts Israel's ongoing occupation and settlement policies without requiring concessions for the Palestinians.

Egypt 6 Egyptian banks to forgive interest on certain loans The Central Bank of Egypt is willing to overlook the interest on some customers' loans to recover principal that otherwise might not be repaid.

Jordan 7 Syrian truce relieves pressure on Jordan's border Jordan pressured Syrian rebels to cede control of the southern province of Daraa and the strategic Nassib border crossing to Syria.

8 Pompeo looks to career diplomat for State's No. 3 post Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was expected to recommend the nomination of career diplomat David Hale, currently the US ambassador to Pakistan, to be undersecretary of state for political affairs.

Israel 9 Israeli right dreams of third temple in Jerusalem Israeli right-wing politicians resumed visits to the Temple Mount after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the ban on Knesset members visiting the site.

Egypt 10 Egypt rejects EU plan to force refugees into camps The debate over the European Union’s plan to set up centers for migrants in North Africa and the Middle East has been rekindled in Egypt, where officials reiterated their rejection of such centers.

Iraq 11 Why many Iraqi Kurds keep the tradition of cockfighting alive Cockfighting in Iraq still provides many men with a nightly escape despite the efforts of animal welfare activists to ban blood sports.

12 Can dry hotels boost Tunisia's ailing tourism sector? In 2014, Tunisia had only one alcohol-free hotel. Now, as their number rises, the government is less than pleased.

13 Iran moves closer to reinstating Zoroastrian city councilor Iran’s Expediency Council is inching closer to reinstating an elected Zoroastrian member of a city council after a controversial suspension over his faith.

Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): Out & About in Our World....

It  has been quite an interesting few weeks in our World as the United States has embarked upon a trade war with the World.   It began with President Trump imposing 34 Billion Dollars in Tariffs which was then matched by China.   Canada and the European Union have also been in President Trump's Cross Hairs.   As we went to press, President Trump was on the air for the NATO Summit, a State Visit to the UK along with a meeting with Russian President Putin.  

As we went to press, we wanted to share the first of two perspective on what China Daily--one of the many official publications of China--touted about China's Commitment to World Trade as we also wanted to note recent chaos in the UK in the aftermath of resignations in the UK Cabinet with profound potential issues with World-Wide Trade:

Notations From the Grid (W-End Edition): Out & About in Our World

As part of our commitment to present all views, please enjoy this courtesy of the team at Reason.Com & Common Dreams as we wish all a great weekend: 

After Months of Scandals, Scott Pruitt Resigns EPA Post President Trump announced the EPA administrator's departure in a pair of tweets. By Joe Setyon

United Gates of America: The Trump Administration's Relentless Assault on Legal Immigration It is systematically jamming every legal channel with red tape. By Shikha Dalmia

Defying Congress, Jeff Sessions Keeps Blocking Medical Marijuana Research Two years after accepting applications, the DEA has yet to grant licenses to growers. By Mike Riggs

Another Justice Like Gorsuch, Please Contrary to what his critics say, this "narrow-minded elitist" stands up for the little guy. By Jacob Sullum

The Debt Clock Keeps Spinning Federal debt now equals 78 percent of gross domestic product. By Steve Chapman

The Government's Economic Illogic Is on Display President Trump’s tariffs are just part of the problem. By Veronique de Rugy

Europe Delays Plan to Destroy the Internet With Terrible Copyright Enforcement Proposal Lawmakers resist plan that would likely lead to widespread censorship of online media sharing. By Scott Shackford

Facebook Algorithm Flags, Removes Declaration of Independence Text as Hate Speech The social media site has a difficult time telling the difference between white nationalist ravings and the writing of Thomas Jefferson. By Christian Britschgi

Trump Ignores Critics, Claims ‘Everyone Is Very Excited’ About Space Force In President Trump’s world, “everyone” is absolutely thrilled about his widely criticized plans to establish an entirely new branch of the U.S. military. By Joe Setyon

Come to FreedomFest, Featuring the Reason Media Awards, July 11-14 The nation's only magazine of "Free Minds and Free Markets" is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Las Vegas next week. Come. On. Out. By Nick Gillespie

Man Faces 30 Years in Prison on Child Porn Charges for Taking Sexy Photos of 17-Year-Old Girlfriend When He was 20 Since Ohio's age of consent is 16, it was legal for Edward Marrero to have sex but not to sext. By Robby Soave

He Was Assaulted by Three Teens at Work, But He’s Going to Prison for Defending Himself Gaps in Connecticut's self-defense law lead to 18-month sentence. By Scott Shackford

Man Sues Police Department After Video of His Tasing Goes Viral Sean Williams is suing the Lancaster Police Department after he says a tasing violated the Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. By Zuri Davis

Al Qaeda-Linked Somali Terrorist Group Bans Plastic Bags Al-Shabab has declared plastic bags "a serious threat to the well-being of humans and animals alike." By Christian Britschgi Feature... Finally! 'Victory for People and the Planet' as EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns by Julia Conley, staff writer The White House announced Thursday that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned, following months of mounting scandals regarding his misuse of taxpayer funds for his lavish travel expenses, the extreme secrecy with which he ran the agency, his treatment of his... News... Pruitt Gone, But "No Happy Ending" for Planet as Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler Takes Over EPA by Jake Johnson, staff writer While the long-overdue departure of ceaselessly corrupt EPA chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday was undoubtedly a small win for the public and the planet, environmentalists were quick to note that "there's no happy ending to this story" as Pruitt is being replaced by former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, who worked for years as an aide to fervent climate-denier Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.). 'Actions Speak Louder Than Words': Prominent Group 'End Citizens United' Called Out for Backing Democrats Drowning in Corporate Cash by Jake Johnson, staff writer At first glance, the prominent political action committee End Citizens United (ECU) appears to be dedicated to channeling widespread grassroots anger at corporate money in politics into promoting candidates who reject cash from big business and support bold campaign finance reform. But a closer look at the candidates ECU endorses and funds reveals that the organization frequently uses its vast resources to reinforce the poisonous status quo. 'Sickening': Bill Shine Goes From Covering Up Sexual Harassment at Fox News to Trump's White House by Julia Conley, staff writer While President Donald Trump's appointment of former Fox News executive Bill Shine to a top communications role was unsurprising to critics, many denounced the selection as the latest signal that the president holds contempt for the concerns of women. After Popular Uproar, 20-Foot-Tall Angry Trump Baby Blimp Gets Okay to Fly Over London During President's UK Visit by Jake Johnson, staff writer Citizens of the world have shown throughout the past year and five months that there is no shortage of unique ways to peacefully register outrage against deeply unpopular U.S. President Donald Trump, and on Thursday London Mayor Sadiq Khan decided that flying a 20-foot-tall Trump baby blimp is just one of the "many different forms" dissent can take. EU Votes Down 'Disastrous' Copyright Proposal Aimed at Transforming Internet Into Virtual 'Censorship Machine' by Julia Conley, staff writer Digital rights activists on Thursday applauded the European Parliament's rejection of a broad new copyright law proposal which critics warned would threaten the open internet and result in widespread censorship and control of users. As Global 1% Seize Economy's Gains, 'Unprecedented Wage Stagnation' for Everyone Else by Jake Johnson, staff writer The world's largest economies have grown at a steady pace and unemployment has consistently fallen in the years following the greed-driven global financial crisis of 2008, but income gains during the so-called recovery have been enjoyed almost exclusively by the top one percent while most workers experience "unprecedented wage stagnation." More News Views... Young Leftist Candidates Are Breathing New Radicalism Into Stale Climate Politics by Kate Aronoff If Ocasio-Cortez’s election marks a new era for the Democratic Party, what will that mean for its climate politics? There’s an All-Out War on Kids, and Not Just on the Border by George Goehl What we’re witnessing at our border is one part of a war against all children — whether by cuts to schools, child nutrition, health care, safe air and water, or family-supporting jobs. Arrogant Supreme Court Justices Trample the Law in Service of the Rich by Jesse Jackson These are right-wing lawless judges ignoring the laws and will of our elected representatives and trampling the dictates of legal precedent. Why We're Protesting Trump's Visit by Flying an Inflatable Trump Baby Over London by Leo Murray To really get through to Trump, you have to get down on his level and talk to him in a language he understands: personal insults. Conservatives Will Always Call Socialists Hypocrites. Ignore Them. by Elizabeth Bruenig As more left-flank challengers face off with center-left incumbents and more democratic socialists begin looking toward public office.... beware. Why They Risked Everything to Occupy ICE by Will Bunch The populist appeal of the “Abolish ICE” movement clearly caught the Beltway pundit crowd completely flat-footed, which of course is about as surprising as Wile E. Coyote and his Acme jet pack slamming into a desert rock at 200 mph.