Notations on Our World (Weekly Edition): On the Week That Was In Our World (Updated)

As a new week dawns,  our team decided to do a "snapshot" of the week that was as we await the fate of Jamal Khasoggi (as Saudi Arabia Came out Swinging) , assess the aftermath of Hurricane Michael,  the midterms loom and as the President of the United States sat down with 60 Minutes .   As we went to press with this snapshot, we were seeing reports of Cleaning Crews going into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul as Turkish Investigators were preparing to enter the Consulate to do a search to investigate what actually happened--and as President Trump asserted that rogue killers may have killed the Journalist: 




Will the Disappearance of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Bring Down the US-Saudi Alliance?
Journalist James M. Dorsey says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has suffered significant reputational damage on the eve of a major global trade conference known as Vision 2030 or  “Davos in the Desert”

Climate Crisis is Even More Dire Than the New IPCC Report Says
The IPCC’s new report is groundbreaking, but it misses crucial points on climate tipping points and feedbacks that could make the crisis even more urgent, says Durwood Zaelke of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

Israeli Authorities Step Up anti-BDS Policies: Political Test to Enter Israel
Israel border authorities have detained US-Palestinian student for her alleged Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activism, denying her entry into Israel, despite having a visa. Tallie Ben-Daniel of Jewish voice for Peace discusses the case and what it means for the BDS movement

What Does Low Unemployment Rate Mean When Most Jobs Created Are Low Wage?
3.9% Unemployment rate with almost half of new jobs low wage no benefits. And how many stopped looking for work? Saurav Sarkar of the Institute for Policy Studies discusses what’s behind the numbers

Author of New IPCC Report Says She Still Has Hope
The IPCC’s new report says we could face irreversible consequences of climate change by as soon as 2030, but a coordinating lead author of the report says policymakers, businesses, and individuals can still make big changes to protect our future

Is the U.S. Complicit in Saudi Journalist's Disappearance?
President Trump says the US is pressing Saudi Arabia for answers on the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But new questions are being raised about the US role after a Washington Post report that U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials discussing a plan to capture and “lay hands on” Khashoggi. We speak to…

Trump Tears up Treaties Pushing for War on Iran, Using Bush-Style Iraq Lies
As the US ramps up aggression against Iran, withdrawing from agreements and imposing crippling sanctions, Iranians fear Trump and the neocons he surrounded himself with want war – and are echoing Bush-era Iraq “WMD” lies to justify it



It's Time for Chuck Schumer to Go
I'm sure he's a swell guy and a good fundraiser, but Chuck Schumer is not a wartime consigliere. And he is not suited to these times; he's too close to Wall Street and his latest deal with Mitch McConnell makes him look like the biggest sucker in two cordovans. At this point, I don't see a way for the Democrats to take the Senate. But, majority or minority, Chuck Schumer ought to be done as a leader of the Democratic Party in this moment. Gold watch, a hearty handshake, a warm ovation, and off the stage with him. Read More
Anderson Cooper Offered a Stunning Reminder of Where Our President's Attention Isn't
We were treated to another Presidential Circus on Thursday when Kanye West met Donald Trump in the Oval Office for the Narcissism Summit. All the while, though, the Florida Panhandle—and, soon enough, Georgia—was dealing with the worst storm ever to make landfall there. Hurricane Michael slammed into the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 with 155 mile-per-hour winds. It was the most powerful storm to hit the United States in 50 years. That observation was part of a remarkable segment Cooper put together last night, in which he placed footage of the Donald-Kanye summit next to footage of the devastating aftermath of the third-most violently powerful hurricane ever to strike this country. Read More


The Fix •  Analysis
13 ads that define these midterm elections
Republicans are hugging Trump while Democrats suddenly want to talk about health care after years of avoiding it.
By Amber Phillips  •  Read more »
Analysis
Unfortunately for Trump, approval ratings are based on more than unemployment rates
A look at 70 years of approval ratings.
By Philip Bump  •  Read more »
Stephen Miller used to eat glue, his third-grade teacher said. The school placed her on leave.
School officials are reviewing concerns about whether the teacher improperly released private student information in the interview she gave to a reporter.
By Eli Rosenberg  •  Read more »
Trump administration weighs new family-separation effort at border
Determined to stem crossings, officials are considering asking parents to choose between detention or separation.
By Nick Miroff, Josh Dawsey and Maria Sacchetti  •  Read more »

‘Impolite arrogant woman’: Sen. Elizabeth Warren turns John Kelly’s insult into a rallying cry
The White House may have inadvertently gifted a potent catchphrase to a 2020 Democratic front-runner.
By Alex Horton  •  Read more »


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