Notations From the Grid (Special Mid-Week Edition): A Window Into Our World Over the Past 24 Hours

As our team reported on the White House Daily Press Briefing Yesterday, the highlight of it was the major gaffee by Press Secretary Sean Spicer that he then issued an apology for.  Our team was monitoring Twitter overnight and released updates throughout the night.   He also noted how Iran was among the "failed states"--which is not quite correct. This is as we see Venezuela in a state of near collapse. 

As we assessed our World, our team picked up this  snapshot was released courtesy of the team at Eurasia which captures the essence of the challenging world we live in:

• Erdogan Isn’t As Strong As He Looks: That’s What Makes Him Dangerous – OpEd
• Did Iran Just Violate The Chemical Weapons Convention? – OpEd
• Syria Strike: The Better Of Two Possible Outcomes? – OpEd
• Trump’s Strike Against Syria: International Implications – Analysis
• Russia’s Escalation In Syria: Making It Tougher To Fight ISIS? – Analysis
• EU World’s Leading Aid Donor
• Streamlining Baloch Insurgents For The Success Of CPEC – OpEd
• Trump Strikes Syria – OpEd
• South Ossetia: Putin Says Bibilov’s Victory ‘Convincing’
• Dennis Kucinich Asks, ‘Why Are We Helping ISIS?’ – OpEd
• US Policy Focus 2017: Middle East Or East Asia? – Analysis
• Nepal: Police Kill Five Protestors In Rajbiraj – OpEd
• Russian President Putin’s Stern Message To Muslim Minorities – OpEd
• United Airlines Violence Illustrates Problem With Government Monopolies – OpEd
• Robert Reich: The Truth About Trumponomics – OpEd
• A Journey In Azerbaijan’s Coin Minting House – OpEd
• Germany: Schulz Defies Trump, Advocates Disarmament
• Obese Spanish Workers Take More Sick Leave
• NASA’s MAVEN Reveals Mars Has Metal In Its Atmosphere
• North America’s Freshwater Lakes Getting Saltier
• A Shared-Space Solution To Ireland’s Brexit Border Problem – Analysis
• Indonesia: Govt Under Fire For Not Enforcing Migrant Ban
• McCain Touring Balkans To Boost US, NATO Ties
• Mattis Defends US Missile Strike On Syrian Air Base As Measured Response
• Mar-A-Lago: The Summit That Wasn’t – Analysis
• Pope Francis To Still Visit Egypt Despite Church Bombings
• Nutty Artist, Cattelan, Hits Big Screen – OpEd
• North Africa In 2017: Many Fears Mingled With Little Hope – Analysis
• Trump’s Dramatic Turnaround On Syria: Principles Vs Pragmatism – OpEd
• Shale Gas And Its Impact On Turkish Economy – OpEd 

The President was also busy as he gave a wide-ranging interview to the New York Post--and as this was reported out Please note the latest out of Washington as the Trump Administration approaches 100-Days in Office:

White House Confirms It Will Propose 1.9 Percent Pay Raise for Feds Next Year // Eric Katz

Civilian federal employees would receive an across-the-board 1.9 percent pay raise next year under President Trump's forthcoming proposal, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney confirmed Tuesday.

Trump Ends Federal Hiring Freeze, but Workforce Cuts Loom // Eric Katz

The Trump administration announced its hiring freeze will end Wednesday, while delivering to agencies promised guidance on how they should reduce the size of their workforces in both the near and long term.

Trump Team Plans to Rebuild Government 'Starting from Scratch' // Charles S. Clark

Where the Clinton administration tried to "reinvent government," the Trump administration plans to rebuild government "starting from scratch."

On this mid-week review, please enjoy this "thought 4 the Week":