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The US supports F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots. Initial training showed Ukrainian pilots able to learn flying the planes in just 4 months. President Biden made this decision and informed G7 leaders in Hiroshima. Biden also agreed to NATO allies transferring F16s to Ukraine. The changes are coming as Ukraine launches a counter offensive against Russian occupation of parts of the country in the east and south. This report says the idea behind it is that it would bring Russia to the negotiating table to arrange an armistice even though it does not settle the key issues behind the war. It would bring an end to the war through a cessation of hostilities. Tighter controls are also put on economic sanctions to limit Russian ability to finance the war without also seeing its effects.

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Arizona, Utah and South Carolina are 3 states that are cited by the US Labor Department for not adopting any portion of the Occupational and Health Safety Emergency Standard for health care workers. The Labor Department says that by not adopting these standards for social distancing, mask use and paid time off for vaccination, these states are risking the health and safety of health care workers. OSHA sent letters to these states revoking the states abilities to run their own occupational health safety programs.

Texas is one of the states where governors are opposing the Biden vaccine mandate. Airlines based in Texas, both Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, say they will follow the Biden vaccine mandate for federal contractors, as they are required by law to abide by the president's order.

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Strong hiring and consumer spending is propelling the US economy forward in 2024. With 4th quarter growth at 3.3% the year 2023 ended with the US economy growth at 3.1% for the year. Contrast that with economists projecting 0.2% growth in 2023 in 2022. In 2022 the growth was 0.7%. Much of this growth can be attributed to the Biden administration going all out to support American industry and bringing jobs and factories home, supporting wage increases which in turn supported consumer spending into 2023 and now into 2024. The public feeling the effects of price increases has not grasped the full significance of this growth trend of this decade with the complete focus on the economy, manufacturing, and the strength in advanced technologies of president Biden and a group of bipartisan members of the US Congress from both parties. As inflation slows with the public resisting unfair price increases and the Powell Fed controlling parameters of inflation, the economic effects of this growth are being felt across all sectors and among the wider public.  ...

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The New Popular Front in France is a group of socialist partties that include the Socialist Party of former president Mitterand, the France Unbowed of Jean Melenchon, other left parties, and the Greens. NFP has put out its economic plan for France, RN National Rally has not. NFP puts out the details that can make it possible to raise the minimum wage in France to euros 1600 a month. And to invest in France's aging infrastructure the way Biden is doing in the US. About $100-$150 billion needed for the economic plan would come from contributions and taxes of the wealthiest similar to Biden's plan in the US. It also rejects the so called neo liberal thinking and culture that has become entrenched in France, in Europe and in the US where infrastructure is failing, public services are failing yet the wealthiest are not paying their fair share in taxes so that the countries of Europe and America can be rebuilt and renewed, to provide a better life for all.

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US president Biden makes a pledge that the US will send vaccine doses overseas to other countries after it has met American needs. This is hugely important because the US has contracted with pharmaceutical companies for a major part of the world's vaccine supplies. It is part of the humanitarian assistance the US will soon be in a position to provide to African, Asian and Latin American countries. It is also in the American interest to reduce the potential for new variants and new sources of the virus entering the US through airline travel by helping vaccinate a large part of the world's population in 2021-2022.

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Eighth grades civics and history national test scores in the US hit new lows of 13% for history and 20% for civics meeting proficiency standards. The Test used was the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Reading scores are also low. About three decades of progress appear to be wiped out during the pandemic. A message for president Biden- the fight for the soul of America starts right here and this site Lyrarc.com has a knowledge role for this to happen.

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Issues of war an peace, food supplies, climate change and renewable energy transition, world health, and other issues that relate to the wellbeing of people in the world can only be met by broadening the membership of the UN Security Council. US president Biden favors broadening the membership of the UN Security Council. Ministers of the G4 countries, Germany, India, Japan and Brazil met this week to push for reform of a UN Security Council that is now not working or dysfunctional. 

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Sir Kevan Williams sets forth his vision for British education recovery after coronavirus disrupted students lives. He was appointed education recovery commissioner in February 2021. Keven resigned yesterday after his 15 billion pound plan for students getting extra time at school was rejected by Boris Johnson, the British prime minister. Boris Johnson has only 3 billion pounds set aside for education recovery at what the Times cites at 50 pounds per student, compared to 1600 pounds per student in the US under president Biden. Mrs. Biden is a teacher at community college for most of her life and is a strong supporter for free education at community colleges.

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A case on whether a US government official can pressure social media platforms to remove content the government deems harmful is before the US Supreme Court. During the pandemic president Biden sought to quell rumors and misinformation about Covid vaccines. An Appeals court in Louisiana took a very conservative position that social media platforms could not be pressured in any way even from the bully pulpit not as a bully, meaning even persuasion was not allowed. The US Supreme Court will issue its decision in 3 months after it votes and the majority opinion is assigned to be written by one of the Justices It appears to be skeptical of the Louisiana Appeals court position.This NYT report shows exchanges between the Louisiana lawyer, deputy Solicitor General Fletcher speaking for the government, and Justice Kavanaugh. Justice Kavanaugh seems to agree with Fletcher that as long as it was a bully pulpit, that the president is saying it is harmful, but not threatening, it is acceptable under the First Amendment for president to do so. The president saying the rumor and misinformation was "killing people" was still only bully pulpit, no threat was involved.  ...

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Mortgage and other loans taken out at lower interest rates, before the US central bank the Fed started raising rates  in March 2022, is a big part of US household debt. This fact is helping to soften the impact of the Fed's increase of rates by 5% over 16 months. The increase in rates helps savers and retirees earn more on savings kept in CD's. The cut in inflation from 9% in 2022 to 3% in July 2022 helps increase the purchasing power of money. It also helps keep the US economy stronger than other world economies, with the Biden economic plan of increased business investment underpinning strong economic growth of 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023. Wars are not a distraction or cost burden for the economy, with Biden shutting down 2 wars in the Middle East and South Asia. Lessons were learned and Biden has been resolute about this, also giving a singular focus to his plan for rebuilding and renewing America on multiple fronts, infrastructure, fighting climate change, inflation, business investment, and fair taxation so that the fruits of labor are shared equally by all of America's people. Doing this required a clear vision, resolute purpose, and a path to action for each step. Biden has done that in ways that only a few presidents have done in the past. In doing this he has shown that America stands for hope and a better future, a land as he never fails to repeat, a land of possibilities. ...

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US vice president Kamala Harris sends a message to Guatemalan migrants in her visit to Guatemala City, telling them not to come to the US. Biden administration policy is not to have migrants from Guatemala come to the US border with Mexico for economic reasons. Europe and the US have learned from past experience that economic migration is an endless process- that the only way to tackle this is to help improve conditions in neighboring countries of Central America and North Africa.

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Fumio Kishida, former foreign minister who called for strengthening Japanese missile defenses, and reducing income inequality in Japan, was elected party leader of the ruling LDP party. Kishida is a choice of the Japanese parliament LDP in a runoff, after he was tied with Taro Kano in a vote of LDP party members. As leader of the LDP he will succeed Yoshihide Suga as prime minister. Kishida says a major problem facing Japan was the widening income and wealth gap during the pandemic. "If the profits from growth are monopolized  by a few people, the gap will widen even  further. It's not just abut growth, it's about distribution."  Kishida also favors government spending of hundreds of billions of dollars to boost the economy in Japan after the difficulties with the pandemic.This is similar to the approach on the economy, infrastructure investment and income inequality, taken by president Biden in the US, and vice chancellor Scholz in Germany.    ...

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A virtual meeting for 2 hours with premier Li Keqiang and president Xi for one hour by EU president Leyen leads to no assurances from China that it would not support Russia's position in the Ukraine conflict.  As part of the Merkel administration in Germany Leyen deepened economic ties with China and Russia. This combined with the fraying ties with China and Russia under the Trump administration and continued under president Biden may have led to the situation today where these ties are being reversed. The situation of assertiveness by Russia and China on territorial issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Ukraine, and competition with China while US and European business is heavily engaged in China may have created the situation faced today where abrupt changes are happening. This report by the WSJ says European Union is seen as a buffer in its heightened competition with the US, and China is making an effort to salvage its ties with the European Union. ...

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It is not that this or that economic thinking is right, what is right is scientific observation of how "We the People" perform under different economic foundations and coming up with what works without ideology. This report writes about Pettis and Lighthizer, who have made observations and economic advice about reindustrialization through judicious use of tariffs. The difference between Biden/Harris/ Walz and Trump/Vance in 2024 is that Biden has already put in place a massive infrastructure and American manufacturing plan with government assistance to industry where nothing comparable except tariffs was done in the four years of the Trump administration. Biden/Harris plan to use tariffs selectively to promote reindustrialization while also giving other countries and competitors opportunities to compete- a win-win for the World Economy. The former president's blanket tariffs on all products without direct financial support to American manufacturing and consumers is thus not based on a combination of scientific observation and common sense as reindustrialization requires a calibrated common sense approach to the situation the US faces. ...

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Fumio Kishida leads the LDP party in Japan to an absolute majority in parliament in the recent election. The LDP with its partner Komeito won 293 seats in the 465 member parliament. He called for reducing inequality, following a similar effort by president Biden in the US. A supplement to the budget will provide aid to families with children and small businesses suffering from the effects of the pandemic. Kishida will double defense spending to 2% of GDP following tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. 

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With a win in the Kingswood byelection, a Tory stronghold, Britain's Labor party is now seeing a real shift of voter sentiment for a large majority in parliament in the coming general election. Britain entered a recession in Feb 2024 and the Conservatives have no solutions for the economy after many years in power, and 4 prime ministers in a constant change of leadership. Britain also lacks the resources that make it possible to have the kind of investment and scale of investment in the US that president Biden has launched.

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US had jobs growth of 336,000 in September 2023. The unemployment rate remained at 3.8%. It is below 4% for 2 years and this is the 33rd month of jobs growth. As jobs growth takes place under president Biden, 13.9 million jobs created, the inflation rate is also declining. Americans had $4 trillion in checkable deposits (checking, savings and money market accounts) in 2023 compared to about $1 trillion in 2019. Hiring numbers were updated by the Labor Department showing 119,000 more jobs added in July and August 2023. 

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The US Saudi Strategic Alliance is modeled on the US Japan Treaty and commits US to defend the Saudi kingdom. A draft of the treaty is being negotiated. It requires a two thirds majority in US Congress. A parallel US Saudi Cooperation Agreement is also put in place by Biden and can be done by Executive Order. What motivates this at this time and why after 9/11 when most of the attackers were Saudi, and after relations with Saudi deteriorated under Obama and president Biden's questioning some Saudi actions? The two main reasons are the change Salman of Saudi is bringing to the country modernizing its internal society and and freeing it up from the religion based restrictions of an earlier period, and his focus on investment in the economic development working with India and partners in the region, a relief from the incessant wars from the period of Reagan/Bush as the US makes domestic policy benefits determine foreign policy under Biden. Unknown in most of the world and media a change of demeanor happened at the G-20 meetings in India when prime minister Modi brought Biden and Salman together on economic development plans of a development corridor linking India through Saudi andest Asia to Europe. Biden supported the effort and it showed the Saudis under Salman as leading a development plan along with Modi and other partners for development in the Middle East after frequent wars dissipating the resources of the region and of the US. since Reagan/Bush policy failures and escalation. It is this intervening period of three decades of war that led to China's gains in relation to the US, with twin strikes to the US of China's domination of supply chains, deindustrialization, and loss of manufacturing jobs for working classes in US and Europe. Coupled with this is the opportunity for Biden and Blinken to give Israel an opportunity it never enjoyed for most of its life as a free nation since 1948 to have peace with its Arab neighbors. It is even possible that the prospect of this happening without a settlement for Palestinian statehood that would leave things in Gaza and Palestine at status quo that propelled the sudden attack on Israel. Biden and Blinken want to do the Saudi deal with a new element of getting Palestinian statehood on a basis of respect for dignity of people and of economic independent country which would put to rest decades of Arab neighbor disapproval of Israel. This is both a new vision of West Asia, what we call the Middle East, and an opportunity to focus and also cope with on Asia with the rise of China, India, as the two largest economies with EU and US in the world. ...

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In getting the support of an overwhelming majority of Senators to support Ukraine aid Mitch McConnell plays a key role. His remarks on the floor of the US Senate underscored the gravity of this moment in the Congress: "Make no mistake: Delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defend itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression. Dithering and hesitation have compounded the challenges we face. Today’s action is overdue, but our work does not end here. Trust in American resolve is not rebuilt overnight. Expanding and restocking the arsenal of democracy doesn’t just happen by magic.” President Biden's effort will be remembered. It is similar to what happened when Harry Truman had to persuade a war weary country and the US Congress in 1948 to pass bill for aid to Greece and Turkey to prevent an imminent Communist takeover with support from the Soviet bloc. McConnell will be remembered for his action, so will Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Schumer and other Republicans, Democrats that worked hard to get a decisive vote for Ukraine aid of 79 For to 18 Against, with 15 Republicans and 3 Democrats voting against. Alabama Senator shifted to a yes vote saying most of that $61 billion of aid to Ukraine will be spent in the US to hire American workers in defense industries. A $10 billion loan provision with forgiveness included was a way to get the former president to support it. On the third try America's Congress gets it through in a decisive manner with overwhelming support. This is not unlike the efforts before, when Aid to Greece and Turkey had to be passed through Congress under president Harry Truman in 1948 with both countries facing a danger of Communist takeover supported by the Soviet bloc with only US support keeping democracy in both Greece and Turkey. Even in 1948 to a war weary country Harry Truman had to persist and get the support he did from the US Congress as president Biden did today April 23, 2024. ...

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President Biden removes one of the costly boondoggles thrust on the American people with Bush's Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which was anything but an improvement. .The following are the 10 pharmaceutical drugs that will be negotiated for Medicare prices under the Inflation Reduction Act- Eliquis and Jardiance (strokes), Jardiance, Xarelto (diabetes), Entresto (heart failure), Enbrel (arthritis). Laws passed under Republican president younger Bush incomprehensibly took away the right of the government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies in one of the most egregious and costly decisions in postwar history by the government of the United States. It has only aggravated the problems and cots of healthcare for the American people. President Biden reversed this with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act during the pandemic. Strangely it is part of the real culture war in America in which about 80% of both Republicans and Democrats support this but the media allowed the Bush legislation to be passed without saying it made no sense to say this negotiation was a form of price controls by the US government. This is how low the US policymaking had fallen by 2003 with legislators and press unable to make a simple point. Bush's legislation was called even more incomprehensibly the Medicare Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, when it was one of the biggest financial disasters for the American people costing them hundreds of billions of dollars in their savings and incomes to pay inflated prices of pharmaceuticals that people in Europe and Asia (India and China) were not paying.  ...

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What has happened that makes it so hard for Democrats Biden who stood on a picket line for the UAW autoworkers union, Harris fighting for workers, that they cannot easily convince workers that they are on their side? It is because compared to 1980 not the lowest income groups but the "downwardly mobile" white and other groups without college degrees have taken the brunt of the loss of manufacturing jobs. It is why the "zero-sum" stories of the former president have appeal to some workers who have lost the most from deindustrialization of the US. Even though Biden, and Harris, have fought hard and are putting in place the policies for the fight to reindustrialize America by taking old plants and modernizing them one by one across the country. No one has ever done this before including years in which the former president was in office. In these visual graphs it is easy to see the sharp decline in incomes and status in society of workers without college degrees as the economy changed after 1980 sending steel, auto and other industries to Asia. By 2024 these workers lives had been upended by the loss of these industries and the hope for income and place in society that existed in 1980. Every US president from Reagan through Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump had failed to address this. Biden was the first president to take this up but too much has happened with to reverse this in 4 years, the pandemic, inflation from loss of supply chains to Asia, and wages not keeping up with cost of living.  NYT's Badger, Gebeloff and Bhatia show analysis of the economy, incomes and jobs in 1980 vs the economy, incomes and jobs in 2024 for persons with a college degree and without a college degree.It shows the sharp differences in the eastern Midwestern states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania over 4 decades of job losses, loss of income status and self worth for men without college degrees. With their jobs in manufacturing disappearing also disappearing was the middle class lifestyle- of owning a house, having a cottage or boat in the countryside, and sending kids to college. ...

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 Tom Suozzi is elected to the US House of Representatives from New York for the seat vacated by Rep. Santos. After Suozzi is sworn in Feb. 28 Republicans will have 219 seats to Democrats 213. The majority is so slim that when 3 Republicans opposed the impeachment of Homeland Secretary Mayorkas for immigration issues Speaker Johnson could get the impeachment passed only on the second try and that only by one vote. President Biden has called for a vote immediately in the House on an Ukraine aid bill after it passed in the US Senate 70-29 with 22 Republicans joining Democrats. 

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The message to the US from Jackson, Mississippi which shut off its water for fears from aging infrastructure is that the US needs to replace its aging pipes and pumps. Short term patches are not the solution and don't work. Half of the 1600 miles of water main that distribute water through New Orleans are over 80 years old. In Santa Cruz, California, a single pipe goes from the reservoir to the city, with no backup. President Biden has allocated $55 billion for safe drinking water- the actual need is $1 trillion says the American Water Works Association. This WSJ report looks at the problem in different parts of the US.

 

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Officials of 130 countries met virtually to agree on a global minimum tax rate. A minimum tax rate of 15% would be paid by corporations in each of the countries in which they operate so that tax avoidance is prevented. The Group of 20 major economies including India and China also agreed to this change in taxation to ensure that all companies pay their fair share of taxes. It is also part of the Biden plan for tax revenue generation to fund the infrastructure and human needs in health, education and public services that were neglected for so long. US president Biden says- "This will level the playing field and also make America more competitive. And it will allow us to devote the additional revenue we raise to make generational investments, which are necessary to keep America's competitive edge razor sharp in today's global economy." This tax change was needed to prevent companies shopping for low tax locations such as Ireland. This kind of locating in low tax rate locations worked badly for the major G-20 economies for decades as it prevented the generation of revenues needed for essential services and infrastructure investments. Tax changes include Biden's plan to increase the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%, and raise the minimum tax on US based companies foreign profits to 21% from 10.5%.  ...

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is the only Treasury Secretary who also served as the chairperson of the US central bank the Federal Reserve 2014-2018, and the only woman in these roles. Here she says she toured the country in 2022 a year after joining the Biden administration as head of the finance ministry. What she has seen are the early results of president Biden's  two trillion dollar bills, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Science and CHIPS Act 2021, which give manufacturing and new infrastructure building a critical role in a new revitalized America. All across this vast country aging infrastructure is being rebuilt and new infrastructure is changing the landscape. Yellen says the US economy is resilient and growing amidst a global economic slowdown and higher interest rates. The labor market is strong and household balance sheets are healthy, consumer spending robust, says Yellen. It provides the basis for American global economic leadership in the years ahead. ...