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Fear of homelessness is a big problem for Ukraine refugees among the elderly. Many people who are in their 80's, with little in savings and no relatives in the western parts of the country refuse to leave. Some have not left when the Russian army is only two miles away as shown in towns like Bakhmut near the front lines in Donetsk eastern part of Ukraine. One elderly woman says they would drop her off at the station at Lviv or Dnipro, and then what, where was she to go. Rescue units volunteers take people to safety every day in these towns. Some leave when the artillery shelling becomes unbearable.

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Brexit had unintended consequences. Ads on buses showed waves of immigrants pouring into Britain, which was not the case as this was taking place in central Europe under Merkel only for a while till it was reversed.  Yet Brexit happened with support from anti-immigrant sentiment, and working class communities in the north of England left behind by Blair's Labor. This report in the Times of London shows a prime minister from an immigrant family who leads the same Tory party today which has also forgotten working class communities that were never its base, leaving Labor an opportunity to assert its claim to serve the whole British people.

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Wesley Morris provides a look at Sidney Poitier, who changed attitudes towards race in America and Europe, from a New Yorker's perspective. He says Poitier did so much to create the more open cultural attitudes in the US and Europe, and South Africa that we find today, and did this with humility and grace. He puts Poitier's contribution in changing racial attitudes in the longer perspective in America with Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King. In a larger sense these attitudes also led to changes in attitude towards people from Asia and other countries, that started with Mohandas Gandhi and his efforts against segregation in South Africa in 1900.

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One of the changes in 2023 in Germany is the increasing acceptance of the use of the English language as Germany opens up to the world under the Scholz administration. Chancellor Scholz from Hamburg with its close ties to northern Europe and Britain, Foreign Minister Baerbock who studied at the London School of Economics, and Christian Lindner FDP leader from Bonn, use English as an alternative language to reach a broader audience. The FDP and Lindner are pushing for the use of English as an alternative second language in public administration.  DW.com looks at the changes and what they mean for the future and the next generation.

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This interview of Anderson Cooper is about his two books on grief and loss of family members and growing up in a family where his mother Gloria Vanderbilt who lived to 95 years was a well known name. Cooper prefers the privacy and doing stories from remote places such as the one on sexual violence in the Congo. Yet this is not what his work as CNN anchor is about. He says he keeps his head down and tries to improve his writing, interviewing and reporting and staying out of controversy or thinking about the business side of CNN's declining vieweership and management turnover till his time is up.

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Large companies are gaining from rising rates because they issued bonds locking in low rates far into the future.  Microsoft has locked in low borrowing costs on it bonds with interest payments unchanged at $292 million in the last quarter. It doubled what it earned on interest on $111 billion cash and short term investments, going from $552 million to $902 million in the last quarter, gaining from the annualized interest payments increase to 3.3% from 2.1%. This means more money is available for shareholders, investment and employees.  Smaller companies who could not raise that much money and have to issue new bonds face higher borrowing costs.

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Pedro Sanchez is attempting to form a new government in Spain with the support of Catalan parties. His Socialist party voted with 87% in favor of forming a new government with smaller parties without using the word amnesty for Catalans who protested in 2017 for independence. PSOE's organizational secretary Santos Leon says the party is determined to not let the opposition Partido Popular weaken the welfare state at a time of cost of living crisis and following the pandemic by coming to power at the federal level. In 2023 only 42% of Catalans want independence, 52% actually oppose it, making it easier to let Pedro Sanchez put this episode in Spanish history behind.

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Caste discrimination laws passed in the California legislature with little opposition. Opponents lobbied the governor to veto the legislation as state law already prohibits discrimination in California. Bharat (India) perspective on caste is for integration of the country and looking back at the lessons of colonization by the British. Caste divided the country and made it easier to colonize for Europeans who extracted capital for the East India Company and later Britain and creating backwardness and poverty. Bharat (India) goal was to create opportunities for integration of tribal communities lower castes Dalits and tribal Santhals into education economic mainstream. A Santhal from Jharkhand/Orissa was made president of India by PM Modi.

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Ohio senator J.D. Vance is chosen by Trump as his running mate. He came to know Trump Jr. in 2021 and the two are shown to be close. He was elected Ohio Senator with Trump's endorsement. His thinking and style is similar to the former president which may have led to his choice over Marco Rubio of Florida and Borghum of North Dakota. How well known is he in Michigan or Wisconsin, and how much support can he draw in those two states with his energy on working class issues when Michigan and Wisconsin have Democratic governors who are strong on working class issues and union support, remains to be seen.

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This NYT report looks at the transformation of Saudi Arabia with the investment projects of Prince Mohammad bin Salman who leads the country in modernization. In the past much of the oil money going from US, EU, China and India went into wars in the Middle East, Salman has focused on development. using the funding opportunities that need to taken to develop the region, funding which will no longer be there after the shift to renewal energy by 2035. The price tags are extravagant the coastal city and historic district of Jeddah remodeled $20 billion. New center of culture Diriyah near Riyadh, $63 billion. Futuristic city Neom. Red Sea tourism projects. 

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul halts a congestion pricing plan for New York City saying it would have unintended consequences and hinder New York's economic recovery. It would make it harder for cost of living for families after the effects of the pandemic. The plan was to charge $15 fee to enter New York Manhattan south of 60th Street. It was seen as a way to support a financially strapped MTA subway authority. Hochul said- "Let's be real. $15 may not sound a lot to someon who has the means but it can break the budget of a hardworking middle class household." 

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US economic growth was 2.8% in the second quarter 2024 with broad based growth in consumer spending, business investment and government infrastructure spending, Commerce Department shows. Inflation and consumer prices went down from 3.4% in the first quarter 2024 to 2.6%. This is a good sign for the economy's resilience. Yet housing costs are high and families are struggling with high cost of rentals. This applies to moderate and low income families who are struggling. Consumers have kept on spending because unemployment is low  buyers face lower inflation, and wage growth is higher than inflation. For the second quarter of 2024 after tax income adjusted for inflation was 1%.

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Closely contested seats in Long Island, an area just east of New York city could decide the control of Congress. Republicans see their messaging on crime and immigration deflected by recent reports for a freshman Congressman in the area. In 2020 New York issues on crime affected control of Congress for Biden. Since then New York Governor Hochul and others have paid strong attention to this and crime is down in New York and across the country in 2024.

Hochul, Walz and Whitmer are some of the governors who have a strong committment to Biden's program for infratructure and investments in industry to create jobs in the Nation.

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Times/Ipsos poll of January 2025 shows-

On transgender or children struggling with gender identity

71% say no one under 18 should be  prescribed puberty blocking drugs and hormones.

Nation's political system is broken

US system is a broken system for decades about 60% agree.  

On illegal immigration and crime, fentanyl flows

large scale deportation illegal immigrants who arrived here in the last 4 years- 63% agree and support such deportation

for illegal immigrants with criminal records 87% of Americans polled agree that they should be deported

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Margarethe Lihotzky of Vienna, Austria, designed the first kitchen designed for the modern age by a woman for women. Ernst May started building homes on industrial scale after World War II for Frankfurt and had Lihotzky design this first kitchen that has stood the test of time. It was designed for the workers who came to the cities for work and for working class people.

After the Second World War Lihotzky played a role in the women's and peace movement and designed apartments and kindergardens. 

This Vienna based architect created the form follows function movement in housing that has remained ever since.

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A law professor at George Washington University, who also comes from an Sicilian Italian American family, writes about his encounters with Scalia showing passionate opinion and steadfastness. Scalia was educated at Xavier Jesuit high school, and Georgetown University. He remained true to his conservative beliefs about the the law over three decades since his appointment by president Reagan in 1986, and an originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution as the framers in the eighteenth century had intended. He is the first Italian American Supreme Court Justice, a fact that enabled him to win approval in the Senate 98-0.

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Seib points to the intangible assets Ryan brings to to the Romney presidential campaign, which fill in for areas in which Romney is weak. The working man touch to connect with working class voters, avid sportsman to connect with younger voters, a practising Catholic to reach out to Catholic voters given Romney's Mormon background, the energizing effect for conservative voters having someone who has fought hard for the conservative cause. Also important will be Ryan's friendly manner, down to earth talk, and ability to talk to voters of all opinions, to reach out to independent voters.

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Voter awareness and discomfort about the $1.6 trillion deficit this year, does not translate into wanting to see spending cuts in Medicare, Social Security and popular programs. It is the view of public opinion that is determining political leaders inaction on these issues, which are at the heart of controlling spending and the deficits. It is no surprise then that the Obama budget showed no action on these issues. Both parties are careful not to talk about cuts to popular programs without broad public support. The Pew Research Center survey shows 12% of Americans want to cut spending on Medicare or on Social Security, only 6% want to reduce spending on veterans benefits. Politicians can do the math from these numbers. They may be sending loud signals to Democrats and Republican politicians that voters will punish those who cut these popular programs. Polling done by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News produced similiar numbers.

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The book that is The Times and Sunday Times best thought of book of the year 2024 is Jonathan Haidt's Anxious Generation. It shows how teenagers instead of playing with their friends and doing activity outdoors, are isolated in their rooms scrolling through smartphones and deluging their minds with information that is very often toxic. Life was simpler and physically active before Steve Jobs smartphones and social media of facebook, twitter and tiktok. Quality of life has deteriorated not advanced with these technologies. Born to Rule by Friedman and Reeves is about the British Elite. The puzzling thing about the people in it is that they want to pass themselves off as relatable and normal, says The Times. None of the powerful and influential will admit to being in the elite or establishment it says and asks why are they so embarrassed? The same could be said for the American elite or establishment who will pass themselves off as normal and relatable too and don't think of them as part of this group.  ...

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What would a EU Britain relationship look like under Keir Starmer's Labour party? For education and student exchanges, for agriculture, and for defense? For Starmer why waste any capital when there is a need to deliver for working people and families in Britain, overcome the financial mess the Tories have left and still invest in Britain year after year, to permanently rest fears of the working class in Britain who left Labour.

A small test is happening over student exchanges as the EU's Leyen revives the plan for a 4 year college level student exchange. Here British universities say their finances cannot handle what the EU proposes that in the year spent overseas tution would be paid to the host country university. Another concern is that this is not seen as freedom of movement which the British public have not supported.

Alternative proposed is for a 2 year exchange that the EU has with Canada and Australia. 

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During the primaries Trump appealed to blue collar voters of a white working class that felt neglected by leaders and policies of both parties that did not seem to work for ordinary people. Having caught onto this early long before Republican candidates, Trump registered a series of wins in the Republican primaries. He continued this theme in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016, saying- "The forgotten men and women of our country- people who work but no longer have a voice: I am your voice." The idea was to couple this with the theme of law and order and put perception of Hillary Clinton as part of the rigged system of the past that Trump would change, with Clinton's legacy described in terms of "death, destruction, terrorism and weakness." As a change agent Trump described his entering the political arena in terms of coming into this election only to help blue collar people "so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people that cannot defend themselves." The two themes for the rest of the election season- law and order, and blue collar lives- and who can best defend them a traditional Democratic politician with a fighting spirit for traditional Democratic values, or a blustery newcomer adept with slogans and the public mood and ironically representing the Democratic values of representing the working class to become the  Republican nominee, with the law and order theme thrown in. The voter or independent listening in to all this will hopefully ask what all this means. As the WSJ, July 19, 2016, pointed out in a recent look at economc policies under the two candidates- on Glass Steagall Act being reinstated to increase safety of the banking system that caused many of today's problems through the 2008 financial crisis both Trump and Clinton are similiar, on opposing trade agreements similiar except that Trump's bluster is a riskier approach, on infrastructure building similiar with Clinton's $275 billion plan spelled out out for source of financing and Trump's unclear as to source of financing. On immigration the candidates are different, on the minimum wage which impacts low income people Clinton supports $15 minimum wage and Trump has not taken a stand. On ISIS and the Middle East Clinton is in reality a hawk and not much difference in the candidates, on law and order more chance of divisions in the country with Trump than Clinton. Overall for the working class and blue collar voter his life will take a decade or more to rebuild, with both candidates commiting to go in that direction. And the bluster and ads to come- just that.  ...

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A Dreamers deal between president Trump and Democrats looks less likely now after meetings between the two parties show Democrats and Republicans have little they agree on. A meeting on January 11, 2018 was convened to discuss a proposal from Senator Durbin, Senator Graham and four other senators that would allow children who arrived in the U.S. with their parents (the Dreamers in the DACA Act of president Obama) to stay in the country with a path to citizenship, give $1.6 billion for a wall or fence on the U.S. southern border with Mexico, and change the diversity visa lottery to move to a merit base system.  President Trump's remarks at the meeting disputed by the president and confirmed by some senators have created added animosity. Trump is reported to have made some remarks derogatory to immigrants from Haiti, while saying why not get more immigrants from Norway, as Trump prefers a merit based system. The remarks have alienated African countries and were refuted in Norway. This also complicates the situation for the U.S. image overseas as diplomats struggled to represent the U.S. in a different light. In Congress the presidents remarks make it more likely that Democrats and some Republicans will make it harder to pass spending bills including on defense. As a result short term spending approval action will be taken, and there will be a prospect of government shutdown. ...

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Reporters at the Washington Post put together the events leading to the formation of a bloc of freshman Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives who refused to compromise on debt ceiling and deficit reduction negotiations. The role of Cantor, McCarthy and Ryan in these events.

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Attorney General Sessions says the driver of the car who drove into protesters could be prosecuted in a number of ways including for a hate crime. The protest was against a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. A car driven by 20 year old James Alex Fields drove into protesters injuring 19 and killing one woman. The local charges being made are for hit and run, malicious wounding, and the Justice Department is conducting its own probe. The comments by Sessions contrasted with the statement blaming both sides by president Trump, which led to strong criticism in the media and by the business community.

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The Standing Committe of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist party will have seven members including Li Keqiang, the new prime minister and Xi Jinping, the new president. Most of the other members are close allies of former president, Jiang Zemin, who began the now three decade old the modernization effort after Deng Xiaoping initiated economic reforms. This leaves a clear imprint on the Standing Committee of 86 year old Jiang Zemin. The incoming president Jinping is supported by Jiang Zemin, and this should make it less difficult for him to make economic changes say experts. Hu Jintao, the current president could not get his way in making appointments to the Standing Committee, except for selecting his protege Li Keqiang. Hu was able to select members for the 25 member Politburo who are likely to become members of the Standing Committee in 2017, when many of the current members in their mid 60's retire as required by party rules.