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President Trump reset the border debate after the government shutdown on border wall funding by emphasizing immigration issues but not repeating his threat to call an emergency. This time he was more conciliatory on the border wall issue, explaining that it be " a smart, strategic, see through steel barrier, not just a simple concrete wall," and deployed in areas identified by border agents as having the greatest need. On withdrawal from Middle East, the president said "great nations do not fight endless wars." Trump now faces a rocky second half of his term because Democrats control the House of Representatives after the 2018 Congressional elections. He said "if there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be a war and investigation." He faces the Mueller investigation by Special Counsel Mueller on the meddling by foreign powers in U.S. 2016 presidential election, with the arrest of lawyer Roger Stone recently, and Democrats in no mood to compromise on the wall. ...

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China reports no new coronavirus infections for the first time on March 19. The outbreak in Italy now surpasses that in China.  The U.S. government is now shifting to social distancing as the most effective way to control the spread and away from focus on widespread testing as a containment tool. The experience in China shows social distancing works, quarantine works. Countries and regions that have neglected to do this early are the ones worst hit, including most of Europe.  The reintroduction of the infection after its containment is addressed by quarantine and social distancing and use of masks, government disinfecting hard surfaces in all public areas, a program implemented strictly in Asian countries such as Singapore, China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries. Use of masks was common in Asian countries in earlier episodes of SARS and other epidemics, making it widely used long before this crisis. This is making a significant impact in addition to social distancing and other quarantine measures taken in China.   ...

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The WSJ editorial supporting the former WSJ Detroit Bureau chief's position on the editorial pages on November 10, 2008, asking the Bush administration to turn down any request from Congress or the president elect to turn over TARP funds to the automakers. The automakers have problems of not being competitive and making the cars that people want for decades, handing out taxpayer billions will not solve this, and will only postpone the day of reckoning says the WSJ editorial. The union goldplated contracts and things like the Jobs Bank never made sense and neither the union or management acted responsibly. The best thing now it says is to let the shareholders lose whatever value is left, cancell the contracts, and put the companies in government receivership, letting go the old management and the boards that let these companies get to this sorry situation. This is not a time for politics as usual, and if the new administration wants to do it let it do it on its own political dime says the WSJ. ...

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For decades the auto companies lobbied vigorously against stricter fuel efficiency standards. NYT editorial points to this failure in policy of the Detroit automakers, and the failure of Congress to do more for fuel efficiency standards with lobbying from automakers even in the recently passed legislation. That target of 35mpg fleetwide for 2020, a low target with no stretch or imagination built into it should be revised and a higher target set. If the companies build smaller cars like Europe does they could reach a target of 50mmpg fleetwide by 2020. That would be a serious target with stretch built into it. Tough conditions have to be atttached to any rescue money. This includes firing top management, no payment of dividends, limits on executive pay, tougher fuel efficiency target, reopening labor agreements on pay and benefits to reflect the new realities. If taxpayers are going to take the risks Congress must insist on these changes or the money will be wasted says the NYT editorial. Some of these steps would be painful for workers but they are necessary....

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A major problem for President Hollande of France in the 2014 budget is how to handle the deficits in the country's Social Security System. Over the years the deficits were transferred to a vehicle called the Cades, which is approaching its legal ceiling of 270 billion euros. The vehicle was originally set up in 1996 with the idea of separating past deficits, so that the state could balance its budget every year for the Social Security System, which covers health care, pension and family allowances. Previous governments have for the most part bypassed this and added new deficits to Cades instead of making cuts in spending. The Hollande administration says it is controlling health care expenses and increasing pension contributions as a way to bring the deficits under control. It will not assess a special tax for the deficit in Social Security in 2014, as new taxes are highly unpopular. Cades lifetime has been extended twice, first in 1997 to 2014, and during the 2009 financial crisis to 2025. In 2010 following the crisis, Cades chairman, Ract Madoux says, the short term borrowing had reached 60 billion euros. It is down to 30 billion euros, which he still considers too high....

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The new iX3 will run 497 miles on a single charge and shows BMW's effort to reinvent the car from the ground up says it's CEO. Mercedes electric GLC will run for 457 miles on a single charge, competing at $80,000 with the Model Y of Tesla which does 387 miles at over $60,000. Mercedes GLC price is still to be decided. Tesla has lost a third of it's market volume in the European market. The newer versions of Mercedes and BMW join VW's own models that compete at the lower end of the price range which today is close to $30,000-$40,000. Earlier reports in WSJ show the German models are competing for dominant share in Europe.

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Japan and the European Union announce a new trade agreement, in a response to the protectionist tone of the Trump administration in the U.S. The deal is announced at the time of G-20 meetings in Hamburg, Germany. The deal removes the 10% duty on Japanese car imports to the EU, and removes barriers to European automakers in Japan. Experts say the deal comes at a time when the European Union wanted to come up with a response to Brexit and Trump style protectionist sentiment. European automakers say they need assurances that they will have better access to the Japanese market.

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Walmart now supports an employer mandate for health insurance but insists on cuts in health care costs. Walmart employs 1.4 million people in its stores, and 51% are insured by the company.

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This report in the WSJ points to president Biden's speech to a joint session of the US Congress that providing two years of free community college would "change the dynamic" for education in America taking the first step to correct a dangerous drop in college enrollment for young men in America and ensuring working class families have access to college education. The last thirty years of skewed wealth distribution, loss of manufacturing in America, have created alarming distortions in  the access to college education for working class families. Mrs. Biden is a fervent advocate for community college access in today's America, as a community college teacher for 30 years. Biden's $45.5 billion 5 year plan would waive tution for 2 years of public community college. States would have to opt-in to participate, and federal government would provide 100% funding in the first year, decreasing contribution by 5% each subsequent year, with states picking up rest of the cost. It is quite shocking that this is being dropped from the Biden $3.6 trillion Families and Workers Plan that is now being whittled down to $2 trillion. Not because it is not badly needed for American economic competitiveness, and helping workers and families. But because following narrow parochial interests the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities opposes it. And because the US Congress is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans 50-50 in the Senate. The Association of Independent Colleges sees a shift to community colleges and a sharp drop in its enrollment. Community colleges saw a dangerous drop in enrollment of 12% to 4.5 million students in 2020 from the spring of 2019, according to National Student Research Center. Never was a program more badly needed, as American men are alarmingly falling behind in enrollment. Here are some responses to the failure to take even the first steps to broaden college access so that America can return to economic competitiveness. "What kind of world do we want to live in?" Martha Kanter, College Promise. "That's kind of a devil's choice, isn't it? The whole system has to work from infant care all the way through." Senator Tina Smith, Democrat of Minnesota. This is because child care and children's education will be funded yet a struggling generation of college students will be left out. US Chamber of Commerce opposes a $45 billion program that is critical to American competitiveness with China and other countries. US Congress drops a program that at $45 billion is only about 2% of the $2 trillion package and which is critical to economic competitiveness. Former Republican Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee supports community college access as a pillar of economic development and it passed the supermajority in 2014. Mike Krause, Republican former director of the state higher education commission says- "I have been surprised by the lack of enthusiasm for what is really a massive workforce development concept that also provides a path to the middle class. You'd think that would hold some appeal for Republicans and Democrats." The lack of clarity and concentration, lack of unity of purpose to get all vaccinated,  is visible in America's vaccination drive. That same lack of clarity and concentration, lack of unity of purpose, is visible in America's faltering efforts at correcting serious and alarming problems for access to college and American competitiveness in the world. Julie Bykowicz and Douglas Belkins wrote this article in the WSJ.   ...

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Mehdi Zeyo and the democracy protests in Libya. His effort in enabling the youth movement and protestors gain control of the military base in Benghazi, Libya. He drove a car loaded with gas canisters through the entrance to the base, setting off explosions that let protestors enter the base.

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Raymond's comments on the auto companies and on alternative fuels which he support and fuel economy technologies for cars which he strongly pushes for.

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In an historic event, the young Senator who introduced bills on improving fuel efficiency in the Senate only a few years ago, announces his proposal for a single national fuel efficiency standard of 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016. Mr Obama had the chief executives of 10 global auto companies all gathered together, as he made the announcement. It reverses decades of conflict on this issue, and puts the US at the forefront of developing new technologies for fuel efficiency and emissions control.

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The deep cuts in Chrysler's engineering staf, with 40% of the engineering staff gone under Daimler and Cerberus, is hsowing up at job fairs. Jim Badhorn was a Chrysler engineer for 21 years before he took the buyout. He designed the rear doors of the Chrysler 300 sedan. Badhorn put much of the $75,000 into acollege fund for his 2 daughters. He hits the gym everyday. He is arenter so his home in Birminghan isn't like the other owners who have lost 40% of their home value. And he can't even find the end of the job line when he goes to a job fair for a military contractor.

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Toyota's sales in Sepember fall 32% and Hondas sales fall by 24% showing how even the Japanese makers are hurting with sales of Corollas and Camrys down. Nissan's down by 37%. General Motors down by 16% but only because of fleet sales. And Ford down 34%. According to AutoNation CEO Jckson whereas in 2007 90% of auto loans were approved for buyers with top credit ratings now only 60% are getting approved.

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Tata will start making the Nano small car in the 4th quarter of 2008 at a plant it is constructing in the eastern state of West Bengal. Tata faces the same difficulties other car makers are facing around the world as fuel prices adversely affect car sales, and the unprecedented and enormous increases in the prices of raw material costs like steel, tires, and so on with the impact of tighter money supply with higher interest rates creates a different environment for Indian automakers. Tata's margins will be under pressure from these changes in the operating environment. Tata will look for ways to reduce costs and introduce several new models in 2008 in the commercial and passenger car markets. Tata completed acquisition of Land Rover and Jaguar for $2.3 billion in June. To fund the acquisition Tat Motors is raising 72 billion rupees ($1.7 billion) through three separate rights issues, and an additional $500 million to $600 million through an international offering of securities. This acquisition says Ratan Tata CEO of Tata Motors , will add global scale, profits and visibility to Tata Motors, enabling Tata Motors to take its place in the global auto industry as a credible international automobile company....

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Cara Buckley provides this intimate look at Garrison Keillor, host of Minnesota Public radio show "Prairie Home Companion." This is a Keillor who is quite different from the person people know from the radio show. Keillor finds release during the show using his imagination about a town he has made up called Wobegon. Strangely, in his own life Keillor is a very private person keeping his thoughts to himself and not saying much. Keillor is 73, and now plans to retire after about four decades hosting this show with music and tales about Lake Wobegon. At its peak the show had 4.1 million listeners in 2006, dropping to 3.2 million today. It is thought of as a homespun quaint, country stories show, yet it can touch on current issues such as the NRA and the gun lobby in a recent show, and builds on its bond with its audience.

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Obesity in the US is as high as about 40% in West Virginia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. It is lowest about 25% in Colorado, Vermont and Hawaii. About 22 states have obesity rate over 35%. Compare this with China which is seeing obesity increase from about 15% in 2023 to 20% in 2034. Real competition between the two countries starts with areas like health care coming out of the pandemic when looking at the true interest of both peoples instead of geopolitics creating a huge distraction from problems of health, climate change and education. Meat intake has tripled in China and a return to more vegetable and fruits and ancient grains is something that is needed badly, also helping tackle climate change. The states in the South and midwestern US have higher rates of obesity followed by northeast and western states. This includes in the South Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas. In Midwest it includes Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas. It is useful to note that this is in Voice of America news which is aimed at an overseas audience and this kind of information is not seen widely in US media. Robust food programs ae needed especially for people living in poverty. Health consciousness needs to be emphasized in all aspects of life and worklife, workspaces, living locations and transportation options all need to be devised around this. Bussel of the Robert Woods Foundation says even ten years back no state had over 35% of the population being obese. Clearly headed in the wrong direction with all the discussion in media run by billionaires on everything but what most affects the quality and ease of living of ordinary people. ...

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This essay from the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center which puts focus on preventive medicine looks at the food we eat in a different way. In order to have a real conversation on food it says ignore the latest fads on nutrition on keto, paleo or other diets, and think about how our ancestors ate in a healthy way that both prevented disease and provided the right nutrition. It was mostly plants as meat was not freely and easily available. So much so that the consumption of meat and animal protein may have gone up by as much as 90% today. Processed foods did not exist, and unprocessed plant foods were there in abundance. They were not called low fat low carb or vegan then. It is during the beginning of the 19th and in the 20th century that the production and marketing of shelf stable, nutrient poor, high calorie, high sugar and salt processed foods replaced the normal way our ancestors had their food leading to the public health crisis of today, both in health quality, outcomes and cost.  It says replace meat and where appropriate dairy healthier plant based beans, lentils, whole grains, and vegetables, fruits so that animal protein gets back to the levels of the centuries before the 20th century shift to processed foods. It says use common sense beans including soyabeans and lentil beans replace meat wherever possible and oats with berries and nuts replace eggs. Vegetable and garbanzo beans salad replaces cheese and yogurt reducing the cheese or yogurt to very moderate levels. Focus on wholesome food and eat like our ancestors did and exercize then everything else will fall into place. ...

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The direction Germany is moving is now clear. The Greens polling as the second largest party in Germany have a good chance of forming the next government in a coalition with one of the other parties the CDU or the SPD. Policy will shift to invest in the environment, health, education, social care, digitization as the Greens will have a leadership role. This was neglected in the Merkel years with the financial crisis in the eurozone limiting investment and only shifting public perceptions with the pandemic. Annalena Baerbock, MP from the eastern city of Potsdam, is elected as the new leader of the Greens party. She could be the next chancellor to succeed Merkel in elections on September 21, 2021. Baerbock and co-leader Robert Habeck 51, are together the leaders in the Green party going into this election. Baerbock has a masters degree in International law from the London School of Economics. She is respected by German business leaders and chancellor Merkel. By contrast the CDU/CSU is divided today with no clear direction for the future. The SPD, the party of Willy Brandt, still comes in third with only about  fifth of the voters favoring it. Years of neglect of its working class base during the Schroeder administration has led to the SPD playing a less significant role. This leaves the Greens in a favorable position with climate change becoming a major issue in Germany and the shift to renewable energy underway. Neglect of digitization, education, healthcare and social care under Merkel now offer German voters an opportunity to vote in a government that cares about this. ...

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More than a retreat it gives the US, EU, India, China and the nations in Asia and Africa, Latin America most affected by higher oil prices and lower economic growth a time to pause and rethink dependence on the Gulf region for oil supplies. It is not mentioned in the media yet there has to be a link between the US president's visit to Beijing and Beijing's support for a normalized US China relationship, and offering its support for a settlement. This gives EU, China, India, Japan, and poorer nations in Africa, Asia, such as Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia and Brazil, some relief from reduced access to oil supplies. US is also planning a supply from Venezuela to India to take pressure off oil supplies in Asia by offering Venezuela as an alternative source. China is in many ways joining the US to bring about a denuclearized Middle East, doing it in a quieter way with Iranian public opinion making a shift to put its economic development ahead of missile development. As the two sides have different interpretations and it is still only a Memorandum of Understanding it is not a situation where the US is sending billions of dollars to support the military in Iran as Obama had done. Attention will shift to the Iranian economy over the next 12 months.  US conveys that it has nothing to gain from wrecking the Iranian economy or nation as the Iranian people if avote were held today would clearly choose putting the economy first by huge margins considering the widespread protests in Iran in 2025 that started this crisis. The US naval blockade was effective and is always an option, with US and partners having greater experience in the situation presented by the narrow straits in Hormuz. Arab partners also acted with restraint and is itself an opportunity for Iran to change direction. China's making cuts of 3 million barrels a day in oil supplies from Hormuz is itself along with acceleration of renewable energy in both China and India is one of the dividends of this crisi. Another is the gradual shift to alternative supplies from other regions of the world so that Hromuz region can no longer dictate oil prices in the world. Accelerating Venezuelan and UAE, US, other oil and gas  supply growth will also put increase supply and renewables reduce  demand growth as a result of the crisis to break the hold on oil prices of the oil cartels of Qatar, and Saudis. As a transition fuel oil can be be kept below $50 a barrel, not at prices at the whims of the princes in the Middle East at the expense of the people of the Arab world from Egypt the most populous and Tunisia, Morocco, to the Muslim nations such as Turkey and Pakistan,Iran itself which bore the brunt of this Hormuz crisis. The US has several priorities including in its relations with oil cartels dominated Mexico that  brings drugs and people across US borders, with other nations in EU and Asia that have benefitted through deindustrialization in the US leaving it poorer across a vast part of America. Advancing objectives in one area such as denuclearization does not mean not addressing priorities at home and in relations with other regions. China shares American interest in denuclearization of the Middle East this should now be put to the test. It is an entirely different situation in 2026 than what weak leaders from Bush to Obama allowed to happen by  wars in the Middle East - the US naval blockades of 2025/2026 are entirely different in cost in terms of men and dollar investment and used to convey America's determination not to waste vital resources of the Nation. The best policy is not to pursue policy for absolute wins but make intelligent choices and in some situations pause to reflect on the best course of action and other ways to reach goals. By getting China and the US as world powers for denuclearization even though this is not vocally said, both gain and both will come up with solutions. ...

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The "cut, cap and balance" pledge of Republican candidates for the presidential election of 2012. The current House version requires capping federal spending at 19.9% of GDP by 2018. This say House leaders is in accordance with the average spending levels for the last 30 years. It would have to come down from 24%. The balanced budget amendment caps spending at 18% of GDP and a balanced budget within a decade. The pledge is written promise to cut spending immediately.

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About 900 Arab refugees are crammed into a boat which capsizes 60 miles off the Libyan coast in April 2015, killing about 850 people. This is the worst single incident in an increasing influx of refugees from boats leaving the Libyan coast for Italy. About 171,000 refugees from North Africa made this journey in 2014, and increasing numbers are doing it in 2015 to flee the civil wars in Syria and Libya, and hardship conditions in Tunisia, Eritrea and other sub-Saharan countries.