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There is a big jump in working parents taking parental leave after new legislation is passed in different states. In the 12 months through February 2022 406,000 working parents were taking parental leave, a 13% jump from 2021. The share of workers with access to paid parental leave was 25% in 2022 compared to 19% in 2019. Seven states now require employers to provide parental leave. Four more states may join by 2026. The US still remains the only major advanced economy without nationally mandated parental leave.

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Awesome pictures of the lunar eclipse in the night sky on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. It combined a supermoon, lunar eclipse, and a blood moon. Blood moon refers to the reddish hue as light filters through the earth's atmosphere. In native American cultures this is referred to as the flower moon. Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth passes between sun and moon, blocking the sunlight that normally illumines the moon's grayish white cratered surface. The next one is on May 16, 2022.

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With about one fourth the population of California Michigan has done approximately 100,000 tests, compared to about 213,000 in California. This is about twice the rate of testing in Michigan- with the help of the U.S. government- compared to testing taking place so far in California. The lack of aggressive testing in California could also mean there is a lot that remains unknown about the extent of the spread of coronavirus in California. 

That Governor Newson ordered New York to shelter in place on March 19, 3 days after the stricter stay at home order in France on March 16 requiring a document to show police to go outside, shows California like the rest of the country was not that much different. Beaches were packed in California on the weekend of March 15. A lot remains unknown at this point about the spread of the virus. The urban sprawl areas in Michigan are as hard hit as Detroit.

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US 15 year security guarantee or 30 years discussed in 20 Point Peace Plan at Ukraine US DJT meeting December 29, 2025. Ukraine says US has proposed 15 years, Ukraine wants 30 years. The war has lasted 15 years. A free economic zone in Donetsk region proposed by the US. Talks simultaneously with Ukraine and Russia with a referendum in Ukraine to get agreement to the deal.

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Vietnam devalued its currency by 8.5% on Feb 11, 2011. A series of devaluations have reduced the value of Vietnam's currency by 20%. The devaluation will lead to higher cost for imported products, especially refined oil products, thus fueling inflation that is already high in developing countries. The Communist party central committee is not giving inflation fighting a priority, and instead is focussed on keeping high growth rates. The party's inflation target is 7% annually, same as 2010 for 2011, when the inflation is already estimated to be about 11% for 2010. Barclay's now expects inflation to reach 13.5% by March and exceed 15% by June. Part of the hesitation to raise interest rates and slow inflation as is happening in China and other developing countries, is the need to create new jobs for a young and increasing workforce. Vietnam's inefficient state enterprises, poor management at some enterprises, and state subsidized lending, have created problems which are putting downward pressure on the currency. State owned shipbuilder Vinashin approached bankruptcy recently with $4.4 billion in debts and poor management decisions. Another significant reason for the devaluation is the seriously precarious situation of Vietnam's foreign exchange reserves. State media have reported that Vietnam's international reserves have fallen to "more than $10 billion" at the end of 2010, compared to $16 billon for 2009 and $26 billion for 2008. This suggests a deeper crisis from years of loose monetary policy and lending to state enterprises to create China type growth rates. Vietnam still a less developed country and not equipped to handle this kind of growth, say analysts....

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Not Kentucky as the title suggests but Denmark's Mette Frederiksen. Lara Spirit in The Times of London looks at Starmer and Labour in the month of Feb 2025 with the challenge it faces from Reform UK. Mette Frederiksen PM from the Socialist party in Denmark and her policy to tightly restrict immigration and oppose illegal migrants are of great interest to No. 10 Downing Street. This report says No 10 is interested in how Mette Frederiksen has for years pointed out that the only people hurt from socialist parties supporting migrants are the workers and families across Denmark.  There is a disconnect with history. In the US history shows that since the 1850's to 1960 the US vigorously opposed migration from Asia, and migration from Mexico was only supported during the war years 1940-45 because of the demand for labor and quickly  reversed under president Eisenhower's 1954 Operation Wetback. Today's situation of migrant and fentanyl flows following 490,000 deaths from fentanyl over 12 years is totally unprecedented in American history, and would be unimaginable to every president from Washington and Adams to Lincoln, TR, Wilson, FDR and Kennedy. How did this happen? Why are parties including Harris Democrats, Mayorkas Democrats, in contrast to Fetterman and  Ruben Gallegos Democrats who are asking serious questions about migrants finding themselves caught with Merkel and Scholz in Germany in this situation where the wellbeing of people in each country is obscured by lofty ideas that have no connection to the history of each country and to the situation of unease on the ground? ...

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The party founded by Charles De Gaulle Les Republicains failed to win  5% of the vote that is needed under French election law to be compensated for half of the 17 million euros that can be spent on the campaign. Valerie Pecresse got 4.75% of the vote- that entitles her to 800,000 euros. She personally borrowed 5 million euros. She now needs 16 million euros and has appealed for donations. Pecresse failed to win the support of different factions in her party including former president Sarkozy. A similar situation faces the Greens candidate Yannick Jadot who received only 4.63% of the vote.

French election law limits legal spending to 17 million euros and does no allow corporate donations, with a personal donation limit of 4600 euros.

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On November 17, 2008, as the Bush administration and Secretary Palson ponder their options including merging the 2 companies GM and Chrysler, firing old management and putting in new management, and someone to oversee the process of bankruptcy Chapter 11 with guaranatees such as debtor in possession financing and warranty guarantees by the government, and protections for the supplier base, so that an orderly bankruptcy takes place with clear goals of renegotiating terms with the unions, dealerships and debt holders. Under this process Chapter 7 liquidation would be clearly avoided and the process of recovery set in motion. Its interesting to note that Sorkin has outlined just how something like such Chapter 11 would work with all of the above steps taken. As the issue finally reaches closure with Secretary Paulson's decision expected at any time now its interesting to note Sorkin's comments about Wagoner's leadership saying that it was under Wagoner that the neglect of the things GM should have done ocurred and to think that he should be there running the company in this situation is laughable, yeas laughable. Something that echoes the public sentiment and expert opinion on this issue around the country....

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Tepco will take a loss of 1.247 trillion yen or $15.28 billion for the fiscal year ending in March 2011. President Shimizu of Tepco resigned. He will be replaced by Toshio Nishizawa, a joint managing director who worked for 36 years at Tepco.

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For 2025 US stocks S&P 500 returns 19%, foreign stocks in Europe 36%. An extraordinary year for foreign stocks with Germany's big investments in the economy. Actually the average S&P stock was down 3.7%. It was the large investments in AI that propelled the US stock markets S&P 500 to the 19% gain.  AI investment may take a long time to be profitable and some companies may lose money yet the building of data centers creates demand for construction activity, and tariffs are bringing larger investments into the US economy. Media skeptical about tariffs led to many missing the surge in stocks. It was the same overseas after years of Merkel and limits placed in the constitution on needed spending, and the SPD coaltition struggling to get through FDP obstruction to investment spending. Chancellor Merz of CDU joined the SPD to make a big $1 trillion investment in German infrastructure and defense, and removed the constitutional brake on investment Merkel had unwisely put in, with so much of Germany's infrastructure and digital in bad shape. This pushed up European stocks that had languished under the austerity logic of Cameron/Johnson-Merkel. This also was missed by many as the old logic was suddenly and quickly taken out with Russia emboldened in Ukraine taking over much of the eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Defense is now a rapidly growing part of the German economy. 2025 was a year of sudden and rapid change in the world economy with tariffs, US investment deals, and Germany taking on defense and infrastructure, which few could predict. And in which the media created confusion by saying the opposite of what was required from investors. ...

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With a unanimous vote of the company's board on Nov. 28, 2011, American Airlines filed for bankruptcy. Gerard Arpey, CEO since 2003, is known to have resisted the move. Arpey decided to retire and will be replaced as CEO and chairman by Thomas Horton, the president of American Airlines. Analysts and management say the move is a proactive effort to take action before AMR's financial posiiton deteriorates further. AMR has about $4.1 billion in cash and short term investments. One airline analyst described it as an offensive bankruptcy to reduce labor costs and leasing costs in a proactive manner. American Airlines management has said in the past that its costs are $800 million higher than other airlines, because its pilots fly shorter hours and have more liberal work rules. Cost per available seat mile, an industry metric including labor and operating costs, is about 10% higher for American compared to Delta Airlines. American is also hit by higher fuel costs especially because about a third of its fleet uses older McDonnell Douglas MD-80's, and its regional carrier American Eagle flies 50 seat jets that are less efficient. American has total losses of $11.4 billion for the period 2001-2010. Additional loss was incurred for $982 million in the three quarters of 2011. Efforts to increase fuel effiicency of its fleet which is on average 15 years old, are underway. A $38 billion order for 460 new single aisle planes from Airbus and Boeing, with $13 billion in financing from the aircraft companies, was placed in July 2011. AMR says it will keep the order as planned. The end result is likely to be a smaller airline with fewer employees, fewer planes, fewer routes, and cuts at AMR's smaller hubs in Los Angeles and Chicago, says one aviation specialist....

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India says China carefully prepared an attack on Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley mountain ridges, at Ladakh's border with China. 20 Indian soldiers were killed and 76 injured. This report in the Guardian shows satellite images of the Galwan Valley taken by Planet Labs, an imaging company. The images show that days before the clash there was increased activity on the Chinese side, including the damming of a river and the movement of troops and machinery close to the disputed and poorly demarcated border. Australian Strategic Policy Institute says its analysis of satellite images shows PLA Chinese forces regularly crossing into Indian territory temporarily on routine patrol routes. Indian officials also say commanders from both sides met on 13 June and agreed to each retreat back 2 kilometres in the Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake area. For unknown reasons Chinese troops instead of retreating as agreed erected a tent on disputed territory close to Patrolling Point 14. India's 16 Bihar Regiment led by Col Santosh Babu, dismantled the structure in an attempt to push back the PLA troops. According to accounts given to the Hindu newspaper cited here in the Guardian, Babu and his troops later went to the Chinese side to challenge the refusal to retreat, they were ambushed by Chinese forces on the steep mountain precipice. Chinese PLA troops allegedly unblocked the dammed river, releasing a rush of water to destabilise Indian soldiers, and attacked with stones and makeshift spiked weapons. ...

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Phillipe Pons in Le Monde on social media and disinformation popular with young people who have fewer employment prospects in the middle of sluggish economic growth.  Japan's Ministry of Education erasing Japan's wartime atrocities in school books in the years LDP in power since 1950's. Sanae Takaichi's comment about Japan willing to intervene if China attacks Taiwan was popular in Japan. Among young people 18 to 39 surveyed by Yomiuri 64% support Takaichi. Broadly speaking straight talk and nationalism iis becoming popular in Japan. The LDP has lost its majority in the lower and upper house in parliament and the Sanseito party with 15 seats and other smaller nationalist parties are increasing in popularity. The Ministry of Education has for many decades kept the Japanese wartime atrocities such as at Nanjing in China of the 1930's, the harsh Japanese occupation in China and Korea, out of the textbooks. The result is that Japanese young people do not have the same level of grasp of what happened in the twentieth century. ...

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1.2-2 million barrels a day go from Iran's Kharg island through Straits of Hormuz for ship to ship transfers in South China Sea, then labeled Emirati oil and unloaded at refineries on Shandong coast. These refineries are called teapot refineries. In this way US sanctions are avoided. Shipments of oil were about 700,000 barrels a day before 2023. After 2023 this more than doubled. China gets this at a 10-15%  discount costing Iran about a third of revenues it would otherwise be able to sell this oil if it decided to work with the US in a new arrangement. This report in FR24 shows China as limiting it's relations with Iran to oil, careful to not let it affect more important trading relations with US European Union, and Germany. This is similar to the situation for Venezuela -which under a new arrangement the US has with Venezuela- now gets market prices for its oil increasing it's revenues substantially by about one third to benefit the Venezuelan people suffering from high inflation and economy wrecked by sanctions. ...

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IHS Global Insight estimates that output in the US for the auto industry for 2009 will be 9.5 million vehicles, with capacity of 16.9 milllion vehicles this amounts to 56% capacity utilization number which is very low. Center for Automotive Research estimates that the sales began moving ahead of trend in 1996 and really accelerated after 1998. The easy financing fueled the boom. Now the 16-17 million sales years that were considered normal are seen as inflated and way above the trend. All this suggests that there is a lot of restructuring ahead for the auto industry.

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With occupancy declining to below 76% on many of the downtown San Francisco buildings the value of this is decliining fast. The Embarcadero Center that once defined the downtown area is now on sale for $90 million, according to the WSJ report, down from $245 million that was paid for it in 2018. Owners of these office buildings in San Francisco are liable for payments on $12 billion in bonds, according to S&P Global. Half of the stores in the Union shopping district have closed and Amtrak ridership is down 61% over 2019.

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Mogan McSweeney of Cork Ireland, son of an IRA courier with a politics and marketing degree from Middlesex University, joined the Labour Party in London fighting off Corbyn supporters during the Corbyn leadership till 2019. The Guardian says McSweeney settled on Keir Starmer as the candidate to replace Corbyn as a centrist on the right. It was says the Guardian McSweeney as an organizer against the Corbyn left that installed Keir Starmer in 10 Downing Street. And then by getting Starmer to appoint his mentor Mandelson led to Starmer becoming "the most unpopular prime minister in history." It says May local elections may sound the end of Starmer. McSweeney is blamed for some of Starmer's failure to project a image of firmness as he backtracked on issues on the advice of McSweeney, to the point that many in Labour party thought McSweeney made Labour driverless. As McSweeney ejected all Corbynites from the Labour Party he weakened the party and led to Labour bleeding its vote to the Greens and the Liberals. Labour's got a landslide with many Labour MP's winning by thin margins- its vote was slim only 34% of the vote, itself a warning that something was not right. On immigration the root causes were not addressed till early 2026- the ECHR human rights that needed to be put aside as written with serious flaws and which allowed asylum hotels. This led to a shift to Nigel Farage, called back from retirement to lead Reform UK in 2026 and way ahead of Labour and Conservatives in the polls. Worse 50% of Labour's vote disappeared in 2026 polls by February hardly 2 years after the win in 2024, as the support McSweeney helped organize had no depth of conviction- most of it to Liberals and Greens under Polanski. The result is that even the Guardian is disappointed and says McSweeney installed Starmer as PM and then made him "the most unpopular PM in history." Net favorability in Feb 2026 -57 similar to Sunak of Conservatives in June 2024. A 75% unfavorable rating in Jan 2026. And 14 points below the Labour party in "like" ratings. Only 18% are favorable for Starmer. It shows how a series of British prime ministers with mediocre backgrounds have failed in the country. ...

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Xi Jinping in his New Year speech showed an awareness of the vast changes taking place and the need for humility, listening to different viewpoints during the pandemic. It reflects the new tone after the zero covid policies were abruptly put aside. "Ours is a big country. It is only natural for different people to have different concerns or hold different views on the same issue." Xi urged consensus through communication and consultation. He has told visiting European officials that the frustration with covid policies had caused prtoests mostly by students. Today sick workers are bringing factories to a halt, service sector activity is slowing down. Hospitals are swamped with sick patients. Xi says the policy shift is a way to adapt to the evolving virus with higher transmissibility and lower fatality rate for Omicron coronavirus. He describes China's economy as basically sound and reaching 4% growth in 2022 and GDP at about $17.4 trillion not adjusted for inflation. ...

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The International Labor Organization (ILO) of the United Nations stands for advancing social justice and promoting decent work. It says in this edition of its journal that trade unions have stood their ground to better protect workers rights during the pandemic when workers suffered from its devastating impact and in a difficult environment. In the US 1041 of 1363 elections at companies led to unions getting the right to represent workers. This is the highest number of elections over two decades. It also includes Microsoft and other companies showing wider acceptance of unions to protect workers rights.

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Effects on mental health of the lockdowns in China for covid and personal stories of despair and helplessness.