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A Yale Brown universities study in 2024 shows the huge dividends from investments in childcare in the early part of schooling years- $1 invested in free full time daycare for preschoolers generates $6 in economic benefits. It only includes the economic benefits from the lack of affordable childcare for parents that lead to cutting back on work hours and changing careers. This does not even include the results decades from today in 2050 when these children provide the Nation with a strong educated workforce to propel industry and the economy forward in new ways. Catherine Rampell in the Washington Post shows that these economic benefits are  just the beginning, as the effects ripple through to local economies, touching on kids, parents, employers, local tax revenue. This is not counting the effects on mental health of parents struggling with childcare and the overall mental wellbeing of the Nation knowing that it has got the priorities right for a better future.   ...

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Even after bankruptcy of Takata, this WSJ article points out that the job of replacing 54 million defective airbags in just the U.S. could go on and on for many years. Honda the carmaker most affected has set aside $4.9 billion over 2 years to cover recall costs. The airbags failed because of manufacturing defects.

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Prices for WTI crude dropped below $50 in January 2015. Higher inventories weighed on oil prices and Saudi Arabia added to the pressure by cutting the price of crude sold in the U.S.

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Vic Starmer spent the day after Thursday's election night at a race course in Surrey. Her mother introduced her to flat racing and she spent time at the Doncaster race course while growing up. She is a solicitor, ten years younger than Keir Starmer, and works in occupational health for the NHS. Vic met Keir Starmer when he called her about a brief she prepared as a solicitor. Starmer says their first interaction was when she was questioned about the brief and s she put down the phone was overheard saying "who the fuck does he think he is?"  Vic grew up in a middle class home in north London the daughter of a father whose family left Poland in the 1930's who worked as a accountant, and a mother who was a GP physician. She went to Cardiff University to study sociology and law, was elected student union president in 1994. They married when Keir was 45 years. Keir Starmer says about her-      " very sassy, very down to earth, no nonsense from anyone." She was political long before Keir, she understands politics, yet she wants to stay outside politics. On the walls in their Kentish Town kitchen the pictures reflect her space, nothing political, just the Doncaster race course, a familiar space for her.   ...

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The view from Pakistan, the views of the oppossition parties, the army, the Intelligence agency, on American aid to Pakistan and increaed involvement in the country's affairs. Some likened it to akind of colonization attempt. Politicains of some political parties oppose a large new embassy in Islamabad for the USA and a consultate in Peshawa, Northwest Frontier Province. Ambassador Patterson said that Pakistan should eliminate the Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar who is supposed to be in Baluchistan, or America would do what was needed, and National Securtiy Advisor Jones said that addressing the Quaeda sancturies in Afghanistan was the next step. The head of the Intelligence agency Shuja Pasha met with CIA officails last week in Washington and argued against sending more troops to Afghanistan. And the Army chief Kalyani said that missile drone attacks in Baluchistan as the AMericans impled would not be allowed.

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Michael Crawley has some advice for running in his new book "Out of Thin Air," describing his experiences running in the high altitude conditions of Ethiopia. There one does not run on roads but in backcountry conditions. Runners do not go fast to conserve energy in the thin air. Crawley is preparing for the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Running uphill has some special benefits during the pandemic, because of the benefits to health. And it helps to keep out distracting thoughts and just put on shoes, then get out and run. This could also apply to walking or hiking uphill in backcountry.

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After the German election the next election in France in 2022 will provide new direction for Europe. As in Germany with Olaf Scolz of the Social Democrats, in France an alternative is emerging with Xavier Bertrand of the Les Republicains. Like Scholz Bertrand was Labor Minister working to tackle difficult problems of increasing employment in the French economy going back a decade. In recent elections the party French president Emmanuel Macron created as a member of Francois Hollande's government has floundered. Macron hastily put together the En Marche in Amiens on April 16, 2017, when he was minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in the government of president Hollande. During the eight year period in which the centre right Christian Democrats CDU and center left Social Democrats SPD had ruled in a coalition government in Germany some version of centrist politics and government had also prevailed in France. After the Sarkozy years 2007-2012 under the centre right Les Republicains party  France turning to the centre left Socialists under Francois Hollande. As a young minister 39 years Macron lacked experience, and the initial enthusiasm that helped him win the 2017 presidential election is now missing. As in Germany voters are looking for change not just in slogans but in substance in a new Trans Atlantic partnership of US, Germany and France to tackle the may problems that were neglected in the last two decades of changing administrations in US and France and the Merkel administration in Germany- problems of social cohesion, of income inequality, division of country into rural and urban, eastern and western in Germany, southern and northern in the US, neglect of infrastructure, and failure to invest in the future.  France is now turning to the Les Republicains party in recent elections, and away from Le Pen's far right party and Macron's party.  Both Macron and Le Pen did very poorly in recent regional elections. This report in FR24 points out that the candidate for the Les Republicains party will be chosen at a convention, and not at a primary as happened in 2017 leading to the elimination of former Republicains president Nicholas Sarkozy. The president of the Haute France regional council Xavier Bertrand is the leading candidate from the regional election results. Bertrand was Sarkozy's minister of Labor and Solidarity from 2007 to 2009, and Minister of Labor, Employment and Health in 2009. Today Olaf Scholz, winner of the German elections in September 2021 was also Minister of Labor- in the Social Democrats/ Greens government under Gerhard Schroeder 1998 to 2005. Voters now realize that it is important to value experience, stability, combined with humility and a determination to get things done, compared to charismatic leaders with little to show in results, and tangible improvements in the quality of life, in national renewal.      ...

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Ways to complain better and make it work to strengthen relationships, being upfront but in the right way and appreciative of the other person rather than resentful. Try to build understanding, do it at the right moment and after gauging severity. Give people space, opportunity to respond and thank them for listening and giving attention. Aim for honesty, empathy and sincerity for building understanding.  Some patience is helpful. It may surprise you as it leads to growth in a relationship, says this author Joshua Coleman, a Senior Fellow with Council of Contemporary Families.

It applies to children as well as colleagues and couples.

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The balancing act for Japn's new prime minister Yoshihide Suga, Mr. Abe's cabinet secretary, as he tries to protect Japanese investment in China and maintain good relations with the U.S. The Trump administration is determined to restore America's manufacturing status as a manufacturing superpower and renew its supply chain after the pandemic, which is leading to a new relations with China.

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DJT Zelensky meeting August 18 2025-symbolic black suit instead of olive shirt as Ukraine seeks peace with Russia, an atmosphere of hope for peace settlement replacing the atmosphere of war.

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Making stuff- machining and other skills -are now cool in American schools. You Tube reality show "Clash of Trades" and building up prestige of machining skills and machining jobs in the trades from a young age. Young people are getting excited about making things again.Other articles in NYT and elsewhere in media this month show how the big tech companies have become huge and  bureuacratic, so big that no one cares for the individual, its just get on with it. Computer coding jobs not just in the US but also in India are not glamorous anymore, as companies employ tens of thousands of programmers in many locations and are not responsive. 

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Netherlands government takes back control of Dutch chipmaker Nexperia from China's Wingtech  using a court order in October 2025.