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The email server controversy has had the effect of obscuring Hillary Clinton's message about her policies. Hillary Clinton's instincts in a lifetime in politics made it harder for her to apologize and let the matter fade away. Because the 2016 campaign is run by committee, has some members of Obama's campaign team, and led by Mr. Podesta who is close to Mr. Clinton, with senior advisors offering advice, it is not as coherent as the 2014 campaign team in offering advice to the candidate. As a result it took a while before advisors could relay the message that the email controversy was not just about Mrs. Clinton's and Bill Clinton's conviction that she had done nothing wrong, but about the larger message to voters on her campaign platform. By early September it was being obscured by the enthusiasm in the Sanders campaign, and non stop coverage of the email controversy in the media. Her falling popularity in the polls was the signal that led Hillary Clinton finally to say "sorry, I shouldn't have done this."...

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Gail Collins on why Senator Lieberman is opposing the public option, expanding Medicare Eligibility and other parts of the health care bill.

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Moody's downgraded S. Africa's credit rating from A3 to Baa1 on Sept. 27, 2012. Mining strikes in S. Africa have lowered the economc outlook with prospects of these strikes spreading to other industries.

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Tyler Cowan says slower growth in India is a troubling sign in 2012, and as significant if not more than the eurozone crisis. A less mentioned and major problem is the low productivity in agriculture, and he points to Japan, Taiwan, and S. Korea where major increases in agricultural productivity preceded successful industrialization. With growing population and continued growth India will be one of the largest economies in the world. The other major problem is shortages of energy supplies and the inability of state owned company, Coal India, to upgrade technology and increase output.

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Hunger affects one in seven people, and is mostly affecting people in Africa and South Asia.

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Affordability should be a major factor in figuring out what is the best place to retire. Climate gets Arizona and Florida the top two spots. Yet considering today's higher cost of living and smaller retirement savings in the U.S., Britain, and European countries, and the higher cost of living in India, China, and other Asian, African, and Latin american countries, affordability should play a much larger role so that savings stretch out and one can afford a better standard of living, more travel and room for better choices in food and other things.  Bankrate for instance gives 40% importance to affordability in its retirement assessment of locations. Climate gets only 15% in this assessment of location. Places which are friendlier, with which you are familiar ar attractive for other reasons. Bankrate gives Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri top ratings in this commonsense approach.  Also important after affordability, are access to healthcare, weather, culture and crime. Bankrate analysis gives affordability 40%, wellness and healthcare 25%, culture 15% weather 15%, and crime 15%. Access to healthcare is a factor that is also included in Affordability as the premium in Florida for Medicare Supplement, is $286  month vs $90 a month in Nebraska. Using a similar approach places in India, China, other African, Asian and Latin American countries countries that are in high demand and have rising cost of living may not be the best places to retire. Using Affordability, wellness and healthcare, culture, and friendly atmosphere and familiarity with having lived there for a time, may be the best criteria with less importance to weather. A better standard of living and access to better things in life with one's dollars or rupees or whatever currency one uses stretch is important.   ...

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The inflation rate in the eurozone showed a decline of 0.2% in December 2014, showing the first signs of deflation. This is the first sign of deflation since 2009. The unemployment rate for the eurozone remained at 11.5% in November, with the rate in Germany improving to 6.4% in Dec. from 6.5% in Nov., but unemployment reaching 13.4% in Italy. Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, points to low energy prices, and core inflation data showing that excluding energy and food prices the core inflation rate increased to 0.8% in Dec. 2014 compared to 0.7% in November 2014.

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Informational capital that was lost in the 1930's as local banks went out of business and the information on credit worthy borrowers disappeared and with it the credit to all businesses dried up leading to great unemployment. Are community banks that took losses from their holdings of Fannie and Freddie shares and some going out of businesses suggesting a loss of informational capital in the present crisis. Some of these banks will be acquired by other larger banks so that would limit the loss of informational capital. And bad policy compounded the problems in the 1930's. Now the FDIC andf the Fed with support of Treasury will be looking at the smaller local banks to see that that banking sector continues to function.

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Bruni describes the situation facing Millenials in the U.S., a group of young people who face high student debt and few job opportunities, many stuck in jobs that do not match their qualifications. A similiar situation faces young people in Italy, Spain, France, the UK and other European countries. In South Asia there is an appalling lack of job opportunities to meet the aspirations of young people for a better life.

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Public opinion in the district of Steve King, a Republican in the House of Representatives favoring defunding of Obamacare healthcare law.

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The Saudis fear a blowback from a military push by the US against the Taliban. Pakistan sees a push by the USA leading to Taliban concentrating in the Baluchistan part of Pakistan.

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As potential bank takeover on a short term basis to fix things looms over some banks, that are already heavily dependent on government money, their share prices dropped significantly. Bank of America dropped to $3.79 a share and Citigroup dropped to $1.95 on February 20, 2008. The more bank shares fall the more likely it becomes that the government will end up owning even larger stakes in the banks. Larger infusions of government capital mean diluting existing shareholders. In this atmosphere investors fearing that the value of their shares will be wiped out keep selling bank shares.

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Are DJT Republicans forgetting about promises to tackle high prices in first 100 Days asks the WSJ?

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The worry about vaccination passports for coronavirus to enable unrestricted travel, is that the immunity may not last into winter 2021. Relaxing all restrictions and having a repeat of the summer of 2020 on beaches and unrestricted intermingling could result in new dangers in 2022.