Trump, Microsoft and the ban on TikTok

08/04/2020

Microsoft would have to make a large outlay for TikTok with uncertain prospects as TikTok is losing money. The closer it gets to the U.S. ban date of September 15 the steeper the drop in value of TikTok.

Linked Articles

Trump Says U.S. Should Get Slice of TikTok Sale Price

WSJ 08/03/2020

Alex Leary, Kate Davidson

WSJ 08/03/2020

Dan Gallagher

Breakthrough in vaccine for coronavirus - Astra Zeneca, Serum Institute and the Oxford Vaccine

06/05/2020

Serum Institute of India plans to manufacture 400 million doses of the Oxford vaccine by December 2020, in alliance with Oxford University and Astra Zeneca of UK.

Linked Articles

Drugs firm to begin making potential virus vaccine

BBC News 06/05/2020

NYTimes.com 06/04/2020

Reuters

U.S. China trade tensions decline with Phase 1 Trade Agreement in 2020

01/15/2020

Linked Articles

U.S., China to Sign Deal Easing Trade Tensions

WSJ 01/15/2020

Lingling Wei

WSJ 01/14/2020

Chao Deng

Ashwini Bhide and the Mumbai Metro- getting infrastructure done in India on time

10/05/2019

The desperate need for good infrastructure and millions of people in Mumbai who have put up for too long with creaky infrastructure. The Mumbai Metro led by Ashwini Bhide is a path breaking effort to speed things up, as the WSJ points out. As before petitions and other methods are used to stall projects. This time the courts not only dismissed the petition about cutting trees in Aarey Colony, north Mumbai, but also fined the petitioners Rs 50,000 for filing a frivolous petition. Trees are important, as few trees as possible are being cut for the new Metro, and new trees are being planted to replace them.

Linked Articles

‘You Have to Actually Cut Open Mumbai’s Belly’—Inside One of the World’s Most Audacious Transit Projects

WSJ 05/08/2023

Corinne Abrams | Photographs By Vivek Singh For The Wall Street Journal

Hindustan Times 10/05/2019

Republican House health care bill in 2017 and shift in priorities- $337 billion in savings, expected lower premiums, but leaving 14 million more uninsured in 2018

03/13/2017

A shift in priorities from the poor to the middle class- targeting lower premiums for people who have seen their premiums increase sharply, reducing the overall cost with savings of $337 billion, yet leaving 14 million more people uninsured.

Linked Articles

CBO Sees 24 Million More Uninsured, $337 Billion Deficit Cut in Coming Decade With GOP Health Plan

WSJ 03/13/2017

Stephanie Armour, Kristina Peterson

BBC News 03/13/2017

Chancellor Merkel and listening to German public opinion reflected in state elections of 2016

09/20/2016

Here we argue that contrary to general media coverage in the NYT, WSJ, Economist, and German media, a year from now Merkel may be seen more positively. This is because Merkel has always listened to public opinion carefully, and has told the German public frankly what happened- that she and the German government were caught unprepared in the refugee crisis that came up in summer 2015.

Linked Articles

German politics is turning into a six-party system

The Economist 09/19/2016

DW.COM 09/19/2016

Udo Bauer / Ksb

The 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the Rio Olympics- decades long debt hangovers and costs growing from the $1+ billion in Montreal to $50+ billion in Sochi

08/24/2016

Developing and developed countries alike have seen the cost of the Olympics as a huge burden. Many countries or cities that committed to hosting the Olympic games during boom years were facing economic hard times by the time of the games. Corruption and mismanagement of public funds, overspending and cost overruns added to the problems. Citizens uproar caused cities such as Boston and Oslo to withdraw bids for the Olympics. The Olympics appears to be a costly way to show off a country, and raises questions about better allocation of funds in other directions, especially when upward mobility is a problem for the middle and working class, countries have other infrastructure needs, and neglected basic needs in education, healthcare, public services.

Linked Articles

The 40-year hangover: how the 1976 Olympics nearly broke Montreal

The Guardian 07/06/2016

The New York Times 08/23/2016

Michael Powell

Why initiating Brexit by invoking the Lisbon Treaty's Article 50 could go into 2017, or even past 2020 into new general elections- (1) the pro stay vote in Ireland and Scotland

08/16/2016

Theresa May, Britain's prime minister, is deeply committed to the idea of the union of England with Scotland and Ireland. Invoking Article 50 of Lisbon Treaty, a step necessary for Brexit, would also lead to Scotland's ruling Scottish National Party to initiate plans for a second referendum for Scottish independence, as Scotland votd to remain in the European Union. The issue of Ireland and Northern Ireland's vote to remain in the EU would also lead to serious repercussions. In short it will be hard to separate the leave vote in England from the stay vote in Scotland and Ireland, as it will be difficult for most British people to imagine a England without a British identity. If the referendum had asked the second question "Do you still vote leave if this means the end of Britain or the United Kingdom?" the vote could have turned out differently for nationalist voters.

Linked Articles

Wait and see: Theresa May is in no hurry on Brexit | Europe | DW.COM | 15.08.2016

DW.COM 08/15/2016

Bernd Riegert / Db

DW.COM 07/25/2016

Donald Trump's proposal for 45% tariff on China's exports to the U.S.- how a policy of bringing jobs home could lead to the loss of 1 million U.S. jobs

03/08/2016

By damaging the international trading system including with allies such a Canada, Britain, France and Germany, the result of a downward spiral through higher tariffs in other countries, could end up costing the U.S. 1 million jobs. Under such a system the U.S. would lose many of the advantages of its booming tech sector, its tech driven global advantages in many industries, without signifcant gains in low cost imports such as clothing which would simply migrate to other countries such as India. The problem of worker wage stagnation in the U.S., and loss of jobs in certain sectors, is very real, but this is the wrong way to tackle the problem. China is already moving towards a consumer driven economy. Economists show that trade with Mexico would be seriously hurt both ways, creating more pressure of migrants at the border under such proposals as a 45% tariff and its indirect effect on Mexico, when the actual fact is that net migration from Mexico is the lowest it has ben in decades. Politics can do strange things as when two senators Smoot and Hawley from agricultural states Utah and Oregon, at the head of important committees in the U.S. Congress pushed and passed legislation for a 60% tariff in 1930 for the industrial sector they had no idea about. When Smoot and Hawley lost reelection in 1932 they left behind a lot of damage, especially for the farmers and workers they thought they were fighting for.

Linked Articles

How Trump’s Hard Line on Trade Could Backfire

Wall Street Journal 03/25/2016

Bob Davis, Bob, Davis

Wall Street Journal 03/08/2016

Holman W. Jenkins Jr., Holman, W., Jenkins, Jr.

The standoff between Saudi Arabia and Russia/ Iran that created the prospect of low oil prices for the long term - (1) Saudis and Russian resilience in the face of low oil prices

01/25/2016

Linked Articles

Saudi Arabia Keeps Pumping Oil, Despite Financial and Political Risks

New York Times 01/27/2016

Stanley Reed, Stanley, Reed

Wall Street Journal 01/25/2016

Selina Williams, Selina, Williams, James Marson, James, Marson

Criticism of the $8.3 million Dec. 2015 'comfort women' agreement between Japanese prime minister Abe and South Korean prime minister Lee

12/29/2015

Linked Articles

South Korean and Japanese Leaders Feel Backlash From ‘Comfort Women’ Deal

New York Times 12/29/2015

Jonathan Soble, Jonathan, Soble, Choe Sang Hun, Choe, Sang Hun

New York Times 12/30/2015

The Editorial Board, The, Editorial, Board

The failure of the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia to take in refugees from war torn Syria and other parts of North Africa- 1500 for U.S. , 166 for UK, 800,000 for Germany

09/04/2015

Ignatieff of the Kennedy School and Kristof of the NYT say the inaction of Obama, Cameron, Harper and Abbott, is deplorable considering the gap between the 800,000 Merkel and the German people have openly welcomed and the 1500 the U.S. has accepted, and 166 the UK has taken in. There is hardly any mention of the issue by the leaders of the U.S. and Canada in September 2015, even as the global media has covered this daily. In Hungary the Orban government faile to remember the Hungarian uprising of 1956 and the violent crackdown by the Soviets, leading to a wave of refugees reaching other parts of Europe and the U.S.

Linked Articles

Refugees Who Could Be Us

New York Times 09/04/2015

Nicholas Kristof, Nicholas, Kristof

New York Times 09/05/2015

Michael Ignatieff, Michael, Ignatieff