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This WSJ report says the use of stimulants and pills is openly discussed and visible in the fields of finance and banking, as ways to get through long hours and for making huge pay packages. It says drugs are used as a tool to optimize performance on the job particularly when it comes to entry level people in banking and finance. Leaders in finance are supposed to set the positive image role models- are they failing now, and are the practices being put in place for making health and healthy living a priority in the workplace as it is the only way to optimize performance. American history shows many leaders in business, finance, politics, the military, and government in the last 200 years- nowhere is it evident that stimulants optimize performance.

It is up to the captains of American industry and finance to set the right role models for the people working in their companies and for the Nation. 

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DJT supports American dockworkers.

"Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.”

“For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries.”

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Emily Baumgaertner takes on the critics of children's vaccines. A major health advancement in tackling polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria. The NYT says most Americans and doctors today have forgotten what a scourge these disease were in the last century. Polio one of the most serous killing or paralyzing half a million people worldwide in the 1930's and 40's. A scourge deadly as it happened suddenly in a day one could get paralyzed. US president FDR had polio which changed his whole life in the 1920's. In 1952 vaccines took this down from 22,000 in 1952 to just one in 1993.  Measles - the vaccine licensed in 1963. It is highly contagious. Tens of thousands hospitalized 400-500 died each year. It is 97% effective with 2 doses, its spread require 95% coverage rate. 16 measles outbreaks in 2024- about 300,000 children not protected, parents skipping it. Diptheira respiratory disease- 100,000 cases a year in 1920 to less than one today. One in 10 died from it says CDC. Vaccine TDaP. ...

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All major industrialized or OECD nations leaders ratings are low or poor in December 2024. Biden's is at 37%, Trudeau of Canada's 26%, Macron of France 19%, Scholz 18%.

Even newly elected Keir Starmer of Britain is about 34%. Ishiba of Japan 22%, Yoon South Korea 18%.

Biden's 37% looks decent in comparison. DJT at less than 50%.

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UK's GDP falls by 0.1% in October over prior month. UK economy faces headwinds. It could take several months to overcome the effects of asharp increase in employment taxes in the UK Budget. COvid 19, Brexit, and 6 premiers in 9 years, uncertainty affecting business investment decisions, is affecting the British economy.

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Germany's exports dropped by 2.8% and imports by 0.1% in October over prior month. Trade surplus dropped to 16.8 billion euros from 13.4 billion euros. Germany's largest export market is the US. It now faces tariffs from the new DJT administration.

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Foreign minister Wang Yi is likely to attend the DJT Inauguration . DJT extended an invitation to president Xi of China.

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Banks like the staus quo, streamlining regulation will be hard for the new DJT American administration, says Sheila Bair, former head of the US FDIC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Deposit insurance is important for peace of mind of bank customers and the proper functioning of the banking system, particularly in a crisis. The recent Silicon Valley banking crisis required deposit insurance for the stability of the banking system. Bair who acted to protect the banking system in the 2009 financial crisis in the US, says banks prefer having multiple agencies so that they can choose which one works best for them.  Bair said recently- “Banks may complain, but at the end of the day, they like to have their own regulator they have a relationship with,” Bair said. “They like the status quo.” The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is one of the agencies that DJT administration and Republicans oppose. With only 2-3 vote margin for its majority in the House it will be difficult to get Congress to agree on changes to the staus quo. ...

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Battersea Power Station in its heyday in the 1950's processed one mlilion tons of coal from Wales and England to power the UK with one fifth's of its electricity. King Charles pays a Christmas visit to the Power Station buildings that are converted into shops and where Apple has its UK headquarters. The singer Raye performs during the visit. The architecture design was done by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It resembles an upside down coffee table. The boiler house could fit St Paul's cathedral inside, says the BBC.

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Greece's carbon emissions- 51.7 million metric tonnes. Tik Tok's carbon emissions exceeds that says this report in The Guardian citing Greenly carbon consultancy in Paris. Much of it comes from the intensive use and addictiveness of TikTok with average user spending 45 minutes scrolling.

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Hotels in New York City can cost a fortune- $1100 a night in December near Christmas, $300 in September, $150 lower in January. Here dawn Gilbertson shares a small condo with an Airbnb host for $155 in December in Brooklyn about an hour subway+walk  to Manhattan.

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18 year old Gukesh Dommaraju of India wins the World Chess title from Ding Liren of China on December 12, 2024. The Guardian provides details of every move in the chess game.

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The Voice of America has more impact than it's 2000 employees and $267 million budget suggests. Using the power of radio it reaches 326 million people weekly in 50 languages around the world. It provides comprehensive news coverage about the US and the World. It played amajor role during the World War II and in the Cold War. It was founded in 1942 and its congressional charter protects the editorial independence and integirty of its programming.

The agency that runs VOA is the Agency for Global Media. Under DJT first term Michael Pack ran the Global Media Agency. He was followed by Michael Abramovitz, a Washington Post correspondent and member of the Council of Foreign Relations.

Since the end of the Cold War VOA programming has declined in quality and effectiveness to communicate America's story to the world. 

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Spain's economy is seeing the addition of many from the Caracas Venezuelan middle class as they immigrated to Spain with links in language and culture. As the country ages this is a useful addition of a literate and educated middle class from a once wealthy Latin American nation that can be integrated quickly into Spain.

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After recovering from the eurozone financial crisis Spain is recovering with low inflation of 1.8%, and growth of 2.4% in 2024, 2.1% in 2025, and unemployment at 11.2%. Even with high unemployment prime minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain sees new immigrant workers aiding higher growth and supporting pensions- Spain's tourism growth also supports this. “The contribution of migrant workers to our economy is fundamental, as is the sustainability of our social security system and pensions.” This makes Spain one of the only countries to continue supporting legal migration to the country- 250,000 are needed both in high skilled jobs in hospitality and construction, and "invisible" jobs in agriculture and other places. 1 million migrants will arrive each year till 2028. Spain will also give legal stats to 500,000 undocumented migrants mostly from Latin America including Venezuela's middle class. ...

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After inflation drops to 2.3% in the eurozone in December 2024 the British pound rises to 1.21 euros and 1.04 US dollars. The ECB says its decision to cut rates to 3% was a result of inflation forecasts showing a further drop in inflation to 1.9% by 2026. Growth in eurozone was also updated to 0.7% in 2024 and 1.1% in 2025. 

The Fed is likely to make a further interest rate cut and the Bank of England keep it steady at 4.75%.

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A yearly fee for use of news media content by tech companies from the  government of prime minister Albanese in Australia would generate 503 million British pounds for local news media companies. This includes media companies News Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Guardian Australia, and the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Biden commutes sentences of 1500 people put under house arrest during Covid 19 pandemic.

Biden says-

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,”

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Curiosity had a lot to do with the Renaissance in Europe, the Voyages of Discovery from 1500 to 1800, with the Discoveries in Science in Europe since the 16th century, and the Industrial Revolution in Europe.  Curiosity sets out a new way of thinking. This helped Europe to surpass Asia after the Renaissance. The Voyages of Discovery were motivated by an effort to fill gaps in knowledge about the world beyond one's shores in the Atlantic, and other oceans. Jamie Jirout of the University of Virginia shows how this works- The qualities needed are Interest, Creativity, Open Mindedness, Intellectual Humility, Intellectual Courage, Critical Thinking. This leads to internal curiosity and mental frame to be Intrinsically motivated to seek information, Identify knowledge gaps to think in new or different ways, be Open to things Unknown, Comfortable with risks of failure or mistakes, Challenge and change one's own thinking. This manifests itself in Behaviours that Explore and seek new information, Try things in new ways, Observation, Asking Questions and persisting after failure, questioning things verbally.         ...