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Electing a Speaker for the US Congress from Louisiana has never been tried before. Last week after many attempts to fill this position Mike Johnson was elected Speaker. Making a conservative member of Congress from a deep Southern state risks losing the Republican majority, says this report in the WSJ.

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Comments by Eric Schmidt CEO of Google in an interview with the NYT's Helft. Important points emerging from the interview. Google he says does not know how long this crisis will last. Response not to waste money means less hiring and more careful expense reviews, and more focus. Managers are very very sensitive to important aspects of its culture, so such perks will continue which make it fun to work at the company for employees. And he says careful investment inthe future. "If you tighten too much, you eliminate future innovation, and then you set yourself up for a really bad outcome five or ten years" down the road. And here is the most important point he makes in advising the Obama administration. Do not take up the economy first, and let energy come in afterwards, deal with all the major problems at once, especially energy, which are part of the problem and the opportunity for the economy. For instance as the auto industry shrinks these job losses can be filled with jobs making parts for renewable energy like wind turbines and blades, like solar energy generation parts. This is actually happening already, government could speed things up by mandates for renewable energy and by help to companies through incentives. See the link to this in the NYT about companies in places like Newton, Iowa where lost jobs at Maytag are being replaced by renewable energy jobs. And several million jobs can be generated in energy to make up losses in auto jobs in the midwest. These parts of the Obama plan may have come up through conversations with Schmidt and other advocates of this, and by seeing what is already happening as reported by the NYT in the link. It makes Obama look like a farsighted genius, but its just sharp observation and careful listening. Pickens is already advertising this on television for his wind farms in Texas. It is not only Google's thinking, as Schmidt says, but good common sense and some ballpark estimates that would tell one that it would save sending 1 trillion dollars to Middle East and other nations that is needed for investment at home in the U.S.. Schmidt's calculations are that this amount could be saved in 22 years through renewable energy, plug-in hybrids and other innovative technologies. ...

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Figures from Kiel Institute for World Economy show that European Union aid to Ukraine is nearly double that of the US- $187 billion for EU to $98 billion for US aid. The American Enterprise Institute conservative think tank also confirms EU aid is significantly higher. Trump said US was $250 billion to European Union $100 billion- completely the reverse of the facts. This is one aspect of the debate with Harris that was not fact checked to reach the 67 million watching immediately similar to the FBI correction on crime rates by David Muir.   "Look, we’re in for $250 billion or more because they don’t ask Europe, which is a much bigger beneficiary to getting this thing done than we are. They’re in for $150 billion less because Biden and you don’t have the courage to ask Europe like I did with NATO. They paid billions and billions, hundreds of billions of dollars when I said either you pay up or we’re not going to protect you anymore. So that may be one of the reasons they don’t like me as much as they like weak people. But you take a look at what’s happening. We’re in for $250 to $275 billion. They’re into $100 to $150. They should be forced to equalize.”   ...

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This means Lal Bahadur Shastri as much as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi in her own way, other prime ministers such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee till today. In a way this would include all of the leaders such as Govind Vallabh Pant and Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Subhas Bose and presidents Rajagopalchari, Rajendra Prasad, and Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, southerners and northerners alike, westerners like Babasaheb Ambedkar and northeasterners like Syama Prasad Mukherjee. And above all Mohandas Gandhi and his mentors Tilak, Gokhale. It all started with Dadabhai Naoroji, a member of the British parliament in the Victorian period of prime minister Gladstone, who wrote the classic "Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India" which inspired Gandhi to write his own Hind Swaraj in 1910 on a ship from South Africa to London to negotiate for the rights of overseas Indians. Naoroji and Gokhale provided the tactical approach for Gandhi to learn and combine with his own ideas for Swaraj.

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The monopolistic behaviour of Amazon is the subject of this report in the WSJ. Bezos originally called his company relentless and even now relentless.com takes you to Amazon site. What he has set up is a mentality of relentless growth by acting like an aggressive startup. WSJ says it has never grown up even though it has acquired business after business often buying or copying smaller companies. It has not matured even though it has over 1 million employees. The problem was low wages and only recently did Amazon increase wages. So that we have this strange and bizarre situation in a developed advanced country like the U.S. where a whole class of academic economists offer Americans low consumer goods costs with manufactured jobs shipped overseas in the name of fighting protectionism, and Amazon as well as automobile and other manufacturers cutting American wages, to create the kind of society we have today split between blue collar and white collar, economically, politically and socially. ...

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Of 26 competitive House districts in coming midterms of 2026 in the US about 16 have median income of $86,000 (close to US median $79000), looking like Caroline County in Virginia. There Democrat Spanberger who won handily by 70% in the wealthy suburbs was even with Republican opponent with a deficit of 13 votes. It is this type of County that will determine the midterms says the WSJ Analysis. Republicans and Democrats face even headwinds in such counties, Cost of living continues in 2025 to be the concern for voters, similar to what it was in 2024.

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A year after Butler, Pennsylvania attempt on the president's life DJT reflects on it in this interview he granted to Gary O'Donoghue of the BBC. DJT said- "I don't like dwelling on it because if I did, it would be, you know, might be life-changing, I don't want it to have to be that." DJT says he liked "the power of positive thinking, or the power of positive non-thinking". On Russian president Putin and the continuing war in Ukraine- "I thought we had a deal done four times and then you go home, and you see, just attacked a nursing home or something in Kyiv. I said: 'What the hell was that all about?'" "I'm not done with Putin. I'm disappointed in him." On Prince Charles, now King Charles- "a great gentleman." And on Britain's prime minister Starmer hear this- "I really like the prime minister a whole lot, even though he's a liberal."   ...

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The number of people working lesss than 35 hours per week is approaching 7 million according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these families are seeing furloughs of afew days amonth, pay cuts and shorter working hours. All this means buying at the discount store, like this family which keeps careful track of account balances while shopping, and keeping a meticulous track of purchases tossed into the shopping cart with a calculator so as not to go over the budget. This may be the reason companies like P&G have introduced affordable lower end brands, so as not to permanently lose these customers to store brands. See the link to P&G's discount brand strategy, which couples with its developing super premium brands at the same time, yet barely eking out a 1-2 % revenue gain in 2009 and 2010 by its estimates.

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What the lockdown looks like on Day 23 in India from the Indian Express. India is one of the largest countries hit by the virus and one that took early and aggressive action.

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Workers are resorting to campers, garages and tents as there are few housing options in resorts like this one in Sun Valley Idaho in the US. It is also a reflection on living standards for Hispanic communities in the US in 2022 who provide workers for the hospitality and construction industries in the US.

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Indoor air quality particularly in office buildings and other indoor spaces is essential after covid. This BBC report looks at how this can be done and the need to do this, to put aside resources and funds for this task. Treat this like contaminated water in British cities in the 1800's it says.

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Sedentary life or sitting for hours at a desk poses health risks including dementia. There are negative effects of sitting for many hours at a desk. Getting up and moving around, or exercising on a bike, taking a walk outside can make a huge difference. It feels better uplifts the mood, and is common sense.

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House seats in New York flipped to Democrats, while House seats in California flipped to Republicans. The vote on issues of immigration, cost of living, and transgender cultural issues tend to indicate Republicans holding on to controlling the House of Representatives, according to the WSJ. DJT says Speaker Mike Johnson "has done a terrific job."

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The high cost of living is making people earning $250,000 to $350,000 a year merely suburban upper middle class or middle class as they face soaring costs for education, child care and housing. WSJ looks at families facing cost pressures in this income range. Savings are much smaller for 50 year olds making this kind of salary with college tution for one child alone costing upward of $70,000, child care expensive, housing costs in states like California over $1 million to own, and higher overall costs.

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The local police station in Japan is a friendly place called koban. Most lost items are returned here. It is most unusual for something lost like a wallet or a iphone not to be returned.

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Apple, Microsoft, Merck, Nike and other U.S. companies raised about $27 billion in the early part of 2013 with bonds yielding about one percentage point above U.S. government bonds. With the increase in yields in Treasury bonds following positive news from the housing sector, an improving U.S. economy and improving share prices in the stock market, corporate bond prices are declining. Apple's 10 year bond declined by 1.15% to 95.85 cents on the dollar. Analysis from William Blair shows Apple's 10 year bonds trading at 97 cents to the dollar if rates on 10 year Treasury bonds were 2%. At rates rising to 3% the Apple bond price would decline to 88.88 cents to the dollar, and a loss of 8.37%.

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With a redrawing of the tech map and where the jobs are tech jobs shift to mainstream manufacturing, health, banking and retail, says this report in the NYT. These companies invest steadily in tech jobs but did not go into manic hiring sprees in the way Amazon or Alphabet once did. Overall employment in tech occupations increased to 6.39 million in November 2022, a 12% increase over the prior year. Chase, Amex, Nike, Wal-Mart and General Motors offer more stability for tech workers. Overall US tech workers increased from about 3 million workers in 2000 to over double that in 2022. Unemployment is at 2% for tech workers compared to 3.7% for workers overall. The problems at Alphabet and Amazon and layoffs are making it easier for mainstream retail and banking companies to hire tech workers. Chase Bank alone has over 50,000 tech workers.

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Britain to lead coalition efforts in Strait of Hormuz- in the 1950's this part of the world was still part of the British Empire. Britain was the dominant power in Iran in 1900 and was also dominant in Turkey for a period after the First War in 1918 in Turkey. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire Britain and France assumed a stewardship role over what is now Israel, Iraq, Syria. Only after the rise of Ataturk in Turkey in the 1930's were there independence movements and anti-monarchial movements in the region. Ataturk was an avowed modernizer who Europeanized Turkey, that was not so with the anti-monarchial movements in Iraq, Syria, which led to a great deal of unheavals and the wars we know today as Iraq war, Afghan war, Iran war. In Iraq and Syria it was a form of Soviet Communist/ Socialist  style movements that took power, and in Iran it came in the form of a religious movement based on Shia Islam that by the 1990's clashed with the socialist movements in Iraq and Syria. Syria and Iraq disintegrated costing the US dearly in resources and men, and the Afghan wars hurt both the Soviets (Russia) and the US. The Iran war may be the last of these wars as the US and Europe, and Russian Europe, China, India and Japan, close this chapter in their interactions to a region that is impervious to the kind of modernization that started in 17th century Europe with the Renaissance, in 18th and 19th century Europe with the Scientific Revolution, and in 20th century Europe with the Industrial Revolution, that was fervently desired in Russia, Japan, China and India as these ideas spread over western and southern Asia like wild fire and were adopted as emancipating and with a sense of wonder by the Asian people as their own.  The world may soon decide it can do without Hormuz. China Japan, and India can secure alternative supplies of oil from US and Russia, and ramp up their production of renewable energy to make Hormuz redundant by 2030 and- history. Germany already has shown the way - getting only 6% of imports of energy from that region. ...

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Washington Post Editorial Board says DJT policy of "trade not aid," hand up not handout, is right for Africa- good example the $3 billion US puts in railroad from Congo/Zambia to Lobito port Angola on Atlantic coastline to get critical minerals in exchange for infrastructure building. A loan of $533 million from US IDFC (International Development Finance Corporation) is the right thing says the Washington Post for US to build infrastructure in the Lobito Corridor in Angola that will extend from Congo and Zambia with large critical mineral deposits to the port of Lobito on the Angola coast. Overall investment is $3 billion. This will loosen China's critical minerals control through its investments in Africa on the eastern coastline. The new railroad will take critical minerals of cobalt and copper, other critical minerals needed for electric car batteries and energy infrastructure, from the center of Africa to its western coastline in Angola at Lobito port. Angola will not need to take on ruinous -debt in this kind of deal as other African and Asian nations have in deals with China. Its win-win Africa gets infrastructure and supplies key commodities metals to the US. The interesting thing about this is that for a long time US policy was stuck with USAID and other agencies and needed to change. US government under DJT took much criticism for reducing that funding of bureaucracy and old ways. The Washington Post now says it is the right approach- it is not as presented a US withdrawal from Africa, but in the Posts' words an "overdue upgrade" to a mutually profitable relationship with Africa. For Africa to move to next level as Asia has done as Hong Kong did from the 1950's and 1960's  to trade and investment.  For a long time Republicans were not associated with infrastructure development in Africa or in the US. Under DJT the situation has changed and Democrats like Biden have taken up DJT's approach so that the US now regardless of administration is rebuilding infrastructure. Doing this in Africa makes sense. Investment in infrastructure at home makes sense. The Post is right to say this. ...

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People tend to keep digital email, messages and photos longer than they need them thinking they may come in use someday like a pair of old pants. This digital clutter and unerased digital stuff just adds to stress. It also makes the important stuff less visible. Speed in internet performance is also a factor. WSJ looks at this problem.

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Ezra Klein of the NYT looks at proposed US, EU and Chinese regulatory framework for AI. He points out the problems with the EU- too specific, US- too broad, and China's - state oriented. Klein gives specific points that need to be considered carefully including setting up the regulatory agency like the FDA to strictly regulate AI systems and companies.

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What is it like in intensive care (ICU) in hospitals in Berlin, Essen, and other parts of Germany. In this report in Der Spiegel doctors in ICU's talk about their daily experiences treating coronavirus patients.

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reassures European Union allies of continued commitment and support after meetings with European Council president Donald Tusk. He sought to allay concern in Europe after comments by U.S. president Donald Trump on Brexit.

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This WSJ Editorial Board piece asks -Was it a near miss that the results of the 2022 presidential elections that elected Joe Biden were upheld, as the Jan. 6 Committee says? WSJ says the country was lucky to have vice president Mike Pence to uphold it, but is lucky enough, what about the chaotic nature of such an event? WSJ says even if vice president Mike Pence and attorney general William Barr not upheld the result, majorities in the Electoral College would have done so. If that failed the Speaker Nancy Pelosi would have not convened Congress for a count, and the Supreme Court would have voted 9-0 to uphold the result. "The country was lucky to have had these men in office," says the WSJ Editorial Board. But consider the chaotic nature of such an event, and the chaos for the world of such an event. Did Washington and Jefferson, Lincoln and FDR, depend on luck to tackle foreign wars, civil wars, depressions?

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NYT's Catie Edmonson covers Speaker Mike Johnson as he meets other Republicans and organizations supporting Ukraine such as American Coalition for Ukraine, European leaders including Polish leaders, that show he is looking at different approaches to bringing up the supplemental bill for Ukraine and Israel in 2 weeks.  Options include doing two separate bills for aid to Ukraine and Israel to avoid the problem of Democrat far left voting against Israel aid and Republican far right voting against aid to Ukraine. The bill would require a two thirds majority because of House rules and some members of the Freedom Caucus opposing it. It would require a bipartisan effort. Speaker Mike Johnson has the advantage of coming in without any preconceived views, is philosophically similar to other younger ardent Republicans, as he is relatively new in Congress, and his style is such that nothing is personal. He says only his tactics are different. ...