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The OECD countries in Europe including Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, spend on average $14,000 on childcare. The US spends astonishingly only $500 per toddler, about 4% of what advanced countries in Europe spend.The Biden plan is to change that. On the floor of the US Congress Senate minority leader McConnell protests against what he calls extravagant spending by the US in the Biden plan for families and workers.

In our selection of reports in world media we show the effect on women during the pandemic taking on childcare responsibilities with schools closed because of coronavirus. The impact has been a catastrophe for women leading to increase in mental health problems as culture and other reasons lead to women taking on 60-70% of child care and household chores. Women with careers are not able to join the workforce because of childcare shortages, losing income and feeling overburdened.

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Rugged hilly coast and shallow narrow straits - problems for Straits of Hormuz shipping is shown in the NYT following similar reports in WSJ. It will cost $200 billion for the munitions supplies and interceptors, and US naval operations, French naval operations to keep the Straits of Hormuz open, which is supported by US business as is seen in opinion in Editorial Board of WSJ on March 24, 2026. The Straits are a lifeline for Asia until renewable energy and alternative supplies of oil make the Straits history and a redundant proposition, which will be sooner than later after this episode, one too many more from the Middle East. More likely by 2030-2035. China and Japan depend on it for 90% of imports, and India 50% with alternative supplies provided for India from the US and Russia. Germany is only dependent on the Straits for 6% of its imports showing how far Germany has come and how important renewables and alternative sources of oil such as Venezuela will become in the time ahead, in a two pronged strategy that does not forget the challenges posed by climate from fires and floods. Were not stuck with the Straits- Japan and China can and will find alternative sources and increase production of renewable energy in the way Germany has done to get to 6% of imports from that region. ...

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For the first time Ford intorduces a car that will be a global car to go on sale in all markets around the world . The small car Fiesta will take a cue from Toyota's Corolla and Honda's Civic and be sold around the world under one name. The Fiesta has beeen sold in Europe for 30 years. Ford hopes to seel a million of these cars. The Fiesta was shown as the concept vehicle the Verve at recent auto shows in Detroit, Frankfurt and Guangzhou.

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Stephen Odell as COO for Ford Europe. Ford pushes an organization that will help it bring cars from Europe like the Verve to the US and build cars on a global basis for global markets.

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By financing nurses for financially strapped doctor's offices are pharmaceutical companies promoting their own company's pills. These programs are called disease management programs and are used frequently in Europe. Examples given here are for the UK. After Merck's temporary suspension from this program because of promoting its own drug Cozaar in the UK, there has been some publicity and awareness has increased about the improperness of letting pharmaceutical companies use the program for pushing their pills.

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Elections are won on messages that can be put in one line. FDR's in 1932 he stated clearly and applies to Biden in 2024- it has Abraham Lincoln's message from his writings. FDR said in 1932 "Give me your help not to win votes alone, but to win in this crusade to restore America to its own people." America in 2024 during the pandemic resembles America in 1932 during the Depression with widening gaps between the upper and lower classes and in opportunity for better life. Philip Bump in his Analysis in the Washington Post points out that the 2024 US election remains a referendum on the former president Trump. This is because as is already evident the voters have made up their minds, on Biden's side people that have decided they will not vote for Trump, and on Trump's side people who will vote for Trump. Biden has a stable vote when the election is referendum on Trump. Crime has come down so that crime is not so much of an issue. Immigration is also coming down and the Lankford- Biden immigration legislation did not pass to close the border as it was seen not attractive for the reelection bid on basis of immigration fears from the former president. Biden has take steps to close the border using executive action in the absence of Congress stalling on advice of the former president. The other issue is abortion and the selection of J.D. Vance for VP creates more fears about abortion bans for suburban women in all 51 states. Climate Change action is another issue and if stalled for 4 years it would cost the US upward of 1 trillion dollars to make up for action not taken till 2028. Donilon has said elections are fought on issues that can be put in one line for focus and concentration. For Democrats it is democracy in the words of FDR in his 1932 address: "Give me your help not to win votes alone but to win in this crusade to restore America to its own people." It is good to reflect and know that this is what president Abraham Lincoln would also have said knowing Lincoln's views from his writings on the this aspect of freedom in the Civil War in fighting the plantation economies of the Southern states. ...

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The influence of comedian Jerry Lewis for movies in the sixties. He revived physical comedy from an earlier period before the war.

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After the hearing on November 18, 2007, in the Senate in front of the Banking Committee, most senators remained unconvinced. Prof. Morici of the University of Maryland and some senators including the senator from Tennessee asked tough questions about the automakers business model and viability going forward and some senators voiced deep concern about the automakers resistance to better fuel efficiency standards. The testimony given in advance and the remarks ahead of the questions showed the Detroit automakers CEO's were in a disconnect as they did not come forward with an acceptance of past mistakes on fuel efficiency, lack of vision on energy conservation, and failure of union and management to address benefits and work rules that were obsolete a long time ago, relying too heavily on lobbyists and on the plea by Michigan senator Debbie Stabenow for aid. Failure to do this and relying too heavily on the job losses and economic threat may have alienated many senators who are outside the midwestern region where most of the Detroit automakers are concentrated....

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Philippines finance secretary, Cesar Purisima, says the country should reduce its dependence on foreign remittances and prepare for a prolonged period of US dollar weakness. Foreign remittances support a large proportion of household spending in the Philippines. With the appreciation of the peso, the dollar and euro remittances translate into fewer pesos. In 2009 the 10 million or so foreign workers sent back about $18 billion. In an interview with the WSJ, he said that the Philippines is trying to reduce its dependence on foreign denominated debt and will continue efforts to replace it with Philippine peso bonds. Refinancing the Philippines debt in pesos provides the economy with more stability and less foreign exchange risk.

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Adjusted for inflation wages for automakers have fallen 19% since 2008 because of tiers new workers making about $17 an hour significantly less than the $32 an hour. UAW seeks an end to tiered hiring.  For GM it is about committing to a long term contract in an industry that is unpredictable and uncertain. GM wants to make substantial investments in the EV industry with president Biden's help even when not making profits from EV's. For the UAW Ms. Janis of Jobs to Move America says labor is a very small part of what it costs to make EV's, batteries are the most. None of the earlier difficulties are likely because much fewer workers are needed making labor cost a much smaller component. Toyota has been slow in its EV start, BYD in China is leading but US carmakers are supported by the US government for EV's. Auto workers want a fair contract . And GM working with partners can still build joint venture factories for batteries in the South just like Tesla where work is not unionized. In the competition in EV's R&D and quality of management will play a bigger role. Fairness for workers will motivate American carmakers, with worker training and quality+value of EV's important for success.   ...

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Brazil's Supreme Court bans BIllionaire Elon Musk's app X in Brazil for repeatedly violating court orders and spreading racist and fascist speech ahead of local elections in October.

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Honda is defining safety as a feature it wants to be known for, just as Volvo is known for safety. It has in its history been identified with fuel efficient automobiles, now it is making safety a key to Honda's image as an automobile manufacturer, and emphasizing safety in its ads and marketing. Honda will have this new crash resistant technology ACE for the car frame and body structure on almost its whole lineup of vehicles. This means the body structure will crumple upwards in a crash and the impact will be spread across the whole frame, ensuring the compartment of passengers remains intact. Honda is unique in the way its doing this for smaller cars, giving customers of smaller cars an option that includes safety on the road. It has also invested in crash test facilities, with a large facility at its research center in Ohio.

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India's exports for December 2021 are at about $38 billion according to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. In the first 9 months the exports were at $301 billion and on target for $400 billion for the current fiscal year. For 2023-24 the target is $500 billion in exports. By 2027 exports target is $1 trillion. For India this means nothing short of foreign trade being completely reimagined under Atman Nirbhar Bharat and Make in India. South East Asia is a new target for exports as new supply chains are being constructed.