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Worsenign outbreaks of coronavirus in the midwest U.S. comes with resumption of sports games on Oct. 23. Campuses at Michigan State, Minnesota and Nebraska see infection rates in the general population of over 5%. Rates are also high at the University of Michigan  in Ann Arbor. Community viral spread factor is missing in the effort to restart sports games, and has drawn criticism from local governments.

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Two women, one from a town near Barcelona and another from Hof, Bavaria, are providing the plants in boxes to city dwellers who can watch them grow from seeds into plants on their window sills. It is one more way for young people to reduce cabin fever. No chemicals are used in the pots or the bags, or the fertilizer. It comes with a printed starter guide.

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This article in Zeit Online tries to provide the facts behind Merkel's decision made in a period of 24-48 hours to let refugees marching towards Austria from Keleti station in Budapest, Hungary, September 5, 2015, to enter Germany. Other reports pointed out that too little time was given to make the decision and that it was purely done on humanitarian terms. And made during that short window of time, in which a decision had to be made to turn away the refugees going on foot for hundreds of miles or to turn them away. Given Germany's earlier history the choice was a difficult one but erred on the side of being humanitarian. Though Merkel's selfie with a refugee at a hostel on Sept 10, would seem to suggest otherwise, Merkel has said her decision was made with so little time and little opportunity to understand all the ramifications of this. It was not an open invitation to refugees to come to Germany. 

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Apple iWatch sales are about 11 million -15 million units in last 4 quarters. The iWatch sales are a small fraction of sales overall. Apple quarterly profit declines by 22.5%, as revenue declines and iPhone sales decline. Half of the quarterly revenue decline comes from China. This has hurt the share price by May 2016.

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There is a two week period before the 25% tariff on steel coming into the U.S. goes into effect. This gives time for Canada, Mexico, the EU, Japan and other countries to come up with offers to negotiate or as with the EU come up with its own plan to put tariffs on some American goods. An exemption for Canada is supported by the United Steel Workers Union, as many American companies make steel across the borders. Canada sends the most steel and aluminium to the U.S. With the departure of Gary Cohn as economic advisor, Mr. Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative who pushed for the tariff plan becomes a trusted advisor to the President. Lighthizer is to be seen in Lyrarc pages as having consistently supported fair trade and protecting U.S. workers in these situations since his work in the Reagan administration. The other advisors who are ascendent are Peter Navarro, a trade expert, and Wilbur Ross, the Commerce Secretary. Ross is an experienced business veteran in consolidation of steel and auto parts companies, who pushed for a moderate position to renegotiate NAFTA and convinced president Trump to pursue renegotiation instead of rejecting NAFTA following calls from president Nieto of Mexico and Trudeau of Canada. ...

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The most accurate study so far of what age groups get affected by coronavirus comes from the Office of National Statistics in Britain, showing that children are as likely to get infected as adults. Estimates in modeling created jointly by Public Health England and the Cambridge University show 18% of children in the data from 5  to 14 years age are infected by the virus in England, compared to 18% in the adults over 45 years age.  Across all age groups the modeling data found that there is no difference between age categories for infection by the coronavirus.

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What is the point of winning the World Cup says Steve Thompson, 2003 Rugby World Cup player for England, if you have to deal with the rubbish that comes after it. At 42 he can't remember his wife's name.  He has been diagnosed with dementia. It appears that all the knocks to the head taken in the game have affected his memory. This report in The Times looks at the reality and anguish of sports players who discover years later what happened during the time they played.

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Millenials are promoting healthy eating habits in the U.S. as awareness among young people grows about faulty eating habits that have become commonplace in the U.S.  Words such as naturally grown, organic, sustainable, locally sourced are important in the way millennials demand their food, and grocery stores are listening. Millennials are also trying vegan and vegetarian options. Packaging has to be resealable, easy to open and portable. And when it comes to baby food millennials have definite preferences. 

The result is that variety and quality is improving on grocery market shelves.

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Carney calls Canadian elections on April 28 2025. He was head of the Bank of England and comes from the financial sector. The opposition leader from the Conservatives cannot be ruled out as he enjoyed increase in popularity after Trudeau's popularity declined after being in power since 2015. Carney has never contested an election and the example of Sunak is recent. Sunak called an early election only to lose badly to Labour in 2024 after serious missteps by the Liberals and a split in the party. That split has not been fixed by Carney in any way. 

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This report in the BBC on the nuclear threat in the Ukraine war looks at the subject of nuclear conflict and what this means. It points out that China has no first use nuclear doctrine and Russia being dependent on China's support in the Ukraine conflict as a deterrent. It also sees the inner circle of a Russian and American president internally in conflict over nuclear weapons use in any situation.

The occasion of the discussion in the US and Europe on this issue and internally in other countries including China and India this week show the need for a complete rethinking of where we are and how we have come here. Much of the world- billions of people in Asia and Latin America, Africa, North America has little to do with the conflict in one small part of the world- which makes such talk irresponsible and reckless behaviour. 

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The issue of virtue signaling has come up at the BBC as it goes through a period of change under new rules. Rule Britannia! and "Land of Hope and Glory" are now reinstated in television programming. Prime minister Boris Johnson says "it is crazy for us to go around trying to censor it." Saying that "people love our history and our traditions with all its imperfections. It is absolutely absurd."

Land of Hope and Glory is written by Edward Elgar, has the lines -

"By freedom gained, by truth maintained/ Thine Empire shall be strong."

Earlier decisions have come under strong criticism in Britain.

There is a sense that countries are better off recalling and affirming their history and traditions during the pandemic, so that people can have faith and hope for the future.

 

 

 

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Covaxin vaccine from Bharat Biotech in India is found to be 81% effective at protecting people from coronavirus in clinical trials. India's first Made in India vaccine for coronavirus will play a major role in India's effort to produce enough vaccine to vaccinate 1.2 billion people. With enough vaccine supplies coming from many Indian pharmaceutical makers who will now have access to Bharat Biotech's science and vaccine making technologies. The Indian government has stepped in to coordinate this effort. Covaxin and Covishield will play a major role when new vaccine supplies come into the field in July to December 2021. The target is to vaccinate 1.2 billion people by December 2021. This is an important moment for Indian science in the field of medicine.

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Gujarat has a mortality rate of 6.2% compared to 2.8% for India. In total number of confirmed cases Gujarat comes fourth after Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Delhi, with 21,500 cases. Most of the deaths are in the city of Ahmedabad and mostly at the city's large Civil Hospital. This report in the BBC says the deaths can be attributed to the reluctance of people in the city to go to the Government Civil Hospital because the quality of care is not good. Many patients come to the Civil Hospital only after failing to find a bed at other private hospitals. This means the patients condition is getting worse as he is not admitted rightaway but days afterwards when his condition has deteriorated. The weak health infrastructure of the state and the lack of quality care at the Ahmedabad Government Civil Hospital say experts has led to increasing number of deaths in Gujarat from coronavirus. Gujarat has been known for its improvements in transportation and roads infrastructure. This has not happened with health infrastructure. This situation is being seen also in China where not enough money is being invested for quality health care. Ahmedabad's Government Civil Hospital is one of the largest in Asia providing low cost care to a large population. ...

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The other title of this article in the NYT was "California's fading Political Machines and volatile race for Governor." Gone are the days when Pat Brown was able to put his son Jerry Brown in the race for governor, there are 9 persons running for governor of California in 2026. The current governor Gavin Newsom is said to be promoting his book in Nashville, Tennessee, where many Californians are moving with the inflated cost of housing in the state. Gavin Newsom's grand father gave a $5000 check to Pat Brown in 1943 to run for District Attorney, this report says citing the book. From that time Pat Brown became Attorney General and then governor of California in 1958, defeating Richard Nixon in 1962. In 1962 Pat Brown seemed vulnerable as his signature accomplishment setting up the UC system of college campuses and the water reservoir, tax increases to pay for this, were in their beginning stages and their lasting value not recognized at the time. Nixon from Whittier, California, was a former Vice President and was seen as likely winner. This toughly fought election created the Pat Brown myth and so called machine that helped his son Jerry Brown to two terms as governor 1975 to 1983, and again after serving as Mayor of Oakland and Attorney General to come back to governors race again in 2011 (because term limits came after 2011) and be governor again 2011-2018. Another way of looking at it is that in his last two terms it was also Jerry Brown's careful balancing of the budget and finances of the state, his environmental support, that made him a reliable figure for the public interest not just the political machine backing him.  California to be sure has had popular governors on both sides Reagan won in 1966 as governor of California to succeed Pat Brown. The Kennedys and Pat Brown are matched by the Reagan supporters in the state. In today's situation where China's dominance in industry and manufacturing has affected all parts of deindustrialized America, California is no exception, where much of the middle class has seen their savings eroded, the issues are different and the challenges are different. ...

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets U.S. president Donald Trump in June 2017. Trade with India, and the strategic relationship in Asia, will come up in the discussions. This report says the discussions could be sensitive on trade, immigration and climate change. The U.S. provided $2.38 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) to India in 2016, about 5.5% of the total, and 47% of the U.S. H1-B Visa program for skilled workers benefits Indian companies. The H1-B program will not be discussed, though climate change may come up. Defense collaboration, regional security, energy projects, are likely to be important topics, including transfer of high technology. 

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Policies of four term chancellor Angela Merkel and positions of SPD's Steinmeir, Schroeder, come under serious scrutiny following the Ukraine invasion with millions of refugees and attacks on civilian population. Their serious miscalculations are now seen in a different light of daily reports of the war and the devastation in Ukraine. Increasing Germany's dependence on energy supplies from Russia from 36% after annexation of Crimea to 55% today is seen as a serious error of chancellor Merkel by the German people, whose views are changing following the millions of refugees and new reports of attacks on civilian population in Ukraine.

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New regulations from the European Union and an order from president Putin asking industry to cut emissions to below EU levels by 2050 are pushing companies to reduce emissions. Russian companies are pushing to be greener. Russia emitted 11.3 tons of carbon dioxide per capita in 2017, compared to 7 tons for the European Union, according to Oxford University. An EU plan that could come into effect in 2023 could affect 40% of Russian exports because of emissions, costing $5 billion, according to the Russian central bank. Companies in steel, aluminum, petrochemicals, are investing in new plants that reduce emissions or are carbon neutral.

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Air quality index for PM2.5- particulate matter 2.5 extremely hazardous- reached 285 on November 9, 2023. The thick smoke was visible on NASA satellite imagery. Much of it come from burning of paddy rice straw after the rice harvest in states of Haryana and Punjab near New Delhi. Governments at the federal level and state levels have failed to stop the burning of stubble. The fire smoke adds to pollutants from industrial activities, and pollution from cars and buses. The first week of November and last week of October was when fire activity happened this year, delayed after monsoon rains.

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Rosalynn Carter is the most politically active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt. She actively participated in Jimmy Carter's political campaigns first for governor of Georgia, then for the US presidency as a Democrat in 1976. Both come from a small peanut farming town of Plains, Georgia. Carter served in the Navy and went to Annapolis for naval training. After leaving the presidency the Carters wer active in humanitarian efforts to tackle disease in Africa and in other efforts including Habitat for Humanity building homes for lower income Americans. No president has served in this way for this long as Jimmy Carter.

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The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce China Center says the White House has a supportive community when it comes to getting China to abide by fair rules relating to intellectual property. Mr. Bolton talking to the CEO Council was frank about the U.S. government's efforts to get China to to implement a broad set of reforms. He even called for a show of hands from executives who think its acceptable to live by the situation today which hurts the U.S. when it comes to intellectual property. No one showed their hand. U.S. executives once skeptical about the tariffs from president Trump on Chinese products are now shifting their views on the confrontational approach taken by president Trump on issues of U.S. technology transferred to companies in China that lead to the U.S. losing its technological advantage.

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Late Show with Stephen Colbert cancelled by CBS as parent company Paramount merges with Skydance in 2025. The televisions late night comedy show with political overtones was a show that lasted 30 years. It goes the way PBS goes as PBS funding is no longer renewed by the US Congress and PBS seen now as a leftover from the 1960's. PBS covered a better part of the Cold War period from 1960 to 1990 and continued for another 35 years before funding was cutoff under DJT. The situation is different today with the rise of Asian nations, China and India. The Voice of America was also a part of the 1960's period and covered the Cold War, and lost its focus after 1990's. VOA is also being defunded for lack of effectiveness. New media, and new ways to reach the American people with new ideas, and reach the people of the world with new ideas are needed today.

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Britain's plan for a green world include Boris Johnson's plan to invest 12 billion pounds to do this. Of this $2 billion will go into promoting cycling and walking. After his own conversion to exercize, into taking a run every morning, this comes with conviction. Some of this will go to setting up cycling paths and roads where bicycles are the main form of transportation. The ban on petrol or gasoline cars moves up to 2030 o accelerate the shift. More green space and parks, more trails for running, and less air pollution for better health.

The firs zero emission laung haul airplane is part of the effort and investment. 600,000 electric heat pumps a year, planting 30,000 hectares of woodland each year. Enough power from offshore windpower to provide electricity to every home in Britain by 2030. And gilts or financial instruments for Green financing in London as financial center by the Treasury department.

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BBC cites a report from ProPublica site that shows US billionaires pay little or no taxes. BBC has not confirmed this, yet it comes at a time when president Biden's plan is for American recovery with $1.8 trillion in spending on infrastructure, education and healthcare, services for elderly. This Biden plans to finance with taxes for people with the highest incomes. Earlier reports have shown some large corporations pay only a fraction in taxes that they normally would pay under a fair tax code. In some cases such as tech companies the tax code has not been updated, in others companies have used overseas tax locations. Much of the American public is unaware of how this affects the overall shape of society and the condition of America's infrastructure, the state of its educational system and its healthcare system, and of public services, the conditions for the elderly and children. The affluent have simply looked the other way.

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New affordability and choice in EV's in US under $40000 in 2025. Even without incentives from the government EV's remain an attractive option now that new gasoline cars cost an average of $49,000 and affordable EV's come at price range uder $40,000. In Germany VW has EV models for about $30,000 and this pricing and choice of models can be expected in the US in 2026. Mims looks at how EV's are now a realistic option for car buyers in 2025. Americans drive an average of 33 miles a day- the 300 mile range of new EV's means charging once a week is good enough. New EV batteries are better and can outlast a vehice's life. Savings from low maintenance costs can make up for any shortfalls for EV's.