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Uncertainty in China's stock market with the ban on stock selling by large institutional investors. Goldman Sachs estimates that $184 billion in shares could be put up for sale if the ban was unambiguously lifted. The price swings on the market would be accentuated say analysts because of a decline in trading volume.

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Conflict of interest and the role money has played in creating a collusion of diverse interests which were supposed to be kept separate, if the system was to work properly. The way these collusions of interest worked to create crises that range from the financial crisis to the BP Gulf Oil Spill.

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David Luhnow and Jose de Cordoba interview Luis Videgaray, close economic advisor for Mexico's leading presidential candidate, Enrique Pena Nieto. Elections will be held in July, 2012. Videgaray answers question about the policy agenda if Nieto is elected, covering changes in the oil industry, education, social security, the fight against organized crime.

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Its not so much about the repeat of the Great Depression, but of a lost decade like that in Japan, or some variation of a very difficult economy. Especially if the jobs picture worsens, the dollar weakens, and the Fed's exit strategy from quantitatve easing is ineffective and leads to further declines.

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Asking for broad powers for the government to seize non-financial firms like AIG, Treasury secretary Geithner argued that if these powers existed the government could have seized AIG and incurred a far lower cost of rescuing the company. Fed chairman Bernanke supported Geithner in this position before a Congressional committee hearing.

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Concerns that India's deficit will rise from 7.7% to 11.4% fro 2007 to 2008 accoding to one estimate by Morgan Stanley. If this happens with pay increases for government employees and other expeditures on oil and fertilizer subsidies, then it suggests there will be less money available for crumbling infrastructure a serious concern.

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A former Defense Minister of Japan serving twice and senior member of parliament of the LDP, says Japan's arrangement in Asia with the US is for a team approach. This means if the US acts to defend Taiwan, Japan is likely to join the US. creating a wider war engulfing Asia. It is in this context that the G7 conference in Hiroshima, the nuclear war museum, and others, need to broaden the approach to give people everywhere in the US and Asia a chance to understand all narratives of all the countries involved. Including in this case China's as a country subject to invasion by colonial powers, so that all the narratives can be fully understood. There is a reason for this and that is that the 18th 19th and 20th centuries offer a poor example for prevention of nuclear war. China, Japan and India share a common connection to the two thousand years old Buddhist and Vedantic ideas no matter how bruised they were by colonial powers. They offer many openings for the Chinese, Japanese and Indian people in their common history of Buddhist thought and pathways, to find a common ground. ...

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This Guardian series explains what genetic diversity is and why it is so important in nature and important to feed the planet. It takes the simple banana and shows large plantations and companies produce the Cavendish banana and have let the thousands of other genetic varieties of bananas in Asia and Central America disappear. This is now affected by the Panama disease. In avocados the big farm companies have chosen the Haas and limited farming of other genetic varieties. The same is true of many of the vegetables and fruits one sees inthe supermarkets.  When it comes to foodgrains there were hundreds of foodgrains in nature over long periods of history but big agriculture companies have limited foodgrains to corn, wheat, rice and a few species only. Nature does not operate in this way as it operates with tremendous genetic varieties of  fruits or vegetables, and many species for foodgrains, so that if one is subject to disease or damaged, another more resilient one takes its place. To ensure that there is no food scarcity we have to embrace this kind of genetic diversity says this report in The Guardian. ...

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Yoon suk-yeol the prosecutor who decided to run in 2021 for the first time in politics, won the recent presidential election in South Korea. He talks to the WSJ in this interview report and outlines the policies of his administration.  Yoon say she sees upholding the constitution which embodies values of  liberal democracy and market economy as the deciding factors for foreign and domestic policy. He wants to build closer ties to the US and Japan. He will resume defense exercizes with the US that were suspended during the Trump administration. On China he sees continued economic relations as a trading partner, but sees flip flopping in foreign policy as creating risks for the Indo-Pacific region. If invited to join the Quad Yoon says South Korea  "will positively review joining." On domestic policy he says his goal is "to correct and normalize so that the market can operate as it should." Yoon led the prosecution in efforts against prior presidents and Samsung, and his known for his forthright approach. Yoon wants to see more foreign investment and says he will ensure that there is no discrimination against foreign companies, including eliminating unnecessary regulation. ...

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Prime minister Modi addressed the 44th foundation day of the BJP party by video conference, with the speech screened at 100,000 points across India for party leaders and social workers. "BJP is working with the mantra of Sabka Saath-Sabka VIkas-Sabka Viswas- Sabka Prayas ( which means 'with everyone, for the development of all, with the confidence of all, with the efforts of all). we have always given topmost priority to social justice and empowerment in our hearts and working style. Social justice is not a part of political sloganeering for us but an article of faith for us." "The BJP lives social justice, follows it in letter and spirit. Getting 800 million people free ration (food) is a reflection of social justice. The facility of free treatment up to Rs 500,000 offered to 500 million people without discrimination is a strong expression of social justice." On Lord Hanuman, whose anniversary is today, Modi said India was realising its potential and strength like Lord Hanuman did after eliminating self doubt. "If we see the whole life of Lord Hanuman, he had a 'can-do' attitude that helped him achieve big successes." ...

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Rationing of energy would happen if Russia completely cuts off gas supplies to Europe. Prices would essentially become meaningless, says this report. Supplies coming through Ukraine are limited to 18% with the rest of the 38% Russia supplies to European Union coming through other countries or new pipelines. LNG supplies from the US are increasing but not enough infrastructure has been built for this. This may explain also why Russia is acting now on NATO enlargement that it sees as its concern. Increasing shift to LNG and other supplies would make EU less dependent on Russia. NATO countries are also not spending enough on defense with Germany not yet at 2% and Scholz only going up to 1.5%. Russia has modernized its defense capabilities by comparison, the US mired too much in localized wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Russia was never "a regional power" as Mr. Obama had said with a vague understanding of European history, even while America's resources were wasted in two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where American interests were not involved. Today the realization is that European Union and American leadership had failed under leadership of Merkel, Macron and in the Bush and Obama years. ...

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Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, joins Mette Frederiksen in Denmark as the first female prime minister in Sweden. Both are from the Social Democrats. She won by a single vote after an agreement with the Left Party to increase payments to pensioners, and alliance with the Greens. Under Sweden's strange and different system a minority vote can lead to formation of government- Andersson was elected with more votes against than in favor, 117 members of parliament in favor, 174 against, and 57 abstentions.  It is more about members not voting against so that in Sweden's system one has an absolute majority as a party if fewer than 175 parliamentarians oppose. This also means the budget that will pass will be the opposition's budget and Social Democrat Andersson will remain as prime minister, as opposition parties prefer Social democrats to right leaning anti immigrant parties. Today Germany's Social Democrat Olaf Scholz and Greens Habeck as "senior Minister," Elena Baerbock as foreign minister, are leading a new government in Germany. Social Democrats and Greens have undertaken the task of renewing investment in infrastructure and modernizing their countries in Northern Europe. ...

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India's effort to turn coronavirus into an opportunity to plan future growth around "AtmanNirbhar Bharat" a self reliant economy that is working closely with allies Britain and France in Europe and Japan, Taiwan in Asia, with the U.S. for shift of supply chains to India, promoting accelerated investment in local manufacturing, and building the third largest economy after the U.S. and China. President Trump has stated supply chains in their existing form have not served America well, if at all.  Mr. Trump said about existing supply chains-"I said we should not have supply chains." Gandhian self sufficiency was of a different sort when the nation was not independent. It serves as a symbol today of the spirit of the freedom struggle and in this sense revives the capacity of the nation to take on new challenges. Nehru's was a peculiar sort of socialism that set a pathway to early industrial development but lacked the will and spirit to pull the nation out of dependence on agriculture for most of the population,and move it with a combination of land, labor and laws, with a quantum leap in technology into a new world that is the plan today.  ...

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To make a dent in carbon emissions governments in Europe and North America need to support the use of low carbon solar panels in solar facilities installed there. This would enhance solar energy panel production in the US and Europe, India, other countries. Experts say the use of solar panels made using electricity from coal use in China creates more emissions in China while reducing emissions in the West. The result is that global emissions remain the same as if no solar panels were installed.  The global solar panel production is mostly concentrated in China because of the lower cost of electricity from coal used in production of panels- a critical factor in the lower prices of Chinese made solar panels. This allowed China to gain a monopoly in production of  world's polysilicon, an essential component in solar panel production, that consumes large amounts of electricity in the manufacturing process.  This use of coal generates twice the amount of carbon emissions in China than the solar panels made in Europe, say experts. As a result the governments and companies in Europe, US and India are shifting to local manufacturing of solar panels. ...

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The UNESCO report on Water scarcity and contaminated water. It creates awareness on World Water Day but comes across as a largely academic exercise, ask any rural woman in India and she knows the significance, question is what should have been done and the resources are there. For action it has to come from nations,, large nations such as India from it's Jal Jeevan Mission, China and Japan transferring the knowhow and technologies to Africa and Latin America and other parts of Asia. The period after a pandemic is also a time to focus efforts on  doing this. How it undermines girls and women and their participation in society is part of the understanding in India, and uppermost in the minds of Indian leaders and technologists, and in the mind of PM Modi. Unfortunately the UNESCO reports fails to even cover right up front in its summary how Jal Jeevan is being done for 1.4 billion people in India to have clean tap water so that people in Africa and Latin America can see that this is possible, if in the Himalayan regions possible in their region it is possible. Just see for yourself in India. ...

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New offices, making them less awful, (NO-LA) this is the trend says this report in WSJ. Reopened offices are opening on a voluntary basis. How will they attract employees back?  Try sweeping views, new yoga and wellness areas, "tech-free reflection zones,"  more conference rooms. This report looks at spaces by Accenture and other companies. Accenture adds sweeping views of the Hudson river, access to an outdoor terrace. The idea is to act as a pull, rather than a push. Unilever is changing offices into destination spaces where employees will come and work in 40% of the time. Salesforce is moving out desks to add more couches, TV's and whiteboards for teams. More offices are building spaces for 60% collaboration, up from 40% previously. Sanofi in Paris is adding options for breakfast, early dinner.  Other ideas are engagement days if workers are coming in only a few days a month. At Hightower this means one set day in the office a week, two engagement days a month for collaborative work. And workers are allowed to not coming one month a year and work from anywhere they choose.  ...

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The Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific aid bills are passed in the House of Representatives with 316-94 vote on April 19, 2024. Vote rule set with support of Democrats made a simple majority vote sufficient to  pass. It was a significant win for both parties as 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voted for the bills. 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voted against. It was as Speaker Johnson had said earlier for each Congressman to vote his conscience. Speaker Johnson said it was the best possible bill "we could get under the circumstances." He said if this wasn't done then Democrats would have bypassed Republican leaders and forced their own package of bills through the House. As a nod to the former president $60 billion in aid to Ukraine has $9.5 billion in forgivable economic loans. Overall similar to what Democrats had passed in the Senate over a month earlier. “I hope at the end we can take care of our responsibilities. Ukrainians desperately need lethal aid right now. I mean we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to roll through another country.” - Mike Johnson, Speaker ...

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The snap elections called by Macron after National Rally party of Marine Le Pen wins 32 percent of the vote to Macron En Marche at 15% in the EU elections. Marine Le Pen has put Jordan Bardella, 28 years, of St Dennis suburb in Paris as the candidate for prime minister if NR wins the National Assembly election. Macron earlier made Gabriel Attal, 35 years, the En Marche candidate. This is the youngest in a major country for prime minister. This report in WSJ shows how Macron by reducing diesel subsidies for farmers has alienated rural voters at a time when farmers are protesting difficult conditions. Macron also faced union opposition over pension age changes, and before his reelection protests from Yellow Vest protesters on cost of living issues. Macron has survived each challenge, the last in reelection by getting support of voters on the left and right choosing stability over changes that National Rally might bring. The snap election was also intended to take Le Pen and NR by surprise. This has created new uncertainty with elections on June 30, 2024, soon after Biden and Macron met in Normandy for D- Day anniversary, and the upcoming G7 meeting in Italy June 13-15. ...

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The dangers of crypto currency have not gone away says Eswar Prasad of Cornell University. Crypto currency companies have simply joined the bandwagon for acceptance using the two political parties into the 2024 elections, he says. He calls this a cynical bid by political parties for Silicon Valley cash and young voters. If anything he says the risks are greater today. Sam Bankman and FTX scandal are just the tip of the iceberg of these risks.  Prasad says not to be fooled. China, India and Japanese governments have kept crypto at a distance because of the dangers inherent in a currency that cannot have the backing of the central bank. Prasad says that crypto itself still has dangers of speculation, financial engineering and outright fraud. These dangers can then spillover into traditional banking and financial markets. The information technology that crypto has used is already being used in traditional banking so that this is no longer something that is characteristic of crypto just something that it has been using. This is a scant regulated market and crypto companies like tech companies in social media that threatens education and democracy through misinformation want to keep it that way.   ...

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Krugman says in NYT that inflation is receding and its causes lie mainly in pandemic related supply chain issues not fiscal efforts to fix dilapidated infrastructure, invest in fighting climate change, or help for needy workers and families.  He looks at Fed chair Jerome Powell’s discussion on inflation and this he says shows that fiscal policy or government spending to fight the pandemic and US needs for infrastructure and science/chips played at most a distinctly secondary role. What Krugman does not say is that this does not mean that inflation is not an issue for many families living from paycheck to paycheck. Harris clearly spelled out a Plan for housing costs and cost of food and this is the kind of effort needed to tackle this issue secondary or not in astatistical sense. Also not given recognition is that the government spending is changing the very nature of the US economy by creating more potential for it to grow till 2030 in a way that would not be possible if this investment by president Biden was not wisely made. One has only to look at Germany to see its crumbling rail system and failing infrastructure to see that what Biden did right and Merkel did wrong. ...

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Effects of the two storms in Florida and North Carolina reduced job growth in October. Overall the unemployment rate was steady at 4.1%. Job growth and the unemployment come from 2 different surveys one from households for the unemployment rate and one from employers by the Labor Department for job growth.  The hurricanes and weather events meant people were still being paid but could not get to jobs during the month of October, the estimate of this number was 512,000 in 2024. In 2016 and 2018 with hurricanes this number was about 250,000 in each year. 512,000 in 2024 is double the size from 8 years earlier in 2016, it shows that this could reach double this or 1 million jobs affected if another 4 years are lost pretending that climate change is "a scam" or that it was not serious, doing nothing and reversing direction. On average over 20 years the loss of jobs from hurricanes is about 69,000, excluding 2016 and 2018 it would be about 45,000. This shows that there are effects that are growing from climate change on jobs at an accelerated pace, another economic warning sign for the need for climate change action. ...

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To understand the upside down nature of and distortions in capital markets by 2024 look at this set of valuations. Can you tell which market capitalization or valuation is out of step in this list? Boeing $100 billion GM       $67 billion TikTok    $300 billion Intel        $105 billion Apple      $3400 billion Nvidia       $3650 billion   Answer:  TikTok, Nvidia Another way to look at it the combined valuation of Intel, GM and Boeing is $272 billion, less tha Tiktok at $300 billion.  What if these companies disappeared tomorrow- would everything come to a standstill? Almost standstill as there would be no more laptops, cars and planes, much of our modern life would come to a standstill. Remove TikTok would life come to a standstill? Better still the capital allocated to TikTok is put into education, and financial literacy, cultural literacy, would life come to a standstill or are we better off with a more educated citizenry? ...

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The selection of Tim Walz as VP was simply from the heart for Kamala Harris- She liked the way Walz called the former president's campaign "weird" saying we are not afraid of "weird" even if it is "creepy." Kamala Harris liked him- "he is so open" "I like him." And you could see it on the stage in Philadelphia.  “Governor. Veteran. Coach. Teacher,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, the campaign chair, wrote on X. “Winner.” Being a teacher mattered to Jill and Joe Biden and to Jen O'Malley Dillon. Jill teaches community college and did not miss class even in the days of the Inauguration. Harris really respects teachers. It helped that he was a veteran and the most senior army reserve man in the House. And his record showed for climate, for fairness for workers and families, achieving in Minnesota through legislation what Biden has done for the Nation. ...

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To truly grasp George Washington's thinking about "the preservation of the Republican form of government as justly considered deeply, perhaps finally staked in the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people," one has to look at his Draft of the First Inaugural Address, 1789. We could not access this on either the Library of Congress or National Archives sites. George Washington said in this Draft- "I rejoice in the belief that intellectual light will spring up in the dark corners of the earth, that freedom of enquiry will produce liberality of conduct, that mankind will reverse the absurd position that many were made for the few." "If the blessings of heaven showered thick around us should be spilled on the ground or converted to curses, through the fault of whom they were intended, it would not be the first instance of folly or perverseness in short-sighted mortals... that no mound of parchment can be formed to stand against the sweeping torrent of boundless ambition on one side, aided by the sapping current of corrupted morals on the other."   ...

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Fed's Powell sees only a temporary slight effect of DJT tariffs on inflation to 2.7% in 2025 that he says can be "looked through without action by us." Fed will wait for clarity in coming days and weeks. Powell says in March 2025 “It can be the case that it’s appropriate sometimes to look through inflation if it’s going to go away quickly without action by us. And that can be the case in the case of tariff inflation.” Tariffs are intended as they were in the first term of DJT and retained by Democrats led by Biden to create a level playing field after hidden subsidies by China, and to rebuild American manufacturing. New investments in manufacturing and in infrastructure supported by both DJT and Biden have brought new hope and vigor to comunnities and towns across America. For far too long as Powell understands textbook economic theory at Ivy League universities that had no connection to reality was used by American business to turn its back on communities and towns across the 51 states and the Nation. ...