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Anton Troianovski presents how things are seen by Russians and in Russia of  the Biden Putin meeting. Mr. Putin says in an NBC interview that he sees president Biden "as a professional who has spent all his life in politics." Putin compared this with Mr. Trump who he thought was relatively unprepared, new to politics by comparison who was unable to deliver on the friendlier policy he had promised, and instead delivered too many impulsive moments in the relationship. This has helped set the relationship of the US with Russia on a "stable and predictable basis." Russian experts say the Russian president was seen badly by the American political class, and not just badly, "insultingly badly" creating a rift at another level. Biden is seen as a member of  the old school in a good sense, one expert says, who as senator visited the US for talks on limiting nuclear weapons in 1979 and in the 1980's, who knows Russia and who has genuine respect for Russia as a country, and sees it possible for adversaries to work together for some overriding interests. Some Russians are are nostalgic for that time when Russia was treated with respect and as an equal. For Biden and America the priorities are for America to achieve the economic rebuilding that is needed, to bring back hope at the time of the losses from the pandemic, the positive message is genuine. One Russian expert says this summit has huge meaning for Russians. It tell them the US has a desire to set a kind of positive agenda. At the time of the worldwide pandemic, and with so much rebuilding to be done, it comes as a fresh breeze for both nations and for Europe, and the rest of the world. Biden has done the right thing for America and for the world. ...

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This NYT article looks at another side of Biden in the meeting with Putin, Biden's optimism. Biden says of his style- "the important thing is to put an optimistic front, an optimistic face." By doing this he achieved more with Putin than was thought possible after years of deteriorating relations. In a way it could be said that Biden brought the optimism that Russia, Germany, France, India, and other nations, the rest of the world also need, especially now during the pandemic. He prepared carefully for his meeting, more than most presidents, much more than Reagan, Trump or Obama. He met with German and French  leaders, prepared with Blinken and Sullivan, coordinated with G-7 allies at Cornwall in the UK, in a way that was rarely done before.  After the meeting Biden could tell reporters "The country has put a different face on where we've been and where we're going- and I feel good about it." It is also a measure of Biden's leadership style that he took a constructive approach in the face of difficult issues.  Biden based it on a sound footing. The way Biden says "is to know what your adversary's interests are." In Russia's case Biden and his team see this as "legitimacy, standing in the world stage." And for Russia "desperately wanting to be relevant." For the most part Putin and Russia responded positively to this effort by Biden to change the tone, texture of voice, and manner in the conversation. ...

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Compared to the Trump Putin meeting in Helsinki when Trump went in casually into the meeting and Putin was late by half an hour, this meeting had a lot of preparation. Jill Biden when asked about it said "Oh my gosh he was overprepared." The meeting with Putin also came after Biden met with the G-7 in Cornwall, UK. He was briefed by EU officials, and had preparation with Blinken and Sullivan  before going into the meeting with Putin.  One result is that the meeting lays the ground for further discussions on many issues. By talking openly and plainly about US expectations from Russia- laying out expectations on cybersecurity and hacking, on arms control, on EU and other issues, the US made it possible to get tangible results. Both sides have an incentive to work for the interests of their countries including preventing another cold war, ensuring cyber security through mutual respect and US response capabilities, and arms control. One of the economic issues related to Nordstream 2 which was settled before the meeting with US respecting the wishes of Germany to go ahead with the project bringing Russian oil and gas through the seas to Germany. ...

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What airlines can do to prevent travelers taking flights when they are sick just because they cannot afford the higher fares for a future date. This poses a risk both for airline employees and for the other passengers.

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Obama speaking of Russia as a regional power and ignoring Russia is now seen as a mistake, says this report in the Guardian. It showed a poor understanding of Russia after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The impoverishment of Russia that followed with the lack of foreign reserves and the collapse of the ruble currency, created a strong mistrust among Russians of a western model of development without modification to suit the country and its people. The decline in the lifespan of Russians was shown in a cover article in the WSJ around 2000 and shown in Lyrarc at the time. In some of the early articles on Putin and Russia during the first five years of the Putin presidency that were shown on Lyrarc, Putin expressed an intense desire for Russia not to be seen as a banana republic for concentrations of financial capital in the US. Such was the situation at that time, and the memory is still there for Russians and for Mr. Putin. Ukraine and NATO are just layers on top of what has happened earlier. One sees this in Germany with the rise of the Afd in East Germany after the unification left people in the eastern part around Leipzig nostalgic for the German Democratic Republic of Soviet days. Reunification meant the loss of most of the young people to the western part of Germany, and insecurity for the elderly, people on pensions, job insecurity, for people in the east under the capitalist model without any modifications. ...

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Novax vaccine could be a game changer for the poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Novax has 90% efficacy overall and 93% effectiveness against the UK, South Africa and Brazil variants. The Delta variant was not there during the trials. Novavax has signed an agreement to provide 1.1 billion doses to Covax, the organization which is designed to send vaccines to poor countries. India has contracted through Serum Institute of India to make 100 million doses. UK has ordered 60 million doses that may be sent to the developing world.

Novavax vaccine goes for regulatory approval in the third quarter of 2021.

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US is shifting to financial incentives to get countries to work with it on 5G. This is also part of the "Build Back Better World" effort agreed to at the G-7 meetings in UK recently. 5G is now a high priority in the Biden administration.

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Jill Biden pushes the long neglected US agenda on education. She has talked to teachers and union members in about 21 states. Dr. Biden told teachers in Salt Lake City that president Biden was committed to increased federal funding for schools and to pay teachers competitive salaries. In his speech to the joint sessions of Congress president Biden said " she (Jill Biden) has long said any country that out-educates us will out-compete us- and she'll be leading this effort." One part of this is 2 years of free community college education. Like Eleanor Roosevelt during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930's and 1940's Jill Biden is playing an active role.

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NATO takes on a new role with the Quad countries as it sees China's growing assertiveness as a "systemic challenge to the rules based international order and to matters relating to alliance security." Biden says he wants to create international blocs of democratic nations.

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NYT looks at the new Director for Centers for Disease Control or CDC in the US, Dr. Walensky. The CDC is seen as a wobbly bureaucracy during the pandemic.

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Gavaskar names Garfield Sobers of West Indies cricket from the time of Richie Benaud in Australia, as the greatest all rounder. Sobers could change the game with the bat or the ball, or with a catch, says Gavaskar, in a way no one else could.

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Expert views that the G-7 meetings in Cornwall and the Carbis Bay pledges were not adequate in providing financing for climate change goals. Climate finance falls far short of the $100 billion planned by 2020.