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Adam Schiff Senator from California interview in Senate Office Feb 2026 Wash. Post- a Democrat joins the Agriculture Committee and attends farm bureau meetings. Adam Schiff talks about his role in Congress as a Democrat in Feb 2026 to deliver for the people of California for the 3 more years of the DJT administration. As Senator he sees himself as representing 40 million people of Califonria as opposed to the 800,000 people in his congressional district in the Los Angeles area. In that sense he has to take into account that DJT turned up a significant vote in California, exceeded only by Texas and Florida in 2024. He sounds ambivalent about his earlier positions opposing the president and the president's rhetoric. He has to work with administration offficals if he is to deliver on projects that help Californians. This is a position taken by Kathy Hochul governor of New York state, and by Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, both Democrats. Projects include saving a couple of rural hospitals and seeing to it that Department of Agriculture offices remain open in remote parts of California. He has sought out an assignment on the Senate Agriculture Committee. He now realizes that the Democrats have not done enough for Californians or for America, and had not looked for new ways to tackle tough problems-  working people voted for DJT he says “because they were struggling. They were working harder than ever. And they could barely get by. And the Democratic Party had come to be viewed as the party of a status quo. They found the status quo was deeply unsatisfactory.”  Like Ruben Gallego in Arizona there is a sense that a lot has to change in the Democratic party down to grassroots work and efforts which is why Schiff now attends farm bureau meetings up and down the state. ...

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French premier Barnier meets Marie Le Pen of National Rally. National Rally says it will veto any policies that reduce the purchasing power of the French people. Barnier lays out austerity policies and cuts in spending. National Rally had 8 seats, after this year's election it has 125 seats in the National Assembly. The Socialist bloc is the largest party but lacks amajority to form a government. Les Republicains party, Macron's party with National Rally's support are running the administration till another election is called to clear up the situation of no party having a majority. Macron remains president till May 2027 to oversee the situation.

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The 2018 election in Mexico brings to power a party called The Movement for National Regeneration or Morena created in 2014 by Manuel Lopez Obrador, after he left the PRD. Obrador ran on the PRD ticket for president in the last two elections. Obrador won with 53% of the vote, about 30% above the vote gained by the next leading rival.  Elections for the lower house of parliament showed a steep drop from 204 seats to 45 seats for the PRI party which was in power under president Nieto. The next leading party PAN which ran the government before the Nieto term in office, and the centre left PRD, were badly weakened. PRD now has 21 members in lower house of parliament compared to 53 before. So deep were losses for the opposition parties such as PRI and PAN which alternately ran the government, and particularly the PRI which dominated Mexican politics since 1950, that experts see Mr. Obrador as replacing the PRI's dominance of politics with the centre left Morena. Morena's rise is a result of work at the grass roots level in Mexico just when the PRI was discredited for corruption and failure to maintain the rule of law. PRI candidate for president Antonio Meade was a U.S. trained former finance, foreign and social development minister who lacks grass roots activism support base. ...

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Mr. Macron is beginning to listen to young voters says this report in The Guardian, yet after this election is over it says he has to do some profound rethinking. The abstention rate of 40% for young voters under 35 should be deeply disturbing. Too much power is concentrated in the presidency and little in parliament, it is true, with Macron's aloof style making things worse. Yet for young voter to say they are indifferent to a vote for Macron or Le Pen shows that Macron has much to do to win the trust of younger voters. The Guardian cites a Cambridge University study that shows the current disillusionment outstrips ones of previous generations, and has more substance than the one that shook De Gaulle in 1968 as opportunity was growing in France for all parts of society in 1968 compared to 2022.  The frustrations at work are common to US, Britain, Germany, France and all of western Europe- precarious and unfulfilling work, low pay, and asset based inequality, that is creating a slow burn generational crisis, says The Guardian. ...

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Jean Francois-Cope, a protege of former president Sarkozy is declared a winner in the party election for the Union for Popular Movement (UMP) in France. Centrist candidate Francois Fillon continues to contest the vote and this decision. Fears of a fracturing of the centre right parties in France. Sarkozy moved to the right in the presidential election in an effort to draw votes from the right wing party of Marie Le Pen. Fillon stands for a more centrist nationalistic Gaullist position. The vote was so tight that Fillon contends he won by 26 votes and will challenge the decision in civil court. The Socialist party of prime minister Hollande faces problems of its own with the sharp decline in popularity of Hollande over his handling of economic issues.

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"Wars have been lost because of logistics," says the director of logistics and engineering in US Central Command. Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges says the Russian logistics system is exhausted- that it was never setup in a way that it could support a long conflict outside of Russia. It has smaller fleets of trucks and is dependent on rail lines in the south near Kherson and Crimea that have been hit. These trucks now have to travel longer distances to supply the troops. Damaged bridges also lead to difficult supply conditions. Ukraine seeks to use this has a way to push Russia out of Kherson and other region in and near Crimea along the Black Sea.

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Climate policy changes lead to $1.3 trillion savings according to analysis from DJT administration and EPA's Zeldin, with $1.1 trillion in savings from lower vehicle prices which addresses unaffordability of cars. Using the average price of a new basic Toyota Corolla the price in 2020 was $19,000 which has gone up to $23,000 a price increase of 21% by 2025 over a 5 year period. The cost in 2026 of operating a Gas powered vehicle is on average about $2500, for EV car about $1000 with $1500 in savings per year for EV's that need to be figured into the equation at gas prices that prevailed in 2024 of $4-$5 per gallon . At prices of $3 per gallon the gas costs come down to $1200 when driven 12,000 miles at 30 mpg for 400 gallons of gasoline consumed. This makes the difference between gas and EV yearly savings on gasoline costs down to about $200 from $1500. This makes gasoline powered cars attractive as car companies can reduce EV investments and pass on some of these savings in lower car prices in 2027 in exchange for favorable rules on emissions and EV transition dates.  Are there losses through the emissions and climate change? The DJT/Zeldin EPA analysis points to global climate emissions from China and India (the coal powered plants) continuing at a pace that would determine the overall change in climate for 2026-2027. In this kind of approach the goal is to make cars affordable over a 2-3 year period for US and European carmakers who would be expected to cut prices. It is about flexibility in fighting the Cost of Cars a big component in the Cost of living with housing as the next large component. It is not a long term strategy, simply one that offers a flexible approach. Will the US, Europe and Japan fall behind in EV's technology? Hybrids a focus of Japanese cars will continue to advance that technology which is becoming a preference where it is affordable for customers. Toyota for instance will have a wide lead in hybrids technology by 2030. Much of the Chinese market will have EV's and the EV's technology will advance in China in 2026-2027, and tariffs will be needed to protect European and American carmakers for 2026-2028. It is a strategy tradeoff to deal with the cost of living crisis in US, Europe and Japan answering call for a flexible approach that was also heeded by the Biden administration in relaxing carbon emissions rule changes. It will require automakers to step up and cut prices for gasoline models for buyers at the entry and lower range for affordability by 2026-2027. What about climate action? The strategy is based on the idea that climate action requires India and China (coal powered plants) on board to make a real difference so that over 2-3 years to 2027 the US, Europe and Japan need to address affordability for the lower end entry cars. There is an element of denial of climate change in parts of the DJT administration in the US but not in Europe and Japan. It is also true that leading DJT administration officials Secretary Bessent see the problem of climate as real and one that needs to be addressed yet leaving room for flexibility to tackle affordability crisis for ordinary workers with low incomes struggling to make a living. Bessent and others in the DJT administration are calling for using all of the resources to address needs of people struggling to make a living, and for a strategy for the US to get back its manufacturing capacity from China and for rebuilding the US economy after deindustrialization (caused by Clinton's huge US economy shattering failure to provide safeguards for abuse of the trading system by China in signing a poorly drafted agreement for China's entry into WTO at the end of his term in 1999-2000 just when he had fought impeachment.  ...

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Ashton Verdery, a professor of sociology at Penn State University, says his simulations shows a severe impact for the nuclear family in China by 2050. By 2050 living parents and in laws will outnumber  children for middle aged men and women, he says in the WSJ. Verdery says policy planners have not anticipated or prepared for this unexpected even counterintuitive situation in China. This is a result of the one child policy and women's unwillingness today to have more children, prioritizing careers over children, which will not only impact the number of retired people supported by younger people, but also the family itself.  Because of the surfeit of baby boys during the one child policy this research shows that by 2050 18% of China's men in their 60's will have no living descendents, compared to about 9% today. This impact of defamilizing in China, can have an impact on the risk propensities of people, leading to risk aversion and impact the guanxi networks that propelled business during the 2000-2015 period when the family peaked. He calls it a kin crash between now and 2050 compared to the kin explosion that happened after 1980.   ...

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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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The new prime minister Barnier needs the support of 289 members of the National Assembly. Macron selected Barnier for several reasons. He is a good negotiator having negotiated for the EU for many years in Brussels. He is opposed to the migration that has split European and American public opinion, a view shared by Le Pen's National Front. Barnier needs the support of the National Front's 126 members to win a no confidence motion in the Assembly. Le Pen says her issues are migration and crime and only if the new policies support this would she support Barnier.

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Kirkpatrick and El Shaikh give an account of the days and events leading to the ouster of president Morsi of Egypt in July 2013. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood forge an alliance with the military under Gen. Sissi, a younger officer open to working with the Muslim Brotherhood in power. Morsi is elected with the support of liberals and the military under Gen. Sissi against a Mubarak era candidate. Morsi wins with 51% of the vote, which liberals say would not be possible without their help. Morsi fails to form an inclusive government. His authoritarian tendencies from decades of working under a strictly hierarchical leadership in the Brotherhood, a personal style that does not take into account opposing views, and a lack of experience in democratic forms of governance where the opposition, the media and the judiciary, are important to balancing powers of the executive, lead to alienating liberal opinion and younger protesters who initiated the struggle against Mubarak. Gen. Sissi tries repeatedly to achieve a compromise including appointment of a new prime minister and cabinet but Morsi rejects all efforts, leading to the takeover by the military and appointment of the chief justice as president and ElBaradei, as prime minister....

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In a closely watched election Mr. Wilders of the far Right in Netherlands gains 20 seats, far behind centre right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy of prime minister Rutte who won 33 seats. The Dutch Green party which is strongly pro- Europe went from 4 seats to 14 seats, the Christian Democratic Appeal party gained 19 seats and the pro-European Democrats 66 party also gained 19 seats. In the 150 member parliament Rutte needs 76 seats to form a new coalition government, and he is likely to ally with these other parties to form a new government that supports strongly the European Union. This editorial in the NYT says the people of the Netherlands turned out in large numbers to support pro-European Union parties. Next the focus is on France and Marie Le Pen's challenge from the far Right. Cyber threats from Russia are seen as a way to discredit otherwise strong candidates, and the French government is taking this seriously. Chancellor Merkel said she "was very happy that a high turnout led to a very pro-European result," and president Hollande said this was "a clear victory against extremism."  ...

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Kristi Noem's handling of the situation in Venezuela defeated the overall purpose of correcting unlimited migration and open borders with use of aggressive approach in Minnesota that was not consistent with standards set at Homeland Security. It took a great deal of effort from Tom Homan, head of the overall effort on migration control and border security to restore public confidence in immigration approach in Minnesota. The US president was ill served by the use of these aggressive tactics which did not have support even from many Republicans in Congress. The president had showed his dissatisfaction at this and has now moved to correct this by bringing in Markwayne Mullin whom he called "highly respected"  from Oklahoma, who can talk to all sides as the immigration actions take place to get the largest degree of support from the American people along with Tom Homan in many diverse and different states in the Nation.

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One way to ease the supply of oil cutoff from the Middle East to Asia (to India, Japan and South Korea) is to ease sanctions on the oil on tankers on the sea (large inventories at sea) and from Russia. US president DJT says -“We have sanctions on some countries, we are going to take those sanctions off until this straightens out. And then who knows, maybe we won’t have to put them on because there will be so much peace." 

Treasury Secretary Bessent says the same thing that “waiving certain oil-related sanctions to reduce prices," would be good way to ease the impact of the war on prices.

This will help Russia balance its budget and who knows it may make it possible to open up new discussions for peace in Ukraine as the US acts as an intermediary in negotiations to end the war. From the larger interest of US, China, India + Indonesia, of Russia and Ukraine, and of Europe,it makes sense to end that war.

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After the German election the next election in France in 2022 will provide new direction for Europe. As in Germany with Olaf Scolz of the Social Democrats, in France an alternative is emerging with Xavier Bertrand of the Les Republicains. Like Scholz Bertrand was Labor Minister working to tackle difficult problems of increasing employment in the French economy going back a decade. In recent elections the party French president Emmanuel Macron created as a member of Francois Hollande's government has floundered. Macron hastily put together the En Marche in Amiens on April 16, 2017, when he was minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in the government of president Hollande. During the eight year period in which the centre right Christian Democrats CDU and center left Social Democrats SPD had ruled in a coalition government in Germany some version of centrist politics and government had also prevailed in France. After the Sarkozy years 2007-2012 under the centre right Les Republicains party  France turning to the centre left Socialists under Francois Hollande. As a young minister 39 years Macron lacked experience, and the initial enthusiasm that helped him win the 2017 presidential election is now missing. As in Germany voters are looking for change not just in slogans but in substance in a new Trans Atlantic partnership of US, Germany and France to tackle the may problems that were neglected in the last two decades of changing administrations in US and France and the Merkel administration in Germany- problems of social cohesion, of income inequality, division of country into rural and urban, eastern and western in Germany, southern and northern in the US, neglect of infrastructure, and failure to invest in the future.  France is now turning to the Les Republicains party in recent elections, and away from Le Pen's far right party and Macron's party.  Both Macron and Le Pen did very poorly in recent regional elections. This report in FR24 points out that the candidate for the Les Republicains party will be chosen at a convention, and not at a primary as happened in 2017 leading to the elimination of former Republicains president Nicholas Sarkozy. The president of the Haute France regional council Xavier Bertrand is the leading candidate from the regional election results. Bertrand was Sarkozy's minister of Labor and Solidarity from 2007 to 2009, and Minister of Labor, Employment and Health in 2009. Today Olaf Scholz, winner of the German elections in September 2021 was also Minister of Labor- in the Social Democrats/ Greens government under Gerhard Schroeder 1998 to 2005. Voters now realize that it is important to value experience, stability, combined with humility and a determination to get things done, compared to charismatic leaders with little to show in results, and tangible improvements in the quality of life, in national renewal.      ...

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Two senior American military officers will now lead operations in Europe. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli takes over US European Command, and becomes the Head of all Allied Forces in Europe as Supreme Commander Europe, including NATO Command. Lt. Gen. Bryan Fenton will lead the Special Forces Command. Cavoli speaks 3 languages Russian, Italian and French, and has served as a foreign area officer. He also served as Director of Russia in the Joint Staff, and has a masters degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies from Yale University. General Eishenhower had this kind of broad experience in the years after World War I that helped him hold the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe during the war with Nazi Germany. Lt. Gen Byran Fenton is from Seymour, Tennessee. He is currently based at Fort Bragg as head of Joint Operations Command. Both officers will have to be confirmed by Congress and will operate in a new situation with the insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq now being replaced by conventional war in Europe and threats to Taiwan, the Indian border with China, and at the Korean peninsula. ...

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Socialist justice politics in north eastern Indian state of Bihar led by Nitish Kumar (following Ram manohar Lohia)- with backward caste mobilization, mobilization of women, and evolution of ancient Buddhist lands into the modern world in 1980-2025. The state has a population of 130 million and an urbanization rate of 17% compared to India's urbanization rate of 37%. It is taking a new turn in 2026 as Nitish Kumar a ten term Chief Minister joins the Rajya Sabha upper house of parliament in New Delhi and his successor pushes forward a new rapid development agenda similar to another state Maharashtra with capital Mumbai.

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Macron started out in the Socialist Party in Amiens, France. After going to elite schooling he joins the Socialist Party ministry of Francois Hollande. As Minister of the Economy he rises rapidly to replace Hollande with his own party called the Movement that he sets up and within a year wins presidential elections. The rapid rise, the lack of his Movement party having much experience and put together quickly with new younger people, his aloof presidency, and a lack of connection with the problems brought on by the deindustrialisation of France as production shifts to China, the problems of lack of work and cost of living in smaller towns in France, lead to Macron's loss of popularity. His party won only 10% of the vote in EU elections and 20% in the first round of Assembly elections in 2024. He is now allied with Sarkozy's Les Republicains, the very party he sought to replace by calling it old school and no longer relevant.  A small faction of the Les Republicains shifts out to ally with the National Rally of Le Pen and together the 2 parties seek a majority or near majority in the Assembly to take the prime minister position under Macron. The result would be a too young at 28 years Bardella as PM and the Socialist Alliance a close second in the National Assembly. Macron would have to come to terms with the Socialists he had abandoned to run the country and appoint Oliver Faure as prime minister if a second round gives his Movement and the Socialists over 50% of the vote. ...

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Results at Midland Memorial Hospital in Texas, show that a low cost conversion to electronic medical records by using the VA system's open software and having computer software companies adapt it to Midland's needs. This cost Midland $7 million and has resulted in many benefits. Senator Rockefeller is introducing legislation to promote the use of this open software for conversion to electronic medical records. Medsphere chairman Kenneth Kizer, former undersecretary ohealth care at the VA oversaw the development of VIstA software. He says its enhanced version called Open Vist A, "can be installed in one third the timeand for about one thrid the cost of the big-name proprietary systems." There is alot to be said for open software as this would enable hospitals and clinics acoross the country talk to each other and pull up records and sen them electronically, wich is hard to do when different systems of differnt commerical vendors interact. If Midland Memorial is any guide there are huge savings in the conversion. By enabling access instantly of patient records, lab results and Xray images, there are a huge array of benefits. It helped Midland catch up with a$16.7 million coding and billing backlog for 4,500 patient records in 4 weeks instead of 5-6 months. In the 18 months since the system was made hospital wideinfection rates dropped 88%, because of guidelines in the record system that prompted nurses to follow infection control procedures, such as changing dressing or following procedures when inserting a new IV. That is huge. Bed sores were reduced from electronic prompting to nurses to turn patients.And Midland increased by 77%in staff compliancewith guidelinesfor care for patientson ventilators, which if not followed could lead to pheumonia....

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Speech by European Union President von der Leyen on her visit to India and signing Major Partnership Agreement : ‘The Consequential Partnership: Reimagining and realigning EU and India ties for today's world'-   "This world is fraught with danger. But I believe this modern version of great power competition is an opportunity for Europe and India to reimagine their partnership. In many ways, the EU and India are uniquely placed to respond to this challenge together. India is the largest democracy and soon to be in the top 4 of the world's largest economies. It is the leading voice of the Global South. Europe is a unique cross-border democracy and open economy. The largest trading partner for some 80 countries around the world. But this partnership makes sense not only because of our shared values or our close ties. Or even because of our respective geographies, demographies or economies. But it is because our interests in this hyper-competitive world align more often than not. We both stand to lose from a world of spheres of influence and isolationism. And we both stand to gain from a world of cooperation and working together. Because we can offer each other distinctive alternatives and tools to make ourselves stronger, more secure and more sovereign in today's world. The kind of offer that cannot really be replicated by others. This is why the EU and India have the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this Century. And it is why it will be a cornerstone of Europe's foreign policy in the years and decades to come. So, I want this visit to be the start of this new era. Prime Minister Modi and I share the same view. It is time to take our EU-India Strategic Partnership to the next level. For our own security and our prosperity. For the common global challenges that we face. And for the benefit of our respective regions and our partners around the world." ...

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Victoria Azarenka won the Australian Open tennis championships twice in Melbourne then lost in the first round of the Australian Open in 2018. She struggled for two seasons with a foot injury, personal challenges off the court and a child Leo in 2016. Her slump took her to 208 in the world rankings. She had to fight her way back- "I have never really learned to struggle before, so it's a lesson." She says it required hard work, and changing her mindset, conquering her anxiety to return to the semifinals of the Australian Open. Another approach that helped her was to be open minded and to try new things and see what happens.

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Spiegel Online's interview with Emmanuel Macron, on the TGV 8434 train from Bordeaux to Paris. He is joined by Mrs. Macron. Macron says he is aware that he does not have a bloc of core support like Ms. Le Pen, yet he says this means he will try that much harder for voters on the right and the left. He says their is no political renewal in the political class in France and that it remains closed. He says particular attention must be paid to rural France outside big cities like Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Paris, where people have had a different encounter with globalization. On the European Union he sees the need to revitalize it by having a closer union focussed on countries that are interested in this. He sees the need for a joint finance minister and permanent head of Euro Group. This might be a smaller EU without countries such as Britain, and others who are not interested in a closer union. He does not agree with the idea that any member state of the EU can stop other member states from proceeding. Macron does not believe in moving to the right as in the Dutch election because he says people are "not idiots" and in France this has not worked for Nicholas Sarkozy, which has some truth to it as authenticity (and humility) matters to French voters. A personal approach worked for Fillon early on till the scandal over payments he received. Macron brings to this personal approach and relative youthfulness, his sense that he must appeal to all segments, rural and urban, educated and less educated, and at the same time be true to core values such as preserving the European Union, and authenticity in terms of views on Algeria. He also says he is aware he faces risks but that this is something he believes in deeply.   Macron has not hesitated to express his views on topics such as Algeria, calling it a crime against humanity, and later elaborating on what he meant. Macron says his movement En Marche is different in style and manner from the closed nature of French politics. He believes in transparency, term limits, and removing conflicts of interest in French politics, as a way to make a fresh start. The first round of voting is on April 23, 2017, followed by a second round of voting between two candidates.  ...

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Francois Bayrou the new PM of France speaks a dialect of the Pyrenees mountains, is mayor of Pau, and was a school teacher before entering politics. He has a disdain for extreme positions on both sides left and right, including polarizing politics of Sarkozy. He gave key support to Macron at the right time when he needed it to run for president. He gets along well with Le Pen and has helped Marie Le Pen run for president in the past when she needed support because he felt this was essential for the democratic process. He was not the first choice of Macron and insisted on taking the job over other choices.

Pau is located 31 miles from the Spanish border with a clear view of the Pyrenees mountains. It is an ancient city with a University at Bearns, and a medieval heritage.

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France goes to the polls on April 10. Marie Le Pen is shrinking Mr. Macron's lead in the polls. Most of the other candidates other than Mr. Melenchon show less than 10% support from voters including Valerie Pecresse of the Republicans who have failed to arouse much enthusiasm The Republicans and the Socialist party of Mr. Mitterand and Mr. Hollande were defeated in the last presidential election by Mr. Macron. Today the choice is between Le Pen with her inexperience and her policies skeptical of the European Union and Mr. Macron who is more experienced but lacking an effective social policy in addressing the social problems in France raised by the yellow vist protesters. Immigration is an issue in this campaign and Mr. Macron has taken a tougher stand on immigration and cultural issues following several terrorist incidents. There is a general lack of enthusiasm with 25% of the voters not expected to vote, many of them 25-34 years old. With 37% of the voters not decided which way they will vote and some votes cast even if the candidate selected was seen as having some drawbacks, the elections in France are a vivid contrast to the recent election in Germany with the Greens and Social Democrats ending the CDU's four terms leading the government under Merkel. Mr. Macron only campaigned in the last 8 days before the election.   ...