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15% or 1000 of 6800 Yale Students get free tution at $75,000 cutoff income level for free tution since 2020.  With $200,000 as the new cutoff for incomes getting free tution it would cost Yale $72 million more, $72,000 being the tution cost per year and additional 1000 students getting free tution at the new cutoff income level. This suggests it only costs Yale $72 million to look like it is doing something for the middle class that cannot afford Yale's high undergrad tution. But what is Yale doing about the high undergrad tution? Yale Tution goes up from 31,000 in 2005 to $48,000 in 2015, and up further to $72,000 per year for undergrads in 2025. In percentage terms the increase in last ten years is 50% and comparing 2025 to 2005 over 20 years it is up 232%, and comparing 2015 to 2005 it is up 55%. There is no slowdown in the increase in cost of tution at Yale for affordability. Middle class is being squeezed. Parents have to go into savings to send a child to these upper tier schools, as reported in WSJ, with incomes of $250,000 not enough to payoff huge tution fees of undergrads when there are 2 or 3 kids going to college. For Yale it is about business as usual as it can afford the additional $72 million for 1000 more students to be added at free tution- its endowment is at an hefty $44 billion which can easily handle that $72 million added cost to look good in front of the public while leaving things the same in terms of affordability and cost. All down the line at the second tier schools the situation is the same, only down the line when it comes to state universities do things change, but only a bit. It leaves Americans with the feeling that this system is also fundamentally flawed like the health care system and needs complete overhaul. ...

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Nepal is a remote mountainous country with some of the highest Himalayan mountain ranges and Mt. Everest. For decades it has stagnated economically with Chinese help making little difference, Indian help more recent, and the country with per capita income of about $1500 for a population of  29 million. Neighboring India with 1.4 billion people is seeing huge increase in young people's aspirations in neighboring Indian states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh under the Modi government. Average age in Nepal is 25 years, in Bihar a neighboring state in India it is 22 years. This is affecting Nepal with the similar lack of tolerance for corrupt governments that cannot deliver on infrastructure and health/education. Urbanization is only 17% in Bihar state in India that is neighbor of Nepal and most people live in rural areas, the same is true for Nepal with 20% urbanization. Per capita income in Bihar state is $900 one third of India's $2700 per capita income, in Nepal it is $1500. Who is Balen Shah- a 35 year old structural engineer into hiphop music who is Mayor of Kathmandu, the capital. He supported the student protests against the corruption of government led by PM Oli which had to resign. His party RSD leads in two thirds of 275 parliamentary seats. Each voter gets 2 votes, one is for 165 seats on first past the post basis, and the other vote is to allocate 110 seats based on the party vote. Average age in Nepal is 25 years with 800,000 first time voters in voting population of 19 million.  ...

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Apple, Caterpillar, and Microsoft, Amex pushed the Dow higher to get to 50,000 from 25,000 in 2018 in just 9 years when it took decades to get to 25,000. Sales Force, because of AI threat, Boeing because of its engineering and quality issues acted as laggard. Exxon was removed, Chevron stayed on. Intel was taken out and Nvidia took its place. The PE ratio in 2026 for Dow is 22 times earnings. Companies with higher stock price Goldman $929 a share as an example have a bigger impact in moves of the Dow just because of the higher price per share. Compared to Apple at $249 a share. The calculation is to take the price s of 30 stocks add them together and divide by a factor that adds effect of stock splits and new index entrants. That factor was 0.162 in 2025. Note that it took 76 years to 1972 to get to 1000 for the Dow Jones Average in 1972.

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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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Youth unemployment and forced migration plays a major role in the Nepal general election. Rapper music Balendra Shah 35 years wins in parliamentary constituency over ex-PM Oli and wins the Nepal general election. He formed the RSP party to voice student protests against PM Oli's government and corruption, which was forced to resign. His goal is to generate 1.2 million jobs and double the per capital GDP from about $1500 to $3000. Nepal reflects the general jump in aspirations of youth across the Indian region. 800,000 young voters voted for the first time.

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For groceries cost limiting Trump proposes nothing. It was found in the EU that there was excessive price action by grocery stores in 2022 and 2023. Though experts say no for price setting by government, the deterrent effect of a policy of the government to not set prices but to send a clear message about excessive profit as anti-social behavior, has beneficial impact for price reduction or future price increases to be put on hold. Harris will do this. For child care costs. Trump proposes nothing and does not put children as the next generation of Americans at the top of priorities. Harris puts children as the top priority and early years development as critical. Harris proposes a child tax credit of $6000 per family that would cost $110 billion per year estimate from Office for Responsible Budget, offset by Medicare savings achieved by negotiating with Pharma of $36 billion a year, tax on billionaires at 25% instead of 8.2% saving $40 billion a year, for net cost of $44 billion a year the Harris $6000 Child Tax Credit.  Congress including Democrats failed to extend the $3600 tax credit per child below 6 years that was introduced after 2019 yet allowed to expire in 2022 reverting to $2000 per child under 6 years. The concept is accepted as helping children, Vance the Republican VP nominee has suggested $5000, only opposed by country club Republicans oblivious to the importance of children having free school lunches and parents having the money for child care added costs for the future of the children of this Nation.     ...

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Encourage homeownership by offsetting high property taxes. Makes auto loans $10,000 interest deductible. State and local taxes deduction $40,000 from $10,000 set in 2017. Makes it friendly to homeowners and encourage home ownership, building new homes. $10,000 property tax bills not common in 2017 when the SALT deduction was set, are now common after the price rise during covid years 2020-2024.  Help Parents by setting a ceiling on student loan debt, fund childcare, and fund future savings accounts for newborns. Makes Social Security benefits tax free for 88% of recipients. Sets a ceiling on student loan of $20,000 per year, borrowing limit $65,000 per student. Much of the bloated student loans are from universities raising tution as a tax on young people. This is a burden on the middle class. Child care credits are doubled to $2000, made permanent. Newborns get $1000 from government to which parents can contribute upto $5000. SNAP benefits changed the law to adults under 65 years from 55 years able bodied asked to work, with caregivers to children under 14 instead of under 18 years exempted. For Medicaid benefits one has to work 80 hours a month for able bodied persons under 65 years, appointments upto $35 for income $32,000 to $44,000. ...

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India's economy growth rate was 8.2% in the third quarter 2025 up from 7.8% in second quarter of 2025. GDP reached $4.18 trillion, projected to reach $7.3 trillion in 2030. This make it the fourth largest economy in the world ahead of Japan, and projected to overtake Germany for third position by 2028. A quarter of the population of 1.4 billion people or 350 million people are between 10 years and 26 years age. GDP per capita is at $2700 lower than Japan at $32,000 and Germany at $56,000. India suffered from lack of ambitious targets, leaks in development budget from corrupt practices, a weak governance during the early period after independence in 1947-2000. Over a 15 year period starting with the first government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999-2004 and with the Modi government in 2014-2026  the political system has evolved for stable responsible governance and no leaks in the development budget, ambitious targets. When the first Modi government took office the country was ready for a surge in deveopment and modernization following the example of the Modi state government in Gujarat which started in 2001. After the failures of the Congress government 2004-2014, Modi took office in the midst of a wave of support for rapid modernization. The first decade has laid the foundations 2014-2025 and the second decade 2025-2035 is a period of rapid growth that should enable India to catch up with China. ...

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Biomass carbon removal at $100 per ton is being developed by Graphyte. The price for direct carbon removal from the air using huge fan like devices is $675 per ton. The price has to come down to about $100 per ton for it to become widely used. Graphyte is doing its first project near two timber milling and one rice milling operation in Pine Bluffs, Arkansas. American Airlines is purchasing credits from Graphyte. Graphyte can produce 150 pallets of blocks of biomass a day by July 2024 for carbon reduction of 50,000 tons per day. American Airlines is producing 35 million metric tons of direct emissions a year.

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US president DJT State of the Union Address to Congress Feb 24, 2026. BBC Analysis shows the president going on the offense to take up the issue of illegal migrants, cost of living, and business investment to get the economy to grow. DJT compared the $1 trillion in business investment under Biden over 4 years with the $18 trillion that he had secured in his first year. He said the tariffs were here to stay whatever the Supreme Court decision stated because all the agreements with EU, UK, China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, other countries will remain in place as all countries want it that way. The president stated that through tariffs he had secured benefits for getting manufacturing back to the US to create jobs and raise incomes. The Big Beautiful Bill also added to business investment through its writeoff in one time for equipment and plant. The oil price per gallon had gone down to $1.85 a gallon at the pump lowering the cost of living and inflation. He pointed out that the economy was strong with low inflation lower than 3%, unemployment at 4% and ecponomic growth in 2025 close to 3% with some quarters exceeding 4-5%. The US ice hockey team attended the event and the Congressional medal of honor was given to soldiers in the Venezuelan helicopter dangerous mission, and to a World War II pilot who was 100 years old. Transgender was shown as an issue with parents shown with their daughter who had suffered from transgender laws that he asked Congress to change. Calling some of this crazy as parents and families were suffering as a result. ...

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France's high speed train network SNCF and its new trains TGV m are the focus of French Connections series in FR24. It is a great success for France as it connects 230 cities across France and decentralizes the country making remote areas reachable in hours. 770 kms Paris Marseille is covered in 3 hours. It has transported about 3 billion passengers since its founding in 1981 under Francois Mitterand. 122 million people traveled on TGV trains in 2023, and this is increasing by 20% a year. The trains travel at 350 kilometers an hour and are capable of over 500 kms per hour. For countries like India this is very useful to know as the first bullet trains based on Japanese technology are being built for route Bombay- Ahmedabad- Jaipur- Delhi. It shows that if it worked so well in France it can work well in the US or India. In India it could transport many times the 122 million in France and connect remote regions exceeding 1000 kms. Madras Srinagar is 3000 kms or 1900 miles. Imagine this being done in 7 hours at 400 kms per hour. It would really decentralize India. Same for the US for Austin Texas to Boston Massachusetts 1600 miles in 7 hours. It would better integrate communities in the US that are far apart socially.   ...

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Chancellor Scholz made increasing the minimum wage a key plank in his election platform. The German parliament passed a bill increasing the minimum wage to 12 euros ($12.90) per hour as of October 1- an increase of 2.18 euros per hour. The increase will mean 400 euros extra per month for people with a monthly income of 1700 euros.  Chancellor Scholz wrote on Twitter "Many citizens in our country work a lot but earn little- that must change." "For me, one of the most important laws and a question of respect." The bill passed by a wide margin with 400 in favor, 41 against, and 200 abstentions from the CDU/CSU. CDU says Scholz bypassed a commission that sets the wage increase. Unions and other parties rejected that saying the bill will reduce poverty in Germany. The Merkel years will be remembered for the lack of attention to essential infrastructure, to digitalization, and to workers and families. Mr. Scholz and the Greens under Habeck and Baerbock are working to reverse years of wanton neglect of essential needs. In fact much of the increase will go to pay for additional cost of food and energy that is a result of Russia's invasion. Merkel and her predecessor Schroeder pursued policy that led to Germany's extreme dependence on Russia for energy resulting in the jump in energy prices today. France and Britain are also taking action to provide additional income to workers to offset the higher cost of energy and food. ...

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The low pay for teachers in Sweden and Germany. A gross salary of 2500 euros per month is considered standard for teachers in the Stockholm area. Here a teacher points out that it is unfair that teachers are not paid better. With taxes cutting into the pay check even a senior teacher earning 42,000 euros a year or about 4000 euros a month is left with only about 36000 euros or 3000 euros per month to live on.

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The Senate Big Beautiful Bill $6000 per person deduction makes Social Security tax free for 88% of Americans over 65 years. This is close as one can get to making Social Security benefits tax free for people over 65 years. It is a move that is seen favorably by social security recipients. Protecting the elderly on fixed incomes when the cost of living went up 12% in just 1 year in 2022 is an essential step for any administration that cares for the daily lives of the American people. In this sense the DJT administration has made a bold move in three key areas no taxes on social security benefits, no taxes on tips which address employment in hospitality/restaurants, and doubling the child care benefit for mothers, tackling key population sectors. To pay for this and keep the deficits down the dollar strong, one other action was taken- to increase investment in the economy and in manufacturing by allowing expensing of investment 100%. Fed chairman Powell repeatedly states he is very optimistic about this action generating the kind of investment boom American needs to restore good standards of living.   ...

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One in three students in Germany live below the poverty line. A 5.75% increase in government support is lost in inflation. Melissa is a 23 year old student at the University of Bonn with just 25 euros a week for shopping on food in this story in Dw.com. This means living on potatoes, cottage cheese and vegetarian schnitzel. She gets  about 1000 euros a month, 750 euros from the government and 219 euros from her parents. Of this 400 euros go to rent, 300 for semester fees, 

A person is considered risking poverty living on 1251 euros a month. Government support is set at a maximum of 934 euros a month for students not living with parents.

 

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The Republican House Health Care pLan in 2017 relies on tax credits of between $2000 and $4000 based on age. Under the Affordable Health Care Act the elderly poor in high cost insurance areas received additional help. These people would lose over $2000 per person and may forgo full coverage or coverage entirely under the Republican House Health Care Plan. A report by Standard & Poor's estimates about 2 to 4 million people who are in 50's and 60's not yet qualifying for Medicare might lose their coverage they now have under ACA. The Republican plan also gives incentives through tax credits higher for older people, $4000 for a 60 year ol and $2000 for a 25 year old. Under the ACA the insurers are not allowed to charge more than three times what is charged for younger people, under the Republican plan this goes up to five times. 

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Concern that the $1.6 trillion aid package could become a bailout for business delayed passage in U.S. Congress, with Republicans trying to allay these concerns. The legislation in Congress would offer $350 billion for small business loans that may be fogiven if firms use them to keep workers on payroll and $500 billion to allow the Treasury Secretary to make loans, loan guarantees or investments to support businesses, states or municipalities. Democrats want less power over the money given to the Treasury Secretary and for money to be directly allocated to the states. The legislation also includes $200 billion for unemployment insurance, and direct payments to households estimated at $300 billion.  Another $242 billion includes appropriations, including money for hospitals and protective gear.  The one time payment to households is $1200 per person and $500 per child, with payments stopping at a specific income level. Unemployment assistane will now be given for 36 weeks instead of 26 weeks. These two items have universal support. It is the $500 billion for businesses with authority given to the Treasury Secretary that is the controversial part. Not so much the money given to businesses and required to go to payroll as the money to businesses in loans and other action with the Treasury Secretary making the decision. ...

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Poland's collapsing birth rate at 1.0 compared 1.62 in France another Catholic country, and Spain's 1.1, Germany's 1.3- 2.1 is the replacement rate per woman. This has profound consequences for Poland. The future workforce will be 20% smaller compared to 4% smaller in France in 2 decades. Many schools will close in rural areas which are hit hard. There are more deaths than births in many small towns. At this rate 1.7 million homes will become vacant in 2 decades.This report looks at Warsaw as well as rural areas near Belarus where the war has created much anxiety. The population of Poland will shrink from 36 million to 31 million over three decades if these trends continue. By 2000 the birhtrate dropped from 2.1 to 1.3 and the government introduced payments of 190 euros per child per month and expanded the childcare system. But this has not helped as the rate dropped to 1.03 in 2025. Under the Communist system industries were located in small towns and men stayed there while women moved to cities leading to a mismathch for men and women. The economic boom that doubled per capita income led to less interest in having children. The economy was supported by long hours of work which led to less interest in bearing children for women. Other reasons are a lack of interest in sharing and making the effort, the cost of raising children in a hyper competitive society like South Korea where births are at 0.7. ...

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Much as the average American does not like too many numbers that confuse and sources that may be incorrect. It does not have to be that way and it is important to know what can mean ease of living for all. Trump 2017 tax cuts have been studied in detail at Princeton, U of Chicago, Harvard, and Treasury Department. The effects are that it is adding $100 billion each year to the national debt of $34 trillion. And gains to individual workers are only about $750 a year not the $4000 promised per worker. The corporate tax rate was reduced from top rate of 35% to 21%, and investment spending was given accelerated deduction for income taxes. The studies show investment growth in years after 2017 was the same as the years before. To test if the rate of investment was slowing and the law pushed it up studies show this not to be the case. It was also shown that accelerated deduction of investment was more effective in increasing investment for individual companies based on 12000 corporate returns studied. ...

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Daniel Webster once said the Nation will do fine as long as it retained faith in the Bible and in spirituality. In 2025 33% of Americans attend religious services, 68% (Christians Jews Buddhist/Hindu) pray once a day, 80% believe in spirituality. This is shown in the Pew Research Religious Landscape Report just out in 2025. In America 40% are Protestant, 19% Catholic, 4% other Christian, and 2% Jewish, 2% Buddhist/Hindu. About 65% of the population openly identify with Christianity and the Bible, and this is now stabilized over the last 5 years. It is important to remember that Abraham Lincoln questioned some church religiosity and practices, yet had a profound belief in the Bible, his Devotional based on the Bible that was published in London in 1854 was one that he kept with him for most of the years serving the Nation. For close to 70% of the population having a belief in the Bible, and in God, is a good sign for the future of the Nation as it approaches it's 250th year, and a community that settled these British colonies and a vast continent since the 1600's for 400 years. ...

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Energy tax cuts that would save Germans 900 euros a year are a good idea says this WSJ editorial opinion, and something the US should consider. One of the taxes energy levy EEG added 3.72 cents per kilowatt hour to household electricity bills is a tax started 20 years ago. The EEG is being phased out. Other tax changes in Germany to help households tackle inflation are the increase in tax allowance making the first 10,347 euros of annual income tax free.

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Sprinter Dutee Chand of India prepares for the Tokyo Olympics running in the 100 metres and the 200 metres. She describes her efforts as she competes for the Sportswoman of the Year award.

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Liz Truss decides to appoint only loyalists to her cabinet after a leadership contest for the Tory party. Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor, Susana Braverman as Home Secretary, and James Cleverly as Foreign Secretary. All conservatives lining up for positions in the new government were told in no uncertain terms not to criticize a plan first suggested by the Labour party to freeze energy bills at the current level. This could cost 100 billion pounds. Kwasi Kwarteng, Truss's nominee for finance minister says there will be need for some fiscal loosening. Under the 100 billion pound plan to help households with bills the energy bills would be frozen at current level of 1975 pounds per year. Under the plan, commercial banks would deposit money in a state backed fund, which suppliers could then draw on to freeze customer's bills. The government would pay this back over 10-15 years through taxation or a surcharge on bills. By making such quick moves to help households Truss would be putting Britons in a position similar to that in France where energy prices have been capped and Germany where cash payments help households cope with higher energy bills.  ...

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A new House bill would give the FDA new funding to finance more food inspections and hire more employees for ensuring nations food safety system works properly. Inspections would go up from 7000 to 9000 and 350 more employees would be hired. To help fund this $500 per facility would be charged to food companies each year in fees.

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The US Air Force plans to order 100 planes of the B21 Stealth Bomber at $700 million each. This aircraft is made at Plant 21 in Palmdale, California. The development of this plane was kept hidden for seven years even to families with someone working at the plant. It is made by Northrop Grumman. The previous version of the plane was the B2 Spirit of which only 21 were made leading to a high cost of $2 billon per plane. These planes last for many years. The B52 bombers of the Vietnam era are still in use. Their cost is prohibitive for most countries. During the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union investment in these bombers declined. With new risks emerging for NATO in Europe and in Asia this aircraft is seen as an American deterrent.