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France Groups
The US Cost of Living Crisis 2023-2025
02/24/2025
Cost of Living Crisis and huge gaps in income and wealth between the top 20 percent and the bottom 80 percent aggravate standards of living in America in a way not seen since the Second World War. About 45% increase in prices on cars, used cars, car repairs, housing rentals and groceries, in many household expenses, since 2019. Incomes of workers not having kept up with this kind of spiralling inflation. This is upending the social compact and leading to loss of faith in governments in the US and Europe. Change in governments in UK, France, Germany, and the US and a sense of unease among people.
Grouped Articles
Even Disney Is Worried About the High Cost of a Disney Vacation
WSJ 02/09/2025
Mitch MConnell, Mike Johnson, Pat Schumer and the effort to get Ukraine Aid passed through the US Congress in April 2024
04/26/2024
At a critical juncture which Lyrarc compared to the 1948 effort by Harry Truman to get Congress to support aid to Greece and Turkey. Devastated by the war Greece and Turkey's democracies faced an imminent threat from a Communist takeover supported by the Soviet bloc. Ukraine was at a critical juncture in the war with Russia when Biden met Republican Speaker Mike Johnson at the White House with Mitch McConnell and Pat Schumer in Feb 2024. Schumer said a lot of the credit goes to McConnell to convince 31 Republican Senators a majority of his caucus to support Ukraine Aid at a critical moment.
Grouped Articles
Aid to Ukraine seemed dead. Then secretive talks revived it.
Washington Post 04/25/2024
Bucking G.O.P. Isolationists, McConnell Was Linchpin in Winning Ukraine Aid
NYTimes.com 04/24/2024
‘Kharkiv Is Unbreakable’: A Battered City Carries On
NYTimes.com 04/24/2024
Opinion | Ukraine Aid in the Light of History
NYTimes.com 04/24/2024
Senate Approves Aid for Ukraine and Israel, Sending It to Biden’s Desk
NYTimes.com 04/24/2024
Speaker Johnson’s Ukraine Package Clears Key Hurdle With Democratic Help
WSJ 04/19/2024
The Future of Work - worklife balance, Feirabend, (breaking off from work at 5.01), 30 hour weeks and longer careers
09/13/2023
What does the future of work look like. Ideas from Laura Carstensen of the Stanford Center for Longevity who says rather than follow an outdated norm of education in the early part of life, work in the middle part of life and leisure in the latter part of life, it makes sense to mix education, work and leisure throughout life. Feierabend is the German practice of breaking off from work at 5.01 pm so that one can go outdoors for exercise and fresh air. All this with nutrition and exercise, healthy living, contributes to a more productive satisfying life that includes time for family, parents and children.
Grouped Articles
The fight over pension age in France- unfairness to women and people starting work early
04/08/2023
Pension protests in France with 75% of women opposed to the pension changes. A sense that the timing was wrong because of the cost of living crisis following a pandemic. And the nature of pensions requiring efforts to change culture of age discrimination at work in France that has a serious impact on pensions, pension age and fairness of the system. About two thirds of French people oppose the pension changes put through by presidential executive action without parliament approving it.
Grouped Articles
What Is the Ideal Retirement Age for Your Health?
NYTimes.com 04/08/2023
France’s Macron Seeks Bigger Military, Leaner Pension System
WSJ 01/20/2023
‘Not just about pensions’: French protesters see threat to social justice in Macron’s reform
France 24 02/05/2023
Hundreds of thousands protest across France against pension reform, unions vow to ramp up strikes
France 24 02/12/2023
Fight Over Retirement in France Is a Question of Identity
NYTimes.com 03/08/2023
‘We can defeat Macron’: Why women’s anger is fuelling French pension protests
France 24 03/08/2023
Expanding Indian ties to the European Union in manufacturing, trade and advanced technologies
03/07/2023
Italy signs a strategic partnership agreement with India. President Scholz of Germany visits India with a business delegation. Siemens plans railway modernization manufacturing plants in India. New aviation sector is being built with French and US assistance and a huge order from Air India. Denmark's Maersk and other Danish companies help build the port logistics in India after a business and trade agreement with Denmark. The European Union joins the US in building a new supply chain based in India to replace one that caused inflation and bottlenecks, and was seen as a security risk with concentration of the supply chain in one country.
Grouped Articles
India, Italy elevate ties to strategic partnership, sign MoU on defence cooperation
The Hindu 03/02/2023
Germany's Scholz in India: What's at stake? – DW – 02/25/2023
dw.com 02/28/2023
On India visit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz drinks tea at a street corner in Delhi
The Hindu 02/27/2023
Siemens partners with India on railway modernization – DW – 02/27/2023
dw.com 02/27/2023
The Hindu 12/04/2022
A Nordic-India connect to power a green transition
The Hindu 02/08/2023
Policies under Germany's Merkel and France's Macron that emboldened Russia to invade Ukraine
04/11/2022
Grouped Articles
‘Wrong about Putin’: Did Germany and France turn a blind eye to the threat from Russia?
France 24 04/10/2022
Opinion | Barack Obama Rewrites His Russia History
WSJ 04/08/2022
Opinion | How Germany Became Putin’s Enabler
NYTimes.com 04/08/2022
Merkel 'stands by' past Ukraine NATO decision after Zelenskyy criticism | DW | 04.04.2022
DW.COM 04/04/2022
Vladimir Putin’s 20-Year March to War in Ukraine—and How the West Mishandled It
WSJ 04/01/2022
Opinion: Ukraine will survive — but the West should be ashamed | DW | 25.02.2022
DW.COM 02/25/2022
Olaf Scholz and the task of Renewal of Germany+European Union
12/09/2021
Grouped Articles
Chancellor Olaf Scholz? Change Without Disruption
Institut Montaigne 12/08/2021
Who is Olaf Scholz, the new German chancellor?
The Times 12/08/2021
Germany's Olaf Scholz pushes for stronger EU, issues warning to Russia | DW | 07.12.2021
DW.COM 12/07/2021
Germany’s Scholz Takes Power After Merkel’s 16-Year Rule
WSJ 12/08/2021
Nature walks, nature settings, as an essential way to boost mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic
10/09/2021
It is proven that just two hours a week of walks in nature setting in parks, natural settings, green areas, or forested areas, can be hugely beneficial for health and wellbeing during the pandemic. Long and recurrent lockdowns or partial lockdowns, closure of schools, loss of work and income, have had devastating effects on mental health in many countries. Much needs to be done to promote nature walks and bringing nature as a healing mechanism to take some of the burden off the overburdened health services of many countries. Awareness of this in the UK and funds + projects to do this can be a model for other countries.
Grouped Articles
Two-hour ‘dose’ of nature significantly boosts health – study
The Guardian 06/13/2019
Oyster Shoreline at ‘Greater New York’ Has a Pearl of a Message
NYTimes.com 10/04/2021
‘It took a year to get help’: generation Z on mental health decline
The Guardian 09/30/2021
Natural health service: wildlife volunteers get mental health boost
The Guardian 10/02/2017
Nature on prescription: wetlands project aims to boost mental health
The Guardian 05/13/2021
‘These salt marshes saved my life’: how nature is helping mental health
The Guardian 10/09/2021
How women can navigate the waters to find a family friendly workplace and get men to share in household chores. This is important for women's Mental Health.
09/24/2021
During the pandemic women increasingly stayed at home while men continued to work. Figures from Bureau of Labor Statistics show women ended up with doing even more household chores than men in 2020 compared to 2019. As a result women during the coronavirus feel worn out or burned out in addition to losing income. WSJ offers ways women can tackle this problem both by getting men to share in household chores, and finding employers who are family friendly as the coronavirus pandemic declines in 2022.
Grouped Articles
How to Find a Family-Friendly Workplace
WSJ 09/24/2021
Women Still Do More of the Housework. Here’s How to Share the Load.
WSJ 09/23/2021
Kick the sugar habit
07/17/2021
Healthy living means no more than 6% of daily calories of 2000 calories a day should come from sugar intake. During the coronavirus pandemic poor health habits mean pouring gasoline on fire. It is morally indefensible and a sign of a backward country that the the health guideline is set at 10% in the US. The mean consumption of sugar today in the US is 13%. In teaspoons about 6-8 teaspoons of added sugar is the healthy limit, at 16 calories per teaspoon this is 96 calories to 120 calories from added sugar. In grams this is 24 grams at 4 grams per teaspoon of sugar. It is critical to make it a habit to look at packaged foods labels and make intelligent choices. And to simply cut the sugar we add in tea, coffee or drinks by a third or a fourth. Good habits = good health. It is also critical to start this with public education in schools from K1 to high school.
Grouped Articles
Boris Johnson must help us kick our sugar habit
The Times 07/17/2021
Beware sugar highs: seven healthy ways to get more energy – from stretching to sourdough
The Guardian 04/05/2021
New Limits Urged on Americans’ Sugar Consumption Amid Rising Obesity Concerns
WSJ 10/05/2020
Make 2020 the Year of Less Sugar
NYTimes.com 01/06/2019
Mental health crisis during the pandemic- UK, France and Japan
05/05/2021
Grouped Articles
Covid-19: French mental health ‘deteriorating’ amid lockdown, minister says
France 24 11/23/2020
Japan: 'Minister of loneliness' tackles mental health crisis | DW | 23.04.2021
DW.COM 04/25/2021
The mental health effects of Covid will last for a decade
The Times 01/14/2021
Right to disconnect is vital for future health of home workers
04/23/2021
Second wave is bringing a mental health crisis
The Times 10/21/2020
Anti vaccine sentiment around the world
01/21/2021
Grouped Articles
Coronavirus: Anti-vaxxers pose major public health threat in Pakistan | DW | 19.01.2021
DW.COM 01/19/2021
France, Once a Vaccine Pioneer, Is Top Skeptic in Covid-19 Pandemic
WSJ 01/18/2021
Army spies to take on antivax militants
11/29/2020
Anthony Fauci: 'Anti-science, anti-vaccination feeling' could thwart Covid effort – video
The Guardian 06/30/2020
GCHQ in cyberwar on anti-vaccine propaganda
The Times 11/09/2020
Rising prices for homes and cars during the pandemic
09/09/2020
With a limited supply of homes and lost car production, the remaining supply is being sold at higher prices to people who have not lost jobs during the pandemic. The cars are more upscale and the homes are further away from the core parts of cities.
Grouped Articles
Car Sales Are Down Almost 20%, but Prices Are Setting Records
WSJ 09/04/2020
Why cost of living is destroying the social compact in the US and Europe and upending governments in 2024-2025
02/24/2025
Used car prices are up 45% since 2019 putting used cars at average price $28000. It is not a discretionary cost, one needs a car to get to work in the US. There are cases of young people not able to pay soaring repair costs quitting work without transport. This is why there was so much discontent in 2024 after supply shocks and price gouging pushed up prices in 2024. Another factor evident in airline ticket pricing was demand and the excess income of the top 20 percent. In housing and apartment rentals supply shortages pushed up prices, demand and excess income of the top 20-30 percent pushed up prices beyond the reach of the rest, higher interest rates made it unaffordable to buy a home for most Americans.
Grouped Articles
Why There Is No Relief Ahead for High Used-Car Prices
WSJ 02/15/25
The U.S. Economy Depends More Than Ever on Rich People
WSJ 02/24/25
China and the World Face a Double Blow from decades of housing construction enabled hyper growth- creating problems of climate change for the World and a slump in growth in 2023
10/16/2023
Decades of growth at 12-14% have left China and the World worse off. As Greg Ip pointed out in WSJ America could not cope with this hyper growth in a country many times the size of Japan after absorbing the growth of Japan in the sixties. The result was the closing down of factories and ever increasing imports from China until America had transferred its manufacturing prowess to China. This led to the societal breakdown in the US with communities dependent on factories across the US feeling the brunt. The other effects were an unprecedented in scale use of coal and fossil fuels to fuel hyper growth rates in China that created the problems of World Climate Change by 2023 and contamination of water, land and air inside China. By 2030 China will be aging rapidly similar to Japan today and the slowing economy in 2024 onwards could mean China will be stuck in the Middle Income category. All this poses lessons for America, for Europe, India and the World on what kind of growth is healthy and what kind is not, what is sustainable growth and what is not,what works well for the planet and what does not.
Grouped Articles
China Bet It All on Real Estate. Now Its Economy Is Paying the Price.
NYTimes.com 10/16/23
An Even Bigger Housing Crisis Threatens China’s Economy
WSJ 09/18/23
Is China’s Economic Predicament as Bad as Japan’s? It Could Be Worse
WSJ 09/19/23
China’s Economy Remains Shaky After Challenging Summer
WSJ 10/13/23
Food inflation of 15-20% in Europe in 2023 worsening cost of living crisis.
05/26/2023
As energy prices recede somewhat food prices remain very high in Europe increasing the impact on middle and lower income households. Food retailers are seen as increasing profit margins at a bad time for households. It has become that bad that households are cutting purchases by 10%.
Grouped Articles
The Guardian 05/26/23
German economy enters recession, shrinks 0.3% in 1st quarter – DW – 05/25/2023
dw.com 05/25/23
It Just Had an Energy Crisis, Now Europe Faces a Food Shock
WSJ 05/24/23
Japan Core Inflation Hits 4% for First Time in Four Decades
WSJ 01/20/23
UK inflation falls to 8.7% but food price rises remain close to 45-year high
The Guardian 05/24/23
Spain announces €10bn help to fight rising prices
BBC News 02/02/23
How Europe won the energy war after shutdown of Russian gas supplies
04/07/2023
By April 2023 with winter over it is clear that Europe has come out of the winter season with its economy intact after shutdown of pipeline gas from the pipelines in Russia. A lot of action was taken in a short time- Germany's Habeck went to Qatar and other countries to secure LNG supplies, a new LNG terminal was built at Wilhelmshaven in record time, Norway and the US pitched in with more supplies, conservation went into high gear, and renewable energy investments were accelerated. There is no recession in the European Union as a result of this effort. And in this sense and with the Ukrainian economy functioning, generators taking Ukraine through a tough winter, EU taking in 80% of Ukraine agricultural exports, and supermarket shelves kept well stocked, refugees settled in Poland and Germany, the war has already been decided. The principle of no impunity for attacks on neighboring countries has been preserved by the EU acting together to protect itself.
Grouped Articles
Opinion | Putin’s Energy Offensive Has Failed
NYTimes.com 04/07/23
Thwarting Vladimir Putin: The Ukrainian Economy Just Keeps On Going - DER SPIEGEL
SPIEGEL ONLINE 04/07/23
An LNG pipeline built in record time – DW – 11/01/2022
dw.com 11/04/22
Biden and his "Biggest bill on Climate Ever, Ever, Ever"
09/03/2022
The $369 billion Biden Bill on Climate is the biggest bill ever. It was put through with Biden's fellow senators and his long experience in the Senate of the US through the efforts of Senator Coon and Hickenlooper who took a new approach to negotiating with Senator Manchin appealing to his place in history and in the party. Biden said while signing the bill "Joe I never doubted for a moment." Senator Schumer of New York did the negotiations and persevered till the end when Manchin was on board. Adjustments were made to allow increase in drilling to bring down oil prices to create a win-win for all so that it could be called The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 as pharmaceutical prices would also come down with the government retaking the right to negotiate pharmaceutical prices lost under Republicans. It is also a Win for Europe, India, and the World.
Grouped Articles
Biden Signs Expansive Health, Climate and Tax Law
NYTimes.com 08/16/22
Biden Signs Climate, Health Bill Into Law as Other Economic Goals Remain
NYTimes.com 08/18/22
What’s in Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer’s Reconciliation Deal on Climate, Health and Tax Policy?
WSJ 08/12/22
Climate Bill Aims to Boost America’s Charging Network to Meet Rising EV Demand
WSJ 08/12/22
Opinion | Bill Gates: We’re on the Verge of a Remarkable Moment for Congress and the Country
NYTimes.com 08/07/22
Democrats’ Climate and Tax Deal Closes In on Passage
WSJ 08/05/22
Escaping the algorithm based social media platforms TikTok, Facebook and others
12/29/2021
If and how it is possible to escape the algorithm based social media platforms TikTok, Facebook and others, harmful for girls and the young, and to mental health, diversity, and education that leads to upward mobility, is the subject of a WSJ series in 2021.
Grouped Articles
The TikTok Spiral, Part 1: Descent - Tech News Briefing - WSJ Podcasts
WSJ 12/27/21
The TikTok Spiral, Part 3: Escape the Algorithm - Tech News Briefing - WSJ Podcasts
WSJ 12/29/21
‘The Corpse Bride Diet’: How TikTok Inundates Teens With Eating-Disorder Videos
WSJ 12/17/21
Teens Are Developing Tics. Doctors Say TikTok May Be A Factor. - The Journal. - WSJ Podcasts
WSJ 11/08/21
Facebook Faces Official Questions in India Over Policing of Hate Speech
WSJ 10/28/21
Facebook Whistleblower’s Testimony Builds Momentum for Tougher Tech Laws
WSJ 10/05/21
Children and mental health during the coronavirus pandemic- search for solutions
10/09/2021
Grouped Articles
One in six children aged 5-16 in England 'likely to have a mental disorder'
The Guardian 10/22/20
Revealed: anti-vaccine TikTok videos being viewed by children as young as nine
The Guardian 10/08/21
How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The U.S. Is an Outlier.
NYTimes.com 10/26/21
Foundational learning took a hit amid Covid, only 19% schools have access to internet: UNESCO report
The Indian Express 10/05/21
Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show
WSJ 09/14/21
Web giants ‘fuel child mental health crisis’
06/14/18
Serious rethink of existing global supply chains
10/05/2021
Redesign of global supply chains is underway.
Grouped Articles
Supply chain crisis causes rethink at multinationals
10/03/21
‘A perfect storm’: supply chain crisis could blow world economy off course
The Guardian 10/02/21
East Asia’s Economies Face Slowing Growth and Rising Inequality, World Bank Warns
WSJ 09/28/21
The World Relies on One Chip Maker in Taiwan, Leaving Everyone Vulnerable
WSJ 06/19/21
For Clean Energy, Buy American or Buy It Quick and Cheap?
NYTimes.com 05/11/21
Wall Street Journal Facebook Investigation and the Outrage Algorithm, Instagram's toxic nature for teen girls
09/21/2021
An algorithm that exaggerates the outrage online creating an angrier place on the internet is one of the findings of the WSJ Facebook Investigation. It shows broken policies, broken tech and broken management. The effects on women are equally insidious and dangerous for mental health.
Grouped Articles
The Facebook Files, Part 4: The Outrage Algorithm - The Journal. - WSJ Podcasts
WSJ 09/20/21
WSJ 09/15/21
Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show
WSJ 09/14/21
Why Free Is Too High a Price for Facebook and Google
WSJ 06/08/19
WSJ 09/16/21
Biden’s Facebook Attack Followed Months of Frustration Inside White House
WSJ 07/18/21
Covid Travel Pass
05/21/2021
Grouped Articles
EU reaches deal on approving COVID 'travel pass' | DW | 20.05.2021
DW.COM 05/20/21
Covid-19: EU to reopen borders to travellers who are fully vaccinated
France 24 05/20/21
Covid passports: a freedom certificate that may get the world travelling again
The Times 01/17/21
Covid-19 Vaccination Cards Are the Only Proof of Shots, Soon an Essential
WSJ 03/30/21
Europe competing for scarce vaccine supplies in February 2021
02/01/2021
Grouped Articles
Covid vaccine roll-out grinds to halt as shortages hit EU
The Times 01/30/21
Michel Barnier tells EU to step back from Covid vaccine war
The Times 01/30/21
E.U. and U.K. Fighting Over Scarce Vaccines
NYTimes.com 01/27/21
Pope Francis and the call "not to return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before the pandemic."
11/27/2020
Two crises back to back in 2010 and 2020 which set back the working class, the middle class and the poor, and the neglect of capital allocation to healthcare, education, infrastructure. Pope Francis calls for a culture that feels others pain, that "gives access to all to the fruits of creation, to the basic needs of life: to land, lodging, and labor." See "Misallocation of Capital" in Top Stories for more coverage.
Grouped Articles
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