bannork

Yet his popularity keeps increasing in Ukraine.

Germany generally has a higher standard of living than the United States in several areas, despite the US having a higher median household income. Germany has more generous social programs like paid leave, stronger labour protections, and a lower cost of living for many essential goods and services. While the US has advantages in housing and educational spending, particularly at the tertiary level, Germany scores better in quality of life, safety, and access to affordable childcare and education. Germany generally has a higher standard of living in: Social Welfare and Protections: Germany grants more paid leave, sick leave, and parental leave than the US. German workers also benefit from strong labour protections and shorter working hours. Cost of Living: While US household incomes are higher, the cost of living in Germany, especially for rent, food, and utilities, is significantly lower. Quality of Life: Germany scores better in quality of life surveys due to factors like strong social safety nets, robust healthcare systems, and a higher focus on work-life balance. Public Services: Germans have more comprehensive and often free or subsidized public services like childcare, education, and healthcare. Areas where the US may have some advantages: Median Household Income: The US has a higher median household income, which fuels private consumption. Housing: Americans, on average, have more space per capita in their homes, although US housing is often less energy-efficient. Educational Spending: The US spends more per capita on tertiary education, although Germany's focuses strongly on vocational training. standard of living comparing germany and usa - Google Search

Exactly, far better at electing dumb leaders.

It certainly does, electing a complete idiot as President. Flipflopping daily on tariffs with a Cabinet whose every member has to obsequiously praise Trump on TV, the US is in serious trouble.

36,000 people protested Donald Trump’s administration in Los Angeles Saturday, at the largest rally to date of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour Sanders accused Trump of “manipulating the markets” for his billionaire friends with his “tariff shuffle” this week On stage at Gloria Molina Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles, Sanders noted that the crowd went back half a mile. Sanders said that Trump was often “very envious of sizes”. Ocasio-Cortez spoke about activists being detained without charge for exercising their First Amendment rights ,mentioning the cases of Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk, before switching to the current turbulence regarding markets and tariffs. “Let’s be clear: the White House’s tariff shuffle had nothing to do with manufacturing, despite what they claimed. It was about manipulating the markets. It was about hurting retirees and everyday people in the sell-off — so Trump could quietly enrich his friends, who he tipped off to ‘buy the dip’ before reversing it all in the morning,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Oligarchy or Democracy,” she said. “But, we cannot have both.” Concluding his remarks, Senator Sanders said: “When Trump looks out at this crowd… they pay attention to this stuff, Elon Musk does. You are scaring the hell out of them. Because they know what we know: They are the 1 percent and we are the 99 percent.” Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez were joined by fellow Democrat representatives Reps. Ro Khanna, Jimmy Gomez, Pramila Jayapal, and Maxwell Frost, among other elected officials. There were also performances by Neil Young, Maggie Rogers, and Joan Baez. ‘Greed, greed, and more greed’: AOC and Bernie Sanders blast Trump and Musk at largest anti-oligarchy rally yet

Prospects for a breakthrough in the deal between Washington and Kyiv are scant given the “antagonistic” atmosphere of the talks, a source told Reuters following last week’s meeting. As part of Donald Trump’s sweeping new demands for US control over all of Ukraine’s mineral and energy assets, Washington has proposed that its International Development Finance Corporation should take control of a natural gas pipeline running from the town of Sudzha in western Russia to the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod. Senior economist Volodymyr Landa told The Guardian that Washington's bullying, “colonial-type” demands had little chance of being accepted by Kyiv. Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump ‘demands control’ of pipeline in Ukraine carrying Russian gas

Fox Business correspondent Charlie Gasparino irked MAGA when he suggested that conservatives were wrong to suggest Trump outsmarted the world with tariffs. In reality, according to Gasparino, Trump and his closest aides became terrified about impacts on the long-term bond market, which is seen as more stable than stocks. "I mean, I want to tell you right now that Donald Trump outsmarted the world, trust me," Gasparino told Fox News host Sandra Smith. "I'm an American. I support my president. But that's not really what happened here." He went on: ''It’s classic news management for Trump & Co to announce the so-called Apple carve out (no tariffs on electronics) late Friday when the news of the week is done.'' He added, "As one major GOP political adviser just told me 'Trump is finally bending to reality' that if you want to fix global trade with a sledge hammer, the cure can be worse than the disease." 'Trump is bending to reality': Fox reporter exposes President's latest 'sign of retreat'

China is looking for potential allies to form trading blocs. In late March, trade officials from China, Japan and South Korea met in Seoul to formulate plans regarding a trilateral free trade bloc, as well as enhance cooperation on supply chain management and export controls. On Monday Xi is heading abroad to cement ties with Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. EU officials are reportedly travelling to China this summer for a summit with Xi.

Under Trump's executive orders, law firms known for representing Trump's political opponents are to be blacklisted by the federal government. Attorneys who work at such law firms can be stripped of their security clearances and banned from entering federal buildings The firms themselves can have their existing contracts terminated while federal agencies are prohibited from entering into any further contracts with them. In response, some law firms have agreed to provide Trump with millions of dollars of free work in exchange for no more harassment, while others have fought back. Could there be a more sinister move behind Trump's persecution of these law firms? Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade suggested that Trump could be recruiting these firms in an attempt to rewrite the history of the 2020 election. She indicated that through their agreements to do pro bono work on behalf of the administration, these law firms may now be legally bound to "advance Trump’s disinformation campaign" to legitimize his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. "These firms, which Trump said have agreed to pay from $40 million to $125 million each, are allowing themselves to be used as pawns in Trump’s game to change public perception about his own legal troubles," McQuade wrote. "He is characterizing the enormous payouts as concessions; proof that he has been a victim of what White House aide Will Scharf referred to as 'lawfare.'" However, not all law firms are caving in to Trump. Perkins Coie, Wilmer Hale and Jenner & Block all sued Trump successfully, winning temporary restraining orders allowing them to keep their contracts, security clearances and access to federal buildings. McQuade stated when defending attorneys' right to do their work uninhibited by the administration, "there is no right and left. There is only right and wrong."

The administration is planning to slash budgets at both the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (Noaa) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). If the plan is approved by Congress, funding for OAR would be cut from $485m to $171m. All budgets for climate, weather and ocean laboratories would be drained. Noaa is facing a $1.3bn reduction to overall operations and research, and the National Ocean Service would be cut in half. The proposal would also remove more than $324m from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Species-recovery grants, habitat conservation and restoration, and the interjurisdictional fisheries grant program, which support coordinated management and research with the states, would all lose funding. The government also plans to significantly defund research at Nasa. Its budget will be cut by 20%, but deeper reductions will be directed at programs overseeing planetary science, earth science and astrophysics research.

Last year, David Die Dejean landed a dream job at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Miami to pursue his research in sustainable fishing of tuna. Then in mid-February he received an email to leave the premises within 90 minutes. He and hundreds of others had been dismissed in job cuts removing probationary workers as Trump's administration began slashing funding for universities and research bodies. Now Die Dejean is applying for positions in Europe. The threat to academics' livelihoods at universities including Yale, Columbia and Johns Hopkins, has given Europe's political leaders hope they can reap benefit from a possible brain drain from the US. A letter signed in March by 13 European countries including France, Germany and Spain, urged the EU Commission to attract academic talent. The European Research Council, an EU body that finances scientific work, said it would double the relocation budget for funding researchers moving to the EU to 2 million euros ($2.16 million) per applicant. In Germany, Conservatives and Social Democrats have drawn up plans to entice up to 1,000 researchers. "Regulatory uncertainty, funding cuts, immigration restrictions, and diminished international collaboration create a perfect storm for brain drain," said Gray McDowell at U.S. digital consultancy firm Capgemini Invent. Brain drain? Trump cutbacks force scientists to seek jobs in Europe

In a decision handed down without any dissent, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is now ordering President Donald Trump's administration to immediately "facilitate" the return of a man it admitted was mistakenly included on a deportation flight to El Salvador. SCOTUS is ordering that Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia be brought back to the United States. "To this day, the Government has cited no basis in law for Abrego Garcia's warrantless arrest, his removal to El Salvador, or his confinement in a Salvadoran prison," Sotomayor wrote. "Nor could it." Abrego Garcia was specifically protected by a 2019 court order preventing him from being sent to El Salvador, as he faced significant risk of persecution by the regime. The administration, however, argued that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, though it has yet to provide any evidence of its claim. Supreme Court unanimously rules against Trump in case of wrongfully deported man

Loads of money, here's potentially the top winners. Trump's Truth Social post hours before the pause on tariffs, urging it was a 'great time to buy,' suggested making hay while the sun shines. Is it actually legal for the leader of a country to offer advice about investments? Surely a conflict of interest? Whatever, Elon Musk's Tesla's stock surge added $36 billion to Musk's wealth, pushing his net worth to $330 billion. Amazon UK Jeff Bezos's Amazon's 12% jump boosted Bezos by $18.5 billion, with his fortune reaching $226 billion. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta's rally lifted Zuckerberg's wealth by $25.8 billion, bringing him to $208 billion. And across the pond in Blighty, Jim Ratcliffe also saw gains, with INEOS stock up $1.3 billion.

Donald Trump is considering withdrawing some American soldiers from Europe, which could affect Poland and Romania. Approximately 80,000 American soldiers are stationed in Europe, and the planned reduction would affect half of them. However, reducing American forces in Europe would be a disastrous signal to Moscow, warns General Chris Cavoli, the commander of NATO forces in Europe. In addition, The influential House Armed Services Committee, led by Chairman Michael Rogers, strongly opposes Trump's plans. The congressman firmly rejected reducing the number of American soldiers in Europe, and any potential withdrawal of the US from commanding NATO formations on the continent. Rogers stressed that U.S. leadership in NATO is essential to ensure armed American forces, including US nuclear weapons, always remained under U.S. command. In addition, The Armed Services Committee said a cut back in the number of American troops stationed in Europe might be seen as a falling-off of US commitment to protecting its allies. Trump's troop pullback plan sparks congressional backlash

Trump's Executive Order (EO) signed yesterday demanding criminal investigations into Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor and his public statement that Taylor is a “traitor” guilty of “treason” isn't just about settling personal scores; it's a calculated move to instill fear, silence dissent, and dismantle the very foundations of US democratic institutions. What did Chris Kebs and Miles Taylor do? Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) refuted Trump’s baseless lies of fraud in the 2020 election. Miles Taylor, who served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, opposed the administration's policies and wrote a book. By weaponizing the Department of Justice to pursue these individuals, Trump is not only abusing presidential power but also sending a chilling message to current and future whistle blowers: “Cross me, and you’ll pay.” This is the actions of an autocrat, not a democratically elected leader. Even worse, Trump's persecuting the very institutions that safeguard our legal system and might defend Taylor and Krebs. Law firms like Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block are being targeted with punitive measures — revoked security clearances, terminated federal contracts, and restricted access to federal buildings including courthouses — all because they’ve dared to represent clients such as the above who have challenged Trump’s excesses. This orchestrated campaign of intimidation is designed to deter legal professionals from defending those who dare to speak truth to power. Under Trump, the Department of Justice is being used to settle political scores in ways Richard Nixon could only have dreamed of. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Trump’s actions are a direct assault on these freedoms, aiming to silence opposition and consolidate power. Thankfully over 500 law firms have collectively decided to challenge these types of executive orders, recognizing them as a grave threat to US constitutional governance. Is this the moment American democracy finally broke? | Opinion

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should file a case for extortion against Trump, wrote Jonathan Zasloff for Slate. "He compelled the firm to cease engaging in legal activity that it had a right to engage in (practicing law on behalf of its clients) by threatening damage to Paul, Weiss’ property — its business — and by threatening to abuse his position, denying the firm security clearances and blocking their access to federal property. Zasloff argued that Bragg should take the case to a grand jury, and if it indicts, it indicts. If Trump then argues that he can’t be indicted, or that Trump v. United States allows him to use the power of the federal government on a vendetta against his political enemies, and the Supreme Court agrees, then at least we will have some confirmation that the Constitution is a dead letter and the rule of law has all but perished. 'No time to wait': Manhattan DA urged to seek criminal charges on Trump 'extortion racket'

Yale Law School professors Harold Hongju Koh and Fred Halbhuber, along with Yale Law J.D. candidate Inbar Pe'er, point to recent assertions made by Trump DOJ lawyers in court that the United States Constitution does not prohibit President Donald Trump from issuing bills of attainder, which are orders that impose "a punishment on a specific person or group of people without first going through a trial." Judge Beryl Howell asked the Trump DOJ if such orders could be considered bills of attainder, which the United States Constitution explicitly prohibits. The government's answer was: "as a pure constitutional matter... the bill of attainder restriction is only on Article I and not on Article II [of the Constitution], and so it doesn’t apply to the president." The three Yale Law experts went on to just how unprecedented this demonstration of authority is, not just in American history but in the history of British monarchies. "Even under the most tyrannical monarchs, the king never asserted unilateral authority to issue bills of attainder—a power the president now asserts for himself," they contend. Trump's assumption of such powers is clearly well outside the bounds of constitutional law, they asserted. Trump asserting powers 'even the most tyrannical monarchs' didn't have: analysis

Nearly 1,000 current and former members of the Israeli Air Force have signed a letter condemning the renewed military campaign in Gaza. The signatories accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of continuing the war to serve "political and personal interests," rather than Israel's security. They urged leaders to prioritize a deal to free all hostages held in Gaza, even if it means ending the war against Hamas. Meanwhile Israeli media report reservists are becoming increasingly resistant to return to duty, feeling troubled about the army's direction and worries of a possible reoccupation of Gaza. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/israeli-air-force-veterans-criticize-gaza-war-resumption/ar-AA1CFr7n?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=EDGEXST&cvid=dba505c777e74b7b97a8c3ffd5e0d2ca&ei=26

Trump has ordered the investigation of two of his former political appointees turned critics: Chris Krebs, who ran Trump’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and former senior Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor. In an executive order Trump removed their security clearances and directed the Justice Department to open federal investigations of their tenures. CNN's Elie Honig noted the order strips security clearances not only from Krebs and Taylor, but also from the places where they work. Krebs works for a private cybersecurity firm whilst Miles Taylor works at the University of Pennsylvania Honig stressed this really threatens their livelihood. Honig pointed out that The Department of Justice has a long-standing policy prohibiting investigations begun for political or personal reasons. Honig asked rhetorically what federal crimes either Krebs or Taylor are suspected of committing. Trump's 'retribution tour' just took a 'particularly dangerous' turn: CNN legal expert

Still sounds great

Sorry folks, going through a Kevin Ayers phase at the moment. It won't last long but he did write some memorable stuff.

The Economist identified a spike in the value of ten-year American Treasury bonds as a signal that investors no longer see U.S. bonds as safe havens during times of economic distress. "It is the most worrying sign of financial distress yet, and there have been plenty," the magazine warns. "Traders are paying soaring premiums to protect themselves against volatility, businesses are facing increasingly bad terms on borrowing and a dash for cash has sent the gold price down. Spiking Treasury yields are even more ominous, since they drag up other borrowing costs with them. In short, they are not just a symptom of market stress -- they are a cause of more to come." in past financial crises, the Economist writes, the US survived as it was seen as a haven from economic chaos, whilst at present the US was regarded as the source of economic turmoil. 'Extremely dangerous': Economist magazine sounds alarm about new market 'convulsions'

China may be quietly selling US bonds whilst the US sleeps, unnerving the stock market. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelshulman/2025/04/09/us-rally-at-risk-as-china-may-be-dumping-treasuries/