The Globe and Mail Published December 16, 2020
The great Republican George Shultz turned 100 years old last Sunday.
He marked the occasion by pointing to the most important thing he had discovered in all those years, during which he had served in combat as a marine, in the Eisenhower government as an economics adviser, in the Nixon and Reagan administrations as a cabinet secretary and later in many other significant roles.
“I’m struck that there is one lesson I learned early and then relearned over and over: Trust is the coin of the realm.”
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A man of character, a big, steady-eyed pragmatist, Mr. Shultz always looked for opportunities to build trust. “When trust was in the room,” he wrote, “… good things happened. When trust was not in the room, good things did not happen. Everything else is details.”
YouTube: Not leaving here without a COVID package, Mitch McConnell says: Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) U.S. congressional leaders reported substantial progress on Tuesday after two meetings of top Democrats and Republicans to end a monthslong standoff on coronavirus relief and finalize a funding bill to avert a government shutdown. We are getting closer and closer, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. I am optimistic that we are going to be able to complete an understanding sometime soon.
With pressure building on Congress to deliver more help for a nation suffering under a resurgent pandemic, McConnell and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy met twice on Tuesday with Democratic counterparts House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, in rare face-to-face negotiating sessions of Congress top leaders.
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The downbeat mood comes despite some optimism that US lawmakers are inching towards agreeing a new stimulus for the world s top economy. AFP
Asian markets fall as Covid surge leads to additional lockdowns
Tue, 15 December 2020
ASIAN markets fell across the board on December 15 as surging virus infections force governments to impose tighter containment measures, trumping the rollout of vaccines, while the pound held gains on hopes for a post-Brexit trade deal.
The downbeat mood also comes despite some optimism that US lawmakers are inching towards finally agreeing a new stimulus for the world’s top economy.
Investors have taken a breather this month after November’s spectacular rally powered by the news of vaccines being shown to be effective, and Joe Biden’s election victory.
Congressional leaders continue wrestling with more virus aid thestandard.com.hk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thestandard.com.hk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.