Trump Saves on International Funding. Negative Brexit for Cities. Cold recovery

Tiles at Horningsea Church (January 2005)

With the First of January, President Trump is back into action, saving money to 'Make America Great Again'.

At the end of last year, the President announced a reduction in the US contribution to the UN by $285 million from the estimated $8 billion annual contribution.

Today he tweeted his dissatisfaction with Pakistan:

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"

There are mixed messages about what is happening in the Cabinet, ranging from Prime Minister Theresa May being isolated, to Boris Johnson feeling isolated, to the Prime Minister planning a major cabinet shuffle to underline her position. we will have to wait and see.

Two independent organisations, Centre for Cities and LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), have researched and provided a report on the impact of a soft Brexit and a hard Brexit on UK local authorities. "Economic output in cities (as measured by Gross Value Added, GVA) is predicted to be 1.2 per cent lower on average under a ‘soft Brexit’ and 2.3 per cent lower under a ‘hard Brexit’ than if the UK remained in the EU." See summary an d follow link to detailed technical report within it here: http://www.centreforcities.org/publication/brexit-trade-economic-impacts-uk-cities.

Fortunately my cold seemed to have declined overnight, suggesting that this was a virus strain sufficiently similar to one I've had before, allowing my immune system to kill it quickly. Most unusual film of the day watched was the slightly surreal French-German stop-go animation "Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart".Technically good though the story-line was slightly melancholy.