Following the mega mergers of Delta and Northwest and more recently United and Continental, another airline combination is in the works in the United States. The Arizona based U.S. Airways Inc. (LCC) is currently looking to potentially acquire AMR group’s American Airlines (AAMRQ) based out of Ft. Worth Texas.

For U.S. Airways CEO Doug Parker, this is the latest in a string of merger activity during his tenure. He successfully oversaw the merger of U.S. Airways and America West in 2005. In 2006 he unsuccessfully attempted a hostile takeover of Delta and in 2010 there were talks for U.S. Airways to merge with United.

Does the Chinese stock market presage the U.S. market's direction? If so, the U.S. market is set for a fall.

The economies of China and the U.S. are in effect Siamese Twins, joined at the hip. By pegging their currency to the U.S. dollar, the Chinese central government has tethered its economy to both U.S. policy and the U.S. economy.

Since the U.S. economy is still considerably larger than China's, and the yuan/renminbi is pegged to the dollar (and not vice versa), then we might expect China's stock market to follow the American market's lead.

As expected, the two markets are clearly correlated, often acting in lockstep (both rising or falling together). But China's markets also seem to act as the canary in the coalmine for the U.S. markets, declining before U.S. markets plummet.
Full article at: US Stocks

The ramifications of Google's decision to leave China are deep: China's leadership, be careful what you wish for.

I have been a student of China for 40 years. Alas, no, I did not learn Mandarin. When I started reading about China in 1969, and taking university courses on its culture and history in 1972, the Cultural Revolution was in full swing. The People's Republic was locked down; other than a trickle of black-market trading with Hong Kong, nobody was allowed in or out. No young person today, Chinese or American, can even imagine conditions in that distant, bleak time.

In essence, China's leadership sacrificed two generations in the Cultural Revolution. It imprisoned, tortured, killed, banished, placed under house arrest, etc., the most experienced leaders of its society below the secretive high reaches of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and Mao's inner circle.
Full article at: Google and China

One of the surprising things is the U.S. export market is actually fairing reasonably well.

People often pan America for having no exports. It's a common complaint the U.S. doesn't produce anything the rest of the world wants.

This is untrue. These critics latch onto the fact the U.S. produces almost no consumer goods. America doesn't make t-shirts and CD players. It's just not cost effective for these low-end products.

Full article at: American Exports