Worry about the king
Charles III's cancer diagnosis is sparking a wave of compassion in the UK and around the world. "I'm worried about him," said US President Joe Biden. French President Emmanuel Macron wished “a speedy recovery.” Charles' second son Harry, who now lives in California, has announced that he wants to visit his father in London.
That doesn't sound good at all. Nor does the fact that Charles apparently had to undergo lengthy treatment immediately after his cancer diagnosis. It is not clear exactly what type of cancer he has. On the one hand, it is understandable that the palace did not want to announce this, but it is likely to fuel speculation about the monarch's health in the next few days.
Some British media are already discreetly recalling the official line of succession to the kingdom. Just in case. First, it would be the turn of the first-born son, Prince William, to become king. Then his children George, Charlotte, Louis. Harry follows in fifth place.
The good news is that Windsors are generally made of pretty tough stuff. Charles' mother Elizabeth II lived to be 96 years old, and his father Philip even reached 99 years old. Charles himself is said to have suffered from chronic neck and back pain for a long time, but has otherwise remained healthy. The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, was confident that Charles would recover completely and be in full possession of his strength in the shortest possible time. That is to be wished for him.
You can read more background information here: Cancer diagnosis in Charles III.
Trump's next trick
The primary election round of the US parties continues today, this time voting will take place in the state of Nevada. Among the Democrats, US President Joe Biden will certainly win the vote among the members; he only has insignificant opposing candidates. With the Republicans, things are a little more complicated. You could also say that the party's choice in Nevada is a bad joke. The Republicans vote twice. Once today and once on Thursday.
Behind this is a complicated trick by Trump and his loyalists in the state, which was planned well in advance. To cut a long story short: In today's election, Nikki Haley, Trump's last remaining rival, will run alone, without Trump. He is only running in the election on Thursday, in which Haley will not be there. But the decisive election is on Thursday, the so-called caucus. The delegate votes for the party conference in July will be awarded to the winner. That's what the party leaders in Nevada decided - with the active help of Trump and his advisors. Haley could save himself the passage in Nevada, Trump is already the winner and gets all the delegate votes.
Curious: Some of the officials in the state who bent the rules in Trump's favor were also involved in his attempts to subsequently torpedo the 2020 presidential election. They act like their lord and master: for them, only elections in which Trump wins are real elections.
You can read more background information here: Donald Trump, a pseudo-giant
Bad, bad, SUV
It seems as if there is hardly a worse confession at the moment than: I am an SUV driver. Anyone who owns a car of this class not only has to expect dirty looks from climate activists, but also sometimes with slashed tires or scratched doors.
In Paris, the left-wing mayor Anne Hidalgo has just implemented higher parking fees through a referendum, which will primarily affect SUVs: Anyone who parks in downtown Paris will in future have to pay 18 euros for the first hour. Such models are also being discussed in Germany.
But are SUV drivers unfairly bullied? My colleague Nils-Viktor Sorge says: Yes.
“New SUVs now not only have, on average, less powerful engines than mid-range cars, but are also lighter,” he writes in a comment worth reading. A station wagon such as the new VW Passat is even heavier and longer than many SUVs. Only: "The design is completely socially accepted, almost a symbol of reason, a car for the working middle class." His conclusion: "There will definitely not be an outcry against the station wagon car segment." Why should it? The SUV and its drivers have already been confirmed as the most popular villains.
You can read the entire comment here: Why SUVs are of little use as an enemy
Read the current SPIEGEL editorial here
Corporate tax reform: Inconsequential chatter – but there is a solution:
relief for companies and employees is overdue. There would even be a way out - but for this each of the traffic light partners would have to sacrifice beliefs they hold dear.
Click here for the current daily quiz
Today's starting question: Which city is home to the important art exhibition Documenta?
Winner of the day…
...are the US singer Tracy Chapman and the country star Luke Combs. Since they sang Chapman's hit "Fast Car" at the Grammy Awards over the weekend, the 35-year-old song has returned to number one on the charts.
The nice thing about the success is that there still seem to be moments of commonality in this politically deeply divided country, the USA. Because Chapman and Combs not only represent different generations (she is 59 years old, he is 33), but also completely different milieus and groups.
Two worlds have come together: On the one hand, the black folk-soul singer from Cleveland, Ohio, who struggled with racism, especially in her youth. On the other side is the country bard from Tennessee, who performed in front of the Southern flag a few years ago. Combs has since apologized several times for this. America can be different too. Better.
Grammy Gala in Los Angeles: Women triumph, killer Mike is arrested
The latest reports from the night
Nikki Haley requests personal protection from the Secret Service:
Recently, the police have been at Nikki Haley's door several times - because of so-called "swatting" incidents: Now Donald Trump's competitor is requesting special security.
Trump is aiming for a debate with Biden soon:
Donald Trump is avoiding a debate with his Republican opponent Nikki Haley. Instead, he would like to fight with Joe Biden. The US President reacted with biting humor.
Chancellor Scholz slows down Ministers Lindner and Habeck in the tax debate:
Finance Minister Lindner and Economics Minister Habeck have initiated a discussion about tax cuts for companies. They will probably wait in vain for support from the Chancellor.
I would particularly like to recommend this text to you today:
How innkeepers cheat with taxes - and why the state doesn't control enough:
No card payment possible? Does the invoice say “intermediate receipt”? These are often indications of cash register fraud. The new receipt requirement introduced in 2020 was actually intended to stop the practice. But the tax offices are checking less than planned and the state is missing out on a lot of money. Estimates range up to 70 billion euros in taxes and social spending - per year. My colleague Torsten Kleinz took a closer look at the topic of cash fraud and also asked all the state finance ministries. The result: Businesses that collect a lot of cash and are particularly vulnerable to fraud can practically bet that an auditor will never come across their doorstep. Last year, for example, only 962 cash registers were checked in Berlin - out of 125,000 businesses in the cash sector. The average snack bar, kiosk or hairdressing salon is only checked every 130 years.
I wish you a good start to the day.
Yours, Roland Nelles, US correspondent