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After the collapse of Circuity City, Best Buy finds its own retail model at risk from online sellers
09/14/2011
Best Buy faces strong competition in electronics sales from online sellers such as Amazon.com, and sees its position erode. A shift toaller size smaller stores with more personal attention as Best Buy questions the logic of bigbox stores.
Linked Articles
Best Buy Swings to Loss on Heavy Charges; to Close 50 Stores
Wall Street Journal 03/29/2012
Best Buy Gets SqueezedWall Street Journal 09/14/2011
John Bogle of Vanguard Funds and the creation of index funds as a way to build a diversified investor portfolio - a seminal achievement
09/03/2011
An entire generation of Americans benefitted from the low cost index fund as away to build a diversified and less risky investment portfolio. Bogle created the first index fund tracking the S&P 500 in 1976, following the advice and encouragement of is economics professor at Princeton, Paul Samuelson.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 09/03/2011
John Bogle, Vanguard's Founder, Is Too Worried to RestNew York Times 08/11/2012
Alan Meltzer and Thomas Hoenig's criticism of Federal Reserve Bank chairman Bernake's failure to look at long term consequences of low rates
08/11/2011
Hoenig points to the Fed's lowered rates in 2003 after the burst of the dot com bubble and higher unemployment of 6.5% in 2003 and Meltzer which led to the mortgage meltdown of 2008. Meltzer points to QE II's $600 billion monetary easing in 2010 which failed to revive the economy or reduce unemployment in 2011. They emphasize the Fed's lack of attention to the long term consequences of their actions. Both question the role of the Fed in creating jobs and see the role of the Fed as a neutral player, as deeper structural changes such as ashift to export driven economy, lower consumption take time and are only delayed by a continuation of old policies.
Linked Articles
Kansas City Fed President Defies Conventional Wisdom
New York Times 08/13/2011
The Folly of Economic Short-TermismWall Street Journal 08/11/2011
Ford Motor Company's push to meet new fuel efficiency standards on the F-150 for 2014
07/27/2011
Ford plans to cut body weight on the F-150 pickup truck by 700 pounds, 15% of the body weight, by switching to aluminium from steel. This will enable a 25% increase in fuel efficiency.
Linked Articles
Ford's Trade-In: Truck to Use Aluminum in Place of Steel
Wall Street Journal 07/27/2012
Five Car Makers Back White House's Tougher Fuel Economy RulesWall Street Journal 07/27/2011
Failure to stabilize the euro with the agreements reached by eurozone leaders including the July 2011 deal
07/13/2011
Experts suggest an approach that tackles the whole problem compared to the fragmented approach used so far based on dealing wiht the individual countries one at a time.The lack of agreement on shared sacrifice for bondholders, banks and eurozone governments.
Linked Articles
Greece Gets New Bailout as U.S. Nears Brink
Wall Street Journal 07/22/2011
How to Save the EuroWall Street Journal 07/13/2011
Increasing domestic consumption in Saudi Arabia will diminish reserve supplies and put pressure on oil prices in 2012-2013
06/23/2011
Saudi domestic consumption increasing at 10% a year will diminsh the Saudi role as a reserve supplier. Estimates are for zero reserve supplies by 2020 and oil imports by 2038, so large is the effect of growing use of oil at home. The Arab Spring means subsidies and social spending will increase, supporting continuing use of oil at current levels for a rapidly growing population.
Linked Articles
The End of the Saudi Oil Reserve Margin
Wall Street Journal 04/03/2012
Rising Saudi Thirst for Oil Drives Plans to Go NuclearWall Street Journal 06/23/2011
The lack of any meaningful help to prevent foreclosures for homeowners who are unemployed.
06/04/2011
The adverse effects on housing, on banks holding second mortgages, and on the economic recovery in the U.S., of the lack of a plan and little effort by the Obama administration to help the unemployed facing foreclosure. Most of the programs to prevent foreclosure were designed at the time of the bailouts for subprime lending situations. Prof. Davis at the University of Wisconsin call it outrageous that less than $2 billion of the $45 billion allocated to help homeowners at the time of the bailouts had been spent by Treaury Department as of May 2011.
Linked Articles
Unemployment Strains Foreclosure Aid
New York Times 06/04/2011
Second-Mortgage MiseryWall Street Journal 06/07/2011
Pernambuco and other states in Brazil's northeastern region- lack of investment in public health, education and transportation services infrastructure
05/21/2011
During the boom years much of the investment, about three fourths of the growth rate of over 4%, came from infrastructure investments that supported exports of soyabeans, iron ore and other commodities to China. Under the Worker's party socialist governments that get much of their support from the northeast, this disguised the low investments in public infrastructure services for drinking water, health sanitation, public schools and transportation services. This is a problem in developing countries of Latin America, South Asia, and Africa, with some regions lagging behind in essential infrastructure services, even with high growth rates.
Linked Articles
The Brazilian Doctors Who Sounded the Alarm on Zika and Microcephaly
Wall Street Journal 01/30/2016
Brazil's north-east: Catching up in a hurryEconomist 05/21/2011
Basic misunderstanding- (2) one point in the Israel-U.S. relationship on May 20, 2011, with president Obama's call for a return to pre-1967 borders
05/20/2011
When Ambassador Oren says Obama abandoned Israel he refers to moments such as the one on May 20, 2011, when Obama called for Israel to return to pre-1067 borders. At its shortest point the distance to Tel Aviv from the West Bank then was 9 miles, leading Israel says to "repeated wars," and not really a border for peace.
Linked Articles
In meeting with Obama, Netanyahu rules out Israeli withdrawal to 1967 borders - The Washington Post
Washington Post 05/20/2011
The 1967 Line of FireWall Street Journal 05/21/2011
Pfizer and Merck organize R&D using international innovation hubs- 2011-2015
05/02/2011
Efforts to tap into the latest external science at universities and research centers outside company labs is leading pharmaceutical companies to try a different approach to R&D. Pfizer closed its R&D facility in Sandwich, England and opened one in Cambridge. It opened hubs in Boston, La Jolla. Merck has followed this approach with a decision to setup innovaton hubs in Boston, San Francisco, London and Shanghai.
Linked Articles
Merck Plans Radical Overhaul of Drug R&D Unit
Wall Street Journal 12/28/2013
Life Beyond Lipitor for Pfizer ChiefWall Street Journal 05/02/2011
BP's steady focus on safety under CEO Bob Dudley
04/20/2011
Dudley says BP is not going to get off the path of focus on safety, and "stepping up the accelerator of performance, thats not going to happen." BP's second quarter 2012 performance reflected lower levels of production to permit maintenance and improvements in infrastructure at its deep water oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Similiar maintenance will be undertaken at North Sea fields in the rest of 2012. Cost cutting on maintenance and infrastructure improvements to improve profit performance created an environment that led to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and created huge legal liabilities.
Linked Articles
BP Posts Unexpectedly Large Loss
New York Times 07/31/2012
The Lessons of Deepwater HorizonWall Street Journal 04/20/2011
The human faces of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan
03/28/2011
Faces at the Tokyo Electric Power Company, workers at the site of the disaster in Fukushima prefecture, the Tepco president in Tokyo, and other faces.
Linked Articles
Amid Fight to Stem Threat, Tepco Worker's Email Reveals Personal Struggle
Wall Street Journal 03/28/2011
Vanishing act by Japanese executive during nuclear crisis raises questions - The Washington PostWashington Post 03/29/2011
Bill Gates and U.S. Fed chairman Bernanke call for investment in education
03/02/2011
The message to lawmakers at a time of spending cuts: don't shortchange education, because it is critical to America's future.
Linked Articles
Bill Gates Seeks Formula for Better Teachers
Wall Street Journal 03/22/2011
Bernanke to budget-cutting state and local governments: Don't shortchange educationWashington Post 03/02/2011
America's middle class falling behind with typical household income at the same level after 25 years
09/14/2011
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 09/14/2011
Americaâs Sinking Middle ClassNew York Times 09/18/2013
Missteps by H-P's Board and the risk-averse nature of the Board at Microsoft- two tech companies and the transition to new information technologies
08/28/2011
Linked Articles
Microsoft Board Shows Little Taste for Bold Choice in CEO
Wall Street Journal 09/02/2013
H-P's One-Year PlanWall Street Journal 08/28/2011
Short termism of an interventionist U.S. Federal Reserve and the advantages of a rule based monetary policy at the Fed
08/11/2011
John Taylor and Allan Meltzer point to the risks of short termism and discretionary policies at the Fed. Taylor says a single mandate for inflation should replace the current dual mandate for both inflation and unemployment so that monetary policy can be rule based avoiding the boom and bust periods hitting the U.S. economy in the last decade, when interest rates were set too low using discretionary policy.
Linked Articles
The Dangers of an Interventionist Fed
Wall Street Journal 03/29/2012
The Folly of Economic Short-TermismWall Street Journal 08/11/2011
EADS Airbus and manufacturing of the Airbus 320 and Neo at a new plant in Alabama
07/21/2011
Manufacturing in the U.S. will reduce the impact of currency fluctuations as planes are priced in U.S. dollars. It also improves the public perception of Airbus in the U.S. in its effort to secure orders from airlines in the U.S.
Linked Articles
Airbus's New Push: Made in the U.S.A.
Wall Street Journal 07/02/2012
AMR Adds Airbus as SupplierWall Street Journal 07/21/2011
Risks in emerging markets in 2012-2013- Turkey (3)
07/01/2011
Growth in Turkey is fueled by surging credit growth and capital inflows. At the same time manufacturing competitiveness is falling.
Linked Articles
Turkey's Economy Surged 11% in Quarter
Wall Street Journal 07/01/2011
Turkish Trade Deficit WidensWall Street Journal 07/30/2011
Lawrence Lindsey says the Fed has got itself boxed in with little choice but to keep interest rates low
06/15/2011
Federal Flow of Funds Report for 2011 by the U.S. Federal Reserve shows 61% of net Treasury issuance was purchased by the Fed. Lindsey points out that the Fed has itself boxed in to keep rates low for years because for the U.S. government to borrow at more normal rates of 5.7% rather than the 2.5% at which it borrows today, would mean an addition $800 billion in interest costs by 2021.
Linked Articles
Demand for U.S. Debt Is Not Limitless
Wall Street Journal 03/28/2012
Notable & QuotableWall Street Journal 06/15/2011
Brazil's uneven economic development with growth focussed on export based mining and agriculture
05/21/2011
As the commodities boom fades Brazil's growth slows to 1% in 2012 after the rapid growth in the years under president Lula. Stiglitz and Sen pointed to this kind of uneven development with the neglect of education, healthcare and other public services. This is true also of economic development in China focussed on export industries, with the added cost of environmental degradation. Street protests in June 2013 in many Brazilian cities from Porto Alegre and Curitiba to Rio and Sao Paulo showed popular discontnet with the situation under president Rouseff.
Linked Articles
Brazil's north-east: Catching up in a hurry
Economist 05/21/2011
Anger Spills Onto Brazil's StreetsWall Street Journal 06/18/2013
Basic misunderstanding- (1) one point in the Israel- U.S. relationship on May 20, 2011, with president Obama's call for a return to pre-1967 borders
05/20/2011
When Ambassador Oren says Obama abandoned Israel, he refers to the "surprises" and "no daylight" or open disagreements that marked the relationship during the two terms of the Obama administration. One such point was on May 20, 2011, with Obama's call for pre-1967 borders.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 06/16/2015
Netanyahu Rejects Obama Compromises on TalksNew York Times 05/20/2011
Alex Weber and his successor Jens Weidmann at the Bundesbank
05/03/2011
Weber was Weidmann's tutor at the University of Bonn economics department.
Linked Articles
Ex-German Central Banker's Unconventional Career Path
Wall Street Journal 06/27/2011
Germany's Bundesbank Gets a New Inflation-FighterWall Street Journal 05/03/2011
Republicans, John Taylor, and a U.S. budget that is at about 20% of GDP
04/22/2011
John Taylor makes the arguments for a budget that is around 20% of GDP, which it was in 2007- before the financial crisis of 2008.
Linked Articles
GOP Hopefuls Betting Voters Want Deep Cuts
Wall Street Journal 07/18/2011
Obama's Permanent Spending BingeWall Street Journal 04/22/2011
OPEC social programs and need to maintain high oil prices
04/18/2011
PFC Energy estimates a price of $90 at which Saudi Arabia would start cutting output to maintain a floor on oil price to support large spending programs after the democracy protests in Arab countries.
Linked Articles
Fears of a 2008 Repeat for Oil
Wall Street Journal 03/18/2012
Overheard: Oil and UnrestWall Street Journal 04/18/2011
The safety failures that could have been prevented with stronger oversight and control for the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster
03/21/2011
The independent parliamentary panel in Japan concuded in its July 2012 Report that the nuclear accident at the Fukushima plant was "a profoundly man-made event." Here in its investigations after the accident the Wall Street Journal finds some of the safety flaws that could have been corrected but were not due to the compete lack of effectiveness of the safety agency and its failure to do its job. As a result licenses for forty year old nuclear reactor designs and installation designs were simply renewed without requiring changes or shutting down these reactors. It is these older designs that were also improperly installed that failed.
Linked Articles
Japan Plant Had Troubled History
Wall Street Journal 03/21/2011
Design Flaw Fueled Nuclear DisasterWall Street Journal 07/01/2011
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