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A journalist embedded with American forces in Anbar province in 2007, describes the situation in 2015 after the many sacrifices of Iraqis and American soldiers. He tells the story of one Iraqi police captain he calls Ismail, who helped the U.S. forces turn the tide in Anbar province, and now finds himself a refugee in Baghdad.

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Instructions in a 2012 law say the money from fines paid by banks for LIBOR related offenses should go to communities throughout Britain. A program in North Yorkshire teaches military veterans how to use "therapeutic baking" as a way to ease stress through cooking and by kneading dough. The same social housing charity, Riverside ECHG, says its focus is on making sure people are not sleeping in bushes or cars. A program in Harrowgate uses these funds to resurface tennis courts at a treatment center for injured police. British prime minister Cameron promised during the recent election to use 227 million pounds from fines paid against Deutsche Bank in April 2015 for financing 50,000 apprenticeships. Critics say the money should have gone to people who were harmed by the banks actions, yet in the case of LIBOR related offenses it is not clear who was harmed and by how much. The idea for the 2012 law come from Chancellor George Osborne. Osborne said about sending money back into local communities- "It is fitting that the money paid in fines by people who demonstrated the poorest values in our society is used to support those who demonstrate the very best."...

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On one of the major issues of 2014-2015 U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky provides conviction and vigorous defense of liberties. Senator Rand Paul made this the centerpiece of his campaign for the U.S. presidential election of 2016. On May 30, 2016, Rand Paul said: "Tomorrow, I will force the expiration of the NSA illegal spy program. I believe we must fight terrorism, and I believe we must stand strong against our enemies. But we do not need to give up who we are to defeat them. In fact, we must not." With Republicans split on this issue, the strong defense of liberties taken by Rand Paul makes it certain that the Patriot Act will expire on May 31, 2015, and the NSA bulk surveillance of phone data will end. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the conservative Tea Party Patriots have praised the extensive debate on the issue of the damage done by such surveillance tactics. Both the ACLU and the Tea Party see the need to let the 2001 Patriot Act and legislation supporting bulk data surveillance to expire....

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This editorial in the Economist points to the long term effects of a crash in China's stock markets. This would reduce access to equity markets for corporate funding. It would pose larger risks because of the increase in total debt in the Chinese economy from 150% in 2008 to more than 250% in 2015. The fallout would not be as large as in the U.S. after a stock market bubble collapsed in the U.S., because market capitalization is about 40% of GDP, and households have put about 10% of their wealth in stock markets. Coming at a time when China's economy is slowing, and it faces other problems such as addressing pollution, healthcare and other issues, this could lead to a further slowdown for a prolonged period. Most economists from Krugman to Summers, say China is no exception to basic rules of finance and economics. The indexes have accelerated in the past year- CSI300 index of China's largest mainland stocks doubling in the past year, and ChiNext market for startups tripling in the past year, and at P/E ratio of 140 times prior year earnings. 4 million new brokerage accounts opened in one week of April 2015, and a study shows about 66% of people buying stocks for the first time have no schooling beyond the age of 15. Margin financing has increased to 2 trillion yuan or $325 billion. Clearly unlike the U.S. investors and stock market authorites have not experienced the collapse of a bubble with all the economic distress for a prolonged period....

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With the increasing unpopularity of the PRI party government, after corruption scandals and othe problems, the turnout in the midterm elections is expected to be low. In the state of Nuevo Leon, with the capital at Monterrey, the business establishment is backing a independent candidate Jaime Rodriguez, as an alternative to the PRI candidate.

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American journalist Bob Schieffer spent 46 years with CBS. He was host of the news show on CBS "Face the Nation" for 24 years. Schieffer says he made the biggest impression on the American public only in the last 12 years since turning 65. During these 12 years he moderated several presidential debates, put CBS at the highest level of viewership as other leading journalists retired, and published a best selling memoir, "This Just In." Things were not expected to turn out this way. In 2003 Mr. Schieffer found out he had bladder cancer, and he says ever since he saw things differently- everything appeared as a temporary assignment. In 2005 he announced he would retire in 2007, when he was 70. Each year after that CBS persuaded him to stay. He replaced Dan Rather for "CBS Evening News" in 2005, and gave it solid ratings till he stepped down in 2007. Schieffer is the same person he was many years ago for people who remember him from CBS since 1982, as the chief Washington correspondent. It is this power of experience, of being always there, that attracts viewers who want to hear about what Bob Schieffer finds important, with an authentic voice asking the right questions....

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Newspapers and media from Argentina to Germany and France praise the effort of the new U.S. Attorney General in prosecuting the case against FIFA, and taking on the challenge of acting in a case that crosses international boundaries. The use by people investigated in the case of the American banking system and the new willingness of banks to cooperate with federal investigations provides Lynch with the basis of building a strong case.

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The FBI and the IRS were working on the same investigation of FIFA from different directions and began working together since Dec. 2011, as they found that the same people were involved. Richard Weber of the IRS, says another round of indictments can be expected. The IRS case starts with investigation into tax fraud and one discovery leads to another in the case. By 2013 Chuck Blazer had pleaded guilty to tax and corruption charges and agreed to cooperate with the IRS and the FBI, leading to the breakthroughs that followed. Enhanced cooperation between the Justice Department and international banks since the indictments against banks for illicit operations has made banks willing to cooperate with investigations fully. Once the case was built up getting FIFA officials at one place for the meeting in Zurich made it easier to make the arrests.

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An April 2015 poll by Metropoll Strategic and Social Research Center shows that 57% of voters disapprove of the AKP government's managing of the economy. The approval rate for the AKP government dropped to 34%. Unemployment is now over 11% in 2015, and this is the biggest problem for voters, according to Istanbul's Koc University's April survey.

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David Brooks brings up the views of different people who see the importance of the little things in life that add up to make a difference, and build quality of life.

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Krugman points to some striking data in a U.S. Federal Reserve study, showing 47% of Americans do not have the money to meet an unexpected expense of $400 without selling something they own or borrowing. The is the 2nd year of this Federal Reserve study. It shows alarming information about the condition of retirement savings- about 30% of nonelderly Americans say they have no retirement savings or pension, and reported going without some kind of medical care because they could not handle the expense. About 25% say they or a family member experienced financial hardship this year.

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Prime minister Cameron's visits following the general election to the Hague, Netherlands, and Paris, France, to discuss changes in the EU to accomodate Britain.

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Bernie Sanders takes up the problems of young people facing large tution costs and seniors on limited income by recalling the situation 40-50 years ago when things were a lot better for these two groups.