LyrArc Article Gist
These amazing BBC Science pictures of a distant galaxy show a black hole measuring 40 billion km across- a staggering 3 million times the earth's size. More amazing 8 telescopes located in places such as the South Pole and the Atacama desert in Chile were put together to get pictures of a galaxy 500 million trillion km away. Prof. Halcke of Radboud University, Netherlands, proposed the experiment. He says the galaxy called M87 is larger than the entire Solar System, and has a mass 6.5 billion times that of the Sun. The images show an intensely bright ring of fire surrounding a circular dark hole. The superheated gas falling into the hole gives out more light than all the billions of other stars in the galaxy combined. The gravitational pull near the edges is so great that nothing comes out. Falcke had the idea from a PhD. projec in1993. No one thought it was possible to take an image until Falcke realized that a certain type of radio emission would be generated close to and around the black hole, strong enough to be detected by telescopes around the earth. After struggling for 20 years Falcke got the European Research Council to fund the project. Others including NSF joined to fund it for 40 million pounds. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
The first proposal that led to the strike at Boeing offered workers only 27%. The new proposal offer 43% over 4 years. As this increase is over 4 years some of the wage increase is dissipated by inflation over that period. For 33,000 workers at Boeing it represented a fair settlement that would also help the company rebuild its finances, and it was approved by 59% of the workers voting at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Workers are back to work by November 12. Workers were upset about a deal 10 years back that let Boeing freeze a pension plan that guaranteed monthly retirement payouts. Boeing lost $6.1 billion in the 3rd quarter 2024 and raised $21 billion by selling shares to investors to strengthen its financial position. Quality control was a major issue, a series of financial industry professionals failed to understand the production assembly line processes. Julie Su, Labor Secretary facilitated the discussions. President Biden said “Good contracts benefit workers, businesses and consumers." The deal includes a $12,000 ratification bonus, compared to $3000 bonus in the initial offer. And it calls for improved retirement benefits, commitment by Boeing to build its next commercial airplane in the Seattle region.   ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Andrew Roth describes a situation in Russia where president Putin is more popular than the ruling party. The United Russia Party was shown having support of 45% in pre election polls. The election campaign used Putin posters and the slogan "the party of the president," to increase voter support.  Some voters see Putin working really hard to improve the economic situation. Samuel Greene, director of the Russia Institute at King's College, London, says that even after efforts to increase support United Russia Party has failed to generate voter enthusiasm. Voter turnout was low especially in Moscow and St Petersburg. The election result is seen by experts as a way to give Putin support to tackle the economic problems facing the country, and ensure stability. About 343 members of the parliament out of total 450 are from the United Russia Party. The budget shortfall of 3% is being met by the government  by using state funds, and one of the sovereign funds is likely to be exhausted in 2017. One of the options is to cut back on social entitlements, increase the pension age. Prime minister Medvedev has already said state pensions cannot be indexed because "we don't have the money right now." ...

LyrArc Article Gist
A humorous story on how Lady Hale delivered the unanimous decision of the UK Supreme Court against the prorogation of parliament by prime minister Boris Johnson, with a pun on the word pro-rogue-ation. And some ideas on how this was received by all sides. The decision was not popular in Britain and was seen by the royals and people around Queen Elizabeth as bad advice given to the Queen by the prime minister. Much of the behaviour of Boris Johnson and adviser Dominic Cummings is based on polls showing them winning over Labour seats in northern England that voted for Brexit in a general election to give the Conservatives a majority. Labour leader McDonnell has said that they have miscalculated. Labour party continues to emphasize that the real issue before the country is failing infrastructure, inequalities, lack of opportunity, jobs and the economy, not leaving the European Union. Labour's strategy is to wait out the general election for a couple of months so that voters can judge from the actions the competence of the Boris Johnson government to run the country for 5 years. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Tunisia's president Moncef Marzouki comments on the violent demonstrations in Arab countries after the anti-Islamic video in Sept. 2012. He says the violent demonstrations do not reflect the true feelings of the vast majority of Arab people. He says the Arab Spring is not pro or anti-western but focussed on social justice and democracy, and not even about religion when truly understood.

LyrArc Article Gist
Pier Luigi Bersani from the northern Emilio Romagna region, head of the centre-left Democratic party, is the leading candidate for prime minister in Italy's 2013 elections. His party has 37.8% support in a recent poll. The Democratic party has an electoral alliance with the SEL Left, Ecology and Freedom party, which has 5.1% in the poll. Berlusconi's People of Freedom party has 18.2% support and the antiestablishment party of Beppe Grillo, the Five Star Movement has 20% support. Prime minister Mario Monti is being encouraged to run by business and centrist parties. Bersani said in an interview, he will continue Monti's policies if elected. He says he supports greater flexibility so that policies do not focus only on austerity, at the same time he will respect the committments Italy has gven to the EU and move forward with pro-competition actions.

LyrArc Article Gist
NYT reporter Elisabeth Malkin reports on the way the ruling PRI party suffering from low poll ratings- following corruption scandals and the poor handling of the deaths of 43 students by drug gangs- is using the distribution of free television sets to working class people in the State of Mexico to win votes.

LyrArc Article Gist
The U.S. trade dispute with China takes a new turn after tit for tat tariffs, with the U.S. president Trump claiming that China was interfering in the U.S. midterm elections. This plays into the narrative in China that the U.S. does not want to see China's ascent as a global power. President Trump and Trade Representative Lighthizer have singled out "Made In China 2025," China's plans for tech leadership as a serious issue for the U.S. President Trump made his claim in a speech at the United Nations, saying that he was "the first president ever to challenge China on trade."

Many of China's tariffs on U.S. exports are targeted at agricultural products such as soyabeans and corn in heavily pro-Trump states, and in rural areas where the Republican party has a significant base. 

 

LyrArc Article Gist
The European Union would accept extension of the deadline on Brexit of March 29, and a second referendum could take place. Theresa May could go over the heads of her squabbling MP's and call a second referendum or a general election, says this report in The Guardian. 

A British request for extension of the deadline is seen as inevitable because it is impossible to pass the necessary pre-Brexit legislation before March 29. Conditions could include a second referendum and allowing the UK government to appoint national parliamentarians for the EU parliament as EU elections are in late May 2019. Because there is no majority for a second referendum just yet, and because the only way to get support in parliament is to have in place the customs union rejected by far right Conservative MP's, extending the date is the only viable option.

LyrArc Article Gist
The more pro-European faction within prime minister Theresa May's Conservative Party is reluctant to push for a vote at this time to avoid what it sees as "political suicide"- a massively disruptive departure of Britain from the European Union without an agreement. This gives May another 2 weeks to come up with a solution. 

Most observers believe Theresa May is simply using a strategy of running down the clock to the March 29 deadline. By not extending the deadline she is seen as planning to hand out to the British Parliament two starkly different options- a massively disruptive no-deal Brexit causing Britain's departure from the European without any agreement and the option of accepting the agreement the prime minister has negotiated with the EU which protects Ireland and Northern Ireland peace and open border trade flows called the Irish backstop.

LyrArc Article Gist
The UK government figures show GDP growth for the 3rd quarter 2012 of 1%. In the 1st quarter the economy contracted 0.3% and in the 2nd quarter 2012 it contracted 0.4%. This news is tempered by the fact that one time factors such as the Olympics accounted for the increase. For the year the results for GDP growth are likely to be flat and only modest growth is expected in 2013.

LyrArc Article Gist
Stephen Wolfram, a software designer, has deisgned a search engine which searches a structured database. The new version is called Wolfram Alpha Pro, which is a computational knowledge engine. The premium version is $4.99 a month, or $2.99 for students. Apple's Siri makes up about a fourth of the search queries handled by Wolfram Alpha. It works with data and images and can bring in figures and charts from different websites.

LyrArc Article Gist
Criticism of the FDA's inability to exert pre-market quality control. Questions raised by a Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, about the FDA's inability to detect quality issues in manufacturing. After the J&J recalls for childrens Tylenol and other medicines, the FDA sent a warning letter to Perrigo, a company based in Michigan, that ships these children's medicines, about manufacturing violations. This includes ibuprofen tablets with metal shavings.

LyrArc Article Gist
Robert Reich of the Clinton administration responds to a question by Charlie Rose, about Obama's failure to have a narrative of governing that connects the dots. Reich says Obama got caught up in tactical judgements and failed to grasp the larger strategic narrative. He sees Obama as having supported Wall Street and business as much or more than any previous administration, but is not perceived as pro-business.

LyrArc Article Gist
A decline in military spending and exports offset growth in residential investment and investment in equipment and software to lead to a 0.1% contraction in the U.S. economy for the 4th quarter of 2012. This reflected a decline in military spending of 22.2%. GDP growth declined from 3.1% in the 3rd quarter to negative 0.1%. The U.S. GDP growth increased from 1.8% for 2011 to 2.2% in 2012.

LyrArc Article Gist
Ted Cruz is seen as the most pro-Israel of the Republican candidates for president. Pro-Israel groups are joining to fund his campaign for president after his win in the Wisconsin primary. Sheldon Adelson is one of the donors sought by the Cruz campaign. Paul Singer and the Ricketts family have funded super PACs that have financed the anti-Trump movement's advertising efforts, but not directly supported Cruz. Cruz is trying to change this following the win in the Wisconsin primary seen as the turning point in the election campaign. Cruz added to the bit of humor about the Cruz campaign on the late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live," with this exchange: Kimmel saying that Cruz simply held out till these donors found someone they liked less than Cruz. "There you go. its a powerful strategy," said Cruz. Even backers trying to recruit new donors are aware of Cruz's ideologue reputation, saying he is still the "good designated driver" after the party. Cruz has put forward the economic message of Jobs, Growth and Opportunity, as he broadens his appeal outside the conservative values base following the Wisconsin primary....

LyrArc Article Gist
A wide ranging interveiw by New York Times reporters Archibold, Cave and Malkin, with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon. Calderon tells the reporters that Mexico had to be cleaned up and it was upto him to do it. A Pew Research poll shows that only 45% of respondents say Mexico has made progress in the fight against drug cartels, yet 83% support the use of the military against the drug cartels. Calderon's six year term ends in 2012 and the opposition PRI candidate leads in the polls. Calderon is limited to the six year term by term limits. PRI candidate Nieto has a program that is not very different from Calderon's to fight drug gangs. Calderon says he should have taken on the task of buillding up the state and local police forces more aggressively from the very beginning, now that it is clear that corruption and lack of training have diminished their capacity to provide safety. Calderon points to the success in creating jobs, expanding health care, building trustworthy police and judicial institutions, and social programs to fight roots of crime, as achievements of his administration....

LyrArc Article Gist
Workers at Pemex are about half as efficient as workers at the Brazilian oil company Petrobras, and have one fourth the efficiency of workers at BP, according to a study by the baker Institute in Texas. Union leaders run the union in a manner reminiscent of feudal times with favors and patronage for workers and politicians. Once in power union leaders have run the union for decades, including shooting of rivals. Hernandez Galicia, a son of an oil worker, built up a system of patronage in the sixties and remained in power till he was arrested in 1989 on weapons charges by the government of president Salinas Gortari. The union formed part of the PRI party power base as the 200,000 union workers were expected to vote for the government. In the 1988 election union votes did not go to the PRI candidate and Salinas barely won with 50.7% of the vote. After Hernandez the system of patronage and corruption has continued. At the top of Mexico's agenda for president Nieto is changing Pemex, improving efficiency for reversing decline in oil production, and working with foreign oil companies. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Unilever's 6.2% sales decline in emerging markets and 3.2% overall in 3rd quarter 2013, compared to same quarter prior year.This contrasts with 9.5% increase in sales for Colgate-Palmolive in emerging markets and 6% overall.

LyrArc Article Gist
This is one of the weakest job recoveries the U.S. has experienced. The U.S. economy is seven million jobs below pre-recession employment and the labor participation rate is at 64.2%. It was 66.4% in 2006. Consumer prices are increasing even as the average wage has remained the same at $22.87. Increases in food and energy prices put a squeeze on the middle class, as it tries to get by on less.

LyrArc Article Gist
Barclays rights issue in 2013 to meet UK regulatory demands. The planned rights issue will raise about 5 billion pounds and will bring the bank's ratio of equity to risk weighted assets to around 9.5%. The Prudential Regulation Authority, a branch of the Bank of England responsible for supervision of British banks, is requiring British banks to hold equity amounting to 3% of total assets. Barclay's leverage ratio is at 2.5%, according to the PRA.

LyrArc Article Gist
Hirsch argues that reading passages in bubble tests should test familiar material, the idea is "consequential validity," that if you have taken a hike in the Apalachian mountains you are more likely to understand that passage than someone who never left New York city. And these annual reading tests should be given from 3rd to eight grade.And the reading passages culled from that grade's specific curricula for literature, science, history, and geography and the arts.

LyrArc Article Gist
PM Modi makes changes in his cabinet of ministers with new ministers brought in and some ministers in the current cabinet asked to leave. Javadekar  in Information and Broadcasting ministry, Harsh Vardhan at the Health Ministry, and Ravi Shankar Prasad at IT and Law ministry, Ramesh Pokhriyal at HRD were replaced. Seven cabinet ministers were replaced including social justice and empowerment, and chemicals and fertilizers. Jaishankar at Ministry of External Affairs, Rajnath Singh at Defense, and Sitharaman at Finance, Amit Shah at Home are in the core of ministers who will continue in their roles. Dharmendra Pradhan is new Education minister, Mansukh Mandavia in charge of Health and chemicals and fertilizers, Kiran Rijjuju is Law minister, Giriraj Singh new Rural Development minister. Ashwini Vaishnaw from the IAS is the new Minister of Railways. The main idea of these changes is to bring in younger ministers and give them 3 years of experience before the next parliamentary elections, and to replace ministers who have not accomplished much. Some appointments such as the civil aviation ministry went to persons who supported the state government in Madhya Pradesh, and similar appointments for Bihar. A Dalit leader Virender Kumar is the new Social Justice and Empowerment minister, and this is a way to increase the support in the OBC or backward caste communities which get greater participation.     ...