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This article gets a 2 red flags for what the report tells one about the German retailer Metro AG has done in India to ensure the proper storage and transport of food supplies from its source to the retail shelf. Its quite an effort and remarkably interesting effort by Metro in a new environment. Does Metro have experience like this before in other countries it operates. Its like making a sea change in the way things were done in a developing country to how its done in Europe.

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Areas for growth for the Indian drug Industry include the large growing domestic market, the outsourcing by US drug manufacturers, and sales in other developing countries of Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. Analyst estimates are that India will spend $30 billion a year on drugs to improve care for its people in the next 10 years up from $8 billion today. And the distribution network is being developed by drug companies insdie India to reach more people. Also companies like Pfizer plan to double outsourcing of manufacturing drugs from 10% today to 20%.

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On global wheat, corn and other cereal prices. The effects of the ethanol boom in the US and the record corn crop to meet ethanol demand. How this plays out in emerging market countries like Russia, China and India and Mexico. Will this help farmers especially withthe urban-rural divide and disparities in living standards in China and India. At the same time what do the higher prices do to the urban poor and poor people in general in the emerging countries where the impact of higher prices hits a large part of their budget.

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Costco and Walmart Sams Club are selling more flat panel LCD televisions and bringing aggressive pricing to the industry. This is helping Sony, Sharp and other makers because it is making flat panel LCD television affordable. Sales of LCD will increase as people convert both for the high definition signal and clarity of viewing and for the decor sleek new looks. especially since broadcasters will only sendout digital signals in Feb 2009. This means that like tech spending some areas of consumer spending should do beter in this recession.

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UAL's stock has gone down 93% in the past year more than its other U.S. rivals and the entire company has an equity value of $433 million smaller than the retail price of two jumbo jets. It will take second quarter noncash charges of $2.7 billion to writedown to zero the value of its intangible assets or goodwill. United will pare its 460 plane fleet by 100 planes by 2009, cut capacity by 15% in the 4th quarter 2008, cut 20% of salaried jobs or 1500 jobs, and furlough 950 of its 6000 pilots.

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Dow's 679 point drop on Thursday October 9, 2008, investors lose $8.4 trillion of wealth, which is sure to impact consumption spending coming after a steep drop in house prices and loss of trillions in home values. This will affect countries dependent on exports like emerging markets from Russia, China, Brazil and India to other countries around the world as the US imports less energy, less soyabeans, less from the manufacturing locations in China. This means cutting growth in Brazil, India and China as well as in the US and Europe.

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Compensation at Ivy league schools and other private schools for presidents of these schools exceeded 500,000 for 89 presidents. 59 public school presidents made over 500,000. And for 2007-08 the presidents pay at public universities went up by 7.6% for amedian pay of $427,400. Pay at Ohio State 1,346,000. And pay for presidents of University of Washington, University of Virginia, University of Texas system, University of Colorado-Denver, University of Minnesota- Twin cities, University of Michigan system, University of Florida, Georgia State, Arizona State, all exceed 700,000 according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

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The neglect of Saturn as GM moved to emphasize SUV sales, with no new models for five years and the folding of Saturn in to the small car group and expected to compete for scarce resources with other brands including the Buicks, the Hummers and the Pontiacs. Saturns were doing what they intended to do getting buyers of imports shifting to American models but lack of investment and attention and steady perseverance over time led to its potential never being realized. This may be one of the many errrors of GM executives and its board.

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Declining agricultural exports and lower prices are expected to lead to U.S. net farm income dropping by 38% to $55.9 billion in 2015, according to the USDA. Importers such as Egypt and Japan can buy wheat in export markets at lower prices from France, Russia and other countries- U.S wheat going at $205 a ton, French wheat at $193 per ton, and Russian wheat at $194, according to grain analysts. Depreciating currencies in Russia and Eastern Europe mean sellers can sell in dollars and convert to local currencies.

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This WSJ editorial says Greek voters have made a choice in the referendum, and Europe is better off letting Greece exit the eurozone. That the referendum also means Greeks made the choice, and were not pushed out of the eurozone. The editorial points out that Tsipras's claim was that the vote was for further negotiations with the EU, yet taxpayers in Germany and other parts of the EU do not see it this way. In the long run it is better for the euro that Greece leaves if it chooses, says the Journal.

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Efforts in 2014 by Jizhong Energy Company to reduce pollution in the city of Xingtai, population 7.6 million, by closing down the worst polluting plants and installing new equipment. The World Bank put the cost of pollution, including cancer and other health problems, at 9% of gross national income in 2009. The Ministry of Environmental Protection estimates 3.5% of GDP as the cost of pollution in 2010. Xingtai's pollution levels have been recorded by air quality monitors at as high as 30 times China's national standard. Government figures show the PM2.5 in the city's air is 150 micrograms per cubic meter over the last 12 months, more than 4 times the national standard. To get some idea what this means, consider that Fresno, California, with the highest pollution level in the U.S. had PM2.5 level of 18 micrograms per cubic meter. To show it is serious the central government requires the city to post pollution figures online, down to individual smokestacks and exhaust ports.

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Ailworth and Faucon describe the ways in which shale oil producers such as Continental Resources in Texas and S. Dakota are responding to the drop in oil prices. One strategy adopted is to put off 60% of the expense of production by not completing the final stages of production of hydraulic fracturing, but keeping the wells ready so that production can quickly be ramped up if prices go to the $60-65 range. EOG Resources, Andarko, Apache, Chesapeake Energy, are also following this strategy. There are about 3000 such wells, not pumping but drilled and ready for hydraulic fracturing, according to RBC Capital Markets estimates. This strategy would mean large shale oil supplies well into the future to keep oil prices low. Production from lower cost wells continues with U.S. oil production climbing to a new high of 9.4 million barrels a day for week ending March 6, 2015, according to federal data. This shows that this is a new situation and the resilience of shale oil supplies may have been underestimated. Another strategy adopted by other large companies such as Exxon is to continue to develop technology by learning to get the oil out of the rock in the most cost efficient way. The capital investment in U.S. shale oil has dropped by $50 billion in 2015 compared to 2014. The number of oil rigs drilling declined to 866 in the U.S. by March 2015, according to Baker Hughes....

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Huge losses sustained by sovereign wealth funds. Estimated $350 billion for Gulf foreign reserve funds and SWF's, according to RGE Monitor's Rachel Ziemba, or 27% of assets. Sovereign Wealth funds are either using their funds for supporting their local banks as in the Gulf areas, or buying back stakes of cash strapped western banks like RBS in the case of China. Russia, China and other countries are using their SWF's for stimulus spending. And Russia, Gulf economies that are dependent on oil prices, are looking at possible sale of foreign assets at oil prices between $50 and a deterioration to $25. Only China has a surplus that is sustained through the last quarter of 2008, but this is changing quickly as imports pick up after the stimulus kicks in, and exports drop precipitiously in 2010. South Korea and Russia have also learned of the need to have liquid safe investments preferably in dollars in the current crisis, as they have learned how large capital outflows can get in a short time. And the US is not looking at these large capital inflows from overseas as a benevolent thing, because it overvalues American assets, and leads to all sorts of distortions in liquidity and pricing of risk that contributed to the current crisis. In short the whole situation with SWF's has a suprising ending, as with everything in the current crisis, nothing worked out as expected or planned....

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Issues about how many more jobs are supported by Apple beyond the 47,000 employees in the U.S. Estimates of job creation in China and overseas through supplier networks for iPads, iPhones and other products are as high as 700,000. Apple says it has "created or supported" 514,000 jobs in the U.S. Experts say it is hard to say how many jobs are supported. Of the jobs Apple counted in this number, the consulting group doing the estimate included 257,000 jobs at companies such as Corning that makes the glass for the iPhone, UPS, and a Samsung plant in Texas. The number was generated using a formula of the federal government's Bureau of Economic Analysis and how much money Apple spent on goods and services in the U.S. An additional 210,000 jobs were generated by companies making apps for Apple devices. The consulting company estimated that 45% of the 466,000 app related jobs in the U.S. -using the estimate of such jobs from TechNet- were for Apple apps. Apple released these figures on its website as criticism from the industry and outside mounts about whether Apple is doing enough for jobs in the U.S. Intel's Andy Grove is one of the industry executives who has pointed out that there is much scaling up at home that U.S. companies need to do....

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How companies like United Health are lobbying aggressively to shape the new helathcare legislation to their benefit. BW says the health insurers like United Health, Aetna and Wellpoint are already winning through clever and effective lobbying of Congress. Former Senator Tom Daschle works as aconsultant for United Health. Senator Conrad who has led aeffort to replace the public plan with nonprofit medical cooperatives, which would be a weaker competitive threat to insurers, is also influened by the insurers. United Health's CEO Helmsley and its person working with Congress on healthcare Simon Stevens met with Conrad on June 4. When lawmakers in Congress cite consulting group Lewin Group, that 88 million or 56% of those with employer provided coverage would desert private insurance for a government run program, they are quoting acompany owned by United Health. The Congressional Budget Ofice says these numbers are too high. United Health has used savy presentations on how to cut costs, and help Blue Dog and other Democrats articulate their positions, to gain influence in shaping the plan to their interests. United Health thus counts a lot with Matheson, and Mike Ross of Arkansas, who are prominent with the 52 Blue Dog Democrats. and with Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. And United Health put together an effective lobbbying group, even hiring the chief of staff of House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer. ...

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Luis Almagro, president of the Organization of American States, from the small South American nation of Uruguay, says he has decided to speak up on Latin American issues, for respecting the sentiments of the people and democratic process. This is a welcome trend and more Latin American voices need to be heard, for Latin Americans to make their own assessment of the needs of the people, the problems and how to tackle them. More dialogue is needed between the government and the opposition parties to come up with better approaches and throw light on problems. The effort of Mr. Chavez however well intentioned, following neglect of social spending and needs of neglected groups under previous administrations, has gone to the other extreme leading to isolation from the rest of the industrialized world's economies- something no country can afford to do today because of the pace of technological change, much less smaller oil or commodity dependent economies. Large petroleum subsidies need to be addressed in Venezuela, as Mr. Maduro now says, and opening of a dialogue with the opposition parties is one result of Mr. Almagro's efforts. At some point a transition is needed with support of all political parties to bring Venezuela back into the global economy. Inflation of 141%, and contraction of the economy by 10% hurts all Venezuelans. Not even faint traces of the Monroe doctrine that asserted U.S. dominance in South America exists today, and it is upto Latin Americans to tackle problems of corruption, misguided policies, lack of emphasis on innovation and education. The Washington Post's deputy editorial page editor Jackson Diehl, does a service to Latin America by calling attention to such voices for dialogue and problem solving....

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David Autor at MIT authored some of the first detailed studies about the severe disruption in U.S. communities from the trade with China following China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. The sheer size of the impact now appears to have been underestimated by economists and other experts. It was believed says Hilsenrath and Davis, that the U.S. having absorbed the impact of trade with Japan in the seventies and eighties, and with Mexico following NAFTA, could do the same with China. That turns out to be false. Much of 2016 election season has been spent seeing the rise of anti-trade movements led by Trump and Sanders, and reveals a deep discontent with job shifting overseas, and disruption of communities across America by trade patterns. What happened? In 2015 China's exports to the U.S. reached 2.7% of U.S. GDP. Hilsenrath and Davis say it was about 1% less with Japan and Mexico when their exports surged. The rapidity of the impact is another problem. It took 12 years following Japan's emergence as a major supplier, to reach the same level of impact that China had only 4 years after China's entry into the WTO in 2001. A similiar situation of 12 years happened with Mexico after NAFTA. Another problem is that Japan's exports impacted mostly steel and autos, China's exports impacted a whole range of industries. The speed with which China's planners sought to change and modernize their manufacturing  base is unprecedented in history, and has an impact not only on the U.S. as a recipient of low cost exports, but also on China as it struggles with bad debts and job losses today, that are a legacy of that too rapid move. This was part of the drive to urbanize China rapidly by shifting agricultural workers to factories in the cities, at a pace unprecedented in history. Another factor not mentioned is the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 that hurt U.S. manufacturing in the auto and other industries, and the wide impact this had in loss of jobs and decline in wages. By 2010 the tide of public opinion had shifted. The WSJ/NBC poll of September 2010, cited in detail in WSJ 10/2/2010 under "Americans Sour on Foreign Trade" shows over 80% consistently for all levels of income, over $75,000 and under $75,000, Republicans and Democrats, working class Americans or well educated Americans, saying that Americans were struggling and there was less hiring, because of how trade had impacted their communities. Lyrarc covered this in considerable detail since 2006. All political parties, business leaders, ignored the implications of this huge change, the media covered it but assumed it would take care of itself as trade with Japan had done previously, and it was left to Trump and Sanders as outsiders to call it like they saw it 5 years later.  Economic inequality has widened in China to the point of it becoming unrecognizable as a former socialist economy. Now both countries are faced with the job of picking up, chastened by the experience, and hoping to limit the political fallout to achieve economic recovery. The very open trading system that had generated prosperity since World War II was being put at risk by a lack of awareness that trade brings with it changes, winners and losers, and manufacturing jobs moving overseas on a scale and speed unprecedented in history, was something that no one could cope with. ...

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Economist Lawrence Lindsey says the Fed has boxed itself and has little choice but to keep interest rates low. Borrowing at the more normal interest rates of 5.7%- which is what it was over the last three decades- and not at the current 2.5%, would mean an increase in borrowing costs for the U.S. government of $800 billion in 2021, says Lindsay. Lindsay bases this on the U.S. debt growing from $14 trillion in 2011 to $25 trillion by 2021, and interest rates going back to normal levels by 2021. Just to put this in perspective Lindsay says it would require all the cuts Republicans and Rep. Ryan are asking for just to pay for the added interest, not even about reducing the size of the U.S. debt. This would be a disaster for the U.S. Treasury, so we're stuck with really low rates. The term used by economists is "financial repression." Savers and retirees will have to put up with low returns. Lowering unemployment is only one aspect of U.S. Fed policy, the other aspect is in the constraints Bernake faces....

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Concern about Whole Foods performance because of saturation in many major metropolitan areas such as Boston and San Francisco with the opening of many new stores- 27 in Boston area and 22 in San Francisco area by 2014. As Kroger and other supermarkets increase organic offerings price competition in this sector will increase.

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Wounded or maimed veterans get psychological closure by visiting the scenes where theywere injured. Here wounded veterans visit locations in Dyala province under Operation Proper Exit, eight wounded men- five amputees and one blinded soldier- places tey left while unconscious or in agony. This is the second such trip and the results in development, stopping night tremors for the wounded men, and psychological closure have been phenomenal. Rick Kell, head of of Troops First, who got General Ray Odierno to agree to the idea says wounded soldiers said they wanted to go back, and he kept hearing it repeatedly. Sgt. Luke Wilson, 29, from Hermiston, Oregon. He lost his left leg above the knee in agrenade attack in Baghdad in 2004. Kell arranged that they fly in Business Class for the 13 hour flight so they could lie down or take their legs off. When they walked off the helicopters they walked under their own power to be greeted by American officers and soldiers, clapped on their backs and welcomed as old friends. All in uniform and none of their injuries or prostheses visible except up close. Sgt. John Hyland, 38, from San Antonio, who lost his left leg and sufffered back injuries when an improvised explosive device hit his Humvee in 2007, and Specialist Craig Chavez, 29, from Temecula, California blinded by a2006 I.E.D. blast that destroyed his face- which was reconstructed- injuries which meant losing his left eye and most of the vision in his right. Specialist Chavez says it was apoint of special pride for him to walk around the base without any help. And Sgt. Hyland was amazed by the silence, the silence from no sounds of mortar shells going off and exploding L.E.D. devices. In the memorial hall Sgt. Hyland pauses at a picture of Specialist Jonathan Rivadeneira, 22, from Queens, who saved his life in an Humvee attack on Sept. 11, 2007, only three days later Rivadeneira was killed. Sgt. Hyland began crying quietly and lowered himself in pain onto his right knee and began to pray. Outside he was still shaken by the experience and the other wounded soldiers gathered around him till he recovered ....

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Zenedin Zidane returns to coach Real Madrid team but fails to make an impact, winning only half of the games played. His predecessor had a better record of 68% winning games. Team owner Perez and Zidane have differences on how the team should be rebuilt. Sergio Ramos has 2 years left on his contract but the club may not renew it. Zidane wanted Paul Pogba to join Real Madrid but Paris St. Germain is not cooperating.  Other players on the way out may be James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale. WIth so much uncertainty the close rapport between Zidane and the players is a thing of the past. That rapport helped Zidane lead Real Madrid to winning 3 Champions League titles. He took this job because Perez called and Zidane lives in Madrid. Jose Mourinho is reported to be the alternative to Zidane. His predecessor was in the job for 4 months before Zidane was brought in by Perez. More changes including Zidane, as his relationship with Perez is fraying, would leave Real Madrid in an even more unpredictable situation. ...

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Hanif describes the activist nature of Pakistan's judiciary. This is part of a tradition in Pakistan where the courts have played a role to check executive power in the form of military in the government or political parties in government affected by corruption in the system. Earlier in the last decade the courts acted as a check on the power of Gen. Musharraf. It is now acting as a check on the Sharif government, including a decision removing Sharif as head of the government and the ruling political party. This opinion reflects skepticism about this role. In Pakistan's system the way it has evolved the military, the party elected to government in free elections, and the judiciary, each act as a check on the other, particularly now that Pakistan has experienced for the first time a peaceful transition of power between opposition parties. This is also a  way combined with an an active media and new political parties such as the one formed by a former cricketer Imran Khan, to provide a sense of participation and empowerment for ordinary people. ...

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David Kirkpatrick, former Cairo bureau chief of the New York Times, gives an account of how the Obama  administration was split in its support of Egypt's beginnings in democracy. Chuck Hagel at Defense, and John Kerry at State Department, sent signals to the military that were different from that of some other members of the Obama administration. General Mattis at Central Command blamed president Morsi's failure on his " imperious leadership." General Flynn headed the Defense Intelligence Agency at the time of president Morsi's ouster by the military. Both Mattis and Flynn later joined the Trump administration with Mattis at Defense.  This report says president Obama accepted the military takeover. President Obama aroused hopes for democracy at Cairo University soon after he became president but he was not able to develop a coherent policy and support within his administration for what would be a difficult transition to democracy in countries that for decades have been ruled by the military. President Trump merely continued the policy followed during the last 2 years of the Obama administration.      ...

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After a weeks long standoff both sides disengage expeditiously in the India's border dispute with China over construction of a road in the Doklam plateau region of Bhutan. In this NYT report experts in Hong Kong point out that it is not in China's economic interest with an aging population and debt crisis, tense economic relations with the U.S., and for India struggling with modernization issues, to turn a remote border issue into an open conflict. It would also complicate relations in the Asian region with Japan and economic relations with the U.S, countries with whom China's economy is intertwined through supply chains and other ways. Disputes with China and South Korea have in the past affected the Chinese economy, and China has developed trade with India as its companies look for growing markets. India's Modi administration is focussed on the economy. In this context of broader relations the road construction in Doklam appears to be an aberration that is hard to explain except as a miscalculation and poor understanding of the best interests of the region and of the world.   ...

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The Ford Motor Company's effort to get president Trump to work on a compromise with California on fuel economy standards has failed. Leaving the industry split with Ford on one side and GM, Toyota on the other siding with president Trump on lower fuel economy standards than set by California and lower than the standards set by Mr. Obama. When Ford made a deal with California it got an antitrust inquiry, and led to the Trump administration speeding up its effort to strip California of its authority to set its own fuel economy standards. This WSJ report says the legal fight between Mr. Trump and California is likely to be long and drawn out with Ford and the auto companies caught in the middle. It also shows how the disagreement with the Trump White House can lead to unforeseen consequences and more uncertainty. Ford had originally expected that a deal with California which relaxed standards set by Mr. Obama but not similar to Mr. Trump's would show California would compromise. This is not how it has worked out. ...