World News Insights
1-3 Minute Gist

Browse Articles or use Lyrarc's US patented "Groups" and "Links" for new insights. A Lyrarc Group of Articles on a topic gives insights into particular angles shown in the Group Title. A Lyrarc Link shows more specific insights for 2 articles.

All Topics Articles

LyrArc brings in selected articles from many of the world's top publications.

Articles are selected by experts and you can see the gist of the important articles.

The Banker at the Center of the Storm

4 Groups   
BusinessWeek - 04.22.2010 Original article ›
Yalman Onaran, Yalman, Onaran, Gavin Finch, Gavin, Finch
LyrArc Article Gist
Fabrice Tourre joined Goldman Sachs in 2001 right out of Stanford University. He worked in the mortgage securitization trading operation. Emails written by him are helping the SEC investigate whether Goldman knew but did not share with investors the way in which hedge fund John Paulson & Co. helped select the underlying mortgage backed assets he was going to bet against. One former SEC lawyer says, the SEC may be hoping that Fabrice Tourre, the 27 year old Frenchman who joined Goldman right out of Stanford University, would be easier to put pressure on to reveal what he knows and other fradulent transactions.
Read LyrArc gist ›
Original article 1 minute, gist 1 minute

GM Seeks Partners for Car Loans

4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 06.24.2010 Original article ›
Sharon Terlep, Sharon, Terlep
LyrArc Article Gist
GM is looking for ways to be able to provide more loans to buyers. Its working with lenders and financial institutions to be able to offer more loans to increase sales. GM continues to work with the old GMAC, now called Ally Financial Inc, but it is looking for new partners to expand financing to car buyers. It has studied the options of regaining control of GMAC's auto lending business or starting its own finance company. For now it is looking at working with other lenders to reach buyers who are at the lower end of the income and credit scale.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Days of Reflection for the Man Who Defined Singapore

2 Groups   
New York Times - 09.10.2010 Original article ›
Seth Mydans, Seth, Mydans
LyrArc Article Gist
Lee Kwan Yew reflects on life in his 87th year with his wife, 89 years, mute and bedridden. He keeps active with a regimen of cycling, swimming and massage and keeps up his schedule of meetings and work as he understands not doing this wold be to go downhill quickly. And also laughs at the futility of it all, as each year he has less energy than the last. His wife Kwa, has been a constant companion since their days as law students in London. He misses the comfort other people find in religion and prayer.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Handling Co-Workers

  
Wall Street Journal - 03.03.2012 Original article ›
Dennis Nishi, Dennis, Nishi
LyrArc Article Gist
Ways to handle difficult co-workers. Try to understand the problem- which could come from many factors ranging from ignorance, overestimation of one's capabilities, aggressive behaviour. Solutions include being firm in response to aggressive behaviour, handling some of the difficult tasks even if this means more work which should be covered in the next performance review. Handling it one-on-one to come up with a solution is much better than politicizing the situation- which happens by bringing in the human resources department- especially as it could affect the relationships with other co-workers and bring down the morale of the department.
Read LyrArc gist ›

AMD, Globalfoundries Restructure Relationship

7 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.05.2012 Original article ›
Don Clark, Don, Clark
LyrArc Article Gist
Global Foundries was created in 2009 when AMD spunoff its manufacturing operations, including its chip making operation in Dresden, Germany. It is now owned by Abu Dhabi based Advanced Technology Investment Company, after AMD gave up its 8.8% stake in the company and paid $425 million to Global Foundries to be able to source from other companies. The agreement waives a requirement that AMD source wafers based on the new production processes and technology from Global Foundries and allows negotiation of prices. Global Foundries had difficulties in making circuitry that measures 32 nanometres on silicon wafers.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Islamist Group Breaks Pledge to Stay Out of Race in Egypt

1 Links 5 Groups   
New York Times - 03.31.2012 Original article ›
David D. Kirkpatrick, David, D., Kirkpatrick
LyrArc Article Gist
Khairat el-Shatar, financial leader of the Muslim Brotherhood was nominated as the party's candidate for president in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood controls the newly elected parliament and the body that is writing the new constitution. It is in a struggle with the military about limiting the military's role under the new constitution. The Brotherhood sees the election of its candidate as president as important to not diluting its influence in relation to the military and other parties. Khairat has committed to following a moderate course in setting Egypt on a new path, with a focus on reviving the economy.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ Spending

1 Links 3 Groups   
New York Times - 01.26.2015 Original article ›
Nicholas Confessore, Nicholas, Confessore
LyrArc Article Gist
Following the record fundraising by U.S. president Obama in the 2012 presidential election, outspending Romney at a critical point in the campaigning in Ohio, Republicans and right wing groups are making their own effort to raise fundraising levels. The spending goals set by David and Charles Koch at the winter retreat in Palm Springs is $889 million to be raised from Koch and 300 other donors. Hillary Clinton's Super PAC plans to raise $300 million. The Republican total spending in the 2012 presidential election was $657 million. Koch's 2012 organized donor effort spent $400 million for the 2012 elections.
Read LyrArc gist ›

The Meaning of Their Service

2 Links 1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 04.18.2015 Original article ›
James N. Mattis, James, N., Mattis
LyrArc Article Gist
Retired General James Mattis tells officers at the Marines' Club in San Francisco to remember the words of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, a former infantry officer in the Civil War: "As life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived." He points to the need to integrate into civilian life without cynicism, exceeding expectations in civilian and business life like service men and women before them, and remembering to have an impact on other people's lives.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Fed Sticks to Script on Paring Bond Buys

  
Wall Street Journal - 01.30.2014 Original article ›
Jan Hilsenrath, Jan, Hilsenrath, Victoria Mcgrane, Victoria, Mcgrane
LyrArc Article Gist
The U.S. Fed FOMC's decision to continue paring bond purchases by $10 billion monthly. Fed chairman Bernanke said in 2011 responding to criticism from other countries -"it is upto emerging markets to find the appropriate tools to balance their own growth." The Fed Open Market Committee voted 10-0 to continue tapering bond purchases, by reducing it to $65 billion a month from $75 billion a month. The Fed is forecasting growth for 2014 of 3% in 2014 and over 3% in 2015 can be made without sparking inflation. 2013 growth estimated by the Commerce Dept is 2.7%.
Read LyrArc gist ›

From Cheap to Cool, Revamped Car Is Aimed at India's Young Buyers

7 Groups   
New York Times - 05.23.2014 Original article ›
Sugita Katyal, Sugita, Katyal
LyrArc Article Gist
Competing models from Suzuki and other manufacturers have better acceleration for highways and are more durable than the Tata Nano or its successor the Tata Twist. The Tata Twist is pricd at $400,twice the price of the Nano, and has features such aspower steering. The small engine with power closer to that of a motorcycle is a serious handicap for the Nano concept, as buyers are looking for more power on Indian highways. The Tata Nano sold as low as 5000 cars in Nov. 2013, with the 250,000 capacity of the Nano plant in Gujarat remaining unutilized.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Japan Cushioned From China Slowdown

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 07.15.2013 Original article ›
George Nishiyama, George, Nishiyama
LyrArc Article Gist
Japan is not seriously affected by the slowdown in growth in China. Sales in China of Toyota, Uniqlo, and other companies are increasing. Japan's exports to China increased by 8.3% in May 2013 over the prior year. Toyota expects China sales to grow by 7% in 2013, compared to a decline of 4.9% in 2012. There is high demand for SUV's. Nissan and Honda expect sales increases in 2013 of 6% and 25%. Komatsu sales are recovering because of infrastructure projects in rural areas of China. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda says the bank will monitor China closely, particularly the shadow banking system.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Former Greek Defense Minister Convicted of Graft

3 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 10.07.2013 Original article ›
Nektaria Stamouli, Nektaria, Stamouli, Alkman Granitsas, Alkman, Granitsas
LyrArc Article Gist
Akis Tsochatzopoulos, 74, a former defense minister from the socialist Pasok Party, is given a 20 year sentence for taking 55 million euros in bribes from a number of arms deals. He was defense minister from 1996 to 2001, and the charges relate arms purchases in that period of Russian TOR-M1 short range missiles and German submarines. He is already serving a eight year sentence for other offenses. Submarine deals with Germany at what were thought to be inflated prices were a topic of discussion as the Greek crisis and unemployment worsened in 2010-2012.
Read LyrArc gist ›

At Sears, Those Big Losses Get in the Way

7 Groups   
New York Times - 11.02.2013 Original article ›
Gretchen Morgenson, Gretchen, Morgenson
LyrArc Article Gist
Sears Holdings spent $1.46 per square foot in 2012 on its stores compared to an average of $9.45 per square foot for Target, Penneys, Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot, according to this report. Lampert counters this by saying his fund made investments in technology and online retail. Yet Sears stock is up 41% for the year by Oct 2013 largely on the basis that Sears Holdings is worth much more for its parts. Land's End is being put up for sale as well as other pieces of Sears Holdings by Ed Lampert's Hedge Fund ESL Investments.
Read LyrArc gist ›

China's Environment Remains Very Grave, Officials Say

1 Links 6 Groups   
New York Times - 06.03.2011 Original article ›
Ian Johnson, Ian, Johnson
LyrArc Article Gist
Efforts by China's Environment Ministry to control environmental damage after three decades of growth. The ability to control local officials who put growth above any environmental considerations is a key part of the struggle to minimize the damage to China's environment. Local officials are now evaluated by how well they do on environmental protection goals in addition to other goals. Promotions can be blocked by the environment ministry for officials who do poorly on environmental compliance. Vice minister Li Ganjie says the shift of dirty industries from cities to rural areas is leaving the countryside more polluted.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Card Giants to Pay $6 Billion

7 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 07.14.2012 Original article ›
Robin Sidel, Robin, Sidel, Andrew R. Johnson, Andrew, R., Johnson
LyrArc Article Gist
Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and some large banks agreed to a $6 billion settlement for a lawsuit that alleges price fixing. It provides an additional $1.2 billion fee relief for retailers. Visa will pay 67% of the settlement, MasterCard 12%, and the large banks 21%. Merchants pay about $25 billion each year to card issuing banks in interchange fees charged for each credit card transaction. Large retailers filed the lawsuits in 2005, including Kroger, Safeway, Walgreen. Other merchants including doctors and small business owners joined the lawsuits, which were later combined in the U.S. District Court of Brooklyn.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Deterrence in the Age of Nuclear Proliferation

2 Links 1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.07.2011 Original article ›
George P. Shultz, George, P., Shultz, William J. Perry, William, J., Perry, Henry A. Kissinger And Sam Nunn, Henry, A., Kissinger, And, Sam, Nunn
LyrArc Article Gist
Shultz, Perry,Kissinger and Nunn, bring their long years of experience in defense and international affairs to the issue of updating America's policy of nuclear deterrence based on mutually assured destruction. Since the end of the Cold War conditions have changed and the threat of nuclear destruction has taken new forms. Efforts to reduce the threat of nuclear war, nuclear weapons proliferation, and other dangers stemming from nuclear weapons development, also need to change to reflect the changing times. They outline proposals for these changes based on meetings on these issues at the Hoover Institution in California.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Joblessness Hits 9.5%, Deflating Recovery Hopes

1 Groups   
New York Times - 07.03.2009 Original article ›
Peter S. Goodman, Peter, S., Goodman
LyrArc Article Gist
Unemployment hits 9.5% in June, with a loss of 467,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department. The labor underemployment rate which shows not only the unemployed but also those working part time because their hours are cut or they cannot find afulltime job is up to 16.5%. The average length of official unemployment increased to 24.5 weeks, the largest its reached since 1948. Economists say that as other sources of spending power have been lost, employment remains a very significant source of spending power. And employed consumers are also watching their spending as unemployment goes up, and a new frugality sets in.
Read LyrArc gist ›

National Security Adviser Tries Quieter Approach

  
New York Times - 05.07.2009 Original article ›
Helene Cooper, Helene, Cooper
LyrArc Article Gist
A more thoughtful, getting things done behind the scenes, and smoothing things out on issues with other countries for the President as needed, and delegating to his staff and others, is the team approach adopted by Jones who is National Security Advisor. And it is a deliberative role that suits Mr Obama. Its different fromt he high profile Advisors of the past , but things are too complex today to be handled in that manner, and the President's style and the challenges he faces require this team approach and multitalented team of Holbrooke, Clinton, Jones, Gates and others.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Many Sources Feed Taliban’s War Chest

1 Groups   
New York Times - 10.19.2009 Original article ›
Eric Schmitt, Eric, Schmitt
LyrArc Article Gist
About $106 million comes to the Taliban from individuals in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and oter Arab countries. A Taliban fighter receives $200 a month and the cost of financing the war for the Taliban is somethig it can do indefinitely from local souces, as it is not costing much. Opium is one source but even if this is cutoff the Taliban can continue fighting indefinitely using other sources, according to experts. The drug trad provides in the range of $70 million to $400 million ayear. And efforts to cut the flow of financing have not been successful.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Maybe a New Day for Doctors’ Pay

2 Groups   
New York Times - 11.08.2009 Original article ›
Robert H. Frank, Robert, H., Frank
LyrArc Article Gist
Atul Gawande in the New Yorker shows how doctors in McAllen, Texas prescribe half the tests that doctors in other comunities in Texas do. Frank cites the effectiveness of the salaried model used by the Mayo Clinic. This battle has been postponed for another day the current halth care reform bill. But crucially the failure to tackle this program and have the country shoulder another deficit burden for healthcare leaves the country with a serious liability of overspending, with guns and butter if the Afghnistan war adds up another big bill to the Iraq war bill.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Citigroup Is Keeping a Japan Unit, Nikko Cordial

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.15.2009 Original article ›
Alison Tudor, Alison, Tudor
LyrArc Article Gist
Citigroup will keep Nikko Cordial, Japan's third largest brokerage firm, for which it paid 1.6 trillion yen or $17.95 billion in 2008 before the global financial crisis. The hope is that it will be worth a lot more in future years as Japanese households with $15 trillion in assets mostly in cash buy more financial products from Nikko. Today only 10% of Japanese assets are invested in stocks and other similiar financial assets, compared to 30% in the USA. Citigroup is also keeping the retail banking business of Grupo Financiero Banamex in Mexico as part of its overseas expansion strategy.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Thain Resigns From BofA

7 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.22.2009 Original article ›
Dan Fitzpatrick, Dan, Fitzpatrick
LyrArc Article Gist
Bank of America CEO loses confidence in Thain after a brief meeting on January 22, 2009, in which Thain was asked about mounting losses at Merrill, which Lewis had learned of from other Merrill executives and not from Thain. Lewis says he could not get agood explanation of what was happening or why. Thain was head of Merrill when Bank of America made the $50 billion acquisition of Merrill on Sept 15, the same week that Lehman Brothers collapsed. Merrill was in a perilous situation with the government intervening to arrange the acquisition on short notice.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Economy Dives as Goods Pile Up

3 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.31.2009 Original article ›
Kelly Evans, Kelly, Evans
LyrArc Article Gist
GDP of the USA contracted by 3.8% in the 4th quarter of 2008. Excluding the inventory adjustment which is the inventory of products made but sitting on inventory shelfs, the GDP contracted by 5.1%. In the last week of January 2009 there were 70,000 layoffs in the U.S. in all sectors from trucks to technology. 2009 is going to get a lot worse which does not bode well for Detroit automakers and other industries, and for economies overseas like China and South Korea which are heavily dependent on exports, and in turn for Germany which is dependent on the Chinese market.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Wall Street’s Brain Drain Defense

1 Groups   
New York Times - 02.22.2009 Original article ›
David Gillen, David, Gillen
LyrArc Article Gist
In response to the claim that pay caps will mean losing talent, some experts from the banking industry and some veterans say that in addition to there not being many alternative jobs, and the need to lower their sights like everyone else for bankers, it will result in losing those who are in banking for the money and keeping those who love the work. The other thing veterans in the banking industry pont out is that if the industry loses some of the older people there will be younger people who will be eager to take on the responsibilities.
Read LyrArc gist ›

U.K. and Germany Call for Tougher Regulation of Banks

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.19.2009 Original article ›
Alistair Macdonald, Alistair, Macdonald, Marcus Walker, Marcus, Walker
LyrArc Article Gist
The new regulations that Britain's FSA and Germany wish to see implemented. FSA would like to see hedge funds regulated, regulation of credit defalt swaps and other financial instruments not currently regulated, a larger set aside of capital to cushion losses in a downturn, and an active regulator who would probe into the books and capability of staffs at financial institutions. Germany also wants to strengthen the authority of its regulator, and wants to see a bigger set aside amount for losses in a downturn in a countercyclical manner. Britiain's FSA also wants to regulate the local branches of foreign financial insttitutions.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Support LyrArc

We took a different way to help millions around the world build educated informed mindsets that affects and shapes their lives. For a future that is open, global and digital, with everyone having access to high quality information. We believe in the renewal of America, renewal of Europe, the renewal of India, the rest of Asia, Latin America and Africa. The renewal of our supply chains, health, education, infrastructure, as we rebuild our countries after the pandemic. Literacy and knowledge we believe cannot thrive and grow in a world of web bots, web crawlers, or AI. This requires human curiosity, human learning, and human imagination. We take as inspiration the saying- “One has to be free, and as broad as sky. One has to have a mind that is crystal clear, only then can truth shine in it.” Every contribution whether big or small is precious- in this crisis and ahead.

Support Lyrarc from as small as $1




Support LyrArc →


Copyright © 2006 - 2026 Intelilinks LLC
Terms and Conditions | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Contact Us