World News Insights
1-3 Minute Gist
Search, personalize, or simply browse. Follow the world around you from gist and context to insights.
Who we are | Our Credo | Ways of using Lyrarc | FAQ | Send Feedback | First Letter From the Editor
Sign up. It's free and easy to use
Create an account
to personalize your feed of articles and topics.
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 Links
An Alternate View of U.S., and EU relations with Russia from Gates and German public opinion
01/05/2009
A look back at former Defense Secretary Gates views about Russia in the larger context of the postwar years and what it is today, including Georgia (and Crimea) and other issues. A similiar perspective fom the German side as seen by former chancellor Kohl, Merkel, Schroeder, and Ischinger, going back to the days of Wily Brandt. Brandt was Mayor of West Berlin in the period of enormous tensions between the Soviets and the Federal Republic during the sixties and later initiated the policy of constructive engagement.
Linked Articles
Pentagon Chief Sees Opportunities In Russia and the War on Terrorism
Washington Post 01/05/2009
Germany's Angela Merkel Treads Softly With Russia's Putin On UkraineWall Street Journal 04/08/2014
Sales slowing, inventories piling up of electronics goods, and the Capps and Muirs of Boise, Idaho.
12/31/2008
The dramatic shift to a savings oriented and thrifty lifestyle reminiscent of the thirties and forties in some ways, is seen in the new lifestyles and spending habits of the Capps and Muirs in Boise, Idaho. With its high tech factories Boise has held up well in previous recessions. If things are changing this much in a place like Boise then its aserious sign of changes in the whole country. This is leading to buidup of inventories of cars, electronics goods, and other goods in retail stores. It has a serious global aspect as products made in China are affected, and products made elsewhere that go into these products are affected, and the equipment manufacturers in Germany for these products made in China are also affected.
Linked Articles
BusinessWeek 12/31/2008
Hard-Hit Families Finally Start Saving, Aggravating Nation's Economic WoesWall Street Journal 01/06/2009
The reluctance of the German government to introduce a large stimulus spending plan.
12/15/2008
The reluctance of the German chancellor and her Finance Minister to match the large stimulus spending of France and Britain.
Linked Articles
New York Times 12/15/2008
German Talks Address Long-Term StimulusWall Street Journal 12/15/2008
A rescue plan would involve dbtholders, unions, and management all taking a haircut.
11/21/2008
How the automakers failed to convince Congress and end up in a three way battle in Congress between the Democrats, Republicans and the midwestern Congressmen with things like automakers private jets drawing scrutiny over how this industry was diffeerent in the way it did things including the higher medical benefits of union workers that burdened the companies.
Linked Articles
Detroit’s Bid for Aid Fails For Now
New York Times 11/21/2008
Terms of a Rescue PlanBusinessWeek 12/11/2008
UAW opposes any consolidation or merger as it would mean loss of may more jobs.
10/14/2008
From UAW President Gettelfinger's view consolidation would only mean loss of even more jobs to a devastated Detroit. A better source of cash for GM would be more loans from the federal government as democratic candidate Obama has suggested a $50 billion loan package. At that point a Chrysler consolidation if it were to occur could be done through a rationall consolidation or merger as opposed to the large closures that the present situation might require.
Linked Articles
UAW chief opposes GM-Chrysler merger
Detroit News 10/14/2008
Howes: One of Big 3 may not surviveDetroit News 10/14/2008
The poverty rate and wealth gap between rich and poor in New York city and in China and the rest of the world.
08/27/2008
How the New York City experience compares with China's.
Linked Articles
Poverty Rate Declines in New York
New York Times 08/27/2008
World Bank Finds More People Live in Steep PovertyNew York Times 08/27/2008
Drug cartels emerging in Afghaistan.
07/27/2008
The UN OFfice of Drugs and Crime ses the growth of drug cartels in Afghaistan as 10,000 tons of drugs from the opium crop have been stockpiled inside Afghistan and are controlled by narco-gangs. This is estimated as 2 years of world demand. This as efforts to curb opium growing have reduced the land devoted to the crop by 22% and reduced the crop by 10%.
Linked Articles
U.N. Sees Afghan Drug Cartels Emerging
New York Times 09/02/2009
Is Afghanistan a Narco-State?New York Times 07/27/2008
GM to tap debt markets for only $3 billion depending on $10 billion of cost cutting .
07/16/2008
GM will cut spending in many areas like ad spending and marketing so as to have less dependence on loans secured against its international operation.
Linked Articles
GM Plans Debt Offering To Accompany Cost Cutting
Wall Street Journal 07/16/2008
GM Plans $10 Billion In Cuts to Bolster CashWall Street Journal 07/16/2008
Leveraging of banks U.S. banks in 2012 under the U.S. Federal Reserve stress tests of March 2012 and the leveraging at the time of Lehman's collapse in 2008
07/16/2008
The high rate of leveraging of banks today compared to 2008, suggests that the U.S. Federal Reserve may have prematurely declared the banks safe, say experts.
Linked Articles
Stressing the Bank 'Stress Tests'
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2012
How Bad Will It Get on Wall Street?BusinessWeek 07/16/2008
China makes a major shift to higher value added and technology products.
06/30/2008
The cheap products made at high costs to labor, the environment are out and the remaining textile products and similar product companies will have to be more sophisticated and make more value added products. Chinese government policy will discourage the older polluting factories in the south and encourage high tech leadership products for world markets.
Linked Articles
China’s Ambition Soars to High-Tech Industry
New York Times 08/01/2008
China's Export Machine Threatened by Rising CostsWall Street Journal 06/30/2008
Imbalances in the global economy that will take time to correct- the situation in the U.S., Europe and emerging markets in 2012-2013
05/05/2008
The perception that "this time is different" is a typical behavioural reaction in history to to financial crises studied by Rogoff and Reinhart. Economic weakness is part of the mechanism for correcting global imbalances which happens over a number of years.
Linked Articles
Economy May Face Prolonged Pain, History Suggests
Wall Street Journal 05/05/2008
Boom, Bust. Repeat.Wall Street Journal 10/09/2009
Lower incomes in manufacturing and and a general lowering of expectations in U.S. midwestern states like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin (1)
04/20/2008
Improving unemployment figures in Ohio in 2012 with 7.2% unemployment has come with lower incomes in manufacturing and a lowering of expectations about the future.
Linked Articles
Ohio economy improving, but residents can’t feel it - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/08/2012
The Wage That Meant Middle ClassNew York Times 04/20/2008
How parttime workers are shaping the unemployment picture in the US.
03/08/2008
Just as happened in Japan and continues to this day parttime workers are shaping the USA unemployment picture as employers increasingly resort to parttime workers to cut costs. With underutilized workers the USA unemployment rate reached 12% in October 2008.
Linked Articles
Labor Data Show Pain Across Economy
Wall Street Journal 11/08/2008
More People Pushed Into Part-Time Work ForceWall Street Journal 03/08/2008
Money managers Grantham, Rodriguez and Scheiff fears about the economy and IMF Chief Economist Rajan's concern.
01/02/2009
Raghuram Rajan of the University of Chicago, told the 2005 annual Jackson Hole gathering of central bankers economists and finance professionals, that he thought the world had become much riskier with the changes in financial markets in the 18 year Greenspan tenure. He was received rather coldly by others, including former Treasury Secretary Summers. Concerns expressed by Grantham, Rodriguez and Scheiff about these and other problems became louder by the time of the Rajan paper at Jackson Hole.
Linked Articles
Mr. Rajan Was Unpopular (But Prescient) at Greenspan Party
Wall Street Journal 01/02/2009
The Doomsayers Who Got It RightWall Street Journal 01/02/2009
The Obama Stimulus: Looking for ways to get the most punch for the middle class and unemployment.
12/24/2008
Avoiding wasteful spending, including tax cuts, evaluating projects carefully are ways the Obama stimulus is trying to calibrate the plan for ways to help the middle class an unemployment without risks of overborrowing and overspending in wasteful ways.
Linked Articles
Government Spending Is No Free Lunch
Wall Street Journal 01/22/2009
For Stimulus Plan, Obama Team Weighing 'Green' Jobs vs. Traditional ProjectsWashington Post 12/24/2008
New heights in fund raising - president Obama in 2008 and the Koch Brothers plans for 2016
12/06/2008
U.S. congresswoman Sheila Bair once said it was the task of fund raising that deterred her and others like her from pursuing careers of national service at higher levels. Obama outspent McCain and Romney by wide margins in 2008 and 2012, right wing groups such as the Koch brothers are organizing similiar efforts of their own for 2016 so as not to be outspent by their opponents.
Linked Articles
Final Fundraising Tally for Obama Exceeded $750 Million
Washington Post 12/06/2008
Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ SpendingNew York Times 01/26/2015
Gas tax that would be used for public transportation and bringing US policy in line with Europe on gas prices.
11/16/2008
How lower gas prices would not lead to a backshifting from necessary energy conservation and fuel efficency goals that are beneficial to the USA economy and to the global economy.
Linked Articles
How High Gas Prices Can Save the Car Industry
New York Times 11/16/2008
Clout Has Plunged for Automakers and Union, TooNew York Times 11/18/2008
Gordon Brown enjoys a moment of satisfaction as his plans are followed around the world.
10/14/2008
Gordon Brown sees the ups and downs with equanimity but he must have the satisfaction that this crisis for Europe and the world has brought out the best in him.
Linked Articles
British Prime Minister’s Stock Rises as His Bank Plan Lifts Stocks Worldwide
New York Times 10/15/2008
U.K. Chiefs Repair Image With BailoutWall Street Journal 10/14/2008
Did Putin overreact in Georgia 2008 and Ukraine 2014? Russia and the dangers to the Russian economy of not maintaining good relations with the West
08/13/2008
Russia tones down its overreaction as 66% of Russians polled in June say Russian forces should not enter Ukrainian terrritory. Putin and Russians in the administration policy making may have underestimated the reaction in the U.S. as reflected in this WSH editorial saying Americans should remember the words of Gen. Lucius Clay during the Berlin Blockade and the subsequent airlift. This could be why analysts in Russia now maintain that good relations with the West must be maintained, and entry of Russian forces into Ukraine would have disastrous consequences for Russia in terms of western sentiment and foreign investor sentiment. In such a situation Germany would be likely to support the stronger U.S. position seeing this in terms of the language used in theBerlin Airlift of 1948. For Germany and Russia this would be reversing the hard won gains of building relations from the time of Brandtand Kohl till today, fifty years of effort to build better relations and economic relationships- just too much for sober heads in Moscow Paris, and Berlin to accept, and closing another chapter in Russia's interactions with the West.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 08/13/2008
Seeing Cost of Saber Rattling in Ukraine, Putin Alters CourseNew York Times 07/11/2014
The presidential candidates Obama and McCain, agents of change or agents of lobbyists?
07/23/2008
Fannie and Freddie takeover and the reporting of high level ties with lobbyists of both candidates shows the agents of change argument like the free markets argument "as only a thin veneer" as one expert puts it. In this case though the lobbyists who are in other roles as close advisors to the two candidates and the candidates themselves may not realize that politics as usual here had huge implications. Without the hard work of Secretary Paulson and Bernanke the collapse of Fannie and Freddie could have endangered the American economy, not an overstatement, and could also have serious ripple effects all over the world economy.
Linked Articles
For ’08 Rivals, a Skein of Ties to Loan Giants
New York Times 09/10/2008
The Fannie Mae GangWall Street Journal 07/23/2008
How good were the U.S. Federal Reserve's stress tests of 2012?
07/16/2008
Reilly questions the leveraging aspect of the Fed's 2002 stress test results as they leave U.S. banks leveraging at between 20-30 times capital, the situation that prevailed before the crisis. Experts including Anil Kashyap at the University of Chicago pointed out how the process of deleveraging works in reverse before the collapse of Lehman in 2008- for every $1 of bank losses the deleveraging cycle reduces bank lending by $20- $30.
Linked Articles
Stressing the Bank 'Stress Tests'
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2012
How Bad Will It Get on Wall Street?BusinessWeek 07/16/2008
Appreciation of the yuan would accelerate a shift in Chinese industry out of low cost low margin goods.
06/30/2008
Chinese policymakers are moving industry to higher value added goods with innovation and better technology and less price sensitive goods.
Linked Articles
China's Export Machine Threatened by Rising Costs
Wall Street Journal 06/30/2008
Yuan's Path Seems Up -- EventuallyWall Street Journal 06/30/2008
Europeans protest of fuel taxes.
05/28/2008
Europeans protes fuel taxes but public opinion especially in Germany favorsreducing fuel consumption. It requires agreement by 27 EU member states to reduce fuel taxes so this is unlikely to happen.
Linked Articles
Europeans Protest Fuel Taxes But Accept High Prices
Wall Street Journal 05/28/2008
Irate Europeans Protest the Soaring Price of GasolineNew York Times 05/30/2008
The U.S. with 5% of the world's population and 25% of the prison population in the world- the failure of the prison system in rehabilitation of light offenders
04/23/2008
Linked Articles
Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations’
New York Times 04/23/2008
End Mass Incarceration NowNew York Times 05/24/2014
Debt gorged Britain and the U.S.
03/22/2008
British debt is even worse than the American debt with household debt to income ratio at 1.62 in Britain compared to 1.42 in the USA. Continental cousins in Germany have a ratio of 1.09.
Linked Articles
Debt-Gorged British Start to Worry That the Party Is Ending
New York Times 03/22/2008
Frugality Forged in Today's Recession Has Potential to Outlast ItWall Street Journal 04/06/2009
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
Terms and Conditions | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Contact Us