LyrArc Article Gist
Google has come out firmly on the side of parents struggling to deal with schooling at home for children, with social distancing during the pandemic, as it supports working from home all the way till summer of 2021. For 200,000 full time and contract Google employees is sure to offer some relief.  Sundar Pichai the Alphabet CEO made the decision after a debate in Google Leads a small group of executives at the company.  Mr. Pichai told staff " I hope this will offer the flexibility you need to balance work with taking care of yourselves and your loved ones over the next 12 months."  He was especially concerned about parents trying to tackle schooling of children. The surge of the pandemic in California where Google is located is likely to have convinced Google executives that this was the right step, with no vaccine in sight, and the possibility of a second wave after this one. Remote work has also proved to be effective in the software industry, creating this option. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Madrid bound high speed train derails causing collision with another train on an adjoining track, Jan 2026. Trains were only 4 years old.

LyrArc Article Gist
US sets up diplomatic ties to Venezuela March 6 2026. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visits Caracas and is shown here with Delcy Rodriguez.

LyrArc Article Gist
Europe behind the scenes support with its bases in Iran War, March 2026. French, British, Portuguese, and Greek bases used by American aircraft.

LyrArc Article Gist
TSA checks to go out March 30 as House Bill passes 213 to 203 funding entire DHS Department including TSA- March 28 2026.

LyrArc Article Gist
Team Italy beat the US in World Baseball Classic with the US fielding its best players March 2026. How did they do it?

LyrArc Article Gist
Iran War talks in Islamabad on Day 12 of US Naval Blockade of Iran April 25, 2026. Kushner and Witkoff go to Islamabad.

LyrArc Article Gist
Iranian public reaction to the air strikes Feb 28 2026 and death of Khamanei- within Iran disconnect with the government policies and economic hardship. Outside Iran a similar situation with open expression unfolds. Iranian diaspora pubic reaction to US strikes on Iran and death of Khamanei March 1 2026 following protests in Iran in February, is covered in the Washington Post. There are about 1 million Iranian refugees in US and Germany alone and another 1 million in Arab countries Kuwait, UAE and Turkey. And half a million in Sweden and Canada, 250,000 in Israel. 

LyrArc Article Gist
Bayern Munich in Champions League semi-finals 2026. Bayern's Neuer in semifinals against Real 2026 helps Guler get the first goal in first 4 minutes.

LyrArc Article Gist
Germany avoided a recession with growth rate of 1.9% in 2022. Imports were higher with higher energy prices and the trade surplus fell from 175 billion euros to 79 billion euros. Trade surplus declined for 5th year in a row. Rising inflation dropped in November and December. Economy Minister Habeck (the Green party) has made a great effort to tackle the energy shortages in a way that Germany can avoid a recession.

LyrArc Article Gist
"The privilege of United States citizenship is a priceless and profound gift." The 14th Amendment was a repudiation of infamous Dred Scott decision and stood up for rights of black people, at no time was it intended to bring mothers from Asia or Africa to the US to get automatic citizenship for a child. 255,000 mothers a year with no connections to the US arrive here for automatic bithright citizenship- US Supreme Court rules "no" June 27 2025, and objects to mothers filing the lawsuits for their children when the mother has no legal status. Justice Coney Barrett in a 6-3 decision says the district courts cannot make laws over the decisions of the executive branch for the whole country as they have tried to do till now. This means birthright citizenship executive branch decision cannot be overruled across the nation. Most of the lawsuits are filed in states favorable to this or that approach.  In a few months the Supreme Court will address the automatic birthright citizenship issue at its core. Can a mother come to the US just to get her child US citizenship coming on a visitor visa. Much of the nation sees this as belittling the value of US citizenship.  ...

LyrArc Article Gist
India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal sets out the new Foreign Trade Policy. It moves away from giving incentives to exporters to remission of taxes and lower costs for smaller medium sized enterprises. The new export target is for goods and services exports to reach 2 trillion dollars by 2030 from $760 billion in 2023. The new policy will go into effect in April 2023. India's exports have grown 75% from $435 billion in 2015 to $760  billion in 2023. Under the new policy Indian exporters can source goods in one country and send them to a third country without touching Indian shores. Wider engagement will take place with States and Districts to promote exports at grassroots level. DGFT, Director General of Foreign Trade offices of DGFT will interact with district collectors to push exports. India's Commerce Ministry will also conduct a massive global outreach sectorally and country wise in tandem with the External Affiars Ministry  over the next 4-5 months. E commerce hubs will be established to generate $200-$400 billion in e-commerce exports. India's share of world trade is very low and needs to be pushed up to 7-10% says Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
UK photo of lying in the grass- Prince William Catherine and three children during Easter 2026, lying in the grass on a sunny day.

LyrArc Article Gist
How AI is costing America a lot in 2025-2026. $400 billion in investment in 2025 alone that is diverted from essential infrastructure repair and renovation in the US and for investing in making pharmaceuticals in the US, housing, and education, childcare, investing in the future in renewable energy.

LyrArc Article Gist
Good social ties and connections are important for healthy living. This is the theme of most of the books on aging well.

LyrArc Article Gist
Dependence on China increased during the Merkel years to extreme levels. A EU survey shown in this DW.com report shows that of 137 products and services deemed critical, including fields such as renewable energy and health, almost 50% are supplied by China and only 3% by Russia. German foreign takeover laws and acquisition laws are being upgraded only now after years of China's investment in German technology and critical infrastructure  companies. The Merkel administration took a lax approach to protecting German technology and critical infrastructure. A similar situation existed with the Obama administration in the US. New regulations give the German government a veto in all critical mergers and acquisitions. This DW.com report says that today Germany's protected sectors include energy and telecommunications, medical technology, artificial intelligence. The problems  with the previous approach in the Merkel years that showed a complete disregard for protecting vital technologies was that the Economy Ministry in 2016 was not able to stop the full takeover of the flagship German robotics company KuKa by a Chinese manufacturer of dishwashers and refrigerators Midea. In 2018 a Chinese state electric utility company SGCC sought to get a 20% stake in 50Hertz a German electric grid operator which was turned back. Only now with the entry of the Greens under Habeck and Baerbock in government has Germany adopted a clear policy of effective action to protect German technology and critical infrastructure companies. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
The pandemic, the economic management, and the surge in the US dollar is worsening the debt situation of countries in Africa. This DW.com report looks at Ghana and Zambia. The Ghana currency Cedi has lost 50% of its value in 2022. With every increase in the value of the US dollar in countries in Africa imports become costlier and business activity suffers. The result as shown in this report is the closing of many shops and parts of the market in Ghana's capital city Accra. Ghana and Zambia have raced to get IMF support as their debt condition deteriorates. Ghana began negotiations with the IMF at the end of September for a $3 billion bailout. The IMF approved $1.3 billion of the $8.4 billion that Zambia needs to restore its economy.

LyrArc Article Gist
Real Madrid in Champions League 2026 with loss to Bayern in semi-finals. Real Madrid had coach  Alonso last for 7 months, next Arbeola 5 months in 2026 season.

LyrArc Article Gist
Lower gas prices lower inflation in the US to 2.4%. Unemployment with boost in healthcare sector and 130,000 jobs in January 2026 is at 4.3%.

LyrArc Article Gist
US weights options in Iran War on March 23 2026 after 23 days at war, key being opening up Straits of Hormuz to international shipping.

LyrArc Article Gist
US and DJT policy to deport illegal migrants after the first year in March 2026- a reassessment on how far to go with mass deportation.

LyrArc Article Gist
Hundreds of thousands of American children are missing after the pandemic. Many are not accounted even when increase in home schooling and private schooling is considered. The Associated Press, Stanford University Big Local News Project and Prof. Dee of Stanford show in their study that 240,000 students in 21 states absence from school could not be explained. In 2023 missing students have become more of a budgeting problem to secure federal and state funds. The actual number of missing students is much higher as this study found that public school enrollment inthe US has fallen in the 2 school years 2019-2020, 2021-2022 by 710,000. Much remains to be done to locate these students so that they are not forgotten. Voice of America ran this story on its Learning English site. The WSJ has an editorial on these missing children today.

LyrArc Article Gist
Adam Schiff Senator from California interview in Senate Office Feb 2026 Wash. Post- a Democrat joins the Agriculture Committee and attends farm bureau meetings. Adam Schiff talks about his role in Congress as a Democrat in Feb 2026 to deliver for the people of California for the 3 more years of the DJT administration. As Senator he sees himself as representing 40 million people of Califonria as opposed to the 800,000 people in his congressional district in the Los Angeles area. In that sense he has to take into account that DJT turned up a significant vote in California, exceeded only by Texas and Florida in 2024. He sounds ambivalent about his earlier positions opposing the president and the president's rhetoric. He has to work with administration offficals if he is to deliver on projects that help Californians. This is a position taken by Kathy Hochul governor of New York state, and by Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, both Democrats. Projects include saving a couple of rural hospitals and seeing to it that Department of Agriculture offices remain open in remote parts of California. He has sought out an assignment on the Senate Agriculture Committee. He now realizes that the Democrats have not done enough for Californians or for America, and had not looked for new ways to tackle tough problems-  working people voted for DJT he says “because they were struggling. They were working harder than ever. And they could barely get by. And the Democratic Party had come to be viewed as the party of a status quo. They found the status quo was deeply unsatisfactory.”  Like Ruben Gallego in Arizona there is a sense that a lot has to change in the Democratic party down to grassroots work and efforts which is why Schiff now attends farm bureau meetings up and down the state. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Climate Reset Berlin, a coalition of climate change action groups, has introduced a referendum that brings forward climate change action goals put off till 2045. The referendum makes 2030 the new target date for 95% reduction in carbon emissions consistent with the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. Berlin is 80% dependent on fossil fuels for energy needs in 2023. Proponents say there is great potential for wind and solar energy. Opponents say that it is too costly and will take up funds now allocated for childcare and education. The outgoing Greens SPD government of Berlin opposes it, as does the new expected CDU government. The Green senator for Berlin supports it, as do other private groups. Buildings need to be renovated and private transport curbed which would cost billions of dollars. Opponents say this would bankrupt Berlin. Supporters say not enough is being done. If approved it goes into effect immediately. Supporters include the Sustainability Group at Humboldt University, Germany's national cyclists association. They say Berlin has 52 acres of available land in Brandenburg that could be used for wind energy. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
US closes a border road in 2026 between Alberta and Montana that is used for illegal migration and drug smuggling.