LyrArc Article Gist
Life under quarantine is described by a resident of Milan after president Conte announces the quarantine of Lombardy province which includes the city of Milan.

LyrArc Article Gist
U.S. Federal Reserve officials are likely to take a wait and see approach based on incoming data following a likely rate increase in December 2018. Jerome Powell, Fed chairman and other members are likely to want to see how the economy is holding up from moves already taken. Under this evolving data dependent approach the Fed will step back from the predictable path of quarterly rate increases of the last 2 years.

Inflation has softened in the last quarter of 2018 with falling oil prices, reducing the Fed's sense of urgency. The dents in the stock market have not changed the situation of low unemployment and strong growth.

LyrArc Article Gist
The spending on services like cable, television, internet connectivity, video games according to the Census Bureau for 2004 was $771 per year In 2008 this was $903, in 2010 $997 And add anothe $1000 for cellphone service and the average family in the USA spends as much on this as it does on dining or buying gasoline. Add extra for iTunes, texting services, music. Now buyers of Apple iPad can buy unlimited data access from AT&T for $30 a month. Are these expenses discretionary? Some experts think that it is part of the need for connectedness in today's society, and part of being functional in today's society.

LyrArc Article Gist
Rupert Murdoch brought positive changes as shown here to introduce electronic printing technologies to the newspaper business in 1981 the year Reagan became president. Yet there are questions why others across the news operations did not take this up as it would make sense to adopt new technologies. Why was there no competition? This led to The Times being acquired for $28 million in 1981 compared to the $5 billion paid for The Wall Street Journal in 2007- enormous difference as monopolistic/oligopolistic behaviour has become entrenched in shaping public perceptions and policy. Why for instance is not taking climate change action in the face of fires/floods or not taking action to invest hugely in infrastructure for a dilapidated USA become seen as acceptable in for 2024-2030-even as the European Union aims to be fossil free by 2030?

LyrArc Article Gist
On line chats and blogs and use of the Internet for free expression has become an important way in which ordinary Chinese have found expression of their views on events in China in the aftermath of the earhtquake and influenced the government's actions. The 3 days of mourning announced by the government and its sensitivity to what ordinary Chinese are saying shows the effectiveness of Internet as a medium of expression in a time where most official media is controlled by the government. In this case the government actually welcomed the free expression on the internet because it was seen as an expression of national feelings and so respected and treated. It also influenced the actions of individuals and business in the private sector. So the earthquake may have produced some positive things in terms of promoting democratic free expression of thoughts and ideas.

LyrArc Article Gist
Italy and France have implemented vaccine passes. The health pass in France has helped to reverse the trend of waning vaccinations. In the two weeks after the vaccine health pass was made mandatory in France for cafes, transport and restaurants, the vaccinations for second dose increased by 6 million and the vaccination for first dose increased by 5 million. In Italy vaccinations increased by 200%.

LyrArc Article Gist
Cement plants are backward when it comes to climate change needs. A look at the Heidelberg Materials plant in Brevik, Norway, and carbon capture to reduce impact on climate. Still compared to green steel where customers seek out green steel are enough customers seeking out green cement?

LyrArc Article Gist
Neal Wolin, Michael Barr and Diana Farrell who had roles in the Clinton administration are now key figures in the effort to get financial reform legislation through Congress against resistance from well funded lobbying groups. Farrell is one of two deputies to Lawrence Summers, Obama's senior economic advisor. Michael Barr is Assistant Treasury Secretary for financial institutions. Both Wolin and Barr worked at Treasury during the Clinton administration. After Clinton left office Wolin went to work for Hartford Financial Group and Barr went to teach at the University of Michigan. Barr has helped formulate much of the policy-making.

LyrArc Article Gist
About a third of recent coronavirus infections in the UK are from schoolchildren ages 10-19. The UK after a headstart in its vaccination drive has fallen behind other European countries and the US in the vaccination of children and teenagers. UK began vaccinating children in August far behind the US and Europe. On top of this UK under Boris Johnson decided to drop almost all public health restrictions during the summer. The change in Health Secretary happened on June 26, 2021 with Matt Hancock's resignation. The new Health Secretary Javid was to review the health restrictions in place till July 19. The sense of caution and preparedness that prevailed earlier as fallen short since July 2021 with the lack of coronavirus prevention measures such as masks, social distancing and vaccine mandates that were taken in Italy, France, Germany and other European countries, as well as in the US.

LyrArc Article Gist
Plaid Cymru leader says "decades of complacency caught up with them," and he derides Starmer's "managerial politics." Lucy Powell is shown on this page charting a new course for Labour as deputy leader elected by 54% amidst all this chaos of the Starmer leadership years. A sense of conviction and doing what is right with all the conviction and hard work that backs it is missing in the Starmer leadership. Labour needs to get back to listening to its grassroots and be what it truly is a party of the working classes, the middle class and the vast segments of the whole people of Britain.

LyrArc Article Gist
This report in WSJ looks at the unanimous vote in the House of Representatives delisting hundreds of Chinese companies trading on U.S. stock exchanges. The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act passed by unanimous voice vote in the House of Representatives after a similar vote in the Senate in May, and will be signed into law by president Trump. The law says foreign companies should be delisted if they fail to comply with U.S. Public Accounting Oversight Board regulatory agency's financial audits for 3 years in a row. The basis of the law is that all companies should be equally treated and required to meet U.S. regulatory standards to be listed. It also ensures safety for investors who may be defrauded of their money investing in companies that have not met such audit requirements. Wirecard in Germany and some Chinese companies have failed in the past because of lax overseas standards. This gives three years for the Chinese companies to prepare. This report also points out that the MSCI Index has 43% Chinese companies even more than before. American investors can still buy these stocks on the Hong Kong exchanges so that if fairness and investor protection should prevail American investors have to think and act along the same lines. China is also decoupling from the U.S. to some extent and pushing to have its companies listed on the Hong Kong Shanghai and  Shenzen stock exchanges. For these reasons the access to global capital is not likely to be affected by this law particularly with the behaviour of major American institutional investors. China is providing incentives to these investors even though it did not do so in the past creating another hurdle to the goal of creating a level playing field in regulatory requirements stock for all companies listed on American exchanges and safety for investors.  ...

LyrArc Article Gist
The NYT cautions against possible further watering down of the climate change bill as it goes to the Senate after clearing the House. Only 45 yes votes can probably be counted on, and 23 fence sitters. Among the watering down provisions is one that postpones asystematic accounting of carbon emissions from corn ethanol, at the urging of the farm lobby. A mandatory tarifff on imports from countries that do not adopt comparable systems for controlling emissions. The bill aims for a17% reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2020 and 80% reduction by 2050. It also provides money for developing more energy efficient vehicles and buildings.

LyrArc Article Gist
Did Kirsten Tatlow points out the different perceptions of China's anti-corruption initiative in a country with deeply rooted corruption. China's ranking dropped to 104th of 175 countries ranked for corruption in Transparency International's Corruption Index for 2014. The current campaign under Xi Jinping is lacking because it is partial, opaque and politically driven say researchers at Transparency International. For it to be effective it has to be done in a transparent manner, and with stronger laws for bribery, whistleblower protection, asset declarations, according to the researchers. China dropped 20 places since 2013. China's score declined by 4 points to 36. Denmark is highest at 92. Turkey dropped by 5 points. Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand, are at the top of the list. Transparency International points out that free speech, accountable government an independent judiciary are essential to tackle corruption. These are not sufficient however as the example of India shows. A culture of corruption or lack of transparency and effective laws can enable corruption to grow even in countries with genuine democratic process. Democratic process does provides remedies through a change in administration as happened in India with the decisive defeat of the corruption scandal affected Congress government....