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Direct From the Editor / On Topics Vital to the Nation

How Britain under Andy Burnham can recover with India (Commonwealth) and rise up to its potential

06/23/2026

The role of long range planning and industry working with government in securing the US position in rare earths

06/22/2026

Andy Burnham has the potential to achieve what Clement Attlee achieved for Britain in 1945-51

06/22/2026

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.

Takata Airbag Recall Is Said to Grow by 35 Million

  
New York Times - 05.03.2016 Original article ›
Hiroko Tabuchi, Hiroko, Tabuchi
LyrArc Article Gist
The Takata airbag recall increases by 35 million to about 63 million, about one in 4 cars in the U.S. by May 2016. The issue is connected to Takata's use of ammonium nitrate which poses a safety risk leading to explosions. The findings by 3 separate investigations from Honda Motor, Takata, and 10 automaker consortium have led to the massive recalls. A Takata engineer raised questions about the use of ammonium nitrate in the 1990's, and the company has fumbled in its response to the safety concerns.
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Congress heads home without extending FAA funding - The Washington Post

2 Groups   
Washington Post - 08.03.2011 Original article ›
Ashley Halsey Iii, Ashley, Halsey, Iii
LyrArc Article Gist
A change in the union voting rules authorized by the National Mediation Board which helps unionization efforts at airlines- with an impact on Delta Airlines- is holding up the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's funding reauthorization bill in Congress. With Congress in recess some of the FAA work in modernization of airport navigation systems will come to an halt. Normally FAA funding is made for the long term for a number of years but the last such funding bill expired in 2007. Since then the FAA has operated using 20 extensions because of Congressional differences.
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Original article 4 minutes, gist 1 minute

Warren Buffett's Tax Dodge

1 Links 2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.17.2011 Original article ›
Editorial
LyrArc Article Gist
The Wall Street Journal points out that about 3.92 million people in the U.S. reported income above 200,000 in 2009, and paid $434 billion in taxes. Of these people 90% are not millionaires. The overwhelming majority of the people affected by an increase in taxes on the middle class with incomes above $200,000 are not millionaires. The editorial asks a question about "fairness" for these Americans- who pay a large share of their income for higher university tution payments for kids- for whom the taxes can make a difference.
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Australian Property, Long an Outlier, Joins Decline

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.24.2011 Original article ›
Geoffrey Rogow, Geoffrey, Rogow
LyrArc Article Gist
Real estate prices are declining in Australia, with signs of overbuilding. Growing immigration, a commodities boom with higher demand from China, slow construction and foreign investors had pushed home prices higher. This led to a decrease of 2-6% in home prices in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, according to RP Data. Home construction in Melbourne increased by 40% since 2006, according to Australia's Bureau of Statistics. Analysts point to an oversupply of homes in Melbourne. Home and apartment prices in Melbourne declined by 3.9% in 2011, according to RP Data-Rismark.
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In Debt Crisis, a Silver Lining for Germany

1 Groups   
New York Times - 11.24.2011 Original article ›
Stephen Castle, Stephen, Castle
LyrArc Article Gist
The crisis in the eurozone and the flight to the relative safety of German bunds has reduced the yields on ten year German government bonds to around 2% in November 2011, compared to 4.7% in mid-2008. This trend has lowered German borrowing costs by 20 billion euros from 2009 to 2011, according to Re-Define, an economic research institute in Brussels. This has lowered the borrowing costs for the Netherlands by 7.5 billion euros from 2009 to 2011, according to the De Volksrant newspaper in the Netherlands.
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Home Prices Edge Downward

7 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 11.30.2011 Original article ›
Nick Timiraos, Nick, Timiraos, Josh Mitchell, Josh, Mitchell
LyrArc Article Gist
U.S home prices declined by 3.9% for the third quarter compared with the prior year, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller index of 20 major metropolitan areas. Prices are expected to be affected by an increase in foreclosed properties put by the banks for sale in coming months. Affordability has increased as prices are down by 31% from the 2006 peak and mortgage rates are at 4%. Yet as one appraiser puts it the problem remains one of tight credit and strict mortgage lending standards, and further home price declines could depress the market.
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Will North Korea Become China’s Newest Province?

8 Groups   
New York Times - 12.19.2011 Original article ›
Victor Cha, Victor, Cha
LyrArc Article Gist
Victor Cha, a professor at Georgetown University, describes China's foreign policy committment to maintaining a divided Korea becacuse of fears of a unified pro-western neighbor to the south. He sees the need for China to change its policy and work with the U.S., South Korea and Japan for a lasting solution for North Korea. Also absent from the calculations of the countries involved is the future of the North Korean people, emphasized in the editorial by the editorial Board of the Washington Post on Dec. 20, 2011.
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Hungary, Once a Star, Loses Its Shine

1 Links 6 Groups   
New York Times - 01.16.2012 Original article ›
Jack Ewing, Jack, Ewing, Palko Karasz, Palko, Karasz
LyrArc Article Gist
The effects of the eurozone crisis on the everyday lives of ordinary Hungarians in Budapest. The impact is particularly severe on retirees and other people with home loans that were taken out in swiss francs or euros because of the depreciation of the Hungarian currency, the forint. There is a loss of confidence in politicians, and the government of prime minister Orban is seen as having worsened the crisis by losing international credibility and confidence . Hungary's debt is denominated mostly in euros which make repayment difficult. Yields on its bonds are over 10%.
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Arnold's Last Yodel

9 Groups   
New York Times - 01.14.2010 Original article ›
Timothy Egan, Timothy, Egan
LyrArc Article Gist
As Arnold Schwarznegger's time as governor of California comes to a close, the state is still short of $20 billion to pay for all the services that it provides. Arnold's popularity is down to 27% and he has failed to bring financial order to the state- the state is simply broke. Hikes in tution for the state's university system and other moves haven't been enough. And Arnold is down to warning the federal government that California's safety net faces further shredding- with more pain for the elderly and children, and in the schools.
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Credit Remains Scarce in Hurdle to Recovery

  
Wall Street Journal - 02.27.2010 Original article ›
Jon Hilsenrath, Jon, Hilsenrath
LyrArc Article Gist
Financial conditions- as measured by the quantity of money available and the availability of credit- tightened in the fourth quarter of 2009. Issuance of asset backed securities went down from $51 billon in the third quarter to $29 billion in the fourth quarter, and commercial paper outstanding declined to $1.1 trillion in January 2010 from $1.3 trillion in September 2009. A ""financial conditions index" produced by Columbia, NYU, Princeton and Deutsche bank, Goldman Sachs, shows the conditions tightening, revealing a financial sector that remains weak and impaired even with very low rates by the Fed.
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Goldman Settles Its Battle With SEC

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 07.16.2010 Original article ›
Susanne Craig, Susanne, Craig, Kara Scannell, Kara, Scannell
LyrArc Article Gist
The SEC filed civil charges against Goldman Sachs in the Abacus case. Goldman the SEC charged, sold mortgage securities knowing that a hedge fund firm that crafted what went into the securities hoped to profit from a collapse of the housing market. Now Goldman has settled this case for 550 million dollars. A separate criminal probe on whether the company committed securities fraud continues. Analysts had expected the settlement to be closer to $1 billion, as well as the resignation of some senior executives at Goldman including Blankfein.
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China to Close 2,000 Factories in Energy Crackdown

4 Groups   
New York Times - 08.09.2010 Original article ›
Keith Bradsher, Keith, Bradsher
LyrArc Article Gist
China is closing energy inefficient aging factories. The Chinese government plans to close 76 factories in cement, 279 in paper, 175 in steel, and 84 in leather as part of this effort. This still leaves China with a lot of work to do to acheve the 20% reduction per unit of economic output in 2010 compared to 2005, that its current five year plan calls for. Efficiency went up by 14.4% in the first four years of the current plan, but went down by 3.6% in the first quarter causing serious concern.
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Banyan: Afloat on a Chinese tide

3 Groups   
Economist - 09.02.2010 Original article ›
Economist.Com
LyrArc Article Gist
Growth in China is supporting growth in other Asian countries. But other Asian countries are still dependent on the economies of Europe and the USA. About 60% of the exports to China by Malaysia, say Malaysian officials, are components for products that are re-exported to the western countries. Domestic demand in China is insufficient to support the high level of growth in China and other Asian countries; in the event demand in Europe and N. America slides back in the face of austerity cuts in 2011, growth across Asia is likely to fall sharply.
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Original article 5 minutes, gist 1 minute

Fed’s $2 Trillion May Buy Little Improvement in Jobs

1 Links 8 Groups   
BusinessWeek - 10.07.2010 Original article ›
Craig Torres, Craig, Torres, Scott Lanman, Scott, Lanman
LyrArc Article Gist
According to the chief economist at IHS Global Insight, Nigel Gault, his models show that $500 billion of purchases by the U.S. Federal Reserve will increase growth in the U.S. by only 0.1% in 2011, and leave unemployment at 9% or higher for two years. Moody's Analytics and Macroeconomic Advisors also point to small impact of quantitative easing efforts of the Fed. One economist said that the Fed's taking interest rate to zero had not worked, QE1 has not worked either, and now its a serious question how much difference QE2 would make.
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Original article 1 minute, gist 1 minute

At Last! Banks Rev Up Lending

5 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 02.29.2012 Original article ›
Victoria Mcgrane, Victoria, Mcgrane
LyrArc Article Gist
The FDIC report in Feb. 2012 shows improvement in bank lending to $130 billion, for the 4th quarter of 2012. This is an increase of 1.8% over the previous quarter. Lending to commercial and industrial borrowers increased by $62.8 billion, or 4.9%. Smaller commercial and industrial loans of less than $1 million increased for the first time since 2010. Banking profits for 2011 were up to $119 billion, up 40% from the prior year. Banking revenues for 2011 declinedby 4.5% from 2010, as a result of low rates and slower loan demand.
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Francois Hollande finds a following - The Washington Post

2 Groups   
Washington Post - 03.01.2012 Original article ›
Edward Cody, Edward, Cody
LyrArc Article Gist
Francois Hollande leads in public opinion polls for the second round of voting in France's presidential election by 56% to Sarkozy's 44% in February 2012. Sarkozy has closed the gap for the first round of voting. Sarkozy' popularity has suffered from being president at the time of the global economic crisis of 2008 and the current eurozone crisis, and for his aggressive style. Hollande has been consistently underestimated in France with a nice guy image, but has proven to be a persistent campaigner and effective voice for the Socialist party in the current economic crisis.
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Original article 5 minutes, gist 1 minute

Left-Leaning Party Wins Slovakia Election

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.12.2012 Original article ›
Gordon Fairclough, Gordon, Fairclough
LyrArc Article Gist
The Smer-Social Democracy party led by Robert Fico won an absolute majority in the Slovakian parliament. Smer-Social Democracy party won 83 of 150 seats in parliament. The party campaigned on the theme that the austerity measures were too hard on the poorer segments of society, and did not do enough for job creation. Unemployment in Slovakia is at 13%. The shift also marks changing opinion in Hungary, France, and other EU countries about austerity measures and the impact on countries with high unemployment, in the absence of efforts to stimulate job creation.
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Questions as Banks Increase Dividends

1 Links 3 Groups   
New York Times - 03.14.2012 Original article ›
J. B. Silver Greenberg, J., B., Silver Greenberg
LyrArc Article Gist
Prof. Admati, of Stanford, says that with the March 2012 stress tests the Fed has prematurely announced the banks are healthy. Prof. Cole of DePaul University, questions some of the assumptions used by the Fed as too optimistic even though it used a 13% unemployment rate and decline in stock and real estate values by 21%. He says the loss of $56 billon on home equity lines of credit and second lien mortgages, 13% of the portfolio, is highly underestimated. He says the legal liabilities of banks are also underestimated.
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Bloomberg Takes On Smoking Overseas

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.22.2012 Original article ›
Betsy Mckay, Betsy, Mckay
LyrArc Article Gist
Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $600 million to fight tobacco use worldwide between 2007-2016. Tactics used in New York City reduced the city's smoking rate from 22% in 2002 to 14% in 2011. These tactics will now be used in countries around the world from China to other developing countries. Already an effort has been funded in Turkey including putting a new smoke-free law in place in 2008. According to Tobacco Atlas cigarettes contributed to 6 million deaths in 2011, 80% in the developing world, with high use in China, Indonesia and India.
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Gome's Short-Circuited Growth

1 Links 2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.28.2012 Original article ›
Duncan Mavin, Duncan, Mavin
LyrArc Article Gist
Gome's share price fell 21% on March 27, 2012. The company is facing strong competition from online sellers. Its profits declined by 6% in 2011. China is seeing an upsurge for online retailers such as 360Buy.com and Taobao. Gome's internal estimates are for internet sales of home appliances to be 1 in 3 by 2016, up from 1 in 10 in 2010. Gome is in a similiar position as Best Buy in the U.S. which competes with Amazon.com and other online sellers. To compete Gome is promoting its own online shopping operations.
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BOK’s No. 2 Retires With Parting Words For No. 1

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 04.09.2012 Original article ›
LyrArc Article Gist
Bank of Korea's senior deputy governor, Lee Ju-yeol, says he feels "heavy resposibility" for the policies pursued by S. Korea's central bank in the years following the financial crisis of 2008, when inflation fighting efforts of the bank were set aside to focus on growth. Inflation has increased in S. Korea in recent years. He said our "hard won reputation was turned away under the current of globalization and reform... values and rules that have been built up over 60 years were denied in just a single day."
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Poland Trying to Build Banks' Defenses

2 Links 4 Groups   
New York Times - 04.13.2012 Original article ›
Melissa Eddy, Melissa, Eddy
LyrArc Article Gist
The efforts by Poland to maintain control over its banking sector. About 70% of the banking sector was owned by foreign owned banks before the recent withdrawal by banks from Western Europe. State regulators and the central bank would like to see more of the banking sector in Polish hands. Bank Zachodni WBK, wholly owned by Banco Santander of Spain will merge with Kredyt Bank, a subsidiary of KBC Group of Belgium, to create a larger bank with a stake of $104 million taken by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
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Boardroom Cuts Won't Cure AstraZeneca

5 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 04.26.2012 Original article ›
Hester Plumridge, Hester, Plumridge
LyrArc Article Gist
With no clear strategy to pursue vaccines or generics like its competitors, and no promising new drugs in the pipeline, Astra Zeneca faces an uncertain future. Acquisitions are costly with a high premium in 2012. Nestle paid about 20 times earnings before interest, depreciation and taxes for Pfizer's baby food nutrition business. Astra Zeneca's first quarter earnings in 2012 declined by 44%. Government price reductions and competition from generics led to first quarter 2012 sales decline by 11%. New management takes over in June from the current CEO.
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Making Waves Against 'Whale'

1 Links 6 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 04.10.2012 Original article ›
Katy Burne, Katy, Burne
LyrArc Article Gist
A trader at JP Morgan's CIO London office made massive bets by selling credit default swaps for the 121 companies on the "CDX IG-9 Index," essentially betting on the financial health of companies on the index. The result was paper losses for hedge funds on the other side of the bet and gains in January and February for Chase CIO's portfolio of assets of about $350 billion, funds depositors had given to Chase and were not loaned out. This gradually reversed turning into large losses for JP Morgan.
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Rethinking nuclear energy in Japan: Japan unplugged

1 Groups   
Economist - 05.14.2011 Original article ›
Economist.Com
LyrArc Article Gist
On May 10, 2011, prime minister Naoto Kan of Japan says the plan for nuclear energy to account for half of Japan's energy needs will be rewritten from scratch. This will mean Japan will have to look at renewable energy and other sources seriously to complement a tightly regulated nuclear power energy source. In the past Japan has not given the emphasis to renewable energy that it has received in countries like Germany. The pro-nuclear lobby has also worked against the development of other renewable energy sources.
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Original article 2 minutes, gist 1 minute

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