World News Insights
1-3 Minute Gist

Direct From the Editor / On Topics Vital to the Nation

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.

No Free Stuff Here: At Angie's List, Members Pay

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 10.06.2010 Original article ›
Teri Evans, Teri, Evans
LyrArc Article Gist
Angie's List provides information on home improvement contractors and on health care companies. It was started by Angie Hicks after she graduated from Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. It has 400 employees and is based in Indianapolis. Sales reached $60 million in 2010, with revenues from membership fees and select advertising by highly rated service providers. It started with Mr Oesterle, a former boss of Angie's in a college internship, and his moving to Columbus, Ohio. Oestlerle had difficulty finding good contractors to renovate a 1920's home, and suggested they work together on this idea of a list of reliable contractors based on personal interviews. The company still relies only on personally obtained information.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Ireland's Fate Tied to Doomed Banks

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 11.10.2010 Original article ›
Charles Forelle, Charles, Forelle, David Enrich, David, Enrich
LyrArc Article Gist
The final cost of rescuing Ireland's banks according to Irish Finance Ministry officials is 50 billion euros, nearly $50,000 for every household in Ireland! But now investors fear the figure may be even higher. The miscalculations at the Finance Ministry have continued for 2 years. In December 2008, 1.5 billion euros were set aside for Anglo Irish Bank, going up eventually to 22.9 billion euros, and in September 2010 an additional 11.4 billion euros were added to that amount. The Irish banking crisis continues just as the 16 euro-zone countries have agreed to guarantee 440 billion euros in loans if any of the countries is unable to borrow from private markets.
Read LyrArc gist ›

The Pentagon Would Take $100 Billion Hit

1 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 11.11.2010 Original article ›
Nathan Hodge, Nathan, Hodge
LyrArc Article Gist
US Secretary of Defense Gates has launched a drive to save $100 billion in defense costs over 5 years. These costs were expected to put back into weapons procurement and other costs. The President's Deficit Commission report of 2010 proposes to apply the savings to deficit reduction. US military spending costs $700 billion a year. Weapons reductions include one version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle. The deficit panel also took aim at the military health care costs, up from $19 billion a decade ago to $50 billion. And the deficit panel would cut the US military personnel and bases by a third from the 150,000 military personnel stationed overseas.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Argentine President to Seize Control of Oil Company

2 Groups   
New York Times - 04.16.2012 Original article ›
Simon Romero, Simon, Romero, Raphael Minder, Raphael, Minder
LyrArc Article Gist
Under Argentina's planned nationalization of oil company YPF, the government will take a 51% controlling stake in YPF. Of this stake the central government will take 51% and the provinces will take 49%. The bill is expected to be approved by Argentina's Congress. Spain's Repsol acquired a 57% stake during privatization efforts in the 1990's. YPF reserves constitute a large part of Repsol's reserves and 30% of its profits. Argentine oil production declined during the last ten years even as energy demand has increased in Argentina. The privatization of the 1990's is viewed badly in Argentina. Argentina now faces the challenge of increasing oil production and learning from efforts of Petrobras in Brazil.
Read LyrArc gist ›

India Mulls $10 Billion for Fund on Energy

2 Links 16 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 04.25.2012 Original article ›
Abhrajit Gangopadhyay, Abhrajit, Gangopadhyay, Prasanta Sahu, Prasanta, Sahu
LyrArc Article Gist
India's current account deficit of 4%- with imports exceeding exports of goods and services- and its small foreign exchange reserves of $293 billion as of April 14, 2012, place serious constraints on building a sizable energy fund to support additional imports of coal and other energy supplies. India is facing severe shortages of coal for the power industry. This places constraints on the country's growth rate. Finance Ministry officials and members of the Planning Commission are looking at setting up a $10 billion energy fund for securing additional supplies of crude oil and coal. Energy imports are placing a strain on India's finances and even the relatively small fund will need money from energy companies in the private sector.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Carrefour CEO Offers Fixes

4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 06.19.2012 Original article ›
Nadya Masidlover, Nadya, Masidlover
LyrArc Article Gist
Carrefour's new CEO in June 2012, Mr. Plassat, describes his plans for reviving the company. This includes giving more autonomy to stores to reduce overhead costs, reducing the number of employees, selling its Greek supermarket business to its local partner and exiting Turkey. Unions estimate job losses at 3000-5000. He says the company is overly centralized at the international level and in the domestic market. He pointed to the 500 million euros of "superficially used money," that was put into marketing in the domestic market and says some of it needs to go into improving stores. Carrefour's share price has fallen by over 50% in 2011-2012. Plassat's plan is for a three year turnaround.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Mexico Restores Ex-Ruling Party to Power

7 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 07.02.2012 Original article ›
José De Córdoba, José, De, Córdoba, Nicholas Casey, Nicholas, Casey, David Luhnow, David, Luhnow
LyrArc Article Gist
Enrique Pena Nieto of the PRI party wins the presidential election in Mexico with 38% of the vote. Lopez Manuel Obrador came second with 31% of the vote, and the candidate of the ruling PAN party, Ms. Vazquez Mota came in third with 26% of the vote. Voters were eager for change afer 12 years of rule by the PAN party under Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon. Mexico averaged growth of 2% during these years, though growth has increased since the financial crisis. But the benefits of globalization, foreign investment, and trade reached the better educated and skilled workers leaving many behind. This period included negative growth during the 2008 financial crisis. .
Read LyrArc gist ›

Campbell to Buy Fresh-Foods Maker

5 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 07.10.2012 Original article ›
Paul Ziobro, Paul, Ziobro
LyrArc Article Gist
Campbell Soup Co. acquires Bolthouse Farms of Bakersfield, California, a maker of high-end juices, for $1.55 billion. By doing this Campbell is shifting into beverages and into fresh foods from its traditional business in canned condensed soups which have a long shelf life. The packaged fresh food category is growing at 7% a year much faster than the canned soup business. This also complements Campbell's V8 vegetable juice products.The soup business is declining because of a change in consumer preferences for simplicity in meals, lack of new products and ineffective discounting. Campbell is planning to introduce 30 new soup items, and packaging in pouches with newer flavors, to get younger people to try its products.
Read LyrArc gist ›

G.E.'s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether

1 Links 1 Groups   
New York Times - 03.24.2011 Original article ›
David Kocieniewski, David, Kocieniewski
LyrArc Article Gist
G.E. reported profits of $5.1 billion from operations in the U.S. in 2010. Its American tax bill? G.E. paid no taxes, claiming a tax benefit of $3.2 billion. G.E. does this by lobbying for tax breaks, aggressive strategies for reducing taxes including concentrating its profits offshore, and innovative accounting. G.E. has a large tax department, which some call the nation's largest tax law firm. Other firms are following the same practices The corporate share of the U.S. tax receipts has fallen steeply over the years- down to 6.6% in 2009 from 30% in the 1950's. This raises all sorts of questions in the current budget deficit situation facing federal and local governments.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Few Banks Seek Funds for Small Businesses

4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.31.2011 Original article ›
Emily Maltby, Emily, Maltby
LyrArc Article Gist
The Obama administration's Small Business Jobs Act of Sept 2010 set aside $30 billion to stimulate lending to small business. Only 7% of 7700 U.S. lenders have signed up for the program so far. The deadline to sign up to participate has been extended from March 31 to May 16, 2011, by the Treasury Department. Banks have been hesitant to sign up for various reasons: banks say they see a stigma to taking these loans, and need additional staff to handle the extra paperwork. Banks say there isn't enough demand for loans from small business, or that there is enough capital already to handle larger better collateralized borrowers with the others considered too risky anyway.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Chinese debt: A moral deficit

1 Links   
Economist - 10.17.2014 Original article ›
Economist.Com
LyrArc Article Gist
The fragility of the financial system is cited as one of the risks for China by Standard & Poors, and by the IMF in 2014. After 2008 total debt including government, corporate and household jumped by 100% to reach 250% by 2014, according to the Economist. The complacency, poor statistics showing bad debt at low levels, the tendency for local governments to continue old practices, dependence on the state to pick up the tab when companies run into losses, or for bad debt at banks, papering over bad loans with new loans, and corruption with close connections between state owned companies and the state, create a situation in which this problem continues to grow.
Read LyrArc gist ›
Original article 5 minutes, gist 1 minute

Tesla May Run Slow on Cheap Gas

2 Links 6 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 12.05.2014 Original article ›
Justin Lahart, Justin, Lahart
LyrArc Article Gist
Lahart reminds readers that the Model 3 from Tesla at $35,000, half the price of $70,000 for a basic Model S in 2014, will not be out till 2017. Models for share price targets of over $200 for Tesla assume the car company will sell these models in large numbers, a Barclays model assuming 350,000 of these cars sold by 2020. It is hard to predict the future for gas prices. In the current environment sales of electric vehicles and popular hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are declining. Tesla faces real challenges considering that gas prices though unpredictable face continuing increases in the development of lower cost shale supplies with new technologies in the future.
Read LyrArc gist ›

China Adds Cash to Banking System to Spur Growth

6 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 12.12.2014 Original article ›
Lingling Wei, Lingling, Wei, Mark Magnier, Mark, Magnier
LyrArc Article Gist
The PBOC, China's central bank, injects $65 billion into China's banking system in Dec. 2014 to get banks to increase lending as the economy slows further. Experts say the growth rate is likely to drop below 7%. At the same time the central bank and economic policy makers are concerned about excesssive debt in the economy, shadow banking and local government debt risks. It cut benchmark interest rates by 0.25% in 2014. Other risks are developing as the property market cools off and investors shift investment to equity markets creating a surge of 50% in the Shanghai and Shenzen stock exchanges for 2014. As a result economic policy is not as effective in today's environment.
Read LyrArc gist ›

SpiceJet Flights Disrupted by Cash Woes

12 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 12.18.2014 Original article ›
Sean Mclain, Sean, Mclain
LyrArc Article Gist
India's second largest airline SpiceJet looks for new investors after posting 5 straight quarters of losses in the highly price sensitive Indian airline market. SpiceJet needs about 6 billion rupees to solve cashflow problems, according to CFO of the Sun Group, which owns SpiceJet. IndiGo is now the only airline making a profit in India. Jet Airways sold a stake to Etihad Airways, Air Sahara was absorbed into Jet Arways in 2006, Kingfisher is deeply in debt and grounded all planes. Analysts say the price of fuel is 60% higher in India than the average globally and customers price shop intensively, as a result airlines do not have enough cash flow for a week.
Read LyrArc gist ›

ECB May Have Tide on Its Side

3 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.22.2015 Original article ›
Richard Barley, Richard, Barley
LyrArc Article Gist
Barley points to the other factors surrounding the ECB decision for massive monetary easing on Jan. 22, 2015. THe ZEW and IFO business sentiment indicators show an upward trend, and the German economy is picking up momentum in 2015. The lower oil prices, and the decline in the euro boosting exports, are two other factors pointing to higher growth in 2015. Just as the U.S. QE program came at a time when economic conditions were improving, the same can be said for the Draghi ECB QE program in Europe, says Barley. Draghi appears to have sent a strong signal to financial markets, just as he accomplished in July 2012, when bond yields of Spain and Italy were over 7%.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Cybercriminals Are Misappropriating Businesses’ Web Addresses

6 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.13.2015 Original article ›
LyrArc Article Gist
Increased hacking of domain names by scraping public directories for information on companies and individuals. A password is hacked or keystrokes detected by diversion to other sites. Once the domain name is stolen, the domain name's users are then transferred to some site in Eastern Europe or Asia. Some small business sites have seen huge sudden drop in users, one with a 80% drop, as a result of this. Result is layoff of employees, loss of revenues, and effort to recover the name. The scam perpetrators hack into the sites, sell information, and try to get ransom for returning the domain name. Small businesses lacking the security are especially vulnerable to new scams.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Lee Kuan Yew

1 Links 6 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.23.2015 Original article ›
Editorial
LyrArc Article Gist
This WSJ editorial describes the contribution made by Lee Kuan Yew to economic freedom. Chinese premier Deng looked at Singapore as a model for China's capitalist development under the leadership of the Communist Party. In the last decade Singapore's people are looking for political freedom and an open political system, calling for changes in the existing system which favors Lee Kuan Yew's PAP Party. A similiar situation exists in Malaysia where the United Malay National Organization Party has run the government under Tunku Abdul Rehman, Tun Abdul Razak, and Mahathir Mohammed, for over 50 years since since independence from Britain in 1959. Through different methods the two parties have prevailed by keeping the opposition weak.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Carrefour of France in Deal to Buy 127 Malls

8 Groups   
New York Times - 12.16.2013 Original article ›
Nicola Clark, Nicola, Clark
LyrArc Article Gist
Under new CEO, Georges Plassat, Carrefour focusses more on Europe and reduces expansion in emerging markets. As part of this strategy Carrefour buys 127 malls in which it operates stores and forms a separate propoerty company in which it owns 42%. This reverses the decision in 2001 to sell 150 malls partly to finance the push into China, Brazil and Argentina and other European countries. The prior CEO, Lars Olofsson, increased emphasis on hypermarket stores and expanded presence in emerging markets. Carrefour share price took a 60% drop in 2010-2012 and is gradually recovering. Plassat's strategy is to go back to focus on Europe and withdraw from poorly performing places such as Greece, Portugal, Indonesia and Columbia.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Auto Lender's Drive Reaps a Fortune

9 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 01.23.2014 Original article ›
Andrew Johnson, Andrew, Johnson, Telis Demos, Telis, Demos
LyrArc Article Gist
In 2006 Banco Santander bought a 90% interest in the Dallas based auto loan company started by Thomas Dundon. The company focusses on the subprime portion of the market. In 2011 Santander sold 24% of the company to private equity firms. Because the subprime portion of the market for auto loans- where buyers get credit scores lower than 660- has recovered, Santander Consumer Holdings SA has seen rapid growth. Most auto buyers continued to make payments on auto loans during the 2008-2010 financial crisis. The auto industry recovered faster than expected and the auto loan originations to subprime borrowers increased to $153 billion in 2013 from $66 billion in 2009, according to Equifax and Moody's Analytics.
Read LyrArc gist ›

For Detroit, New Stage in Its Race to Recover

1 Links 4 Groups   
New York Times - 02.23.2014 Original article ›
Monica Davey, Monica, Davey
LyrArc Article Gist
The race to get Detroit back on its feet after the bankruptcy settlement to reduce the city's debt. By 2015 a new street lighting system is planned. $520 million is allocated for tearing down tens of thousands of dilapidated buildings over 6 years. The police force gets $100 million to improve poor response times, and the fire departement gets $100 million to repair broken down equipment. And Mayor Duggan tells residents to wait 6 months before leaving. Finally after years of decline and failed starts, Detroit gets a fresh chance at revival. The recovery of the auto industry is followed by the planned revival of the city itself, both under new management, putting behind the mistakes of the past.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Italy's Renzi Pledges to Pay All Arrears

1 Links 2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 02.25.2014 Original article ›
Christopher Emsden, Christopher, Emsden, Giado Zampano, Giado, Zampano
LyrArc Article Gist
Matteo Renzi wins a confidence vote in the Senate by 169 to 139. His economic plan is to give business a boost. He calls on Italians to free themselves from "cultural subalternity" or inferiority to Europe, and "to dream bigger." The plan is for a double digit cut in Italy's payroll taxes, creating guarantee funds for small companies, and paying all of the money the government owes to suppliers estimated at 100 billion euros. Renzi covered the subject of addressing school repairs costing several billion euros. His new cabinet has half of the ministers as women, some under 40, six from the previous Letta government. The Economy minister is Pier Carlo Padoan, chief economist of the OECD.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Gazprom Threatens Ukraine Supplies Over Late Payment

4 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 03.28.2014 Original article ›
Andrey Ostroukh, Andrey, Ostroukh
LyrArc Article Gist
Gazprom's Chairman, Alexei Miller, says Ukraine owes $1.89 billion for gas deliveries after missing a March 7 payment deadline for Feb. deliveries. Transit shipments through Ukraine to Europe will continue. Russia provides 30% of Europe's gas needs and 15% of all Europe's gas demand goes through Ukraine, particularly Germany, Italy and Britain's utility companies. Europe's dependence on Russian supplies of natural gas gives a new twist to the crisis in Ukraine. Russia also needs the revenue from the natural gas exports to finance its own development as growth has slowed down sharply in 2013-2014, making this a situation where both sides in Europe need to resolve the standoff in Ukraine wihout escalation.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Border Dispute Casts Shadow on Li's India Visit

2 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 05.20.2013 Original article ›
Joanna Sugden, Joanna, Sugden
LyrArc Article Gist
China's prime minister Li Keqiang visited India in May 2013 with a trade delegation to improve trade ties with india. Trade between India and China is growing rapidly, with the growth in imports of telecommunications and power equipment, and consumer manufactured goods. Trade was at $76 billion in the year ending March 31, 2012 and is expected to reach $100 billion by 2015, making China the largest exporter of goods to India, according to Indian government data. The trade is lopsided with India's trade deficit increasing by 42% to about $40 billion in the last fiscal year. India is seeking improved access for its information technology and pharmaceutical companies to the Chinese market to correct the imbalance.
Read LyrArc gist ›

Rupee's Slide Lures Indian Expats' Cash

3 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.20.2013 Original article ›
Sudeep Jain, Sudeep, Jain, Derek Kravitz, Derek, Kravitz
LyrArc Article Gist
India is running a large current account deficit with imports exceeding exports. The curent account deficit for the year ending March 31 was $88.2 billion, about 4.8% of GDP. With foreign investment declining remittances from Indians abroad are a major source of incoming capital. Indians overseas sent about $69 billion in remittances home in 2012, increasing from $63 billion in 2011, according to the World Bank. In August 2013 India's central bank relaxed restrictions on interest rates for overseas Indian rupee accounts and on foreign currency denonimated deposits. This has led to a sharp increase in remittances by Indians overseas, with HDFC bank reporting a 30% increase in remittance volumes in June 2013 compared to January 2013.
Read LyrArc gist ›

U.K. Parliament Rejects Syria Action

5 Groups   
Wall Street Journal - 08.30.2013 Original article ›
Cassell Bryan Low, Cassell, Bryan Low
LyrArc Article Gist
The British parliament defeated a measure put forward by prime minister Cameron for military response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria in August 2013. The vote against British intervention was 285 to 272 with members of his own party and Liberals voting against the measure. The case put forward by Cameron was based on humanitarian grounds, and to prevent the use of chemical weapons in the future. Under pressure from politicians from all parties Cameron decided to put this to a vote in parliament following a debate on Aug. 29, 2013. In calling for the vote Cameron said he was deeply mindful of the deep concerns about Britain's intervention in Iraq in 2003.
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