LyrArc Article Gist
Some key features of the Iraqi effort to retake Ramadi are evident in the effort by new prime minister to keep out Shiite militias called Popular Mobilization Forces from Sunni areas. The effort to retake Ramadi involves American air support and retrained Iraqi units after the disasters in 2014 when Iraqi army units ill equipped and poorly led fled the area. By using tribal forces and Iraqi army units the effort keeps down sectarian tensions- essential for it to work in Sunni areas.

LyrArc Article Gist
According to U.S. Senate investigators Apple recorded $26 billion, 65% of its income worldwide for 2012, in Ireland. Ireland Operations International is based in County Cork, Ireland. Ireland has about 4% of Apple's worldwide workforce. Laws in the European Union allow digital companies such as Apple and Google and other large companies to pay little in taxes through such arrangements. Apple CEO Cook says Apple is not using any tax gimmicks. Apple negotiated a low 2% tax rate with the Irish government. The Senate hearings in the U.S. and a meeting of EU leaders has raised concern about this practice being allowed at a time when much needed infrastructure investments are being shelved in the U.S. and Europe because of budget deficits. Spending cuts in education and in R&D hurt long term economic growth. Government statistics show the average Ireland tax rate on gross income of companies in 2010 was 6%. Ireland has a low corporate tax rate for companies of 12.5% which it retained after EU pressures to change the rate when the Irish bailout was provided. Ireland has 4000 Apple workers, and 600 American companies employ 100,000 Irish workers....

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The slowing economy of Turkey as the wars in Syria and Iraq take their toll reducing demand for Turkey's exports. The conflict with Russia also affects Turkish exports. Growth slows to 2-3% a year in 2015-2016.

LyrArc Article Gist
February 2024 talks between Biden and Speaker Mike Johnson that revived the effort to pass the bill for $61.5 billion aid to Ukraine. This included the efforts of Mitch McConnell to persuade Mike Johnson on the vital necessity of aid to Ukraine. See the adjoining articles on Mitch McConnell and his critical role on what might be similar to what Harry Truman did to assist Greece and Turkey in 1948 to fend off a communist takeover supported by Soviet bloc. Aid was passed through US Congress in 1948 weeks before Greece's democracy was likely to collapse.

LyrArc Article Gist
The challenges facing BP's new CEO Robert Dudley. Dudley succeeded Tony Hayward, who took most of the criticism of the handling of the oil spill in the Gulf in 2010, and performance on safety issues

LyrArc Article Gist
Oil prices are forecast to remain above $100 a barrel in 2012 because of higher social spending in Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries after the democracy protests, and the threat of retaliation by Iran in the Straits of Hormuz. Iranian threats of retaliation for increased sanctions has embedded a $10-$20 premium in oil prices say some experts.

LyrArc Article Gist
Over 60% of GM revenues in North America come from larger vehicles and SUV's. This is the situation as oil prices are rising and change is sweeping across the Middle East. Another problem is overcapacity in the auto industry. The overinvestment is highlighted by the recent decision of Geely to invest $10 billion in Volvo to double production to 800,000 units over 5 years. The car industry can produce 94 million cars the Economist magazine estimates, and demand worldwide is only 64 million. One estimate shows production capacity could reach 40 million in China by 2015!

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The navy of the U.S., Japan, India and Australia to join the annual Malabar exercize in the Indian Ocean. The British Navy played a critical part in the Mediterranean, the Cape around Africa, and the Indian Ocean, during the period 1750-1950, and the Indian Navy now inherits this role from the British period.

LyrArc Article Gist
Obama issues directions to federal regulators to give California and 13 other states the right to set their own automobile emissions standards and fuel efficiency standards.

LyrArc Article Gist
Obama speaking of Russia as a regional power and ignoring Russia is now seen as a mistake, says this report in the Guardian. It showed a poor understanding of Russia after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The impoverishment of Russia that followed with the lack of foreign reserves and the collapse of the ruble currency, created a strong mistrust among Russians of a western model of development without modification to suit the country and its people. The decline in the lifespan of Russians was shown in a cover article in the WSJ around 2000 and shown in Lyrarc at the time. In some of the early articles on Putin and Russia during the first five years of the Putin presidency that were shown on Lyrarc, Putin expressed an intense desire for Russia not to be seen as a banana republic for concentrations of financial capital in the US. Such was the situation at that time, and the memory is still there for Russians and for Mr. Putin. Ukraine and NATO are just layers on top of what has happened earlier. One sees this in Germany with the rise of the Afd in East Germany after the unification left people in the eastern part around Leipzig nostalgic for the German Democratic Republic of Soviet days. Reunification meant the loss of most of the young people to the western part of Germany, and insecurity for the elderly, people on pensions, job insecurity, for people in the east under the capitalist model without any modifications. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
The Biden administration plans debt relief for student borrowers with 10 year of monthly payments in public service professions such as teaching, public interest law and nursing.