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Warnings at a banking conference in Moscow in October 2014, and the ruble on the brink of collapse on Dec. 17, 2014
10/02/2014
The central bank head, Nabiullina, the Economy minister, Ulyukayev, and the head of Russia's largest bank Sberbank, German Gref, all expressed skepticism about president Putin's confidence in economic policy at a banking conference in Moscow in Oct. 2014. The architect of Russia's finances in the first and second terms of Putin, Alexei Kudrin, expressed alarm in Nov.-Dec. 2014 about lack of confidence in economic measures as the ruble took a hit from lower oil prices. The Putin administration made errors in handling economic policy leading to the ruble going to the brink of collapse by Dec. 17, 2014. This was preceded by miscalculations in policy towards the European Union and Germany leading to a loss of international confidence, and deteriorating relations with OPEC's leading member Saudi Arabia leading to OPEC's production decisions hurting Russia.
Linked Articles
Russia Introduces Measures to Calm Economic Jitters
New York Times 12/17/2014
Putin Trumpets Economic Strength, but Advisers Seem Less CertainNew York Times 10/02/2014
Calpers decision to exit investment in hedge funds and the losses at Carlyle hedge fund- poor returns for hedge funds
09/15/2014
Linked Articles
Calpers, Nation's Biggest Pension Fund, To End Hedge Fund Investments
New York Times 09/15/2014
Carlyle Fund Walloped in Commodities RoutWall Street Journal 08/01/2015
Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide and the Justice Department's investigation of Countrywide in 2014
08/22/2014
Nocera and Morgenson of the NYT on the Justice Department's delayed 2014 investigation of Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide which was at the center of the 2008 mortgage financial crisis in the U.S.
Linked Articles
An Unfinished Chapter at Countrywide
New York Times 08/23/2014
Lessons Not LearnedNew York Times 08/22/2014
China, the U.S. and Japan- the task of reestablishing peaceful cooperation in the Pacific region after the missteps of 2011-2013
07/09/2014
Meetings for the sixth round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Bieijing between the U.S. and China, and Japanese prime minister's address to the Australian parliament in Canberra, at about the same time in July 2014, showing how the path of peaceful cooperation will have to be actively pursued to remain a reality. Underpinning the hopes of China, Japan and neighboring countries in Asia is the U.S. will and purpose for maininting the post war peace and stability for the benefit of all, that at times has been missing in the words and actions of the Obama administration. Lack of peace in the region would seriously affect China's effort to bring better incomes to the large majority of people still in the countryside and leave China stuck in middle income status of countries like Mexico, damage the prospects of improving incomes of billions of people in India, other parts of Asia and Latin America. In this sense the Japanese people have shown the wisdom of keeping the conditions of peace that have prevailed for the post war period, and the U.S. with undiminished will and purpose in its post war role can affirm the hopes of the people of the region, including the hope of people in China, India, Japan, S. Korea, and Latin America.
Linked Articles
U.S., China try to emphasize potential for cooperation - The Washington Post
Washington Post 07/09/2014
Abe's Constitutional Reform Push SlowsWall Street Journal 07/09/2014
Tim Cook's effort to fill the role played by Steve Jobs at Apple, and fill in gaps where Jobs could have done more
06/15/2014
Linked Articles
Tim Cook, Making Apple His Own
New York Times 06/15/2014
Jonathan Ive on Apple's Design Process and Product PhilosophyNew York Times 06/16/2014
Ukraine's transformation under Poroshenko
05/26/2014
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014
Ukraine’s Next President Vows to Restore Order and Mend Russia TiesNew York Times 05/26/2014
Barnes & Noble readying itself for sale in 2015
04/18/2014
Linked Articles
Barnes & Noble, Microsoft End Nook Pact
Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014
What's Barnes & Noble's Survival Plan?Wall Street Journal 04/18/2014
Jeb Bush and Edward Lazear throwing a different light on the Republican side in the debate on U.S. immigration- a look back at Benjamin Franklin in a past debate
04/07/2014
Linked Articles
An Immigration Game Plan for the New Congress
Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014
Jeb Bush to Decide by Year-End Whether to Run for PresidentWall Street Journal 04/07/2014
Christine Lagarde and John Lipsky on the need to move forward with the IMF reforms giving greater representation to emerging market countries in G-20
03/25/2014
Lagarde and Lipsky point out that this does not change the U.S. voting rights of 16%. They emphasize the stabilizing role the IMF has played for the global economy in crises and the more open thinking at the IMF on economic programs.
Linked Articles
The U.S. Should Ratify Its Agreement to IMF Reform
Wall Street Journal 04/02/2014
Congress Can Help the U.S. By Reforming The IMFWall Street Journal 03/25/2014
The deep losses and loss of public confidence at RBS bank in Britain
02/28/2014
Linked Articles
Royal Bank of Scotland to Slash Costs as Losses Deepen
Wall Street Journal 02/28/2014
No Endgame For RBS's WoesWall Street Journal 02/28/2014
Reviving Detroit- Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation and not giving up on American cities
02/15/2014
The Ford Foundation was founded in Detroit in 1936, the Knight Foundation also has roots in the city. Both foundations donated the money needed to revive Detroit in 2014. The state of Michigan under Governor Snyder also acted with exceptional courage and wisdom to save the floundering city after a decade of collapsing infrastructure and services. The state acted responsibly by obtaining a supervisory role over the city's troubled finances. With all the surrounding atmosphere and talk of Republican deadlock with Democrats in the White House and Congress, Snyder, Walker, Judge Rosen, and others showed rare wisdom and courage to come together for innovative solutions.
Linked Articles
Finding $816 Million, and Fast, to Save Detroit
New York Times 11/07/2014
Mediator in Detroit Bankruptcy Walks Fine Line Between City, CreditorsWall Street Journal 02/15/2014
A younger generation takes over in Italy- "we are worried that time is passing, and nothing is happening." (2)
02/12/2014
The IMF estimate shows that at the current pace of economic change Italy's growth rate would remain at 0.5% till 2018. Confindustria, Italy's business association, says it is worried that nothing is happening.
Linked Articles
Italian Premier’s Latest Challenge Comes From His Own Party
New York Times 02/12/2014
Italian Prime Minister to Resign, Clearing Path for RenziWall Street Journal 02/14/2014
Difficulties in stemming the steady decline in ad revenues at Yahoo
01/28/2014
Linked Articles
With Ad Dollars Elusive, Yahoo’s Revenue Falls
New York Times 01/28/2014
Yahoo's Revenue Keeps SlidingWall Street Journal 01/29/2014
Hillary Clinton's uphill battle for the 2016 presidential election
09/28/2014
For the most part Hillary Clinton's public life has been overshadowed by the presidency of her husband Bill Clinton, and by the presidency of Barack Obama. How she defines herself to ordinary voters facing the economic issues at home, and worried about U.S. weakness overseas, will determine to a large extent how she does in the 2016 presidential election.
Linked Articles
A Record of Resilience at Vanguard of American Presidential Politics
New York Times 09/28/2014
Hillary Clinton and Democrats Aim to Buck HistoryWall Street Journal 04/13/2015
Profiles in courage, women renewing large organizations- Christine Lagarde at the IMF and Ginni Rometty at IBM
08/25/2014
Lagarde says in an intervew in the Washington Post, that she believes women come into leadership at large organizations when the job is tough, requiring everything you can give.
Linked Articles
Christine Lagarde: ‘Don’t let the bastards get you’ - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/25/2014
Behind Ginni Rometty’s Plan to Reboot IBMWall Street Journal 04/21/2015
Obama's second term- (5) the U.S. president's foreign policy failures in Syria and Iraq seen up close by Clinton and Panetta
08/11/2014
A Defense Secretary and Secretary of State in the Obama administration describe up close president Obama's failure to act at key moments in the crisis in Iraq and Syria. This has badly damaged the U.S. credibility and what it stands for in the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Linked Articles
A Rift in Worldviews Is Exposed as Clinton Faults Obama on Policy
New York Times 08/11/2014
Former Defense Chief Panetta Criticizes Obama in New MemoirWall Street Journal 10/07/2014
"Collective self-defense" under Article 9 reinterpretation of Japan's Constitution in 2014, and the U.S. naval exercizes at Hawaii, Subic Bay in the Philippines
07/02/2014
The U.S. and Japan increase defense preparedness in the Pacific. The key is managing tensions with China in a constructive way with cooperation and dialogue.
Linked Articles
Exercises in Hope—and Fear—in the Pacific
Wall Street Journal 07/02/2014
Japan Policy Shift to Ease Restrictions on MilitaryWall Street Journal 07/02/2014
Euribor close to zero and relief for suffering homeowners with mortgages in Spain, Portugal and other eurozone countries
05/28/2014
Most mortgages in Spain and Portugal are based on the Euribor rate. The ECB's monetary policy under Draghi has led to the decline of the Euribor rate to near zero in 2015, giving homeowners in extremely high unemployment countries such as Spain and Portugal much needed relief. Homeowners in Italy, with stagnant incomes and high unemployment, and other eurozone countries also get relief.
Linked Articles
Tumbling Interest Rates in Europe Leaves Some Banks Owing Money on Loans to Borrowers
Wall Street Journal 04/14/2015
Spain Still Suffering Fallout From Housing BustWall Street Journal 05/28/2014
From Amethi to Ladakh- Exceptional NYT reporting on the 2014 parliamentary elections in India
05/09/2014
Bearak reports from Ladakh in the northern Himalayas, and Barry reports from Amethi in the Ganges valley state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, to give readers in America a feel for the largest parliamentary elections in the world at a turning point in the region.
Linked Articles
In Stronghold, a Gandhi Finds the Reception Is More Skeptical than Worshipful
New York Times 05/09/2014
Hikers Spread Democracy in IndiaNew York Times 05/12/2014
The problems at Petrobras in 2014-2015
04/15/2014
Linked Articles
Goldman Adds to Petrobras’s Election Fright
Wall Street Journal 10/28/2014
Brazil’s Star, Petrobras, Is Hobbled by Scandal and StagnationNew York Times 04/15/2014
BaFin, German federal financial regulatory authority, and the problems at Deutsche Bank- regulators slow to act on information
03/28/2014
Eyk Henning of the WSJ points out the slow response of regulator BaFin to information about problems at Deutsche Bank that suggest a broken culture in a report on March 28, 2014. This comes 6 years after the WSJ first reported the LIBOR rate manipulation in 2008 leading to British and U.S. regulatory investigations. In April 2015 Deutsche Bank made a legal settlement for LIBOR rate manipulation of $2.5 billion with U.S. and British regulators. As the time when regulatory authority passes to the European Central Bank, and after a period of 7 years since the 2008 WSJ report, BaFin finally sends its report on the broken culture at the bank. A month later the two co-CEO's at the bank resign.
Linked Articles
Germany Blasts Deutsche Bank Executives Over Culture
Wall Street Journal 07/17/2015
German Financial Watchdog Bites BackWall Street Journal 03/28/2014
GE (General Electric) low tax rate of 4.2% in 2013, 10.3% in 2014, and the move to a normal tax rate in 2015
03/05/2014
An aggressive policy of tax reduction using GE Capital at GE leads to an astonishingly low tax rate. Shareholders see the uncertainty from GE Capital's volatile earnings and tax strategies with great skepticism. GE shares dropped to $6 during the 2008 global financial crisis because of GE Capital losses, and GE needed government rescue funds. The day CEO Immelt announced the decision to exit the banking business GE shares went up by 11%. GE's tax rate without the banking business will go up to about 20%.
Linked Articles
Price of Selling GE Capital? Tax Breaks
Wall Street Journal 04/14/2015
How corporate America is losing the debate on taxesWashington Post 03/05/2014
Britain's RBS bank and the issue of high bank bonuses after a $15 billion loss in 2013
02/27/2014
Linked Articles
Royal Bank of Scotland to Slash Costs as Losses Deepen
Wall Street Journal 02/28/2014
Bailed-Out Royal Bank of Scotland Sees Years of LossesNew York Times 02/27/2014
Pressure on U.S. for bond buying cutbacks from India and Brazil at G-20 in Sydney, Australia, and U.S. finance officials Sheets and Sobel
02/14/2014
Sheets at Treasury and Sobel at IMF are U.S. finance officials faced with the task of addressing concerns of India and Brazil on cutbacks in bond buying, lack of progress on IMF changes.
Linked Articles
U.S. to Face G-20 Pressure Over Bond-Buying Cutbacks
Wall Street Journal 02/21/2014
Obama Moves to Fill International Economics PostsWall Street Journal 02/14/2014
Faces of workers quitting work or reducing hours as they qualify for subsidies on health insurance under the Obama Healthcare Law
02/05/2014
Faces of the workers taking subsidies available to lower income workers under the Obama Health Care Law. The Congressional Budget Office projections for 2021 show about the equivalent of 2.3 million workers worth of hours reduced as a result of the healthcare law subsidies giving workers more choice. Many use the time to work on startup business or child care for grandchildren. The jobs freed up and the hours could be taken up by other workers looking for jobs. Gains in childcare would be another result.
Linked Articles
Health Law To Cut Into Labor Force
Wall Street Journal 02/05/2014
They quit their jobs, thanks to the health law - The Washington PostWashington Post 02/09/2014
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