Source: Is India facing its worst-ever water crisis? – BBC News
The flow of the legendary Ganges river appears to be receding, sparking concerns about India’s rising water crisis, writes Soutik Biswas.
the evidence about the declining water levels and waning health of the 2,500km (1,553 miles)-long Ganges, which supports a quarter of India’s 1.3 billion people, is mounting.
Source: Too much of a good thing
Profits are too high. America needs a giant dose of competition
Though American companies now make a fifth of their profits abroad, their naughty secret is that their return-on-equity is 40% higher at home.
Business spending on lobbying doubled over the period as incumbents sought to shape regulations in ways that suited them. The rising importance of intangible assets, particularly patents, has meant that an ability to manage industry regulators and the challenges of litigation is more valuable than ever.
Source: The FBI Has Successfully Unlocked The iPhone Without Apple’s Help : The Two-Way : NPR
The Justice Department says it is withdrawing its legal action against Apple because it has been able to get data from a terrorist’s phone. A spokeswoman says the FBI is reviewing the data.
It took FBI investigators about a week to test a third-party tool and successfully crack the San Bernardino shooters’ iPhone passcode.
Everyone at the FBI responsible for either a) lying about the need to force Apple to do something and/or b) taking 5 months to use a third-party tool when national security was/is at stake, should be reprimanded (or fired if/as appropriate).
Source: Lotteries: America’s $70 Billion Shame – The Atlantic
People spent more money playing the lottery last year [in 2015] than on books, video games, and tickets for movies and sporting events combined.
Source: Andy Grove’s Warning to Silicon Valley – The New York Times
A 2010 essay urges “job-centric” economics and politics, involving an all-out commitment to American manufacturing. … According to Mr. Andy Grove, Silicon Valley was squandering its competitive edge in innovation by failing to propel strong job growth in the United States.