Category Archives: Banana republic

Democratic Presidential Candidates Face 7 Hours of Tough Questions on Climate Change, From Fracking to Fossil Fuels

CNN hosts seven hour town hall with Democratic presidential candidates on climate change: recap of key exchanges.

CalPERS’ Blatant Election and Mail Fraud: See-Through Envelopes for Completed Ballots; Illegal Electioneering by Treasurer Fiona Ma, Board Members David Miller and Theresa Taylor; Huge and Illegally Opaque Spending Against Challenger JJ Jelincic

CalPERS takes its election fixing to a new level.

North Carolina Did What SCOTUS Wouldn’t – Ended GOP Gerrymandering

RNN interview with Dan Vicuna, discussing how a North Carolina state court recently stopped a Republican gerrymandering plan.

While PG&E Played a ‘Cat and Mouse Game’ With California Regulators, Where Was Kamala?

The WSJ account of how PG&E played a “cat and mouse game” with regulators; alas, California’s utilities commission “is not a particularly adroit cat.”

Private Equity and Surprise Medical Billing

Private equity has glommed onto the healthcare sector, and drives the “surprise” medical billing. phenomenon.

‘Father Is Surgeon’: How Money Talked in USC Admissions Scandal

Defense attorney releases emails documenting just how seriously USC officials weighed family donations in making admissions decisions.

Brexit: Thar She Blows

Does Parliament’s revolt agaist Boris Johnson on Brexit amount to progress?

CEO Compensation Increased 940% Between 1978 and 2018, Workers’ Only by 12%

An Economic Policy Institute study shows that the dramatic increase in CEO compensation has a large impact on increasing inequality. Absent the explosive rise in CEO compensation, worker pay could have doubled.

AOC Calls Out Barbara Boxer for Helping Lyft Fight Against California Labor Bill

AOC: Former government officials “should not become corporate lobbyists, in letter or spirit.”

Bill Black: Is it Cynical to Believe the System is Corrupt?

Bill Black presents evidence the system is corrupt and rigged against ordinary people – a sentiment with which a new poll shows many agree.

Reminder: DNC Lawyers to Court, “We Do Not Owe Voters an ‘Impartial’ or ‘Evenhanded’ Primary Election”

The DNC is a club and if you are reading this post, you are probably not in it.

A European Perspective on Boeing’s 737 MAX Debacle: An “Existential Crisis” for a National Champion

Four existential threats to Boeing: Adverse court judgments, losing insurance retroactively, new competitors, and the end of today’s regulatory regime.

Flood the Market

Buyouts can save Houston’s flood-soaked homeowners — if they can get one. Instead, ordinary homeowners fail to qualify, and real estate speculators make out.