Category Archives: Ridiculously obvious scams

Investigation: How Pesticide Companies Are Marketing Themselves as a Solution to Climate Change

After decades of denial and delay by big agribusiness, the pesticides industry now appears to have become a climate champion.

Nick Corbishley: Bankruptcy Looms As Cash-Starved UK Local Councils’ High-Risk Real Estate Bets Sour

UK councils were already in trouble due to austerity, inflated charges for services, and mismanagement. Covid is set to generate bankruptcies

Outsourcing: A Personal Window on the Rise of Grifting

Some vignettes from the rise of outsourcing.

McKinsey, Deloitte Charge Big Bucks to States for Botched Covid Projects

McKinsey and some other big consulting names are taking advantage of Covid-overwhelmed state governments.

Affluent Authoritarianism: New Evidence on Public Opinion and Policy

New research shows once again that it’s large firms and the 1%—not the “median voter”—who drive U.S. policy.

Stop Girdling the Post Office

A pre-election reminder of the importance of saving the Post Office.

Gig Worker Employment Fights Like Those in California Pit Flexibility Against a Livable Wage – But ‘Platform Cooperatives’ Could Ensure Workers Get Both

A proposal to improve gig worker bargaining power and solidarity.

Savvy Patient Fought for the Price She Was Quoted − And Didn’t Give Up

Another case of patient-gouging that got cleaned up only when the press called.

Hubert Horan: The Airline Industry Collapse Part 5 – The Battle to Protect Airline Investors From Economic Reality Enters a New Phase

Why the big airline operators’ talk about turning the corner in early 2021 is bunk.

Goldman Gets Off Easy in 1MDB Scandal Despite Further $2.9 Billion in Payments, Criminal Charge Against Malaysian Sub

Despite the big numbers, Goldman gets the kid glove treatment relative to the severity of its 1MBD misconduct.

CalPERS: Poster Child of Private Equity Cargo Cultism

CalPERS’ zealous defense of private equity looks pathological. So we hazard a diagnosis.

Latest Election Stunt Proves Uber and Lyft Are Their Own Worst Political Enemies

Quelle surprise! Uber and Lyft are acting in bad faith in their struggles to get out of being classified as employers.

Milton Friedman Versus Stakeholder Capitalism

Looking at the damage Milton Friedman did by advocating corporate irresponsibility, which more and more orthodox economists have questioned.

Why Has Mayoral Candidate Scott Stringer Invested New York City Pensions in Private Equity Firms Like Blackstone?

The New York City pension system provides more proof that investing in private equity hurts performance.