Contrary to what the NYT asserts, taxi drivers who can get competent legal advice might find bankruptcy allows them to escape onerous medallion loan burdens – and keep their medallions.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
FDA Allowed Medtronic to Shield Info on Heart Device Failures
Medtronic allowed to report in secret the failures of its heart device – concealing information from patients, their doctors, and consumer advocates.
Trump’s Sneak Attack on Social Security
Trump budget proposal incorporates an attack on Social Security, advocating a switch to the chained Consumer Price Index (CPI) to index the federal definition of poverty, a step that would result in lower benefits.
Public-Private Partnerships Fad Fails
After the failure and abuses of privatization became apparent, public-private partnerships have since been promoted to mobilize private finance for the public purpose. PPPs have socialized costs and losses while ensuring private financial gains.
2:00PM Water Cooler 5/21/2019
Today’s Water Cooler: Biden, Gravel, Moulton, Sanders to Walmart, Trump, IA, Rahm Emanuel, impeachment, DCCC blacklist, home sales, rare earths, store closures, Instagram breach, robot trucks, climate change and microorganisms, labor in China, how the rich game the SATs, Margaret Hamilton
EPA Changes Math to Allow Burning of More Coal
EPA proposes methodology change to allow states to opt to burn more coal.
Bill Black: Ocasio-Cortez & Sanders Introduce Bill to Cap Credit Card Interest Rates at 15%
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders introduce legislation: they call it Loan Shark Prevention, which would allow post offices to act as banks and cap interest rates at 15%, but credit card companies claim it would hurt the poor.
“Code Red” at Tesla as Carmaggedon Sinks Tesla Bonds, Carmaker May Need Another $1-2 Billion Before Year End
Tesla is floundering and even stalwarts are losing hope.
The Bad News About Nudges: They Might Be Backfiring
Public policy nudges devised by fans of behavioral scientst Richard Thaler might not be all that they are cracked up to be.
2:00PM Water Cooler 5/20/2019
Today’s Water Cooler: Nouriel Roubini on China v. US, Democrat insiders on a brokered convention, Biden, Inslee, Sanders, Democrats on FOX, Democrat big tent, national activity index, device ownership, Happy #WorldBeeDay, Game of Thrones debacle, AFL-CIO on the means of production, AI
Waste Watch: Fashion Stumbles on Sustainability
The fashion industry struggles to be more sustainable – is the answer more regulation, or can the industry reform on its own?
The Battle for Rights of Nature Heats Up in the Great Lakes
Public interest lawyers strive to give legal teeth to a Lake Erie Bill of Rights, a ballot initiative passed by Ohio voters in February.
