Author Archives: Jerri-Lynn Scofield

Links 5/31/19

Glyphosate Use Surges in Midwest, Lawsuits Mount: What Will the Supremes Say?

Glyposphate use increases throughout the Midwest, and Bayer loses its third Roundup case. The company appears confident that higher US courts will reverse pro-plaintiff verdicts.

AOC Calls for Ban on Revolving Door as Study Shows 2/3 of Recently Departed Lawmakers Now Lobbyists

AOC outs an unlikely ally after tweet calling for a lifetime ban on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists: an attempt to stop the revolving door between “public service” and personal profit.

Trump Admin’s Latest Rail Safety Rollback Sets up Industry to Make Its Own Rules

Trump administration continues to follow the self-regulation gospel – this time in the area of rail safety. This case study in corporate capture of American regulation is yet another area where the accidents are just waiting to happen.

Bankruptcy: An Option for Taxi Drivers Crushed by Medallion Loans?

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.

Links 5/22/19

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.

EPA Changes Math to Allow Burning of More Coal

EPA proposes methodology change to allow states to opt to burn more coal.

Links 5/21/19

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.

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?

Links 5/20/19

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.