The Congressional Budget Office has released a study on the effect of federal tax credits on the purchase of all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. (A summary of the study is here, and the full study and underlying data can be accessed from here.) The tax credits can be as much as $7,500 per car. That […]
Author Archives: Brian Wolfman
Arsenic is a potential human carcinogen. Federal regulation limits arsenic in drinking water to 10 parts per billion. (The strictest state-law limit is in New Jersey, where the limit is 5 ppb.) An in-depth study by Consumers Union has found surprisingly high levels of arsenic in foods containing rice. Arsenic gets into food in various […]
From Stephen Colbert here and embedded below: The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
At this blog, we have covered the increasing size of the country's aggregate student loan debt and the question whether college is worth the cost for many people with student loan debt. Catherine Rampell, drawing on work done at the Hamilton Project, says here that college is generally a good investment even for those who take on […]
In this short video (also embedded below), Justice Scalia says that he is "enraged" by claims that the Supreme Court is "politicized." None of his colleagues, he says, decide cases based on who the President is. He then goes on to explain why justices appointed by Democratic Presidents often vote one way (the non-originalist, non-textual […]
Recently, I posted about eBay's new binding pre-dispute mandatory arbitration clause (which includes a class-action ban). The clause provides a time-limited right to opt out. eBay has designed the opt-out to make it seem like the company is giving consumers a real option to resolve their future disputes with eBay in court, while really trying […]
That's the conclusion of this new Congressional Research Service study: There is not conclusive evidence … to substantiate a clear relationship between the 65-year steady reduction in the top tax rates and economic growth. Analysis of such data suggests the reduction in the top tax rates have had little association with saving, investment, or productivity […]
Former Governor Romney has said that he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act (and replace it with what he says are more market-oriented policies) and modify Medicare. He says that his health care reforms would not negatively affect the benefits of anyone 55 or older. This article by Sarah Kliff questions that claim. Here's […]
We posted recently about Microsoft's new arbitration clause with its subscribers banning class actions a la AT&T v. Concepcion. Now, Ebay has amended its form contract with its users to do the same thing. But the contract has a twist. Users can opt out: Opt-Out Procedure You can choose to reject this Agreement to Arbitrate […]
We've blogged a number of times (for instance, here and here) on NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to ban the sale of sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces. The idea is behavior modification: One factor in obesity is drinking sugary drinks, and the ban will force some consumers to drink less of them. […]