Category Archives: Uncategorized

Suppression of Negative Studies on Prescription Drugs

Read this extensive post at Naked Capitalism entitled "'The Drugs Don't Work': How the Medical-Industrial Complex Systematically Suppresses Negativess Studies." Here's a very brief excerpt: [Although] the overt corruption of science at work in the drug arena … comes to light from time to time, often in the context of litigation, the lay public is […]

States join challenge to Dodd-Frank

Continuing what seems to have become a trendy move for Republican attorneys-general, the states of Michigan, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are joining a legal challenge to another signature Obama law. Here's a helpful summary from the Blog of Legal Times: Three states have joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Dodd-Frank Act, complaining that […]

CBO Issues Study on Effect of Federal Tax Credits on the Purchase of Electric Cars (and related topics)

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 […]

New Consumer Reports Study on Arsenic in Foods Containing Rice

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 […]

Justice Scalia on Whether the Supreme Court is Politicized

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 […]

Adam Levitin with More on Binding Pre-Dispute Mandatory Consumer Arbitration and the Right to Opt Out

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 […]

No Evidence of Relationship Between Marginal Tax Rates for Rich People and Economic Growth

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 […]