I should have posted this story yesterday: The Department of Education on Wednesday announced new rules for providing aid to students claiming they were defrauded by their colleges that limits some student loan refunds according to income. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the new system "protects taxpayers from being forced to shoulder massive costs that […]
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The Supreme Court of California today issued a decision on an important question for many consumers. In T.H. v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., the question before the court was whether brand-name drug manufacturers can be held liable for injuries caused by inadequately labeled generic drugs. The question arose primarily because, under regulations of the Food and […]
Take a look at the complaint in Communications Workers of America v. T-Mobile US, Inc., et al., No. 17-cv-07232 (N.D. Cal.). It's a plaintiffs' class action naming a defendant class of hundreds of companies that have allegedly used recruitment ads on Facebook to target young people and thus discriminate against older potential job applicants. Here's the first […]
The Washington Post today had two stories on the Federal Communications Commission's repeal of the net neutrality rule that are worth reading: First, in "The net neutrality lawsuits are coming. Here’s what they’re likely to say," technology correspondent Brian Fung anticipates the arguments of state attorneys general and consumer groups expected to challenge the repeal […]
Tax reform was going to be tax simplification. Tax returns on post cards. Right. Read this piece by John Cassidy explaining that besides its "unfairness" and "corrupt nature," [w]hat isn’t yet fully appreciated" about the Trump tax legislation is how porous and potentially unstable the rest of the tax code will be after the bill is passed. […]
Microsoft says it is "eliminating a requirement that employees pursue sexual harassment and gender bias claims through arbitration instead of in court, after revelations this year of improper behavior across technology, entertainment and other industries." The company is also "supporting a proposed federal law that would widely ban [forced arbitration] agreements." That's fantastic news; it truly is. Other businesses […]
In early October of this year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized its payday loan rule. In a press release, the agency described the rule's benefits this way: The CFPB rule aims to stop debt traps by putting in place strong ability-to-repay protections. These protections apply to loans that require consumers to repay all or most of […]
Is this coincidence or self-dealing by our despicable president? It's actually hard to know. David Sirota and Josh Keefe report that Republican congressional leaders and real estate moguls could be personally enriched by a real-estate-related provision GOP lawmakers slipped into the final tax bill released Friday evening, according to experts interviewed by International Business Times. The […]
Public Citizen today put out a short statement about gift cards and forced arbitration provisions, here.
Allison recently posted about the Trump administration's decision to rescind a Department of Transportation proposal requiring airlines to disclose baggage fees at the start of a ticket purchase. Two things that consumers can do. First, Kayak has what looks like a comprehensive chart of all fees — not just bag fees — for all airlines. Second, complain to DOT about the […]