LABOR, ECONOMY & THE CLIMATE - page 35

The Department of Education made “unsupported and inaccurate” findings last year about its loan servicers’ compliance with laws designed to protect active-duty members of the US military. The May 2015 claims–which stated only 1 percent of servicemembers were incorrectly denied interest rate caps–were based on flawed surveys and illogical conclusions, the department’s inspector general said on Tuesday. The watchdog noted that an 8 percent “incorrect denial rate” would have been more accurate for the department to report, based on its own data. But it said that the… Keep Reading

Those on the frontlines of the next financial crisis lack critical safeguards, lawmakers said, as they introduced new legislation that enhances protections and rewards for conscientious disclosures. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (R-Md.) on Thursday unveiled the Whistleblower Augmented Reward and Non-Retaliation Act, or WARN Act. The bill would target Wall Street employers that attempt to worm their way out of enhanced whistleblower laws established in 2010. The Dodd-Frank Act gave bankers safe avenues through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodities Future Trading… Keep Reading

The Obama administration reacted to historic right-wing obstruction in the Senate by leaking the idea of nominating a Republican to the Supreme Court. Two unnamed sources told the Washington Post Wednesday that the White House is vetting Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Nev.) to take the place of the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. The Post described the pair “as two people familiar with the process” Administration Press Secretary Josh Earnest downplayed the reports, telling journalists, “I suspect it is only the first of many stories that speculate on potential Supreme… Keep Reading

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) continues to show no intention of uncritically embracing the Democratic Party’s agenda in his bid to secure its presidential nomination. The rebellious candidate took a principled stand on Wednesday to criticize the White House’s newest agency chief. Just after the Senate confirmed Dr. Robert Califf to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an 89 to 4 vote, Sanders fired off a statement saying he was “disappointed.” “I opposed his nomination because I was not convinced that he would stand up to… Keep Reading

The Supreme Court looks set to remain short-handed long into the future after GOP Senate leaders formally pledged to resist any effort by President Obama to seat a new justice on the high court’s bench. In a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday, Republican members of the Judiciary Committee stated that they would not consider any Obama nomination to replace the hyper-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. Led by Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.), they claimed that their obstruction was formed on sound constitutional grounds.… Keep Reading

If you have recently felt more cheated than normal by airlines, you aren’t alone, according to the US government. Air travelers lodged more complaints with federal regulators last year than they did in 2014, the Department of Transportation said Thursday. The number of complaints filed with the department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division was up by 29.8 percent in 2015—to 20,170, from 15,539 in 2014. The most frequently cited grievances in both years were broadly classified by the department as “flight problems”—cancellations, delays, and missed connections. It reported hearing 6,433… Keep Reading