Thousands of former students at bankrupt for-profit schools run by ITT, Corinthian Colleges, and others are still on the hook for millions of dollars in student loans, even though the Department of Education approved their claims for a refund. Now, lawmakers want Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to explain why. [More]
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Lawmakers Ask Education Secretary DeVos To Explain Delayed Loan Forgiveness For ITT, Corinthian Students
By 5.18.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
United Airlines Ups Compensation For Bumped Passengers To $10K
By 4.27.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Over the past several weeks, United Airlines has taken steps to put an April 9 incident in which a passenger was violently removed from a flight behind it: revising crew travel policies, discontinuing the use of law enforcement to remove passengers, compensating passengers on the controversial flight, and, of course, issuing several apologies. Now the airline is revamping how it compensates passengers being bumped from flights and answering lingering questions from lawmakers. [More]
Senators Give Yahoo 10 Days To Answer For Massive Breaches
By 2.13.17
Verizon’s $4.8 billion acquisition of Yahoo might still be going forward as planned, but that doesn’t mean the latter company is exempt from answering some tough questions about its massive data breaches: Lawmakers have given Yahoo until Feb. 23 to answer for the company’s actions related to the hacks. [More]
Lawmakers: Wells Fargo Employee Files Show Bank Knew Of Fake Account Fiasco
By 11.4.16
Under federal law, when brokers or other registered representatives leave a position with a banking institution, that company is required to notify the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) with a form that includes a field that describes why the worker was leaving. It’s those filings that lawmakers are pointing to now, claiming that Wells Fargo knew well in advance that its employees were taking part in the now infamous fake account fiasco. [More]
Senators Urge Continued Oversight Of For-Profit Colleges Amid Another Closure
By 9.30.16
For-profit college operators continued to take hits this week, as lawmakers called for federal aid restriction on the Computer Systems Institute brand, and smaller Regency Beauty Institute brand announced it would close. [More]
Senators: No More Federal Funding To For-Profit Colleges That Strip Students Of Legal Rights
By 2.12.16
If your college breaks the law, you should be able to pursue a legal action in court. But following the lead of banks, wireless providers, and cable companies some for-profit colleges have been stripping students of their legal rights and forcing them into arbitration. These schools should not receive federal funding, says one group of lawmakers. [More]
Panel: Takata Lacks Quality Control Processes, Policies For Addressing Defects
By 2.3.16
An independent review panel hired by Takata — the company behind the ongoing recall of millions of defective, potentially dangerous, airbags — found that the parts maker lacks processes to improve the quality of its products, or to adequately address problems in its devices once they are installed in vehicles.
[More]
Senators Question Takata’s Ability To Complete Recall Replacement Amid Fines, Lost Customers
By 11.10.15
With Japanese auto parts maker Takata facing a $70 million fine from federal regulators, and car manufacturers ditching the company’s airbags, lawmakers urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure the company is able to complete the repairs to millions of vehicles in the event it files for bankruptcy. [More]
Senators Call For Recall Of All Vehicles With Takata Airbags
By 8.20.15
Because it could take some time for federal investigators to determine the cause of a ruptured Takata airbag in a Volkswagen — a carmaker that hadn’t been part of any earlier exploding, shrapnel-shooting airbag recalls — some lawmakers are calling for a recall of all vehicles equipped with airbags made by Takata. [More]
Senators Urge Dept. Of Education To Provide Support To Students Affected By Corinthian Colleges Closure
By 5.8.15
Ever since now-bankrupt Corinthian Colleges Inc. began its downward spiral, consumer advocates, students and legislators have urged the powers that be to provide relief for students of Everest University, Heald College and WyoTech. Today, that plea continued as nine senators called on the Department of Education to provide support to the 16,000 students affected by the company’s final closure. [More]
Senators Call For Attorney General Investigation Into Executives Of Corinthian Colleges
By 5.6.15
Bankrupt for-profit college chain Corinthian Colleges Inc. is already party to a number of state and federal investigations related to the alleged deceptive recruiting practices at its Heald College, WyoTech and Everest University campuses. Now, a group of senators are hoping to add another investigation to the roster. [More]
Senators Want To Close Federal Funding Loophole Exploited By For-Profit Colleges
By 4.23.15
Each year for-profit colleges receive billions of dollars in Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits by exploiting a loophole in the rules that govern how these institutions collect federal funds. Once again, a group of senators has set out to change the way in which these schools count student aid, this time by urging the Department of Education to take an aggressive stand. [More]
Senators Introduce Legislation To Make Private Student Loans Dischargeable In Bankruptcy
By 3.12.15
Since 2005, student borrowers have been unable to discharge their private student loans through the process of bankruptcy. But that could soon change after a group of 12 senators introduced a bill aimed at addressing the current student debt crisis by restoring the bankruptcy code to hold private student loans in the same regard as other private unsecured debts. [More]
Senators Chastise Govt. For Making Money Off Struggling Student Loan Borrowers, Not Offering Enough Relief
By 2.27.15
For several years now the government has offered federal student loan forgiveness programs aimed at helping borrowers to avoid defaulting on their debts. While recent reports have shown that the popularity of the programs has exceeded expectations, a group of six senators say the Department of Education could do more given the billions of dollars in payments it receives from federal loans each year. [More]
Are Cellphone Exclusivity Deals Bad For Consumers?
By 6.16.09
Yesterday, four U.S. Senators sent a letter to FCC acting chairman Michael Copps requesting an investigation into whether exclusivity deals between handset makers and national carriers are ultimately good for consumers, and they plan to hold a hearing on the issue on Wednesday, June 16th. They join a growing number of people and organizations, including the Rural Cellular Association (RCA), who say exclusivity deals benefit no one but the carriers and manufacturers.
Survey: Politicians Pretty Much Suck At Paying Taxes
By 2.11.09
Following up on the multiple Obama nominees who’ve had tax troubles, Politico asked the 99 members of the Senate whether they’ve ever had mistakes on their tax returns or filed back taxes. Yes and yes.
Wireless Carriers Tell Senate: "Text Messaging Rates Have Dropped, And Your Queries Have Led To Lawsuits Against Us!"
By 10.14.08
The national wireless carriers have responded to the Senate’s request for information on why its text-messaging fees have doubled over the past three years. Their collective response: they haven’t gotten more expensive, they’ve gotten cheaper—and your public suspicion of our business practices has led to lots of class action lawsuits!
The Internet Is Made of Tubes
By 7.6.06
No matter what you think of the Net Neutrality hub-bub — an insidious plot by clueless telecoms petulantly whining because their role on the web has been denigrated to that of mere pipes, or just the free-market at work — I think we can call agree that Senator Ted Stevens’ explanation of how the internet works stops just short of making it analogous to a stopped-up men’s room toilet:
