Are you getting what is advertised?

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Four major retailers were accused by the New York State attorney general’s office of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements. The attorney general demanded that they remove the products from their shelves. Questions: 1. Who were the four national retailers? 2. What were the results of tests performed on the supplements? 3. In summary,… Read more »

Why Can’t I Get A Break on Airline Tickets, with Gas Down to Record Lows?

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Even with oil prices down, it seems like airline tickets are either increasing in price or staying level. In fact in October 2014, there were four separate attempts by U.S. airlines to hike airfares with mixed success. But why? Questions: 1. To what conditions does Seany attribute the high airline ticket prices? 2. Do you… Read more »

Military Contracting Failures: A $1.5 Trillion Mistake

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The F-35 is being produced by 1,200 suppliers. Seen as the fighter jet of the future, it has trouble flying at night, its engines have exploded during takeoff, and early models suffered structural cracks. Questions: 1. Why is the military still pursuing the production of this pink elephant? Why doesn’t technology become less costly for… Read more »

Marriott to pay $600,000 to Resolve WI-FI-Blocking Investigation

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In March 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received a complaint that the Marriott convention center at the Gaylord Opryland location in Nashville, Tennessee was in violation of Section 333 of the Communications Act. After an FCC investigation substantiated unlawful use of containment features, Marriott agreed to pay $600,000. Questions: 1. What did the FCC’s… Read more »

Financial Worries Spark Divorce Settlement Appeals

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In late 2014, oil tycoon Harold Hamm called a divorce settlement with his ex-wife, Sue Ann Arnall, equitable and fair, awarding her about $1 billion. Since then his holdings in oil have decreased dramatically and he argues that her award is a substantially larger proportion than he first agreed to. Questions: 1. Who is Harold… Read more »

That’s the Walmart Way!

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An Oklahoma City Walmart is asking employees to donate food to help their coworkers make ends meet during the holiday season. The company drew criticism for similar employee food drives a year ago. Besides incurring a total public assistance cost of $6.2 billion per year, Walmart has been criticized for running a corporate charity called… Read more »

Investment Bankers: Less trustworthy than prison inmates?

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According to The Atlantic, a new paper in Nature takes a scientific approach to the accusations of dishonesty in the banking industry. Participants in the study indicated that they thought bankers would be more dishonest than prison inmates in over-reporting successful coin flips. Questions: 1. According to economist Marie Claire Villeval, what are the implications… Read more »

Medical Malpractice Reform: Will it save money?

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According to the New York Times, many people believe that medical malpractice reform is the key to removing waste from the health care system and making the practice of medicine better. But a growing body of evidence shows that belief is most likely mistaken. Questions: 1. What is the rationale for malpractice reform as cost… Read more »

The new trend in non-compete clauses

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If you are a chief executive of a large company, you very likely have a non-compete clause in your contract and also understand the importance of this clause in preventing you from jumping ship to a competitor until some period has elapsed. However, according to the New York Times, non-compete clauses are popping up in… Read more »

The Justice System and The Costs of Being Poor

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According to Mr. Edsall, the new growth industry, on the backs of the poor, seems to be private probation, correctional, and detention companies. In fact, Corrections Corporation of America, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and reported revenues of $1.69 billion in 2013. Questions: 1. This collection of private probation companies and the… Read more »