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David Lazarus on health care, the free market, and insulin pricing
In this column, using the controversy over sky-high insulin prices as his case in point, David Lazarus explains why he thinks replacing the Affordable Care Act with a free-market health care system is "doomed from the start." Continue reading
Posted Dec 21, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues proposed rule aimed at saving thousands of lives by requiring vehicle-to-vehicle communications
Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on a range of vehicle-to-vehicle communications to be required in all new cars and light trucks. The agency thinks the rule is revolutionary. As the... Continue reading
Posted Dec 20, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Should older patients seek out female doctors?
Possibly, yes, according to this study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study tested the following question: "Do patient outcomes differ between those treated by male and female physicians?" by examining a "nationally representative data of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries." It... Continue reading
Posted Dec 20, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Consumer Product Safety Commission issues guidance on court secrecy
Hat tip to Arthur Bryant who tells us that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a guidance urging judges and litigants to ensure that every protective order and agreement in litigation “specifically allow for disclosure” to the “CPSC... Continue reading
Posted Dec 19, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Latest FDA information on drug safety and drug labeling changes
The Food and Drug Administration has announced that it "is now making it easier and faster for health care professionals and patients to get the most up-to-date drug safety information on the more than 18,000 drugs available on our website.... Continue reading
Posted Dec 13, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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RICO suit filed by law firm against lawyers who regularly file class-action objections
The law firm Edelson PC has filed a RICO suit against a bunch of lawyers and law firms that regularly represent objectors to class-action settlements. The complaint, filed in federal district court in Chicago, is worth a look. Basically, it... Continue reading
Posted Dec 8, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Michael Hiltzik on what he calls the Carrier "sham"
Here. An excerpt: To begin with, rather than facing punishment from President Trump, Carrier will garner a $7-million state tax break from Indiana over 10 years to keep 730 jobs in town, with no guarantee the jobs will even last... Continue reading
Posted Dec 8, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Watch this video on the safety, cyber-security, and privacy of self-driving (and partially self-driving) vehicles
Click here or on the embedded video below to watch Prof. Christopher Yoo and federal transportation policy journalist Stephanie Beasley discuss the safety, cyber-security, and privacy of self-driving and other automated vehicles. Though there are few completely self-driving cars on... Continue reading
Posted Dec 8, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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The price of airline tickets
Posted Dec 6, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Charging for putting a bag in the overhead bin
United Airlines is charging consumers for putting a bag in the overhead bin. Oh, wait, United is not really charging extra, it's just creating a level of service called "Basic Economy," in which the consumer pays the lowest fare but... Continue reading
Posted Dec 6, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Trying to protect the health of NFL players
We've posted several times about the head-injury settlement between NFL players and the NFL. Go here for instance. That settlement was approved over class members' objections by a federal district court in Philadelphia and by a unanimous panel of the... Continue reading
Posted Dec 5, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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The future (or not) of the CFPB's arbitration rule
Law prof David Noll has written The CFPB's Arbitration Rule: The Road Ahead. Here is the abstract: In May 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it intended to exercise its authority under the Dodd-Frank Act to bar consumer... Continue reading
Posted Nov 29, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Federal court in Texas preliminarily enjoins new Obama Administration overtime rule
We have blogged several times (for instance, here and here) about the new U.S. Labor Department rule that significantly raises the pay threshold that triggers exceptions to the general rule that workers must be paid 1.5 times their ordinary pay... Continue reading
Posted Nov 22, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Mega-mergers, consumer well-being, and high-priced expertise
That's the topic of These Professors Make More Than a Thousand Bucks an Hour Peddling Mega-Mergers, a ProPublica piece by Jesse Eisinger and Justin Elliott. The sub-title of the piece summarizes its thesis: "The economists are leveraging their academic prestige... Continue reading
Posted Nov 21, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Meet our next attorney general
The Department of Justice plays a role in consumer protection. So for that reason (and there are plenty of others), our readers may want to meet our next attorney general (assuming Mr. Trump's nominee is confirmed). See this article by... Continue reading
Posted Nov 18, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Obesity and genetics
Read Americans Blame Obesity on Willpower, Despite Evidence It’s Genetic by Gina Kolata. Continue reading
Posted Nov 15, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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The future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Right after the election, Jeff Sovern wrote for this blog on the future (if any) of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under a new President (and a Congress controlled by the President's party). There's been a lot written on the... Continue reading
Posted Nov 14, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Race and sex discrimination in ride-share services
Do race and gender play a role in how long a customer waits for an uber or lyft? What about cancellation rates? What about cost? A new study, published as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, shows a... Continue reading
Posted Nov 1, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Check out this investigative report on FDA's adverse-event reporting system for medical devices
The Minneapolis Star Tribune has published this investigative report on the FDA's adverse-event reporting system for medical devices. The Star Tribune used the Freedom of Information Act to get information from the FDA about patient injuries associated with medical devices.... Continue reading
Posted Oct 27, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Shopping and (the lack of) privacy
Read Kaveh Waddell's article entitled Incessant Consumer Surveillance Is Leaking Into Physical Stores. Here's an excerpt: You just wanted to shop for a birthday gift in peace—instead, you got ads that follow you around the internet, and coupons in your... Continue reading
Posted Oct 26, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Self-driving delivery trucks. Really.
This article by Laura Northrup is about self-driving delivery trucks. Yes, apparently, at least one of them has hit the rough and rowdy road. Here's an excerpt that may pique your interest: AB InBev and Uber teamed up last week... Continue reading
Posted Oct 25, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Cybersecurity and the October 21 denial-of-service attack on the Internet
Posted Oct 25, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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Could lost airline luggage become (almost) a thing of the past?
This article by Hugo Martin explains that "[a]irlines could dramatically reduce the number of bags that are mishandled if they add tiny radio frequency devices to their luggage tags." Continue reading
Posted Oct 24, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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How should the law treat the gig economy?
To quote law prof Orly Lobel, "gig workers" are "people who provide contracted, freelance work on a short-term basis via digital platform technologies." Uber drivers are well-known examples. Lobel goes on: "Gig workers are drivers, delivery-people, personal assistants, handymen, cleaners,... Continue reading
Posted Oct 24, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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What about the merits of PHH Corp. v. CFPB?
There's been a lot of interest in the constitutional ruling in PHH Corporation v. CFPB (D.C. Cir.) -- that it's not constitutionally okay for an independent agency to be directed by just one person who may only be removed for... Continue reading
Posted Oct 23, 2016 at CL&P Blog
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