Media

Michael Lewis’ new book, “Flash Boys,” relates a real-life techno thriller in which a trader who identifies and ultimately thwarts a scheme deployed by piratical “High Frequency Traders” to squeeze a relatively small amount out of many stock transactions being executed electronically. As our hero’s trade bounced around hyperspace looking for the best price, the HFTs would detect its path, use their speed to get in front of the trade, and buy up the inventory so that the price of our hero’s trade could be dictated.

At the heart of the social contract lie three pretty simple propositions: First, that if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll lead a secure life. Second, that everyone gets a say in how the rules are made. And, third, that whoever breaks the rules, however high and might they are, is held accountable.

Weighing in at more than $1 trillion, student loan debt is now larger than total credit card debt. Morning Editionrecently asked young adults about their biggest concerns, and more than two-thirds of respondents mentioned college debt. Many say they have put off marriage or buying a home because of the financial burden they took on as students. [...]

A victory in the civil rights battle for voting was registered in Florida last week over those with an agenda to purge voters from rolls. The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled on April 2 that when Congress declared in the National Voter Registration Act that voters’ names could not be systematically removed from rolls within 90 days of a federal election, that that’s exactly what they meant. Therefore, the voter purging program that Florida Gov.

“How can you pay your debt, if you can’t get a job?” That’s the straight-forward question Council Member Debi Rose asked on the steps of New York’s City Hall this morning, as she stood up as a lead sponsor of legislation which would ban discrimination against job applicants and employees based on their personal credit histories.  

Council Member Rose continued:

NYC Council Members will join community, labor, and civil rights groups to call for passage of “The Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act,” a bill to eliminate the unfair and discriminatory use of credit checks by employers. If passed, the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act would be the strongest law protecting workers from unfair employment credit checks, in the nation. New Yorkers denied jobs based on information in their credit reports will tell their stories and will be available for interviews.

The Supreme Court just decided an incredibly important case called McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (FEC). The Court's ruling will allow unprecedented amounts of money to flow directly into our political system. [...]