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WASHINGTON A coal-powered electricity plant in Puerto Rico that is releasing toxic coal ash should be shut down immediately because it is harming patients health, several House members said. Whether through production or storage, there is no good outcome related to coal ash, said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), who is originally from the Dominican Republic, which also has a similar plant. It leeches into the water and soil and contaminates part of the water, flora, and fauna. The health impacts we have seen from coal ash in pregnant women and children born in and around coal ash storage . has literally harmed a generation of Dominican-born children with birth defects and conditions that are fatal. I hope that this can be a lesson that we can learn and act on to address, he said.
Consumer groundswell calls for end to bank-supported predatory loans
By Charlene Crowell
OCC calls it ‘True Lender’, but coalition says it’s really ‘Fake Lender’
Last October during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic and its rippling economic downturns, a key federal financial regulator adopted a rule that blesses the “rent-a-bank” scheme where predatory lenders partner with banks to evade state interest rate limits.
Known as the “True Lender” rule, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) gave a green light to predatory lenders. It effectively overrides a string of state laws in almost every state enacted to end abusive payday, car-title, and installment loans with explosive interest rates of more than 100%.
Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.)
Subcommittee Chair Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.) kicked off the event, which ran for nearly 4-1/2 hours. “Thanks to the bold vision of President Biden, we stand at the crossroads of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the nation’s passenger-rail network and bring it into the 21st century,” he said. “Imagine being able to hop on a train in Newark at 9 a.m. and make it to Washington in time for today’s hearing at 11 a.m. High-speed rail could be the technology that fully unlocks the potential of passenger rail in this country.” He noted American technological achievements in the past, and said “there is nothing stopping us from applying the same perseverance to high-speed rail.”
Last October during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic and its rippling economic downturns, a key federal financial regulator adopted a rule that blesses the “rent-a-bank” scheme where predatory lenders partner with banks to evade state interest rate limits.
Known as the “True Lender” rule, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) gave a green light to predatory lenders. It effectively overrides a string of state laws in almost every state enacted to end abusive payday, car-title, and installment loans with explosive interest rates of more than 100%.
Taking effect in late December 2020, the rule facilitates a scheme whereby payday and high-cost installment lenders pay fees to banks for use of their name and charter to dodge state interest rate laws by claiming the bank’s exemption from those laws for itself.
High-Speed Debate Continues in Congress
High-Speed Debate Continues in Congress Written by David Peter Alan, Contributing Editor
The long-simmering controversy over high-speed rail (HSR) continued during a May 6 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Its theme: “When Unlimited Potential Meets Limited Resources: The Benefits and Challenges of High-Speed Rail and Emerging Rail Technologies.”
Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.)
Subcommittee Chair Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.) kicked off the event, which ran for nearly 4-1/2 hours. “Thanks to the bold vision of President Biden, we stand at the crossroads of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the nation’s passenger-rail network and bring it into the 21st century,” he said. “Imagine being able to hop on a train in Newark at 9 a.m. and make it to Washington in time for today’s hearing at 11 a.m. High-speed rail could b