November 19, 2010
Science Friday: The Science of Foreclosure
… And the anatomy of fraud. Matt Taibbi reports on the “rocket docket” handled by a Florida court, where systematic fraud flourishes, the sense of US justice all but disappears, and a judge sees nothing wrong with using intimidation to get his way, which is to make bad mortgages disappear, human beings be damned.
Here’s a slice from the article (which absolutely should be read in full):
A recent divorcee delinquent in her payments, she has come to court today fully expecting to be foreclosed on by Wells Fargo. She sits down and takes a quick look around at the lawyers who are here to kick her out of her home. “The land has been in my family for four generations,” she tells me later. “I don’t want to be the one to lose it.”
Judge Soud pipes up and inquires if there’s a plaintiff lawyer present; someone has to lop off this woman’s head so the court can move on to the next case. But then something unexpected happens: It turns out that Kessler is supposed to be foreclosing on her today, but he doesn’t have her folder. The plaintiff, technically, has forgotten to show up to court.
Just minutes before, I had watched what happens when defendants don’t show up in court: kerchunk! The judge more or less automatically rules for the plaintiffs when the homeowner is a no-show. But when the plaintiff doesn’t show, the judge is suddenly all mercy and forgiveness. Soud simply continues Cooper’s case, telling Kessler to get his shit together and come back for another whack at her in a few weeks. Having done this, he dismisses everyone.
What happens next is stunning. This article is available for free; keep supporting great reporting by subscribing to Rolling Stone here.
November 18, 2010
Obama Presents Medal of Honor
President Obama presents Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunt, of the US Army, with the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. He is the the first living service member from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to receive it.
November 16, 2010
Bruce Talks “Darkness” on “Fresh Air”
Actor Ed Norton interviews Bruce Springsteen about his newly released album, “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” (On “Fresh Air,” from the Toronto Film Festival in September.)
Balance the Budget, Donkeys and Elephants!
The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform recently came out with a plan to reduce some taxes and raise others and cut spending, all to slice the federal budget deficit. But if you don’t like the commission’s plan — perhaps you don’t want to lose your mortgage interest deduction or work until age 69 — The New York Times is letting you come up with a better one using its Budget Puzzle. Yes, now you too can “fix” the budget and see how easy or hard the task should be for federal officials. Who knew the GDP, marginal tax rates, and farm subsidies could be fun?
November 12, 2010
Science Friday: A Brush With a Precocious Turkey
Science Friday: Ah, it’s turkey season. Australian brush turkey hatchlings emerge from their shells better at climbing than their parents. They also help their Moms and Dads program the VCR and send the “Twitters” too. Check out their mad skills, here and below.