The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Seasoned Qualified Mortgage Proposal and GSE Patch
The Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) patch is likely to expire in January 2021. This change poses concerns to many individuals, as it would make access to mortgages more challenging for less qualified, but still worthy candidates. For background, the GSE patch overrides the 2013 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rules intended to reduce the risk [...]
On December 9, 2020 argument is scheduled for Collins v. Mnuchin at the Supreme Court. The case originated in the Fifth Circuit and the Court of Appeals issued an en banc opinion on September 6, 2019. The primary questions before the Court are whether the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s structure violates the separation of powers and [...]
Nationwide protests in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd have put a spotlight on the profound injustices of the criminal legal system. Much of the criticism has rightly focused on the abuses in policing and incarceration. But along with abusive policing, another urgent threat that impoverished communities face under this system is the [...]
Examining Airline Market Power in Light of COVID-19 Bailouts
Giants run the airline industry. Today, four airlines, American, United, Delta, and Southwest, control over 65 percent of the market. They achieved this level of dominance in just the past twenty years, with merger after merger cutting the number of major airlines left today into less than half the number that existed in 2000. The [...]
Many practitioners, to say nothing of members of the press, recently have come to ask: “What’s up with John Roberts? Has he become a liberal?” This, of course, started with National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, where the Chief Justice voted with the four liberal justices to uphold the Affordable Care Act. But it [...]
Mt. Rushmore Is Too Small: A Walking Tour of Montgomery for My Students
This essay describes a walk not taken with my students. Here is a pdf version for anyone that might like to have a copy of this material for personal or educational use. The purpose of the walk was to show one thing: a big monument cannot fix a small person or a bad idea. This [...]
The CFPB Needs an Effective Whistleblower Program to Oversee Payday Lending
Regulators need to know what happens out in the world to understand and to oversee the industries under their supervision. Information flow may be a particular challenge for overseeing payday lending. At present, most states do not have database systems to track payday lending operations. Even when states do have database systems, federal regulators may [...]
Deprived of Voice or Home: Disability Rights Under National and International Law in Hungary
In 2007, Hungary ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a wide-ranging and forward-thinking treaty designed to advance the human rights of those with disabilities. This reflected on the international level what Hungary seemed to be doing on the national level. The year before, Hungary adopted a new National Disability Programme [...]
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the City of Joy has recently witnessed a spike in bicycle sales, as the commuters are opting for a safer and pocket-friendly alternative to public transport. To accommodate these emerging cyclists, the Chief Minister of West Bengal has urged the traffic police to give them, more access to the urban roads [...]
Paycheck Protection Program Reform Bill May Add Some Needed Flexibility
On June 3, 2020, the Senate passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, H.R. 7010. The bill received bipartisan support in the House with a 417-1 vote. The bill attempts to ease restrictions on small businesses that seek loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), a CARES Act initative. The initial $350 billion in [...]
