Up In the Air
Greetings from a plane somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean! I was on vacation in Spain this week, so I’ve taken advantage of the modern miracle of airplane wi-fi to clean out the Bookmarks tab and link a dozen or so stories I didn’t get a chance to write about in the last year or two.
Deep in the Tabs
A Venezuelan couple borrowed millions against (and lived in) pricey Miami mansions for years.
In an era of low interest rates, Wall Street firms poured billions into buying and selling music rights. Have they massively overpaid?
Soon, half of Medicare will be privatized. Every major insurer in the program has been accused of or admitted to massive fraud, costing the government billions a year.
Last year, MLB partnered with a vodka brand that…hadn’t existed prior. You might (?) be able to get some this year, in a few states, if MLB Vodka makes it that long.
Private Equity firms are acquiring toddler gyms and resorting to aggressive tactics to squeeze profits from child care - driving some owners out of business or deep into debt.
A behind the scenes look into how Netflix has become a sprawling content powerhouse - can it take advantage of its head start and grow its subscriber base and produce more hits than misses?
A niche but lucrative tax scam - Syndicated Conservation Easements - makes the rich money for empty land. Despite years of pushback, powerful lobbyists are fighting to keep the arcane law.
Debt collectors and payday lenders made over $500 million seizing PPP funds during the pandemic.
The turkey industry has controlled salmonella. Chicken producers still refuse to take the necessary steps to protect the public.
Many companies - most recently Johnson & Johnson - are attempting to use the Texas Two Step to avoid huge liability claims. How does it work?
Gulf countries have used trillions in oil wealth to become influential investors and lenders, as they hide their launder their geopolitical reputations in financial markets.
Cerebral, a buzzy telehealth startup, supplied addicts and the mentally ill with drugs, but its support staff weren’t equipped to handle serious mental and medical issues. Overdoses and deaths followed.
For years, the DEA paid rogue employees inside other federal agencies to turn over private data without getting warrants.
May these uplifting, heartwarming studies keep you busy while I’m sleeping off the ham hangover.
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