The State of California Vs. JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Thursday, California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris, sued JPMorgan Chase & Co. for unlawful debt collection practices. The bank used illegal tactics to collect debts from credit card holders. Between 2008 and 2011, the company’s in-house lawyers filed 100 lawsuits per day; the outside counsel filed over 20,000 lawsuits. Harris is accusing the company of cutting corners in order to speed up trials and cut costs. Apparently, the company did not review files and bank statements related to the lawsuits, it did not review documents in filing debt-collection lawsuits, it did a poor job of drafting legal filings, and it failed to properly notify its customers of the lawsuits. Harris seeks a permanent ban on the alleged illegal practices and damages for borrowers who were harmed during the trials.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/california-jpmorgan-debt-collection_n_3248328.html#slide=1513788

The Rubber Duck of Hong Kong

In Hong Kong Thursday, a giant, inflatable rubber duck floated into Victoria Harbor. As the duck drew up to Ocean Terminal, thousands lined the harbor front, cameras flashed, and brass bands blared their melodic tunes. 

The fifty four foot tall piece of art is aptly titled the “Rubber Duck Project.” The artist behind the monstrous toy is Florentijn Hofman, a thirty six year old Dutchman. The duck has spent time in Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paolo, and Amsterdam. 

Hofman says, “I see it as an adult thing. It makes you feel young again. It refers to your childhood when there is no stress or economic pressure, no worry about having to pay the rent.” The exhibit will remain in Hong Kong until June 9^th. The next stop is the Unites States, but where exactly is remaining secret.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/travel/hong-kong-giant-duck/index.html