JUNE 1, 2007

Full News Archive

• Headline: Top Lawyer Faces Potential Departure. Impact: Lerach's departure sent shockwaves through the legal world, leading to a nationwide shortage of high-stakes court battles. As his firm dissolved into chaos, the once-dominant class-action landscape crumbled, giving rise to a new breed of lawyers who specialized in suing for emotional damages over bad Yelp reviews.. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more contentious than a securities class-action lawsuit is a family Thanksgiving dinner? Both can end with someone storming out and a lot of shouting..
• Headline: Obama's Basketball Triumphs and Tactics. Impact: Obama's basketball prowess became legendary, inspiring a generation of politicians to embrace sports as a way to connect with the public. Little did they know that a pick-up game would eventually lead to more bipartisan agreements—over who could dunk the best.. Fact: Fun fact: Obama’s basketball skills were so good they almost got him elected for a third term. Too bad they couldn’t find a way to dribble through the electoral college..
• Headline: Exploring the Complexity of Crazy Love. Impact: Linda Pugach's story ignited a series of documentaries that blurred the line between love and obsession, leading to reality TV shows that featured couples competing for the most dysfunctional relationship. Thank you, Linda, for paving the way to our current binge-watching crisis.. Fact: Crazy Love was so compelling, it inspired an entire genre of reality TV. Next up: Love is Blind—literally, because the contestants can’t see their partners until it’s too late!.
• Headline: Columbia Settles Student Loan Case. Impact: Columbia's settlement acted as a catalyst for student loan reform across the nation. Universities began to panic, leading to a frantic race to create seminars titled 'How Not to Ruin Your Life with Student Loans,' which ironically resulted in millions more in student loans being taken out for the seminar fees.. Fact: Isn't it great that Columbia's idea of 'educating' students about loans means throwing a little money at the problem? If only they had a seminar on how to avoid crippling debt!.
• Headline: Bush Proposes Goals on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Impact: Bush's proposal signaled the dawn of a new era in environmental policies, leading to an uptick in climate activism. Ironically, this also resulted in an increase in the number of hipster coffee shops promoting 'eco-friendly' lattes, which somehow became more popular than actually saving the planet.. Fact: Did you know that every time a politician proposes a greenhouse gas agreement, a tree in the Amazon cries? Just kidding—trees can't cry, but they sure do wish politicians would stop talking and start acting..