PROTECT CONSUMER JUSTICE.ORG

Perhaps there is a message for California politicians in the findings of the latest poll by Public Policy Institute of California. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s approval rating is 28%. Californians place much more importance on college than do adults nationwide, have a favorable view toward colleges, and worry a lot about university budget cuts.

As former Bear Stearns money managers Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin walk, at least one juror was so taken with them that she said she’d entrust her money with them.

A mom thought her child would be safe on a cross-country flight. “She came home in a different way — she was a different person,” the mother said. Thousands of children fly alone annually. Each airline has its own policies and fees for unaccompanied minors, but there are no federal rules governing how airlines should keep children safe when flying alone.

Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. is paying $16.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company allowed employees to be overcharged by outside firms operating their 401(k) plans.

With bankruptcies rising, a nearly $700 million judgment against Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other lenders is causing creditors and others to take notice. The decision could affect Tribune and other prominent bankruptcy cases.

Goldman Sachs was one of the last Wall Street giants to enter the subprime lending world, but when it did, it quickly climbed into bed with profligate, highflying firms — companies such as New Century Financial Corp.

The US Chamber of Commerce says its membership should be reported at one tenth the size that many major media outlets have listed it for more than a decade.