Senators near deal on consumer agency

By GottaLaff

I'm surprised when anything gets done these days:

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) is nearing a deal with Sen. Bob Corker (R.-Tenn.) to propose the creation of a consumer protection authority housed inside the Federal Reserve, according to three sources familiar with the negotiations.

This would be whatcha call a major breakthrough in negotiations.

Originally, Chris Dodd and Bob Corker wanted an independent agency, one that could write, as well as enforce, rules that would protect consumers.

This is the compromise:

The proposed regulator would be appointed by the president, with a dedicated source of funding and the power to write rules, but enforcement of those rules would remain the responsibility of banking regulators.

Outdoor Patio Sets Spontaneously Shatter

By Paddy


Huh? Wow, I've never heard about this. Video here. I've got a Martha Stewart (bought at K-Mart) patio table out in the garage I haven't pulled out yet. Wonder if it's still in one piece?

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- It is a piercing and frightening sound.

A family in Commerce City said it was hard to describe, but that sound was their glass top patio table spontaneously shattering.

"We just heard a huge crash," said Julie Headley.

She and her husband ran outside that last weekend in May to find their Hampton Bay table top in thousands of tiny pieces.

"The glass was shattered. There were loud crackling noises. It was shattered into just miniscule pieces. We were horrified actually," Headley said.

(snip)

At first the Headleys thought it was a freak accident, until Julie returned to work and shared the story with a coworker.

"Julie said, 'You're not going to believe what happened this weekend'," Cary Larger explained.

Larger said she just stared at Headley in disbelief, since her own glass table top had shattered without warning on the very same day.

"The table had basically shattered from inside and all the chairs were pushed in and there was glass all over," Larger said.

"I went online and found tons of stories of these table tops exploding and that's when I started to get mad," said Headley.