Oh, irony. You never disappoint.
The salient grafs from the three stories:
- A top Toyota official claimed that a negotiated agreement with U.S. government auto-safety regulators prevented a widespread vehicle recall and saved the Japanese auto giant more than $100 million, according to a document obtained by The Washington Post after it was turned over to congressional investigators.
[...]
Under the heading “Wins for Toyota & Industry,” [Toyota North America president Yoshi] Inaba wrote: “Negotiated ‘equipment’ recall on Camry/ES re. SA, saved $100M+, w/ no defect found.” “SA” stands for “sudden acceleration.” - Kabul Bank’s boss has been handing out far bigger prizes to his country’s U.S.-backed ruling elite: multimillion-dollar loans for the purchase of luxury villas in Dubai by members of President Hamid Karzai’s family, his government and his supporters.
The close ties between Kabul Bank and Karzai’s circle reflect a defining feature of the shaky post-Taliban order in which Washington has invested more than $40 billion and the lives of more than 900 U.S. service members: a crony capitalism that enriches politically connected insiders and dismays the Afghan populace.
- A federal judge on Monday morning approved a $150 million settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of America over allegations that the firm lied to investors about bonuses and mounting losses during the financial crisis of fall 2008.
[...]
And although the bank will be able to put this episode aside, it faces another major lawsuit by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that charges both the bank and two former top executives with fraud. The SEC declined to charge any individuals.