News stories that East Bay progressives and environmentalists shouldn’t miss:
1. Lawmakers in Sacramento this week will consider legislation that would reform payday lending in California in an effort to curb triple-digit interest rates that exploit low-income residents, the Mercury News reports. The Democratic-sponsored bill would limit the number of payday loans that any one person can take in a year, and would require payday lenders to more closely scrutinize the finances of their customers. The powerful payday loan industry is vowing to fight the bill.