To the Point

Congress Moves to Stiffen Bankruptcy Rules

A 500-page bill to make bankruptcy more onerous is expected to pass the Senate today. The House has agreed to pass it too, and President Bush says he-ll sign it. Bankruptcies have increased from 200,000 in 1978 to 1.6 million last year. Banks and credit companies say that-s the result of abusive filings by people who ought to be able to meet their obligations. Opponents fault banks and credit card companies for offering easy credit to unsuspecting consumers who can-t handle high interest rates and fees for late payments. Has bankruptcy become too attractive? What about job loss, divorce or catastrophic medical bills? Will a -fresh start- be harder for people who really are down on their luck? We hear from national business land consumer advocates, economists and legal experts in bankruptcy and commercial law. Making News: Suicide Note Ties Chicago Man to Lefkow Killings A suicide during a traffic stop has provided possible new evidence in last week-s killing of federal judge Joan Lefkow-s husband and mother. David Heinzmann, who reports for the Chicago Tribune, says the driver left a note containing grievances relating to a medical malpractice suit as well as crime-scene details that only the murder would have known. Reporter's Notebook : Aquaculture, Fastest Growing Sector of US Agriculture? At $11 billion a year, fish is America-s largest imported natural resource after oil. To make up a trade deficit, the Bush Administration wants to vastly increase fish farming, an ancient practice that has become America's fastest-growing agricultural sector. There-s been increased demand for fish worldwide, at the same time that the ocean's global catch has been leveling off. The Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin has the how's, why's and why not's.