Pope Francis: 'Inequality Is The Root Of Social Evil'

Pope Francis took a hard stance against inequality on Monday in a tweet sent from his official Twitter page:

Inequality is the root of social evil.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 28, 2014

Could it be that the Pope is weighing in on the fervor sparked by French economist Thomas Piketty's current bestseller, Capital in the Twenty-First Century?

It's unclear. But the tweet's timing -- days after the book sold out on Amazon, where it is currently the best-selling book in the U.S. -- could suggest the Pope's support for Piketty, who posits that an unregulated free market creates an ever-widening wealth gap.

The tweet had nearly 10,000 retweets Monday afternoon.

The Pontiff’s warning comes months after he called unfettered capitalism “a new tyranny” and urged global leaders to fight growing income inequality in his first major written work as pope.

He laid out the platform for his papacy in the 84-page document last November, attacking the “idolatry of money” and calling on politicians to guarantee all citizens “dignified work, education and healthcare.”

Student Loan Borrowers Struggle When Co-Signers Die Or Go Bankrupt

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. consumer financial watchdog warned on Tuesday that some student loan borrowers could be thrown into default if relatives who co-signed their loans die or declare bankruptcy.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said in a new report published on its website that many private student lenders stipulate that the balance of a loan will come due if a parent, grandparent or other co-signer becomes unable to share responsibility for the loan.

This means the borrower may be automatically put into default, even if he or she has been making payments on time up to that point, the bureau said.

McDonald's Profit Slides As Taco Bell Launches Breakfast Taco

NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald's said that its profit slipped in the first quarter as global sales remained weak for the world's biggest hamburger chain.

The Oak Brook, Ill.-based company said global sales edged up 0.5 percent at established restaurants. In the flagship U.S. market, the figure fell 1.7 percent as customer traffic declined. The company cited "challenging industry dynamics and severe winter weather."

It said global sales for April are expected to be modestly positive. April would reflect the first full month that Taco Bell has offered its national breakfast menu, which it has pitched a challenge to McDonald's dominance in the morning hours.

A WSJ Op-Ed You Might Actually Like Blasts Obama For Siding With Evil Cable Giants

Media mogul Barry Diller blasted the Obama administration for taking the side of the nation's biggest broadcasters against the company he is bankrolling, Aereo.

The startup, which streams live, over-the-air television to subscribers, has been locked in a legal war with broadcasters for two years, culminating in arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court next Tuesday. The networks, including CBS, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and the Walt Disney Company’s ABC, want Aereo either to shut down or pay them the same fees that cable providers pay to retransmit their shows.

A victory for the networks would be the end of Aereo, Diller has warned. A victory for Aereo could lead to broadcasters cutting off their signals, some have threatened.