Goldman Sachs—the last big-bank holdout—has agreed to resolve a spate of state and federal investigations related to its role in the 2008-era MBS debacle for an eye-popping $5.1 billion – WSJ and Bloomberg and Law360
Here’s why the massive number isn’t quite what it seems – NYTimes
The UK’s offering up a new way to help cultivate fintech projects that’s taking the form of a “regulatory ‘sandbox’”, which “will allow both fintech startups and established companies to roll out a new product or business model on a limited basis without having to wade through the process of getting full authorization.” The “not without risks” project is an attempt to keep regulatory pace with an industry dependent on speed and innovation – WSJ
Andrew Ross Sorkin chimes in on the MetLife “Not Too Big to Fail” ruling from DC Federal Judge Rosemary Collyer, suggesting that as brilliant a jurist as she is, the call is an awfully tough one to make for “any judge with anything short of a doctorate in statistics and economic modeling” – NYTimes
Yes, sometimes governments intervene to bust up deals. But sometimes, mergers fall apart because one of the parties manages “to alienate nearly every ally” the deal needed to go through. Such, says Breakingviews, was the case in the recently abandoned Ackman-backed Canadian Pacific Railway $28 billion offer for rival Norfolk Southern – NYTimes
With Alaska Airlines’ takeover all but complete, loyal Virgin American fans find themselves in similar shoes as their Starwood compatriots dreading the Marriott deal—asking if the perks (and the cool) will remain – NYTimes
John Oliver gives credit and background reporting companies (and their often-abysmal accuracy records) the old Last-Week-Tonight treatment – HBO