U.S.A.'s interesting latest

Οκτ 26 τις 5:34 μ.μ.

Enabling the American Family to Thrive  Yesterday, Ivanka Trump joined Senate and House Republicans at the Capitol to discuss the importance of increasing the child tax credit to benefit working families of America. Our tax code must recognize and support the reality that the majority of parents in the United States are a part of the workforce. As wages have stagnated over the years, the cost of raising a family has grown exponentially, creating a critical need for tax reform to ensure that all American families can invest in their children and thrive. Learn more about the Unified Framework for Tax reform at whitehouse.gov/taxreform. Another Step towards Recovery  On Tuesday, the Senate passed the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act of 2017, in which the President requested additional funds for critical disaster relief to assist Americans living in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other affected areas rebuild their lives. President Trump also received a briefing on Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts in Dallas, Texas, yesterday. Freedom, Opportunity, and Prosperity for Americans “I’ve traveled across America this year. Every place I visit, working families and job creators have told me one thing: They told me that the biggest obstacle to their success is our country's broken tax code. One after another -- I've sat at tables in California and in cities large and small with small-business owners and families -- one after another have spoken to me about the burden that our tax system places on them and the barrier that it puts in-between them and reaching and achieving their dreams,” said Vice President Pence at the American Enterprise Institute. President Trump has taken decisive action to promote freedom, opportunity, and prosperity for every American. To revive America’s economy, the Trump Administration has been rolling back regulations that stifle American businesses and have eroded opportunities for working families for far too long. Under the Unified Framework supported by the President, middle-income America will see tax cuts, job creation, and business growth. See highlights of Vice President Pence’s remarks. PHOTO OF THE DAY President Donald J. Trump, joined by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and FEMA officials, attends a briefing on the continuing Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts | October 25, 2017 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) POTUS TODAY Today, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will participate in an event at the White House discussing the opioid crisis. Later, the President will meet with Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt. Vice President Mike Pence will tour the Lockheed Martin Waterton Canyon Facility in Denver, Colorado, to view NASA’s InSight Mars lander spacecraft, the Collaborative Human Innovation Laboratory (CHIL), and the Air Force’s next generation GPS III satellites.

Should You Schedule a Mammogram Today?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each year in the U.S., more than 200,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease. Learn if you should schedule a checkup based on your age, family history, or if you display any symptoms.

Apply for Disaster Assistance

If you live in parts of Florida, California, Texas, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, you may be eligible for individual disaster assistance. Individual assistance includes help for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Residents and business owners who sustained losses can apply by registering online at DisasterAssistance.gov. If you are having an internet connectivity issue, call 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585).  Smithsonian Science How: Geology Introduce your students to a career in geology. Join us on October 26 for a live online chat with Scientist Cari Corrigan from Smithsonian Science at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM ET. Learn more about her job as a geologist studying Antarctic meteorites. Halloween Resources Getting ready for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos? The Library of Congress is presenting a pop-up exhibition with over 200 collection items that embody seasonal traditions of fantasy and folklore. The digital exhibit also includes tales of Halloween and Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Humanities Projects and Grants Check out the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Essentials website for amazing stories of projects and people, both past and present. Here are a selection of NEH-funded projects that have shaped what we know about ourselves and our world. Οκτ 26 τις 9:24 μ.μ. FTC Obtains Settlements from Operators of Tech Support Scams The operators of two tech support scams have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they tricked consumers into believing their computers were infected with viruses and malware, and then charged them hundreds of dollars for unnecessary repairs. The defendants will be permanently banned from the tech support business under the terms of the settlements. According to complaints filed earlier by the FTC, the defendants contacted consumers through phone calls or displayed advertisements on their computers designed to resemble pop-up security alerts from Microsoft, Apple or other technology companies. These ads warned consumers that their computers were infected with viruses, had been hacked, or otherwise compromised, and urged them to immediately call a toll-free number for assistance. Once consumers called the toll-free number listed on the ads, they were connected to a call center and pitched by telemarketers who claimed to be affiliated with well-known technology companies such as Microsoft or Apple. Consumers were told that in order to diagnose the problem, they had to provide the telemarketers with remote access to their computer. After gaining access to consumers’ computers, the telemarketers purported to run a series of “diagnostic tests” that claimed to show that their computers had major problems requiring immediate repair by one of their “certified technicians.” Through these high-pressure tactics, the defendants would persuade consumers to pay hundreds of dollars for unnecessary computer repair services, service plans, anti-virus protection or software, and other products and services. In some cases, the defendants even installed malware on consumers’ computers. The defendants in both cases were charged as part of a major international crack down called Operation Tech Trap announced in May against tech support scams. A settlement with Madhu Sethi and Ila Sethi, who did business as Troth Solutions and used both telephone calls as well as online ads to contact consumers, permanently bans these defendants from advertising, marketing, promoting or selling any tech support product or service. They also are prohibited from collecting or attempting to collect payment for a tech support product or service sold by the defendants, from deceptive telemarketing, and misrepresenting their affiliation with another company or entity. The settlement also imposes a $2 million judgment, most of which is suspended. The FTC filed this complaint jointly with the State of Alabama. In the same matter, the court entered a default judgment of $2,087,844.72 against six of the seven named corporate defendants, including Trothsolutions Inc., Trothsolutions LLC, Quickkonto LLC, Crazy Bee Man of Palm Beach Inc., eDoorways International Corp., and Airoways LLC. At the FTC and Alabama’s request, the court also dismissed the seventh corporate defendant, Escue Energy, Inc. As part of the FTC’s settlement with Universal Network Solutions, LLC, and Rajinder Singh, the defendants, which used only online ads to contact consumers, agreed to similar prohibitions against offering tech support products or services and misrepresenting their affiliation with another company. The settlement also imposes a $547,087 judgment, which will be suspended upon payment of $61,360. The Commission vote approving the stipulated final orders in both cases was 2-0. The order involving Madhu Sethi and Ila Sethi was entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division. The FTC filed the proposed order involving Universal Network Solutions and Singh in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. NOTE: Stipulated final orders or injunctions, etc. have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.