U.S.A.'s interesting latest

REAL NEWS PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MISS 'We want peace and prosperity' says Trump as he storms Davos with offers of better trade deals and pleas for big business to invest in America - Daily Mail In Switzerland, President Donald J. Trump has been advocating for America, meeting with key American allies, and making a pitch for better trade deals. “We want great prosperity and we want great peace,” the President told reporters. ------------------------- U.S. heads for 3% growth trifecta on spending, investment punch - Bloomberg News The U.S. economy continues to accelerate, with the “longest stretch of 3 percent-or-better growth since 2005.” American consumer confidence, business investment, and a rebound in housing all led to strong numbers. “Tax cuts championed by President Donald Trump have fueled expectations of an extended boom in capital spending and buoyed household confidence.” ------------------------- U.S. imposes more North Korea sanctions; urges China, Russia expulsions - Reuters This week the United States announced new sanctions on North Korea aimed at stopping the country’s nuclear weapons development. The sanctions also urged China and Russia to expel North Koreans who raise funds for these programs. ------------------------- Melania Trump pays respect to Holocaust victims in recognition of Remembrance Day - The Daily Caller First Lady Melania Trump visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Thursday to pay respects ahead of today’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day. “My thoughts and prayers are with the people whose lives and families were broken by the horrors of the Holocaust. Yet it is also through our shared humanity that we come together now in commemoration, strength, and love,” the First Lady said. ------------------------- Home Depot hourly employees to receive up to $1,000 bonus due to tax reform - CNBC Home Depot joined a growing list of corporations “using new tax benefits to invest in their workers” by offering bonuses to employees of up to $1,000. As the U.S. labor market tightens, bonus payments and wage increases can “help incentivize current employees to stick around.” ------------------------- Trump comments lift dollar, Dow hits record high - Financial Times On Thursday afternoon, the U.S. dollar “staged a comeback” on a “show of support” from President Trump, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a new record high. ------------------------- Alex Azar confirmed by Senate as new head of Health and Human Services - The Washington Post On Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm Alex Azar as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. The vote marked the “third time that Azar has won Senate confirmation,” given his previous administration experience serving at the Department of Health and Human Services. FTC Hosts Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week January 29-February 2 The Federal Trade Commission will mark Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, January 29-February 2, with a series of free events to help consumers and businesses reduce their chances of becoming victims. Tax identity theft occurs when a person uses someone else’s Social Security number to either file a tax return and claim the victim’s refund, or to earn wages that are reported as the victim’s income, leaving the victim with the tax bill. The FTC will partner with the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and others throughout the week to co-host free webinars and Twitter chats focused on steps consumers and businesses can take to help avoid tax identity theft and recover if it occurs. There will also be discussions about ways to identify and avoid IRS imposter scams that target consumers and businesses. The events on tap include: January 29 at 2 p.m. ET: A webinar for consumers on tax identity theft and IRS imposter scams, how to protect yourself, and how to recover, co-hosted by the FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center.   January 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET: A webinar for older adults and other consumers on tax identity theft and IRS imposter scams, co-hosted by the FTC, AARP Fraud Watch Network, the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.   January 31 at 11 a.m. ET: A Twitter chat for service members, veterans, and their families, co-hosted by the FTC and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Join the conversation at #VeteranIDTheft.    January 31 at 1 p.m. ET: A closed webinar co-hosted by the FTC, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, focused on tax identity theft and IRS imposter scams. This webinar is only available to Veterans Administration employees and patients.   February 1 at 1 p.m. ET: A webinar for small businesses, Protecting Sensitive Business and Customer Data: Practical Identity Safety Practices for Your Business, co-hosted by the FTC and IRS focused on tax identity theft, imposter scams targeting businesses, cybersecurity practices to reduce your risk, and data breach response.   February 1 at 3 p.m. ET: A Twitter chat for consumers on protecting yourself from tax identity theft, co-hosted by the FTC and the Identity Theft Resource Center. Join the conversation at #IDTheftChat. Marketer That Deceptively Advertised Bed Bug Treatment Admits Violating FTC Order; Will Be Barred from Bed Bug Product Sales and Pay $224,356 for Consumer Refunds Commission files contempt motion against second marketer alleging similarly deceptive claims Chemical Free Solutions LLC (CFS), the seller of Cedarcide Original, a line of cedar oil-based products deceptively marketed as effective at stopping and preventing bed bug infestations, has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated a 2013 order barring it from making scientifically unsupported product claims. Under the modified court order, CFS admits it violated the 2013 order, is banned from selling bed bug eradication products, and will pay $224,356 for consumer refunds. According to the Commission’s September 2012 complaint, CFS falsely claimed that its natural, BEST Yet! bed bug and head lice products were invented for the U.S. Army, that BEST Yet! was acknowledged by the USDA as the #1 choice of bio-based pesticides, and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had warned consumers to avoid all synthetic and chemical pesticides for treating bed bug infestations. CFS agreed to a consent order settling the FTC’s charges in July 2013, which prohibited the company from claiming that BEST Yet! or any of their pesticides by themselves can stop bed bug infestations, that they are effective at preventing bed bug infestations, that they are more effective at stopping and preventing bed bug infestations than other products, or about the performance or efficacy of their products, unless the representation is non-misleading, and the defendants already have and rely upon competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate the claims. The proposed modified final order against CFS contains both injunctive and monetary relief. First, it permanently bans the company from advertising, marketing, promoting, selling or helping anyone else market, promote, or sell any product claiming to kill bed bugs. It also prohibits CFS and anyone the company works with from making any deceptive claims about the performance or efficacy of any pesticide product, unless such statements are not misleading and are supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence when they are made. The order also requires CFS to pay $224,356 in compensatory contempt relief to the FTC. The remaining order provisions maintain the monetary and injunctive relief from the 2013 order and restart the timing of the compliance monitoring provisions. The Commission has also filed a contempt motion against defendant David Glassel, who previously controlled CFS, and settled FTC charges in a consent order mirroring the company’s. The FTC is seeking similar injunctive relief against defendant Glassel as that obtained against CFS, including a ban on advertising, marketing, promoting, selling or helping anyone else market, promote, or sell any product claiming to kill bed bugs, as well as compensatory contempt relief. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to approve the filing of a stipulated modified order for permanent injunction, monetary judgment, and compensatory contempt relief as to defendant Chemical Free Solutions LLC was 2-0. The vote to file a contempt motion against defendant Glassel also was 2-0. The FTC filed the documents in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division.FTC Approves Final Order Requiring Divestiture of 2 Medical Device Product Lines as Condition of Becton, Dickinson and Company Acquiring C. R. Bard, Inc. Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that medical technology company Becton, Dickinson’s proposed $24 billion acquisition of competitor C. R. Bard would violate federal antitrust law by harming competition in two U.S. markets for certain medical devices. Specifically, the markets at issue concern tunneled home drainage catheter systems, which are used to treat recurrent fluid build-up in the lungs and abdomen, and soft tissue core needle biopsy devices, which are typically used by doctors to remove small samples of tissue from soft tissue organs. Under the terms of the order, Becton, Dickinson’s soft tissue core needle biopsy device business and Bard’s tunneled home drainage catheter system business will both be divested to Utah-based medical device supplier Merit Medical Systems, Inc. The Commission vote approving the final Order was 2-0. (FTC File No. 171 0140 ; the staff contact is Jared Nagley, Northeast Regional Office, 212-607-2813.) FTC Announces Annual Update of Size of Transaction Thresholds for Premerger Notification Filings and Interlocking Directorates For 2018, the size-of-transaction threshold for reporting proposed mergers and acquisitions under Section 7A of the Clayton Act will adjust from $80.8 million to $84.4 million. Also, the 2018 thresholds under Section 8 of the Act that trigger prohibitions on certain interlocking memberships on corporate boards of directors are $34,395,000 for Section 8(a)(l ) and $3,439,500 for Section 8(a)(2)(A). The FTC revises the thresholds annually, based on the change in gross national product. The revised thresholds under Section 7A of the Clayton Act will apply to all transactions that close on or after the effective date of the notice, which is 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The thresholds for Section 8 of the Clayton Act become effective upon publication in the Federal Register. A complete listing of current thresholds can be found on the FTC’s website, and will be updated once the revised thresholds are published in the Federal Register. The votes to approve the Federal Register notices announcing the threshold revisions were both 2-0. (FTC File No. P859910; the staff contact for Section 7A is Nora Whitehead, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-3262; the staff contact for Section 8 is James Mongoven, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-2879. Statement of Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen on the Announcement of New FTC Nominations “I congratulate Christine Wilson, Noah Phillips and Rohit Chopra on their nominations to serve as Commissioners and Joseph Simons on his nomination as Chairman. I wish them all well in their respective confirmation processes.” Think Twice Before Sending Money Online Scammers are always working on new, creative ways to take your money. If you're told the only way you can pay for a product or service is with a reloadable payment card or wire transfer, you might be getting scammed. Learn more about the tricks that scammers use to take your money. Planning Healthy Meals A small amount of planning can go a long way for your family's health! Use this recipe and tip booklet to save money, cook healthier meals, and keep your food safe. Winter Warnings, Watches, and Advisories Winter storms can bring different types of weather and safety risks, even in small geographic areas. Learn the difference between a winter storm warning, a watch, and an advisory to effectively prepare your family this time of year. Resources to Stop Teen Smoking Find resources to combat teen smoking and teach prevention from an early age. Explore tips, planning materials, and apps to identity risks and triggers to fight teen smoking habits.