U.S.A.'s interesting latest

Targeting China’s economic aggression
In the White House Diplomatic Reception Room yesterday, President Trump made it clear he’s taking a stand for American innovation.

“We’ve lost, over a fairly short period of time, 60,000 factories in our country—closed, shuttered, gone. Six million jobs, at least, gone. And now they’re starting to come back,” the President said. “But we have one particular problem. And I view them as a friend . . . and that’s China.”

The President has directed his Administration to consider a range of actions to respond to China’s unfair and harmful acquisition of U.S. technology. Now, the Administration is proposing for public comment adding 25 percent additional tariffs on products that are supported by China’s unfair industrial policy.

“The word that I want to use is ‘reciprocal,’” President Trump said. “When they charge 25 percent for a car to go in, and we charge 2 percent for their car to come into the United States, that’s not good.”

Watch: President Trump signs a Memorandum targeting China’s economic aggression

Learn more: How we must level the playing field for American workers


What advice would you give?
Americans born between 1982 and 2000 represent more than a quarter of our Nation’s population. These millennials now outnumber baby boomers, and they’re becoming a growing force in our country’s policy debates.

A booming economy, more jobs, and free speech protections—especially on America’s college campuses—are just some of the ways the Trump Administration is helping millennials. Yesterday, the White House hosted about 150 of these young men and women for panel discussions and an interview with President Trump.

Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, asked the President questions about taxes, trade policy, and free speech. But the question that sparked the most reaction? “What advice would you give to the 25-year-old Donald Trump, knowing what you know today?”

Watch Charlie Kirk’s full interview with President Trump here.
PHOTO OF THE DAY

President Donald J. Trump and Archbishop Demetrios at the Greek Independence Day celebration | March 22, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
POTUS TODAY

This morning, President Trump and Vice President Pence will meet with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Deputy Secretary of State.




MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

BD Vacutainer Blood Collection Tubes by Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD): Class I Recall - Chemical Interference with Certain Tests

BD Vacutainer EDTA Lavender, Tan, and Pink Top Tubes
BD Vacutainer Lithium Heparin Green Top Tube

AUDIENCE: Risk Manager, Nursing, Laboratory

ISSUE: BD is recalling their Vacutainer EDTA Blood Collection Tubes with lavender, tan, pink and green rubber tube stoppers due to a chemical in the rubber tube stopper that interferes with the accuracy of the Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) testing methodology. ASV is the methodology used in Magellan Diagnostics’ LeadCare Testing Systems. The tube stoppers contain a substance called thiuram that can sometimes release sulfur-containing gases, which may dissolve into the blood sample and bind the lead particles. This chemical reaction makes it difficult for the Magellan lead tests to detect the correct amount of lead in the sample and may cause falsely lower test results. Falsely lower test results may lead to improper patient management and treatment for lead exposure or poisoning. The use of affected product may cause serious adverse health consequences.

The tubes can continue to be used with other non-ASV blood lead level test technologies such as Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and other assays (non-lead) which do not use ASV methodology.

BACKGROUND: BD Vacutainer EDTA Blood Collection Tubes are used to collect blood samples from a vein (venous). The tubes are used to transport and process the blood samples for testing in clinical laboratories.

RECOMMENDATION: On March 22, 2017, BD sent an Urgent Medical Device Correction Notice to all affected customers and distributors. The notice asked them to:
Continue to follow FDA’s safety communication for testing lead levels, which currently recommends that no venous blood should be tested with Magellan’s LeadCare test systems (regardless of the collection tube used).
Determine the need to evaluate tests performed in your facility for the potential of thiuram interference.
At FDA’s request, BD conducted testing to determine whether clinical laboratory tests other than the Magellan lead tests are affected by this interference. Based on the results of BD’s study, the FDA has no reason to believe other tests are impacted by this issue. BD provided additional data for tubes with thiuram versus tubes without thiuram. See the full list of Chemistry and Immunoassays Tests in the Recall Notice.
In addition, BD continues to investigate the potential of thiuram interference with additional tests used in clinical laboratories. Additional tests include metals, cardiac markers, cancer markers, therapeutic drug monitoring tests, and toxicology tests. However, laboratories should determine the need to evaluate their tests for the potential of thiuram interference if a test is not included in the list.
Share the notification with other relevant personnel.
Complete the Customer Response Form and return to the BD contact noted on the form to acknowledge receipt of the notification.

Customers or distributors with questions may contact BD at 1-888-237-2762 (select Option #3 and then Option #4) between 8AM and 5 PM CT Monday through Friday.Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:
Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report
Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178Read the MedWatch Safety Alert, including a link to the recall notice, at:
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm602480.htm

BD Updates Instructions for Use for Certain BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Tubes BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced it is updating the instructions for use of certain BD Vacutainer® tubes as part of its quality process to ensure that customers understand the appropriate uses of these products. Since BD became aware of the concerns about inaccurate lead test results from Magellan Diagnostics LeadCare® Testing Systems, the company has been cooperating fully with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). BD launched an internal investigation and determined that Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) technology, which is used in Magellan LeadCare testing systems, is not compatible with thiuram, a material found in the rubber stoppers of the BD Vacutainer® EDTA Lavender, Pink and Tan top tubes and BD Vacutainer® Lithium Heparin Green top tubes. Thiuram has been in these rubber stoppers since 1996, however, the effect of thiuram on lead testing when used with ASV technology was only recently observed through the course of this investigation.

 Μάρ 23 τις 6:26 μ.μ.

FTC Action Halts A Large Deceptive Business Opportunity Scheme Defendants touted “secrets for making money on Amazon” The Federal Trade Commission has charged a business opportunity scheme with falsely claiming that people who buy the defendants’ expensive “Amazing Wealth System” will learn “secrets for making money on Amazon” and likely earn thousands of dollars a month. According to the FTC, the defendants, who have no affiliation with Amazon.com, have made false or unsubstantiated earnings claims, such as, “Get started on Amazon and Make $5,000-$10,000 in the next 30 days. . . even if you have never sold anything online before.”  They charge from $995 to more than $35,000 for a purported exclusive “plug-and-play system” that allows consumers to create a profitable online business selling products on Amazon.com. Contrary to the defendants’ promises, most, if not virtually all, purchasers do not earn the advertised income. Many of the strategies and techniques included in the “system,” such as posting fake product reviews, are deceptive and violate Amazon.com’s rules. As a result, purchasers who deploy the defendants’ system often experience problems with their Amazon stores, including suspension and the loss of their ability to sell on Amazon.com. The court has appointed a temporary receiver over the corporate defendants, barred the defendants from making deceptive marketing claims, and frozen their assets pending resolution of the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction. The FTC seeks to end the alleged illegal practices and obtain money for return to injured consumers. The defendants are AWS LLC, FBA Distributors LLC, FBA Stores LLC, Info Pros LLC, Online Auction Learning Center Inc. (Massachusetts), Online Auction Learning Center Inc. (Nevada), Christopher F. Bowser, Adam S. Bowser, and Jody Marshall. They are charged with violating the FTC Act and the Business Opportunity Rule. The Commission vote approving the complaint was 2-0. The U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada entered a temporary restraining order against the defendants on March 14, 2018. This case was brought with the invaluable assistance of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Utah Division of Consumer Protection, Utah County Attorney’s Office (Bureau of Investigations), Utah County Sheriff’s Office, Lindon City Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and Amazon.com, Inc. NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to  International Competition Network Adopts Guiding Principles for Procedural Fairness and New Recommendations for Merger Review The International Competition Network (ICN) held its 17th annual conference, hosted by the Competition Commission of India, on March 21-23, 2018. Nearly 500 delegates from more than 70 jurisdictions participated, including competition experts from international organizations and the legal, business, academic, and consumer communities. Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Roger Alford of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division led the U.S. delegation.[1] The conference showcased the achievements of the ICN working groups on competition advocacy, agency effectiveness, cartels, mergers and unilateral conduct, and featured discussion of current competition issues and the future direction of the network. “The ICN continues to play a critical role in addressing evolving issues and challenges that confront the international competition community,” said FTC Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen. “As exemplified by this year’s work product on merger review and procedural due process, work that was led by the FTC, there has been substantial progress toward convergence of competition policy around the world.” “The Division looks forward each year to this opportunity to engage face to face with enforcer colleagues from around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Delrahim. “The relationships that we develop through ICN are key to our enforcement program, and to promoting sound competition policy worldwide. We commend the Competition Commission of India for hosting an excellent conference.” Acting Chairman Ohlhausen helped lead the conference’s panel discussion of how competition authorities can communicate the benefits of competition and advocate for pro-competitive policies when the political, social, or economic context is not in their favor. The panel explored how advocacy strategies may differ and recognized that competition advocacy, whatever the context or climate, is a crucial component of a competition agency’s work. Randolph Tritell, Director of the FTC’s Office of International Affairs, led the concluding panel, showcasing the implementation of the ICN’s work across the globe. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Alford spoke on a panel discussing online markets and vertical restraints. The panel was part of the Unilateral Conduct Working Group’s ongoing work on vertical restraints. The Working Group, co-chaired by the Department of Justice, presented an interim report examining a series of hypothetical vertical restraints and their effect on competition and potential resulting efficiencies. The FTC co-chairs the ICN’s Merger Working Group, which promotes convergence toward best practices in merger process and analysis and seeks to reduce the public and private costs of multijurisdictional merger reviews. This year, the Merger Working Group presented revised Recommended Practices on: 1) international enforcement cooperation; 2) timing of notification; and 3) review periods. The working group also presented results of its agency survey on vertical merger analysis and related economic assessment. The Agency Effectiveness Working Group produced new recommendations on due process in competition law enforcement. The FTC-led project developed Guiding Principles for procedural fairness, recommendations for internal agency practices that support sound decision making, and implementation tips for good agency enforcement process. The group also studied how economic thinking and economic analysis can be incorporated into agencies’ investigations and decision-making processes. The working group introduced new video training modules on merger remedies and enforcement cooperation as part of the ICN’s online interactive educational center for competition authorities from around the world. The Cartel Working Group addresses the challenges of anti-cartel enforcement, including the prevention, detection, investigation and punishment of cartel conduct. The Cartel Working Group presented an interim report on survey findings regarding major characteristics of leniency regimes, incentives and disincentives for leniency applications and interaction between leniency and other policies. The Advocacy Working Group provides guidance and facilitates experience-sharing to improve the effectiveness of ICN members’ competition advocacy initiatives. At the conference, the group released its second report as part of the Strategy Project. The report analyzes survey results on how competition agencies assess their advocacy actions and programs, and identifies common practices and trends. This work will inform the development of guidance covering the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of advocacy actions and programs. The working group also expanded the Market Studies Information Store, which now includes over 700 new market studies conducted by member agencies, and facilitates knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and best practices in market studies. Created in October 2001 to increase understanding of competition policy and promote convergence toward sound antitrust enforcement around the world, the ICN, founded by 15 members including the FTC and the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, has grown to 138 member agencies from 125 jurisdictions, supported by a wide network of non-government advisors from around the world. FTC Charges Recidivist Telemarketer for Millions of Illegal Calls Pitching Home Security Systems and Monitoring Services to Consumers Related defendants permanently barred from engaging in abusive telemarketing The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction in federal district court alleging that Alliance Security Inc., a home security installation company, and its founder, directly and through its authorized telemarketers, called millions of consumers whose numbers are on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. Two of Alliance’s authorized telemarketers and their principals also have agreed to settle charges that they made illegal calls on Alliance’s behalf. According to the FTC, Alliance and its CEO and founder Jasjit “Jay” Gotra are recidivist violators of the Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). Gotra previously operated Alliance under the name Versatile Marketing Solutions, Inc., and settled FTC telemarketing- and robocall-related charges against them in a court order announced in April 2014. In the action announced today, however, the FTC alleges Alliance and Gotra never complied with the 2014 court order. “Defendants Alliance and Gotra have shown a blatant disregard for the law and consumers’ privacy rights,” said Tom Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This case reflects the FTC’s sustained law enforcement work to protect consumers’ privacy from abusive calls and illegal credit inquiries.” Since the court entered the 2014 order, Alliance and Gotra allegedly have made or helped others make at least two million calls to consumers that violate the TSR, including more than a million to numbers on the DNC Registry. Alliance installs home security systems, and its employees allegedly make outbound calls to solicit the sale of the systems and associated security monitoring services. Alliance also contracts with third-party telemarketers that make similar outbound calls pitching its products and services, including many to numbers on the DNC Registry. For example, Alliance hired defendants Defend America, LLC and Power Marketing Promotions, LLC and their principals and authorized them to market their products, leading to those companies also illegally calling consumers whose phone numbers are on the Registry. The complaint also charges Defend America and Power Marketing with violating the TSR by not identifying the seller in their calls, and Alliance for telling the two companies not to identify it in calls to consumers. The complaint also alleges Alliance and Power Marketing deceived consumers by misrepresenting themselves as calling on behalf of ADT, an unrelated home security company. According to the complaint, even after Alliance learned about the deceptive calls, it failed to terminate its contracts with these telemarketers. Finally, the complaint alleges that Alliance and Gotra obtained consumer reports without having a permissible purpose, in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Defend America and Power Marketing defendants have agreed to settle the Commission’s charges, as detailed below. The stipulated final order settling the charges against Defend America and its principal Jessica Merrick permanently bars them from telemarketing or assisting others in telemarketing. It also imposes a civil penalty of $2,296,500, which will be suspended based on inability to pay. The stipulated final order settling the charges against Power Marketing and its principal Kevin Klink permanently bans them from selling home security and medical alert devices. Power Marketing also is banned from all telemarketing. Klink is banned from making robocalls or helping anyone else make them, from calling phone numbers on the DNC Registry, unless a consumer directly contacts him to request a call, and from selling lists containing numbers on the Registry. The order also bars Klink from abusive telemarketing practices and other TSR violations related to abandoning outbound calls, failing to identify the seller in a telemarketing call, and using spoofed caller ID numbers. It imposes a civil penalty of $3,293,512 against Power Marketing and Klink, which will be partially suspended due to their inability to pay, upon payment of $300,000 to the Commission. The proposed court settlements announced today resolve the FTC’s charges against individual defendants Merrick and Klink, and corporate defendants Defend America LLC and Power Marketing Promotions LLC. Litigation continues against Jasjit “Jay” Gotra and Alliance Security Inc., formerly known as Versatile Marketing Solutions, Inc.; VMS Alarms; VMS; Alliance Security; Alliance Home Protection; and AH Protection. The Commission vote authorizing the complaint and approving the proposed consent decrees was 2-0. The proposed consent decrees are subject to court approval. NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. Stipulated final injunctions/orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.