U.S.A.'s latest

22,000 faces of the opioid crisis  Last week, President Donald J. Trump announced a bold policy agenda to combat the opioid crisis on three fronts: prevention and education, treatment and recovery, and law enforcement and interdiction. Now, the White House is partnering with the Department of the Interior and the National Parks Service to bring the National Safety Council’s “Prescribed to Death” opioid memorial to the Ellipse near the White House from April 11 to April 18. The exhibit will educate visitors on the impact of the opioid crisis with the installation of a wall of 22,000 engraved white pills—each representing the face of an American lost to a prescription opioid overdose in 2015. The exhibit is also an action center, with resources on the safe disposal of unused pills and prepaid envelopes to allow visitors to dispose of any unused medication at their homes. More information about the Prescribed to Death memorial can be found here. U.S. expels Russian intelligence officers  President Trump ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United States yesterday morning. He also directed the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, given its proximity to one of America’s submarine bases as well as Boeing facilities. “The United States takes this action in conjunction with our NATO allies and partners around the world in response to Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom, the latest in its ongoing pattern of destabilizing activities around the world,” a senior Administration official briefed reporters yesterday. America stands in solidarity with our closest ally, the United Kingdom. While the Administration remains ready to build a better relationship with Russia, this can only happen with a change in behavior from the Russian government. Actions like this attack on British soil will carry serious consequences. Read more on President Trump’s expulsion of Russian officers from the United States. Why John Bolton is the right choice  Commentators agree that by appointing John Bolton to be the next National Security Advisor (NSA), President Trump has made an excellent choice to confront the challenges of a dangerous world and build on the accomplishments of outgoing NSA H.R. McMaster. In their words, here are just a few of the reasons why: “We may assume Pyongyang knows now that bluffing the U.S. won’t work.” – The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board “On the U.N. he’s been right all along. If his presence in the White House helps to scare the organization into real reform, so much the better.” – The New York Times’ Bret Stephens “He’s squarely in the mainstream of conservative foreign-policy thought.” – David French, The National Review “Enough with the John Bolton smears — he’ll be the best National Security Adviser in a generation.” – Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute Learn more about why John Bolton’s appointment is earning widespread support. PHOTO OF THE DAY Marine One | March 25, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) POTUS TODAY Today, President Trump will sign a proclamation for Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A. The President will later meet with the Secretary of the Treasury. This afternoon, Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Fargo, North Dakota, to deliver keynote remarks at an America First Policies “Tax Cuts to Put America First” event.

Healthy Home, Healthy You

Doctors encourage yearly physicals to keep an eye on your health. The same goes for doing a check-up on your home. Keep your family safe by following these tips and identifying what things in your house or apartment could have negative impacts on your health. It's Time For Spring Cleaning! Spring weather sometimes involves indoor cleaning, but don't forget to tidy up your wallet! This time of year is a great one to do some financial spring cleaning, such as reviewing your budget and checking your credit score. Use these tips and resources to get your finances order before the summer.   FTC Files Comment to CFPB on CID Processes The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) has filed a comment to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection in response to that agency’s request for information to help it assess the process it uses to issue Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs). CIDs are a key tool in investigating potential law violations and bringing enforcement actions to stop illegal conduct and provide relief to consumers. A CID from either the FTC or the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection may seek written answers to interrogatories, documents, tangible things, oral testimony, or some combination of all of these. In particular, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection sought input “on how best to achieve meaningful burden reduction or other improvements” . . . while continuing to achieve its statutory and regulatory objectives. The FTC’s comment describes its experience with CIDs, including recent reforms. “We applaud the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection for undertaking a critical assessment of its investigative processes,” stated Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director for BCP. “We hope our comment describing BCP’s experience with CIDs, including recent reforms, is valuable to the Bureau in making its investigative processes efficient and effective. We look forward to a continued partnership with the Bureau on this and other issues in pursuing the agencies’ shared goal of protecting American consumers.” In response to the request for comment, the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection explained its procedures for issuing consumer protection CIDs, provided feedback on Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection processes in response to specific requests for information, and outlined generally reforms that the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection implemented in July 2017 related to consumer protection CIDs. Those include (1) adding more detail about the scope and purpose of investigations to give companies a better understanding of the information sought, (2) limiting the relevant time periods to minimize undue burden on companies and focus the Commission’s finite resources on investigating harms that have an immediate impact on consumers, (3) shortening and simplifying the instructions for providing electronically stored data, and (4) increasing response times for CIDs, where appropriate. The Commission vote approving the comment was 2-0. FTC Announces Departure of Acting General Counsel David Shonka Acting Federal Trade Commission Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen today announced that David C. Shonka, the agency’s Acting General Counsel, is retiring from government and will join a private law practice. Shonka has served as Acting General Counsel since March 2016, and previously held that position between January and June 2009 and October 2012 and June 2013. During his 41-year career at the FTC, Shonka has advised the Commission on a full range of issues; litigated many antitrust and consumer protection cases in the federal courts; tried cases in administrative proceedings; represented the Commission in appellate cases; and overseen revision of the FTC’s Rules of Practice. “David has been a pillar of the FTC General Counsel’s office for decades, and the Commission has benefited immeasurably from his wisdom and extraordinary legal skill,” Acting Chairman Ohlhausen said. “I am grateful for David’s many years of service and wish him the best of luck with his new endeavors.” Before March 2016, Shonka served as the FTC’s Principal Deputy General Counsel starting in April 2008. Shonka joined the office in 1977 as a staff attorney and later became Assistant General Counsel for Litigation. He oversaw the Office of General Counsel’s Litigation, Legal Counsel, and Policy Studies units. He also oversaw the agency’s FOIA, employment counsel, and Energy Counsel functions; was the first chair of e-Discovery Steering Committee; and regularly consulted on government law enforcement investigations. In 2015 he received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive. Before joining the FTC, Shonka was an associate in a Washington, D.C., law firm and a litigator in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He graduated from the University of Maine School of Law an Statement by the Acting Director of FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Regarding Reported Concerns about Facebook Privacy Practices Tom Pahl, Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, issued the following statement regarding reported concerns about Facebook’s privacy practices: “The FTC is firmly and fully committed to using all of its tools to protect the privacy of consumers. Foremost among these tools is enforcement action against companies that fail to honor their privacy promises, including to comply with Privacy Shield, or that engage in unfair acts that cause substantial injury to consumers in violation of the FTC Act. Companies who have settled previous FTC actions must also comply with FTC order provisions imposing privacy and data security requirements. Accordingly, the FTC takes very seriously recent press reports raising substantial concerns about the privacy practices of Facebook. Today, the FTC is confirming that it has an open non-public investigation into these practices.” Mattress sellers stick buyers with misleading “USA” claim By Lesley Fair Here’s the thing about nectar. It can be sweet, but sticky. People who paid Palo Alto-based Nectar Brand LLC for mattresses labeled “Designed and Assembled in the USA” thought they were getting a sweet deal. In fact, buyers were stuck with mattresses imported from China, already completed. The company, which also uses the names Nectar Sleep and DreamCloud, performed no assembly operations in the United States. Thus, the FTC’s complaint alleges that the company’s “Assembled in USA” claim is deceptive. Read more > In honor of Women's History Month, we're highlighting resources for women entrepreneurs. SBA oversees the Women's Business Centers network, which provides entrepreneurs (especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged) comprehensive training and counseling on a variety of topics in several languages. Connect with an WBC near you! Learn More Register now for the #SmallBusinessWeek Virtual Conference! The U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Association will host a free, 3-Day Virtual Conference during National Small Business Week. The Virtual Conference offers all the best parts of an in-person conference, but without the hassle of traveling. Watch 12 educational webinars, get free business advice from mentors, pick up free information and resources from sponsors and network with fellow business owners. Register Blogs National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day is on March 29, 2018. Learn how to leverage the advantages that small businesses have over giant ones to help you compete in your marketplace. Read More Tax Credits for Your Business Applying for business credit may be as simple as entering your information into an online form or filling out a hard application; but how can you improve your chances of approval? Read More Funding Options for Small Businesses This self-paced training exercise is an introduction to financing options for your business. Topics include; determining your financial needs, loans, grants, venture capital, angel investors, crowd funding, and other financial options available to small businesses. Launch the Course SBA's Emerging Leaders initiative provides free entrepreneurship education and training for executives of small businesses poised for growth. 2018 recruitment ends soon! Register before April. Register