| Volume 80 Number 7 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
You can sue in small claims court for as much as $10,000. But you cannot just "take less" to get into court. If you are owed $11,000, you can't sue in small claims court for only $10,000. Click here for more.
Google: Government Surveillance on Rise
According to Google, government surveillance is on the rise. In the first half of 2012, the United States government made 7,969 requests for user data, the most for any government. Google complied with about 90% of the requests. For the same period, there were 20,938 official worldwide user data requests. Keep in mind, this represents only the requests made to Google. Companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Yahoo! have not disclosed the number of official user data requests made by governments. Click here for more.
CFPB Targeting Elder Financial Abuse
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has made detecting and addressing financial exploitation of the elderly a top priority. Financial abuse of the elderly is quite common, but there are a broad range of perpetrators. As a result, the CFPB insists collaboration is critical. What initiatives are already underway to address the issue? What new multi-faceted solution could the CFPB implement to resolve financial exploitation of the elderly? Click here for more.
Hostess Closing Up Shop
Hostess, the maker of many popular sweets like Twinkies, will be shutting down operations for good. Hostess is blaming the closure on a bakers strike, which started after Hostess implemented a new contract.
The impending demise of Hostess has led to a Twinkie-hysteria. Stores like Walmart and Target have seen Twinkies flying off the shelves. On Friday, a 10-count box of Twinkies was the #1 best seller on Amazon. As of now, most Hostess products have already sold out. In some instances, they have been re-listed at a substantial markup. Click here for more.
Your Money
Will driving to a cheaper gas station actually save you money? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Radio stations telemarketing calls did not violate TCPA. The Sixth Circuit held that a radio station’s prerecorded telemarketing call did not violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act because the calls were exempt from the Act’s provisions. The court found the calls were “hybrid” that both announced a contest and promoted the station. Click here for more.