| Volume 106 Number 5 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Immediately review your bank statements and returned checks for forgeries. Promptly report any problems to your bank. A short delay may cost you your legal rights.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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E-Cigs Release Dangerous Formaldehyde
Have you dropped smoking cigarettes in favor of vaping? Thought by many to have zero health impact, the jury is actually still out on whether e-cigarettes are a healthy alternative, or just as dangerous as smoking.
E-cigarettes simply haven't been around long enough to know much about them. Researchers suggest that it will take 15 to 20 years to see long term effects, if any, in chronic users. Despite that, researchers are already hard at work trying to get as much information as possible on the potential health consequences associated with the devices.
E-cigarettes function when a consumer sucks on a battery powered tube. Inside, the battery heats nicotine and other chemicals (sometimes upwards of 1000 degrees), allowing users to experience the sensation of smoking without inhaling any actual smoke. However, studies have found a very dangerous chemical byproduct is released during the heating process. Formaldehyde, a carcinogen also present on cigarette smoke, is far more potent in e-cigarette vapor. Popular as an embalming agent, formaldehyde is also known to cause cancer. Unfortunately, cigarettes contain 8,000 chemicals, so it's hard to know if it is *the* chemical that causes cancer in cigarette smokers. Regardless, what is known is that the heating devices on e-cigarettes are producing exponentially more formaldehyde than that found in traditional cigarette smoke.
If you're trying to quit smoking by vaping, be aware that we still don't know if e-cigarettes are actually safe. If possible, try other alternatives like gun or patches. However, always consult your doctor before determining the appropriate way to quit smoking. Depending on the state of your health, cold turkey may be the best way to go.
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Free Tax Help for Everyone
If you make less than $60,000 a year, you likely qualify for one or more types of tax-preparation help. However, even if you make more, you could still file for free.
The IRS is offering limited, but free, tax preparation help to individuals who make more than $60,000 a year. Find out how to take advantage now!
This tax season, we'll be passing along ways for you to maximize your return. However, if you want to get an early start, the IRS already has you covered.
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House Republicans Drop Abortion Bill
Ready to flex their collective muscle, the Republican-controlled congress set out to pass a bill to criminalize virtually all late-term abortions.
On Wednesday, Republicans suddenly dropped the bill when they fell short of votes to get it passed.
Female Republicans and other lawmakers objected to what amounted to a very limited exception for instances of rape and incest. Under the proposed law, women could only get an abortion after 20 weeks if they could demonstrate that the incidents were reported to authorities. Women often feel shame or fear for their safety if they report such events. For incest, the requirements were even more strict. Only minors would qualify for an abortion after 20 months if they reported the incident. Accordingly, and 18 or 19 year old girl would not qualify for an abortion even if she reported the incident.
Unable to resolve the issues, Republican insiders described the scene as a "meltdown."
A 2013 study found that only 35% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to police.
The Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973.
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Your Money
What are the tax implications of paying interest?
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For the Lawyers
Consumer report need not be published to a third party for consumer to recover damages.
The Eleventh Circuit considered whether a credit reporting agency that negligently and willfully violated its duty to reinvestigate under the FCRA is liable for damages if the report is never published to a third party.
The court noted:
This appeal presents us with a question of first impression—whether an allegation of a violation of §1681i(a), requiring a consumer reporting agency to conduct a “reasonable investigation” of disputed information contained in a consumer’s credit report, requires the consumer reporting agency to have disclosed the consumer’s credit report to a third party in order for a consumer to recover actual damages. Looking to the plain language of the FCRA, we are convinced that a consumer’s credit report need not be published to a third party in order to entitle the consumer to actual damages under §1681i(a)….
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