| Volume 118 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
After all the shopping on "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday," some consumers may have problems with their new purchases. The Federal Trade Commission has some tips on how to try and get your money back. Click here for more.
Coca-Cola Funded "Anti-Obesity" Group Closes
The Global Energy Balance Network, an organization that argued that the key to fighting obesity was to focus on exercise, has closed its website and discontinued operations. While advocating exercise to combat obesity was not controversial, the fact that the group was funded by Coca-Cola, and that it downplayed the need to eliminate junk food and surgery drinks from the diet, invited comparisons to the Tobacco industry's long financing of scientists who disputed a link between cigarettes and cancer. As a result, the University of Colorado medical school, whose scientists were part of the group, has returned $1 Million to Coca-Cola. The University of South Carolina, whose Professor Steve Blair was a Vice President of the group, and made some of the controversial comments, has not returned the Coca-Cola money. Click here for more.
Your Money
With the purchase of the Starwood Hotel group by Marriott, many are worried about the fate of one of the best hotel rewards programs. Many airlines and hotels have been changing their programs, usually to the disadvantage of the consumer. Despite that, many rewards programs have real benefits for smart consumers, and this link gives you some tips on how to best take advantage of them. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Antitrust attack on credit card arbitration clauses fails. The Second Circuit held that the record supported the district court's conclusion that the “final decision to adopt class-action-barring clauses was something the Issuing Banks hashed out individually and internally,” and not a collusive action in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Ross v. Citigroup (2nd Cir. 2015) Click here for more.