| Volume 142 Number 71 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Earlier this year, the FTC brought together key Hispanic leaders from national and local organizations for a robust roundtable discussion devoted to understanding the unique issues and concerns affecting their communities. Click here for more.
Gas prices level off after sharp increase following Saudi oil field attack
Less than a week after a drone attack on a huge Saudi Arabian oil field, prices at the pump have jumped and leveled off. At this point at least, it appears the damage to consumers could have been a lot worse. The explosions and fires shut down half of Saudi oil production, reducing world oil output by 5 percent. The loss of oil production was felt quickly in world oil markets, with oil prices surging. But after the Saudis predicted full production would resume by the end of the month, oil prices fell again. The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular is $2.67 a gallon, about a dime more than last Friday -- the day before the attacks. But the price is only five cents more than it was a month ago and well below last year’s price. The average price of premium is $3.24 a gallon, up eight cents in the last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.00 a gallon, seven cents higher than a week ago. Click here for more.
Your Money
Taking money out of a 401(k) plan before age 59 1/2 often results in taxes and penalties. Investors who take early 401(k) withdrawals also miss out on the investment returns they could have earned if they left the money in the account. Here's what happens if you withdraw money from your 401(k) account early: Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Robocall ban violates First Amendment. The Ninth Circuit found that a Montana law banning automated political campaign calls is unconstitutional, "strikes at the heart of the First Amendment" and disproportionately disadvantages candidates with fewer resources. In 2018, a Montana federal judge denied political consulting firm Victory Processing LLC's constitutional challenge to the law, finding that it serves a compelling governmental interest and is sufficiently narrowly tailored to survive strict scrutiny applied to content-based legislation. The Ninth Circuit disagreed, holding that the 1991 legislation doesn't further the state's interest in protecting privacy. The Montana State Legislature had said the privacy threat posed by the automated calls relates to the fact that they tie up phone lines and fill answering machines — not the content of the calls. Therefore, regulating what's in the calls doesn't "address Montana's expressed concerns," the panel said. "Regulating robocalls based on the content of their messaging presents a more severe threat to First Amendment freedoms than regulating their time, place and manner." Victory Processing LLC et al. v. Tim Fox, case number 18-35163, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Click here for more.