| Volume 144 Number 16 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
New health apps are popping up every day, promising to help you track your health conditions, count your calories, manage your medications, or predict your ovulation. These apps often ask for some of your most sensitive personal information. Some apps use that sensitive information only to give you services. But others may use it for their own research, to target you with ads, or disclose — or even sell — your data to other companies. Click here for more.
Gas prices are rising rapidly in some areas of the country
It’s a contradiction. Gasoline demand is actually going down because of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Yet the price of gasoline is rapidly snapping back to pre-pandemic levels.
The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular is $2.37 a gallon, seven cents higher than last Friday. It’s now only 20 cents a gallon less than at this time in 2020.
The average price of premium gas is $2.95 a gallon, seven cents more than last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.61 a gallon, three cents higher than a week ago. Click here for more.
Your Money
During the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, candidate Andrew Yang proposed sending $1,000 each month to all U.S. citizens age 18 and older. Dubbed a Freedom Dividend, his idea garnered him devoted supporters although the concept itself isn't new. The Freedom Dividend is a form of universal basic income, commonly called UBI. The idea of UBI has been promoted as far back as 1795 in the writings of Thomas Paine. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic leaving millions unemployed for much of 2020, the idea of guaranteed income has become more appealing in recent times. Those who support UBI say it's an easy way to distribute aid to vulnerable populations. Others worry such a system would be costly and discourage workers from finding jobs. Opinions vary, but several countries are already experimenting with UBI systems and reportedly finding success. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Rohit Chopra to be the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to four sources familiar with the decision, choosing a strong consumer advocate aligned with Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Click here for more.